Book Review: "Earth Time, Moon Time"
Book Title: Earth Time, Moon Time
Author: Annette Hinshaw
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
I came upon this book while researching on the origins and workings of the lunar calendar. This book took a different take on the lunar calendar and gave it an astrological twist. The different months (moons) in the lunar calendar so closely related to the seasons of the nature, as the author indicated, influence on our personality as well as the challenges we face in life.
The twelve moons that appear in a year starting from right before the winter solstice are Death, Birth, Milk, Fasting, Seed, Mating, Journey, Mother's, Father's, Nesting, Harvest and Sorting. Their names reflect the essence of the seasons in a year. For example, in November and December when the Death moon is likely to occur, the predominant scene in nature is death: weak annual plants died out, tree branches became bare and animals went into hibernation. Or in March and April, when the Seed moon is likely to occur, the predominant scene in nature is the burgeoning of seeds from their deep slumber in winter. It is very plausible and likely that our temperament reflects the season we were born in. For each moon, the author gave a horoscope-like description of the general characteristics of people who share that birth moon and the obstacles they must overcome. Curiously so, its chapter on my own birth moon is right on target in regard to my shortcomings and the challenges I am facing in life.
Beyond the birth moon fortune telling, the book gave an informative introduction into the lunar year and the different festivals that were celebrated in different ancient cultures. In giving each festival a context in the seasons, the spirits of the festivals are revived and become more interesting, especially for some of the festivals that are still celebrated or observed today, like Halloween.
Many of us believe in living in harmony with nature. Some of us sought external guidance or tools to ensure that harmony. For the devoted seeker, in addition to astrology, tarot cards, feng-shui and Yi Ching, there is now one more source of reference, the moons of the different seasons.