Mellie Uyldert
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31 May 1908
- Writer
- astrologer
- occultist
- naturopath
- alternative healer
Mellie Uyldert | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mellifica Uyldert 31 May 1908 Blaricum, Netherlands |
| Died | 10 May 2009 (aged 100) Bilthoven, Netherlands |
| Occupations |
|
| Known for | Esoteric and New Age writings |
| Movement | New Age, Theosophy |
Mellifica "Mellie" Uyldert (31 May 1908 in Blaricum – 10 May 2009 in Bilthoven) was a Dutch New Age writer, alternative healer, occultist, and astrologer who published about 30 esoteric books, selling over a million copies,[2] making her a recognized person in the Netherlands. Of a conservative, peculiar, poetic, eccentric character, she was also controversial because of several unsettling claims that caused antagonism.[3][4] In the 1970s she became a celebrity on Dutch television. Her publications cover fairy tales, herbal medicine, stones, metals, health, and gnomes. She also wrote poems.
Early life and education
Uyldert was the daughter of Marie Calisch, a teacher, and Emil Uyldert, both vegetarians who were followers of the back-to-nature Chaste Life movement.[5] In 1912 her father Emil deserted the family, going to the United States and leaving Mellie's mother the task of raising their daughter.[6]
At eighteen years old she became interested in astrology, taking her first lessons with a Freemason called Mr. Ram in Hilversum.[7] In 1928 she joined the Dutch Philosophical Society (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Filosofie) but at age twenty-one she left it for lessons in esoteric philosophy including Theosophy and Indian-style astrology.[8]
Career
In 1928 she began teaching astrology,[7] and in 1934 she published her first book, the vegetarian cookbook Handleiding voor de moderne keuken (Manual for the Modern Kitchen).[5] In 1942 she started giving courses on herbs and lectures.[6]
From around 1947,[5][9] she began writing in De Kaarsvlam (The Candle’s Flame), a bimonthly magazine produced in both English and German, and later published by the Mellie Uyldert Foundation. She was also a journalist for Onkruid, a widely read Dutch New Age magazine, and wrote for the magazine Overleven van de rechtse Ekologische Beweging (Surviving the right Ecological Movement).[10]
Meanwhile, she was a teacher at naturopathic institutes such as the Academie voor Natuurgeneeswijzen (Academy of Natural Treatment) and De Kosmos in Amsterdam. However, in 1984 she was discredited by a booklet which accused her of alleged racist theories. Following these events, Onkruid magazine ended its relation with her.[citation needed]
Later life
Uyldert moved to Kalmthout in Belgium, where eleven years earlier she had established the Oasis Mellie Uyldert Foundation, a center for natural therapeutic treatments.[8]
At a country house belonging to her foundation, Uyldert continued to write books, teach courses, organize workshops and give lectures up to age 96. She spent her final years in the Leendert Meeshuis, an anthroposophical nursing home in Bilthoven, where she lived until reaching the age of 100.[3]
