Moon-Tides-Soul-Passages

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Moon Tides, Soul Passages

Your Astrological Cycles for Personal and

Spiritual Development

Book Review

By R. Ann Rousseau

Dawn's peaceful, luminous blue

Intensified with the day

As did happiness,

Blue . . . bluer . . . bluest,

White puffs of delight,

Joy overflowing,

Until sunset

Wrapped us in tender pink

And we fused in a

Passionate magenta goodbye,

Earth-soul and Cosmic-soul

Bursting with beauty.

When night came,

A baby moon

Laughed sideways in the dark.

I laughed back

And thought:

Partway across the world

Your sky

Is filled with this same

Golden laughter,

And hoped that you,

Twinkling Blue Eyes, Saw and heard,

So that somehow we three

Were joined in our gladness,

Each in our own space,

Together apart,

Distance meaningless

And I slept

In a world

Full of smiles.

By Leslie Parrish

A Bridge Across Forever

As I read Moon Tides, Soul Passages by Maria Kay Simms, I thought of this poem by Leslie Parrish in one of my favorite books of all time, A Bridge Across Forever by Richard Bach. Without knowing my own natal moon phase (something I never paid attention to in my astrological studies, I hate to say), I would always look up in the sky and see a sliver of the moon and think, “Baby moon laughing sideways!” Each time I would look at the moon in this phase—the Balsamic or Crescent Phase—I would think of the love story in A Bridge Across Forever. Not once did this moon remind me of an old crone! We’ll get to that later.

In Maria’s book, she gives descriptions of what it’s like to be born during each of the eight lunar moon phases: New Moon, Crescent Moon, First Quarter Moon, Gibbous Moon, Full Moon, Disseminating Moon, Last Quarter Moon, and finally Balsamic Moon. The moon phase you’re born under describes part of your soul’s journey in this lifetime.

She tells us that not only are we born with a big picture soul journey represented by the natal phase the moon, each us will experience the moon phases through progression (life cycles) and through the daily movement of the moon in our lives (daily cycles/moods) which she describes in detail.

Understanding your natal lunar phase helps to answer the one question everyone asks, “What’s my life purpose? Why am I here?”By understanding your natal moon phase, it can shed some light as to what and how you are here to experience the rhythm of your life.

I looked up my friend Jo’s natal moon phase in the software provided with the book. I found out she’s a First Quarter moon girl—dramatically different than my Balsamic moon. Her sun sign is Aries, and she’s here to make things happen and does. My Sun is in Capricorn is in my packed 4th house of endings...and…well…you see where I’m going with this.

Jo and I met during one of my busy progressed moon phases at a big four accounting firm where we worked non-stop. Jo’s gone on to be a controller for an oil and gas company. I call her the energizer bunny because of her hard pounding schedule. I’ve gone on to be a consultant with some busy then quiet times. She shakes her head at my career path, and I shake my head at hers—two dramatically different life experiences for two CPAs who started in the same place. She’s never had a moment of unemployment or been without a boyfriend. I’ve experienced lay offs and short term romantic relationships. When Jo’s bored, the universe provides another one (man, job, or house) toute suite. When I’m bored, it’s usually because I’m in the middle of a long dry spell and pacing the floor wondering when the cycle will shift. Our different life rhythms have always puzzled both of us. My whole life seems to be speed up, then slow down with a focus on spirituality and the metaphysical. Her life is on cruise control at 100 miles per hour in the business world with little time for introspection and big picture issues…and she’s happy about it. I have not always been happy with my extensive down time but have come to see it as a gift from the universe to allow me to write.

After reading Maria’s book, it all makes sense. Jo is here to move and shake. I’m here to reflect. Our soul journeys are in different places.

For a Balsamic Moon Phase Girl, Maria says, “At best, such a person may be a visionary prophet, attuned to the future and drawn to it, pulled by soul tides that are known and felt to be much larger, stronger, and more profound than self, but worth reaching out for, even if great personal sacrifice be the price.” She also says that we march to the beat of a different drummer and tie up loose ends in this life.

I have to agree. I don’t know of any CPAs who work in the left brain and right brain world (intuitive and CPA consultant) like I do. I cut ties with my family over 20 years ago with no great regret. A few years back, I was involved in a local movement to save some beautiful open fields from destruction. I currently have a Bill in my state legislature to reinstate full property rights to condo owners. I’ve also quit a job in the past with great personal financial sacrifice to me as a single girl with no additional source of income at the time. I found a senior management team committing fraud then had to testify at the Securities and Exchange Commission. I felt strongly about all of these issues and knew that if I didn’t do something, no one else would. It was the right thing to do even though there were no great rewards to me for doing so. My friend Jo wouldn’t bother getting involved in any of these issues. I think I fit the Balsamic Girl description to a T.

Overall, Maria’s examples and descriptions were spot on in Moon Tides, Soul Passages, and her art work illustrating each moon phase is Sun in Scorpio Sensual with a capital S—inserted right in the middle of the book like a Goddess centerfold! She shows us the many faces of the moon not only through the natal, progressed and transiting lunar phase but explains the flavor of the moon as it moves through various signs of the zodiac. Maria also shows us how to accept and embrace all lunar phases—natal, progressed, and transit through a deeper understanding of the process and for some people, through ritual practices.

Now, back to the Old Crone issue. Maria assigns a Goddess with a certain characteristic to some of the moon phases. For example the Crescent Moon is the Maiden Goddess (Young, beautiful and all that). At this point, I want to put in a complaint to the picture complaint department. Why do Balsamic Girls have to be called Old Crones in this book?! The Old Crone was our Grandmother’s wise woman—harkening back to the days when the Catholic Church thought all single, independent women were ugly witches. I was thinking maybe Yoda but that’s not a good substitute either.

In the 21st century, we need a new vision (got that Balsamic girls) for a wise woman. She should be strong, beautiful, with a sense of humor about life (Remember, baby moon laughing sideways?). I think we need Maria to paint us a different picture. The new 21st century Balsamic Goddess is a woman with a quiet, timeless beauty, and the strength to hold others up when they can’t see their own way forward. Balsamic Girls are comfortable in their own skin and smile, because we live in the present moment where we know we’re always provided for and our life is always in alignment with a perfect divine plan.

Learn about your own soul’s lunar journey by reading Maria Kay Simms book, Moon Tides, Soul Passages – Your Astrological Cycles for Personal and Spiritual Development. We think it’s a classic book for students of astrology at all levels.

Explore Beyond the Usual™

Book Review

Moon Tides, Soul Passages - Your Astrological Cycles for Personal and Spiritual Development

by Maria Kay Simms

Mood Tides, Soul Passages - Your Astrological Cycles for Personal and Spiritual Development

Author: Mary Kay Simms (2006)

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