Dancing with the Moon - Part 9 - The Balsamic Moon Phase

“To the observer, the plant is caught in Autumn’s deathlike grip. Leaves and fruit wither and fall, the stalk bends or breaks. But beneath these decaying remains lies the promise, the seed, the bridge from cycle to cycle. It can wait, slumbering peacefully at the winter’s breast.” The Lunar Cycles ~ Philip Levine

Let’s review

The Balsamic Moon Phase

Now, you enter the fading light of the Balsamic Moon. This last Lunar phase is a time for rest and retreat. The curtain is closing. Whether that means reflecting on the past, actively pursuing options that had been put aside earlier, or just waiting depends on the individual. This time can be a bridge to the future or a dead end. These three or four days each month are for rest and withdrawal from the outer world. You cease striving, grieve losses, and let things end, which can be confusing and challenging for some individuals.

New Job Example

Continuing with the new job example used in previous Moon phase articles:

During the New Moon phase, your dream of a new job became a goal.
In the Crescent phase, realizing what that new job could mean raised all your doubts about yourself.
In the First Quarter phase, you acted confidently, committed, and told others of your decision.
In the Gibbous Phase, you investigated the jobs available.
During the Full Moon Phase, you submitted resumes, went on interviews, and had a realization.
During the Disseminating Phase, you began to actively promote yourself.
In the Fourth Quarter, you’ve either attained the new job or better understood what it will take to do so.

Now, in the Balsamic phase, you cease striving. If you retained the new job, this is when you reflect on the past as you say goodbye to old co-workers, clean out your desk, and look to the future.

However, if you didn’t land the job, the experience has taught you something. So don’t feel lost or disappointed. While you will cease striving, you will also reflect on the past few weeks, explore options, and look to the future.

Out With the Old – In with the New

The Balsamic is the last phase of the Lunar cycle, but it is not the end; it’s also the bridge to the next cycle. The seed of the next New Moon will be found in the quiet of the last Lunar phase.

Each of the 8 Lunar Phases lasts just under 4 days. During the Balsamic phase, the Moon is waning (decreasing in light) and moves from 315 back to conjoin the Sun. The Moon rises late and steadily loses its light until it entirely disappears at the New Moon.

Born During a Balsamic Moon Phase

If you were born during the Balsamic Moon phase, your focus is on the future. You may even have premonitions and be able to foresee events. You are likely to believe fate has an important role in your life. Although your impulse is toward the future, you might need clarification about your future direction. Learn to quiet your rational, logical left brain and listen to and trust your intuition – it’s probably right on. It’s said that those born during the Balsamic phase are living a finishing up and letting go lifetime; for this reason, many people will enter and leave their lives.

Example: Karl Marx was born in Trier, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, on May 5, 1818, at 2:00 AM (Birthtime accuracy: excellent). Sun at 14 degrees Taurus, Moon at 11 degrees Taurus

Secondary Progressed Balsamic Moon Phase

The SP Balsamic Phase is a time for rest and retreat, whether that means waiting, reflecting on the past, actively pursuing options that had been put aside earlier, receiving a reward for long-held dreams that have been fulfilled, or coming into your own depends on the individual.

These three-plus years are for withdrawal from striving in the outer world and letting things come to an end. The Balsamic is the last phase of the Secondary Progressed Lunar cycle, but it’s not just an end; it’s also the bridge to the next cycle. The seed of the next SP New Moon will be found in the quiet of this last Lunar phase.

Nelson Mandela’s SP Solar/Lunar Balsamic Phase

Nelson Mandela was born in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa, on July 18, 1918, at 2:54 PM (birthtime accuracy: poor). Mandela entered his SP Balsamic Phase on January 19, 1993. On May 10, 1994, Mandela was sworn in as President of South Africa’s first multiethnic government—Mandela’s Birth chart with Secondary Progressions for January 19, 1993, below.

Note: A cycle is a sequence of events with a repeating nature – a pattern with a beginning and an end. But time is infinite, so it should also be understood that there is always a “before the beginning” and an “after the end.” A new cycle grows out of the old cycle and ends, carrying the seeds of the next. While a cycle has an end that is also a new beginning, the purpose of an astrological cycle is growth and evolution. As a visual, imagine running on a flat circular track where, in the end, you come right back to the same spot that once was the beginning. Astrological cycles are best visualized as a spiral cycling upward – you never return to the same place you started. Although you’ve completed a cycle, you’ve been moving upward and should now be above where you began.

Written by Patricia Lantz, MAAS Member

Dancing with the Moon – Part 9 – The Balsamic Moon Phase