| 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.
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