Discovering Your Soul Mission

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

The publisher categorizes this notably fresh and potent book as "astrology/self-improvement," but those categories could be reversed. Readers needn't believe in astrology to benefit from the transformative ideas that Brady, a "karmic astrologer and holistic teacher," and St. Lifer, executive editor of Library Journal, explicate. Those who do believe, however, will find their understanding and application of the ideas fortified by the authors' reinterpretation of astrology. Karmic astrology, they explain, differs from everyday astrology in that it is neither deterministic nor predictive; rather, its purpose is to help one understand one's "soul mission," or cosmic destiny and purpose. The authors say that many of our problems arise from conflicts between our soul and personality. Their most radical idea is that our soul creates the events of our life--as it has the events of past lives--as a series of lessons to guide us over many lifetimes toward an alliance of soul and personality, and that we must take responsibility for every aspect of our life, even the apparent catastrophes, to learn these lessons. They draw on Brady's and others' experiences to make these points, and provide numerous questionnaires and exercises to enhance reader comprehension. After laying this groundwork with skill and precision, Brady and St. Lifer present a detailed yet accessible workbook in learning about one's soul mission by studying planetary influences, with an emphasis on the symbolic aspects of astrological interpretation. Within the field of astrology, this book verges on the revolutionary, but its import lies less there than in its potential to change, for the positive, how readers approach their lives. Agent, Liz Ziemska of Nicholas Ellison Inc. (Dec.) FYI: Linda Brady's Web site is at www. creativechoices.com.

Library Journal

Among the many astrology-based books published each year, this title offers a rare, fresh approach to finding one's purpose on earth. Holistic educator Brady is the wold-renowned founder of the International Center for Creative Choices in Baltimore. With coauthor St. Lifer, an editor at Library Journal, she has created a fascinating approach to understanding one's personal psychology through practical use of planetary influences. Readers can consult included charts to determine their soul pattern and soul potential. How the placement of planets such as Saturn, Pluto, Mercury, and Neptune influence our life potentials is explained in reader-friendly terms. Though skeptics of astrology will quickly dismiss the basic premises of Brady's philosophy, those whose minds are open to alternative roads to self-understanding will both enjoy and benefit from this book. Its ideas are fun and thought-provoking, and it should be added to all library collections with astrology, New Age, and self-help holdings.--Catherine T. Charvat, John Marshall Lib., Alexandria, VA