Dell Horoscope review of Between Past & Presence

Building on some esoteric traditions and their own experience, Steven Forrest and Jeff Green created a new branch of astrology they called Evolutionary Astrology. Their seminars and books on the subject interpret the horoscope as the soul's intent for this lifetime and make special use of the Lunar Node axis. Evolutionary astrologers can see a person's entire life path by looking at the significance of the South and North Nodes by sign, house and planetary aspects. The interpretive process is intuitive as much as analytical and takes some practice to master.

Eric Meyers is an accomplished student of the Evolutionary Astrology system, and he has written about his own insights on the subject in Between Past & Presence. Subtitled, A Spiritual View of the Moon & Sun, this skillfully crafted, well-organized volume is far more than a cookbook reference on the Sun and Moon in signs, houses and planetary aspects, although it has that as well. What elevates Meyers' material above and beyond other introductory astrology books is the spiritual path he helps decipher from the Sun, Moon, and Lunar Nodes. The Nodes tell a story, and whether it's the story from a past life or an analogy that makes the path clear, this interpretive system is highly accurate, practical and growth-oriented. Those who learn how to interpret the Lunar Nodes will be helping a lot of people find personal fulfillment.

As Meyers explains in the early chapters, the Moon is associated with the unconscious. Examining the lunar profile reveals the habitual tendencies, especially as they served the soul's survival needs. The Moon in Evolutionary Astrology shows the defensive, protective influences. For example, the Sagittarius Moon often connotes a spiritual legacy with solid convictions about how to approach life. This placement may also show an expansive, carefree lifestyle that avoids responsibility. Meyeres describes each Moon placement by sign and gives an example to illustrate the qualities; for the Sagittarius Moon it is Albert Einstein. The discussion for each chart example includes major planetary aspects involving the Moon, as well as other, more sophisticated interpretations. So, although this book is primarily about the Moon, Lunar Nodes, and Sun, there's plenty of material on the other planets and how to integrate the chart details in a meaningful way.

The underlying assumption in Between Past & Presence is that the luminaries (the Sun and Moon) provide an entry point for discovering the soul's path and that we attain growth through lessons over successive lifetimes. Now, one doesn't necessarily have to assume reincarnation; the interpretive values work just as well by assuming genetic inheritance. The Sun represents the authentic individual and illuminates the contents of the unconscious. The Sun is about awareness in the present moment and the drive to grow into a radiating, confident self. The Sun is described by sign and aspect in chapters six and seven, but the chapters I found most interesting were on the Lunar Nodes, which are chapters four and five.

To my mind, the Lunar Nodes are the exceptional feature of Evolutionary Astrology. Meyers gives an analogy to explain the relationship between the Moon, Nodes, and Sun: the Moon is the underground seed, and the Sun is the flowering potential. The Lunar Nodes symbolize the gardening process, what needs to be done to get the seeds to flower. The South Node shows the past life behavior patterns, the repetitive actions that remain as a dominant trait in the psyche. The South Node's location by sign and house provides details of these patterns, while the planet ruling the South Node provides additional information, as do planets aspecting the South Node. The North Node may seem unfamiliar, but its significance by sign, house and ruling planet points to a higher potential, spiritual growth, and the feeling of personal fulfillment. Several examples show how to read the Lunar Nodes, including Mahatma Gandhi, John McEnroe, and Kurt Cobain.

The closing chapters on the lunar cycle, eclipses, and chart examples provide additional study material. Between Past & Presence is ideally suited for beginning to intermediate astrology students, especially those looking to find meaning in life as portrayed in the horoscope. Evolutionary Astrology uniquely demonstrates a spiritual plan behind each soul's incarnation, which includes all the painful experiences, the fated encounters with others, and a well-illuminated path for navigating through life. Simple and complex all in one.

by Chris Lorenz