Catherine Thompson

British astrologer, one of the most prominent figures of the field in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She was born into a well-off family who provided her with the best continental education. She was orphaned by the time she was 20 as her twin brother and parents all died. Later in her life, she married a wealthy American, with whom she had two children and homes in Newport and New York City. The marriage didn't last, and, after her husband left her, she took a job as a hostess to a widowed Washington D.C. Senator for a while. Eventually she began the study of astrology with Dr. Luke Broughton, settling in Boston. She focused on market forecasting, attracting an important business clientele. Thompson also gave astrology lessons to Evangeline Adams, although they didn't get along well. From July, 1899 to May, 1901 she edited and published "The Sphinx" magazine. Thompson was known for her difficult personality, and Clemens wrote that she hated men. Full of herself, she often referred to herself with the royal "we," and believed herself the reincarnation of Queen Elizabeth I. By Christmas of 1934 Thompson was down in her luck; she owed rent and was given a notice of eviction from her residence. Shortly after her downturn, Thompson had a stroke. She was taken to the pauper's ward, where she died penniless.