Dina asked about reincarnation …
“I wonder if Elsa/you guys think that reincarnation is an accurate idea. It kind of goes part and parcel with this. I factor it in and kind of think it logical partially because of the verifiable past life regressions of people like, SuSu on xanga. They wouldn’t be so vivid, agreed-upon, and applicable to your present life if there was nothing to them..”
Dina, my grandfather, Henry was interested in reincarnation, so was my sister so while I have been exposed to the idea all my life I have never personally ever heard a thing about a past life that resonated with me. I just know nothing about this at all. However, the soldier has astonishingly awareness of his past lives and has reported on them for 30 years.
His story is credible and backed up by astrology and really if you hear him go on about this stuff it is very hard to imagine another explanation. For example the other night he was railing about people’s stupidity… most are not as well versed in the happenings with the Pope in the 15th century as he is.
“I don’t know that they are stupid,” I said. “Maybe they didn’t read the book you did, never mind that apparently you were there. How are people supposed to have access to what you do when we only have this one flat life to draw from?” I asked.
“Yeah. Yet you tell me to shut up,” he said.
“Yes, well you are living in this century and just don’t know how mad you can be at people who don’t recall the smell in the air in the 1400’s. I mean, it’s stirring and all but what do you want us to do? You’re from some battle way back when but I am living here and now and superficial as it may be, I am going to get my hair done. You love me, not some old time woman so I have no idea what you are going to do.”
Do you have awareness of a past life?
I read a book a while back called “Life After Life”. Pretty interesting. The writer was a phsychologist who traveled the world and studied children who would speak of such things. Like one kid from Taiwan (or somewhere in Asia) would talk about this town he lived in that he had never even been to in this life, and he would talk about people from that town too….turns out with some research, he actually knew what he was talking about.
Well, they say there’s more people alive now than all the people that EVER LIVED AND DIED on the earth.
This should mean that, if reincarnation was true, 99% of us are nonetheless “brand new”, because there are not enough dead souls to reincarnate into all the individuals living today.
ps. I don’t have awareness of a past life. I guess I must be “brand new”: although I always thought I should have been born in the first half of the 19th century, possibly in 1821 just like Gustave Flaubert: 150 years before my actual birthdate…
I do believe in past lives and have access to some memories, though they are mostly not great. I don’t think it’s as simple as one soul gets born and dies and gets born again as a single intact unit. I think we get recycled but some of us can access parts of lives we’ve lived before and some (like your soldier) are very very good at it.
I did a lot of work on past lives several years ago, and helped other people access their memories. Finally came to the conclusion that those memories are largely irrelevant to us now. Same basic conclusion that you’ve reached. Just live this life right now regardless.
>>>The writer was a psychologist who traveled the world and studied children who would speak of such things.>>
Interesting, shell. Once, when my son was about 4 he started dancing, ballet style. I have some knowledge of dance (my sister is a dancer / choreographer and I studied myself, some) and could see this freakish ability…
“You sure are good at that,” I said.
“What?” he asked, twirling around, I could see him spot with his eyes to keep his balance. “This?”
“Yes.”
“I used to teach this, he said.”
I just laughed. he doesn’t remember this now but I do. He most definitely seemed to know what he was doing and he was covering the stage too. It was as if he’d been in dance productions aplenty. 🙂
In the only dream I’ve ever had that was set in another era, my brother in this life and I were British soldiers in the American Revolution. We were riding, just the two of us, and apparently taking a break; we were in a forest clearing surrounded by large oaks or something, and I was studying a hand-drawn map of a limited area; just a handful states were included. My “brother” patted my on the back and that was the signal that it was time to go. No rush or emergency at all, it was just time. I figure we were messengers or spies or something. I have the South Node in Taurus, so I may well have represented the status quo;) and my brother’s SN is in Pisces. My Venus is in the 9th house; my brother’s Neptune is conjunct the MC. Our composite has Cap Asc, Uranus in the 9th, Pluto in the 8th and a 4-planet cluster in Sagittarius, 3 of them a stellium. I believe we have had many lifetimes together outside what is now the western world. We’re both drawn to China and the Taoist philosophy.
My musings have led me to think that we may have ended up in the New World to witness how powerful were the new philosophies that had been brewing in Europe for at least a century – but this interpretation may just be a reflection of my present natal chart (Uranus and Pluto in the 9th gone wild!) and/or a biased view of history!;)
Other than this, I have a very strong feeling that I may have been a feudal Lord somewhere in the German-speaking world; in the mountainous area in the middle of Europe in particular. I visited a Medieval castle in Austria when I was 13y.o. and it was a very emotional experience. The reason I think I may have been the Lord is that it feels like I was responsible for a lot of people whose conditions I really wanted to improve, but I was only a minor Lord (oh, how frustrating!), so I had to go along with the regulations decided upon by the more powerful Lords in the region. This “plot” may also just be something that I’m making up on the basis of my present natal chart (Saturn square Uranus/NN, both singletons), but the setting I’m as good as certain of.
Last but not least, I believe I may have been both a slave and a slave-owner in the American South. Is it real, or archetypal?:P It just doesn’t make any sense, unless lives can be that close in time…? (I mean, those two – and my British soldier?) Who’s to say…?
Sorry that I’m rambling on forever, but I’ve been thinking quite a lot about possible past lives over the years. Reincarnation is obviously of great interest to me! I’ve always taken it for granted. When I first read about Eastern religions at the age of 11, it brought tears of relief to my eyes to learn that my belief was shared by lots of people:D (I have Neptune in Sag in the 12th):)
I do believe in reincarnation but have no recollection of past lives or ever had a past-life regression.
However, I do strongly believe I was Catholic perhaps or a nun of some kind in a previous life. I am Jewish but since I was a teenager have had these otherworldy feelings towards various Christian mystics, Christian art… and it always felt more than some kind of teenage rebellion.
I also have Vesta conjunct my Virgo Ascendent, Venus in the 12th, Venus square Neptune…. Mystical, masochistic religious feeling…
In my next life, I would like to be a dancer. I would like my body to be my art 🙂
By the way, Elsa, I am the Venus Neptune/Moonpluto person that spoke to you the other night. Using a different email on here. Enjoying your blog!
I have strong awareness of past-lives, and I’ve had this awareness ‘confirmed’ by astrology and other spiritual sources of information. It’s not something I talk about too much.
Nonhocapito- true, but not everyone who believes in reincarnation believes that every one here on earth, has been here before.
>>>By the way, Elsa, I am the Venus Neptune/Moonpluto person that spoke to you the other night. Using a different email on here. Enjoying your blog!>>>
Good! You are hiding / ethereal, ha ha ha. But Moon Pluto out front – 1st house. That’s your first handshake and look how you identify yourself. 🙂
I’m not aware of them but I sure believe in them.
If you ask me why, I probably won’t come up with a decent answer. But I do feel connected to things I can’t logically explain, attractions that aren’t from this lifetime, so there must be something behind.
Elsa:
LOL — As soon as i learned i HAD a moonpluto in my chart (in the first house, in virgo,) it finally explained to me WHY i was the way i was! And subsequently, felt less bad for being… me… my emotional intensity…
Some days i do wonder what it would be like to be detached. I think my progressed moon in aquarius might help with that a little?
Is your natal chart on your blog for us readers to peruse??? Surely your Venus in Leo wouldn’t mind us taking a look…
If I had a past life I was probably executed. I have an irrational fear of having anything around my neck or covering my face. I don’t care how I die as long as I die with my face uncovered.
I do believe in past lives. The Capricorn in me abhors the idea of waste. It’s a very simplistic explanation, but when it comes down to it I don’t see that there is much wasted in nature, and it doesn’t make sense to me (on a spiritual level) that life would go to the bother of evolving and surviving if we weren’t getting something out of it on a spiritual level too. Reincarnation fits into that effortlessly.
Personally, I’ve had a memory since I was very young of being in a tapestried room with the people who are in my family now– my parents as my parents, my sister– and we were dressed in the clothes of a well-to-do family from approximately the French Revolutionary period. I remember my parents were looking for some kind of secret passage, and they were very frightened of something. We kids were aware of it but not too alarmed. That’s all I remember.
Could have been a dream but it had the same out of body quality as a few OBEs I’ve experienced. And it’s been a memory of mine since before I could analyze it rationally.
Alma–this is something I was reminded of, when I studied chakra balancing. Take care with the throat of others.
What I mean was, *taught.* I was taught this, explicitly, for the exact reason you speak of.
Elsa–In that book I read it says to really pay attention to what your children (ages approx 3-5 yrs old) say. Because after about age 5 is when children will “forget” details of their past lives. It also made a note that children will spontaneously talk about it one second, then not even know what your talking about the next (when you’re asking questions about it). It just kind of comes and goes…..and when it goes, it’s GONE till the next time.
When I was about 7 or 8 (this was in ’69/’70) I had a most vivid “dream” in which a very attractive young lady was teasing a young suitor.
The young lady had long red, curly hair and perfect teeth. (I have an obsession about teeth to this day.) She was riding atop a white stallion dressed in a long fur coat and a cossack.
She was laughing heartily because the young man could not keep up with her (and I had the impression that she was very aware of her beauty and just enjoyed tormenting men) ….and then the horse threw her as she reigned him in to a stop….which broke her neck.
I cannot say why I had that dream or where I might have seen that before but it felt very personal.
My mother is an astrologer and once told me, “You were very beautiful in your last life”, as if to explain why I was so homely in this one. Pretty much that I had abused my “God” given gift and was now learning the art of relating without all the fringe benefits that good looks can afford one. I cannot say that it came any easier in this lifetime to learn. I was born with Venus/Neptune/Moon conjunct in the 1st….in Scorpio square Mars in Leo. Very difficult to manage to say the least.
I enjoyed reading all of the stories here and hope to have more of these conversations.
kashmiri – I am answering your mails – could I be going into a spam filter?
several. not that they’re all too pretty. i can’t conceptualize why i made some of the choices i made.
(there’s a reason my south node is in aries in the eighth and why learning libra has been really helpful to my self respect.)
I’ve always liked the idea that, in astrology, a person’s sun sign said a lot about where they are in the past life cycle. I’m a Pisces and it’s nice to think I’m an “old soul”. I also read somewhere that any planet that was at a 23 or greater degree in a chart signified that the lessons of that planet had been fully learned in a past life. Any thoughts on this?
I had the opportunity to take a class on past life regression at my local occult bookstore a few years ago. It was amazing. It was a six week class and I struggled with the self-regresion for the first 4 weeks. The basic premise is to clear your mind, descend into another level of consciousness and accept whatever images or stimuli that comes through you as evidence of a past life. As I said, I struggled with this a lot, my conscious mind’s negativity and willingness to disbelieve blocked me. Eventually, I had a breakthrough and had what I truly believe to be a past life regression experience. At one point, I saw myself as a woman who was “a light in the world” which shocked the hell out of me as that is NOT something I would EVER say about myself in this life or another. There were several other experiences and I wish I had the chance to really explore how my past lives affect this current one. I think it would enable me to heal from wounds that I don’t know how I got and I don’t know how to move past.
The beautiful thing was, someone didn’t regress me, I regressed myself meaning everyone can do it if they really want to give it a try. The book for the class was from Llewellyn called “How to Uncover Past Lives” and it was very helpful and informative and believe it or not, the “Complete Idiots Guide” is really thorough. “Many Lives, Many Masters” is also a greta book on the subject.
As with anything mysterious, i keep an open mind but i’ve always felt i’ve been here before though no visions or anything to back me up. An astrologer once told me that i was around during the french revolution and helped lots of people but i think he was going by my twelth house (aquarius). Funny thing was in my teens i often pretended i was french to attract or get rid of boys and most believed me but i put that down to my looks. My dad lives there now so i’m a regular visitor and cant say i have a particular affinity with the place.
On the subject of children remembering, i know of two whose mothers say they talked about past lives when they were young and it seems too recurrent to not hold some truth.
Kashmiri – very interesting about the throat and chakra balancing. I definitely feel like my Aries Moon got me into trouble in a past life!
Oh yeah, and when I was small my family would laugh at me and my “imagination” because I SWORE we went on a few cruises when I was a toddler. I remember having these visions (dreams?) that I was on a cruise and I really believed these events happened for the longest time. Who knows??
I don’t know where I stand on reincarnation?? After I read that book I guess I believed it, but the only conflicting thing for me is…what about all those souls (ghosts) still wandering this life? When will they get their reincarnation? Why are they still stuck here? I guess this is a whole other topic, but is there certain signs that are more prone to experiencing paranormal? I’ve had several in my life.
I devoutly hope that past lives do NOT exist.
I do not know whether or not they do, but I hope not. I find the idea to be incredibly depressing.
Jennifer — I am curious, what about the idea makes you feel that way?
jamie: sounds like Anna Karenina to me!
Shaina: “I do believe in past lives. The Capricorn in me abhors the idea of waste.” Hahaha! Oh Capricornian pragmatism.
I used to think I could visualize some of my past lives. SuSu did a reading for me and it caught only two but neither were any I visualized. They did relate to being okay with my virginity (sort of depressed sex drive) and bisexuality. Both of which I’m dealing with now. It could be just because I was younger, am a late-bloomer, and took antipsychotics (hormone imbalance) as a teenager, though. I don’t know. One of my friends has come back a lot and is very in touch with her past lives. I’m a work in progress. I felt embarrassed and ashamed that I had only two past lives, though, as if I was not very smart/wise or advanced unlike my friend who has many.
Past life regression accounts make me love history that much more!
Dina,I’ve heard of that book and movie. Never read the book or seen the movie though. I think I’ve read just about every classic but that one. It just sounds soooo boring!
Dina, I don’t think there is anything to be ashamed of if you can only recall 2 past lives.
Sounds like someone f’d with your mind from the get go, i.e. the diagnosis of a hormone imbalance in your tender youth and the use of antipsychotics.
That should be a crime in itself and the person/entity that diagnosed you should be ashamed and embarrassed that they collect a paycheck to f@#k with people’s minds.
We are ALL a work in progress and you sound just fine to me.
I like when Elsa said, “if it’s in your chart then use it!” If you got all these repressive issues then they are there for a reason and everything you described about yourself sounds absolutely normal. It’s the other people who tell you something’s wrong with you that need to take antipsychotics.
Hey Dina,
Honestly I don’t think having many past lives would make someone more advanced or wise. What if all those past lives are to recompense for actions which hurt others?
For example, my ex has been here before, I’m sure, and by karmic astrology he has placements in the eighth house which could indicate partner abuse in past lives: Mars, Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn in the eighth–(http://www.dkfoundation.co.uk/BookKarmaHouse8.htm). He sure hasn’t learned in this lifetime, yet, so if past lives exist, he’ll probably have more to come, to learn to stop treating people like they are disposable.
But you should be proud of yourself; it sounds like you’re dealing with quite a lot (perhaps 12th house issues?) and you said yourself that you’ve chosen to deal with them (as opposed to letting your painful experiences control you). Sounds like an advanced being to me, past lives or not. 😉
I totally agree that we’re all works in progress, kudos for you, Dina!
Soon as I posted that, I thought *well, aren’t we perfect as we are?*
OH DAMN YOU 9th HOUSE LIBRA!
ha ha
LOL, kashmiri! That’s a good question, but, my Libra Asc. does not have an answer….at the moment:D
I’m still thinking about this……
OK, I think you are right in saying that we are created perfect for the task at hand (shown vividly within the map of our lives).
So if we have certain aspects of our spiritual nature to overcome then we would definitely ( before booking our “trip”) plan to enter this physical plane when such energies are at play.
For instance, I have all these self esteem issues (Sun and Merc in the 2nd sq Jupiter in the 5th and Pluto/Uranus in the 11th) combined with severe issues with male energy (Venus/Neptune conjunct square Saturn and Mars). Well, quite a few Astrologers have picked up on a certain issue of mine in charging(Venus=value) men( Mars) in positions of authority (Saturn) for my “affections” (Venus/Neptune). Although this is NOT a very evolved use of these energies it is, nontheless, the perfect set-up for me to overcome these tendencies and refine this energy.
I used to look on at my antagonists with great disgust until I realized, “Hey! They didn’t do this all alone. You were right along side of ’em.
Then the big picture started to become very clear.
They are only cast members in my little “play”.
They are only acting a part for my benefit. How can I “player hate” on them?! I just can’t.
So it may look all ugly, debasing and sacrificial on the surface yet something of great value was taking place on a most profound level.
So I totally agree that we ARE created perfectly for the greater good of our evolution.
Jamie–well stated and I totally agree with everything you wrote. I often think of people in the terms you speak of, and my responsibility to accept the ‘big picture.’
I don’t remember specifics, but I *know* I have been here before. I know it, like I know I breathe.
When I met Les the first time, there was an almost audible CLICK in my gut. I knew this guy. The life we led together was the best and worst of this life, and his as well. We had stuff to resolve, and we loved and knew each other better than anyone else on this earth. We didn’t finish it well, though. We screwed up at the end, and he is now gone from this world. We will get another shot.
Another reason I believe is that I have just always known certain things. Even as a kid! We went to a pretty fundamental church when I was young, and I drove those Sunday School teachers half insane with my questioning of the Bible stories they taught us.
When Susu did a past life reading for me, the reason for that came to light. I was apparently a monk or a priest who was struggling with faith during a difficult time for the Christian Church, as it was changing from the true teachings of Jesus into the political power mogul it is today. Suicide was the result, which is probably why even in my darkest hours this time around, I have never gone through with that again.
I could go on and on, this is a passionate subject for me. But I’m a year late and I’ll shut up now. lol
Yes, I do. I also have Chiron conjunct my south node pisces in the 8th house, and if you read on that I have easy access to past life memories. There is a reason not everyone can remember, you are not supposed to. You are supposed to focus on being here now and learning the lessons that draw you to the future. I have pluto in Virgo conjunct the north node in the second house.
If you get too wrapped up in past lives, it can be more of the same. However, I have gone places, having been there before. I have met people, seen their clear energy field, and then had them ask me if they had met me before – no – not in this life, but in another yes.
So – yes I believe and know – but also know you have to be focused on here not to learn this lesson. your astrology helps with that a lot.
Me and my ability to type these days – I meant to say you are supposed to be focused on here now to learn these lessons now. The memories come up when needed in order to learn lessons – but it is the future which draws you forward. You are supposed to become more.
Meanwhile we all wander around with feet of clay – which is part of our path.
K – interesting point. I have nothing conjunct my south node and no recollection of a past life at all. I have had people tell me of some but it nothing every resonates.
I do have planets (Uranus!) conjunct my north node and while I don’t *know, the idea I may be an astrologer in the future seems plausible.
Wow, with Uranus toward on the North Node it is all about the future. You are too funny.
You can only go with what you know. From what I have read Chiron gives you access to the memories or not, and I personally think it is if you need to clean things up or not. Chiron being the bridge to the memories. All the people running around with Chiron in Pisces have been asked to clean up their own astral atmosphere (boy I sure have), and then the double Whammy in the 8th house so there is a Scorpio component as well.
Sometimes there are reasons not to remember, as sometimes it is too easy to get caught up in past dramas and loose focus on where you are supposed to be which is now. I have spent a lot of time cleaning things up. I think if you have mastered certain lessons you can choose to remember or not. It is a long story and I don’t want to get into too much information, but there were some things I had to clean up this go around, as I did not complete the last time.
However, again with Chiron many times teachers showed up to help. Barbara Hand Clows book on Chiron was a godsend for me.
I hope you have a great Fourth!
The logic that there are too many ppl now for us to have old souls doesn’t stack up. There have been up to 4 or 5 buddist lamas living as the reincarnation of one that had died before, and they were just the ones that had been found!
If you believe in reincarnation you believe the soul isn’t finite, it can be split up any number of times and still not be any less ‘soulfull’.
I learned that I was a warrior in the past. Maybe that’s why I have so much fire in my chart (especially Mars in Aries), a leftover of some sorts?
I have moon/venus conjunct south node, square mars. in the 7th/8th. I wish that I could get something vivid, but I’ve only had snippets.