Who was Jeremy Taylor?

Jeremy Taylor, sometimes called the “Johnny Appleseed of Dreamwork,” passed away in early January 2018 of a heart attack, after the loss of his beloved wife, Kathryn Taylor. He was an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister and had worked with dreams for over sixty years.

He blended the values of spirituality with an active social conscience and a Jungian perspective. He was cofounding member and past president of the International Association for the Study of Dreams, and has written four books integrating dream symbolism, mythology, and archetypal energy.

Jeremy appeared regularly on local, regional, and national radio and TV, and pioneered online dream work as the host of AOL’s very first dream work show existing purely in internet space. For over 40 years he was a beloved professor at numerous schools and seminaries all over the United States and beyond. He also facilitated workshops in almost every part of the world. When he passed away, there were impromptu memorial services for him in many of the countries he taught in including Korea, where he facilitated dreamwork every summer for over a decade.

There are several lovely online memorial tributes to him and his work and below are some of our favorites:

• “Sincere Thanks to Jeremy Taylor for his Life and Inspired/Inspiring Work” by spiritual theologian, Episcopal priest and activist for gender justice and eco-justice, Matthew Fox
  
• “Remembering Jeremy Taylor” by Nancy Grace in the Spring 2018 issue of DreamTime
  
• “In Loving Memory of Jeremy Taylor” by the staff of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association
  
• The Dream Network Journal has gathered all the articles he ever wrote for them.

Jeremy received a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) from the University of Creation Spirituality and an honorary Doctor of Sacred Theology (STD) from Starr King School for the Ministry. In citing his accomplishments, Starr King said:

“You have changed the world by your presence here. Your unparalleled scholarship and teaching call us to make peace with ourselves so that we are capable of authentic engagement with issues of peace and justice in the larger world. The importance of understanding the messages brought to us in our dreams; understanding that we are a part of a great, complex family of human and archetypal beings; these and other gifts flow from your speech and writing. In receiving a gift of deep wisdom we, in response, are called to a higher self to serve a larger good.

You are an agent of social change, as radical and dedicated to your work as those who stand tall on the pages of our Unitarian Universalist history books. You have walked with us while pointing us in the direction of loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. Your life embodies the Unitarian Universalist first principle, which calls each of us to embrace the inherent worth and dignity of every person.”

Jeremy is survived by his daughter, Tristy Taylor, who carries on his legacy of empowering everyone to discover the hidden messages and gifts of their unconscious selves through dreamwork. She teaches regularly online and sees clients one-on-one. Find out more about Tristy’s work here. He is also survived by his beloved tuxedo cat Franny, who now goes by Tina and lives with her sister Tristy in Portland, OR.