Richard A. Zarro

Woodstock - Richard Zarro of Easton Lane, a hypnotherapist, writer, artist & musician, died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2003, at home. He was 56.

Mr. Zarro was born in Newark, NJ, on Sept. 18, 1946, the son of Eugene and Vita Zarro. He worked as an artist in Newark and as a writer at Westbeth in NYC, where he wrote an award winning children's book, "The King of Numbers." He moved to Woodstock, NY in 1972, to be poetry editor for The Woodstock Aquarian. During the late '70's, he constructed Zen rock gardens and trancemeditation environments for area residents.

In the early '80's he studyied hypnosis and neurolinguistic programming while in California. He returned to Woodstock and established his own successful hypnotherapy practice. As an instructor for the International Assoc. of Counselors & Therapists (IACT) & the National Guild of Hypnotists, he trained and certified hundreds of students as hypnotherapists into the '90's.

1989, he co-authored, with Peter Blum, Hypnotherapist, "The Phone Book: How to Use NLP on the Telephone." He also co-wrote "Changing Your Destiny: Dynamic New Astrological & Visualization Tools to Shape Your Future" with Woodstock Astrologer Mary Orser, in addition to writing "The Enchanted Mind: A New Vision for Space & Body."

1990, he was inducted into the International Hypnosis Hall of Fame.

1994, he was honored by IACT with the Unlimited Spirit Award.

1998, Mr. Zarro retired following a series of illnesses, but continued to write and edit.

He is survived by his father & stepmother, Mr. & Mrs. Eugene Zarro, of Montclair, NJ; a daughter, Hope, of Los Angeles, CA; a son, Ian Harrington of Florida; a brother Ronald of California; & a dear friend Roberta Culver. A brother Gerrold, died previously.

A funeral procession formed on Sat. Aug. 16, 2003 at 9:45am at the Zarro Funeral Home (no relation), on Newark Ave. in Bloomfield, NJ. It was followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Filomena's Church in Livingston, NJ. and a cremation that followed.

A Woodstock memorial service was held on Sept. 4th, 2003, 7-11pm at New World Home Cooking, Rt. 212, in Saugerties, NY.

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Jim Marzano's reading from the Woodstock gathering:

Only when you drink from
the river of silence
Shall you indeed sing

And when you have reached
the mountain top
Then shall you begin to climb

And when the earth shall
claim your bones
Then shall you truely dance

~Kalil Gibran~
The Prophet, On Death

I first heard Richard in the '80's with Doug Grunther, on WDST. In the early '90's I went to Richard for help with a chronic pain condition. When we got together we found we had a lot in common. We were both Virgo's from big Italian families and divorced with children. On a higher plane we granted each other permission to make contact in each other's dreams, for we also shared many esoteric beliefs and experiences, the latter of which were much more important to us.

In the summer of '94 I received my Hypnotherapy/NLP Certification, & it was on the last day of training that we finally met in a dream. I am a flying, lucid dreamer and usually take control of my dreams early. In this particular dream I was having difficulty maintaining control. During the dream I had several interesting encounters and messages come through. But, in the final stage I found myself in a huge ornate white cathedral (very much like the church where Richard's family wake was held). Richard came running down from the "bell tower" in a flowing white clown gown wearing a comical face mask. We looked each other in the eye and he turned & ran back up into his "ivory tower." Much to my amazement, that afternoon he played this scene out for us as part of his closing ceremony. Before he could leave I stopped him in the hall on his way out and told him of my dream. For once he was humble and gracious as we talked about the image of him as "the clown in the ivory tower." Richard helped me tremendously with pain management and had enriched my dream life two fold. We didn't have much contact for another year or so, that is, until I paid him another visit in dream time.

This time, I was flying toward Richard's house, cruising over the tree tops, when I was suddenly sucked into an extraterrestrial vehicle. I was immediately confronted by a leader who began to harass me for flying around without permission. I looked her in the eye and without a word, let her know I didn't need her permission. I dissolved the floor out from under me, dropped out of the vehicle and flew away. When I got to Richard's it was cold and dark, yet beautiful with a fresh layer of snow glistening in the moon light. When I stepped into Richard's house it was also cold & dark, but ominous. I looked up and could see the night sky through the roof, the place was burned out and gutted. I was confused and went over to the studio & had the same experience. I was wondering what the hell was going on when I received a message for Richard. "You've got to love both, the fire & the ice." I called him the next day and left the message on his answering machine. He called back the following day and thanked me profusely for what he thought was a clue he needed to finish one of his manuscripts. At the time I wasn't sure what it meant and don't know if he ever finished the manuscript. After that we managed to keep in touch several times a year.

Now, with all that has gone on in the last few years the gift of that dream has taken on several new meanings for me. Primarily, it brought me back to my roots in the I Ching. Embracing the Yin and the Yang, learning to love the tears and the laughter, the pain & the pleasure, the fire & the ice. It is the timeless message of love & hope for each of us and the whole of humanity as we continue our evolutionary journey toward enlightenment. I have had several NDE's (Near Death Experience's) & do not fear death, for I know it is a beginning, not an end. And, even though I am saddened at this loss, I rejoice for Richard, now that his eternal personality is free to roam the universe.

Beneath a Vail of Flesh
The Eternal Personality Survives
A Prisoner of Pain
jp marzano, 9/90
(from title of artwork, The Prisoner of Pain)

Richard's life has brought us all together here for a reason. Each of us has had a very unique relationship with Richard and each of us represents a unique aspect of Richard, that many of us might never have known otherwise. Each of us will now play a role in maintaining his spirit with the memories that live on in our hearts & minds. I'd like to share with you some of what Richard and I spoke of as part of his final wishes. Richard choose several of us, for our individual strengths, to help carry on his life's work. Last year Richard asked me to help manage and preserve his artwork. Essentially this is my understanding of what Richard wanted, and I sincerely hope we can all honor him in this way.

First, we must make a concerted effort to preserve all of his writings and images for the continued enlightenment of humanity. Richard's multifaceted ability to absorb knowledge from every corner of the universe, and all walks of life, and then convey it back to us in words, music and art, was a burdensome gift. But, it has also left us with a copius body of work, that holds an extensive wealth of information & esoteric knowledge.

Second, we need to condense and distill this body of work into a comprehensive retrospective of his finest images and teachings for publication. He left us with this undaunting task, in order to be able to share this with all his friends, his family and the rest of the world. No one person will be able to accomplish this ambitious, creative endeavor. It is going to be imperative that we all set aside our egos and prejudices in this matter. We need to come together for the common good of all people and share his vision of the world with the rest of humanity. So that our children & future generations may reap the rewards of his research, his unquenchable thirst for knowledge & the truth behind our existence.

The Winds of Change

When you feel the Winds of Change upon you
Ride it swiftly through to the Center of your Soul
So that it may carry you back to Yourself

Capture that Glimpse of Life as it Passes you by
Like a Chill Wind that Shakes you to the Bone
Yet sends Eagles Soaring High above the Earth

So to will the Winds of Change
Pass through the Fibers of your Being
Chilling you to the Bone
Carrying you to Heights Unknown

~Jim Marzano, 9-16-76~
(my 24th B'day)

Title: Silkbird, 1971
Original: 6" x 9", Lithograph on paper
Archival Reproduction: 6" x 9" - $50

More of Richard Zarro's art is available for purchase here

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Art Gallery Worldwide - fine art oil paintings

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