Halloween Special ~ Past Life Astrology (Pt. 3)

In parts 1 and 2 of this introduction to past life astrology, I looked at the Sun and the Moon’s Nodes. Karmic astrologers also look at retrograde planets to glean insight into issues and challenges from past lives.

Before I look at retrograde planets, I would like to point out that while our Sun sign, Nodes and retrograde planets (and other things in our chart) can highlight past life / karmic issues and challenges, it does not mean that you were ‘bad’ or you ‘failed’ in a past life, so do not judge yourself harshly.

I believe that each soul comes into this world with its own chosen mission, a set of lessons it has volunteered to learn and an array of challenges it has opted to take. These are all designed to help the soul to grow and learn. However, here on earth, I believe we have free will to decide whether or how we take on those challenges.

Please also bear in mind when you read the ‘meanings’ I list for each retrograde planet that these are merely suggestions in keeping with the traditional symbolism of each planet. Do not take them as ‘read’, use them as a starting point to prompt you, then let your own experience and intuition guide you towards what your retrograde planet means to you personally. There’s no right or wrong answer.

It’s also worth considering that some past life issues simply need to be released so the soul can move forward. For example, souls who were persecuted for their ideas and opinions in a past life may need to release a fear of speaking freely in this life so that they can fulfill their mission. Souls who led spiritual past lives and took vows of chastity or poverty, may need to release themselves from those vows in this life, in order to let go of negative fears and emotions around prosperity and sexuality. For some tips on release-ment, see my previous blog post here.

Retrograde Planets and Past Lives

All the planets (except the Sun and Moon) spend some time retrograde and most people have one or more retrograde planet in their birth chart. When a planet is retrograde, you are likely to experience its energy internally and subjectively. In early life you may have difficulties with the areas of life the planet represents, but you will get a second chance later in life.

Karmic astrologers believe that retrograde planets in our birth chart represent:

• Unfinished business from past lives.
• A second chance to balance your karma by working out a past life issue.
• A chance to let go of a past life issue that is holding you back in this lifetime.
• Past life energies that can be used to help your soul’s growth in this lifetime.
• A chance to find fulfillment and achievement that was denied in a past life.

Mercury Retrograde

• Unfinished business from a past life around communicating and expressing yourself.
• A second chance to overcome a past life fear of criticism.
• A chance to let go of past life fears of speaking your truth freely. Perhaps you were victimized for your opinions in a past life, but now you have the opportunity to speak up and be heard.
• An opportunity for soul growth through learning to listen to other’s point of view, or through learning to be flexible and open to new ideas.
• A chance to find fulfillment and achievement through learning and education. If education was denied you in past life, you can make up for it in this life.

Venus Retrograde

• Unfinished business from past life relationships.
• A second chance to experience love and affection denied or lost in a past life.
• A chance to let go of unhelpful emotional behaviors and fears by engaging in relationships. For example, learning to trust and open up to others.
• A chance to release and heal low self esteem issues from past lives.
• An opportunity for soul growth through learning to give and receive in relationships.
• A chance to find fulfillment and achievement through relationship and intimacy and/or through valuing yourself and others.

Mars Retrograde

• Unfinished business from past lives around competition and self assertion.
• A second chance to balance karma from past misdeeds that you still subconsciously feel guilty about.
• A chance to let go of anger and frustration left over from a past life.
• An opportunity for soul growth through learning to assert yourself in a positive and healthy way.
• A chance to find fulfillment and achievement through taking positive action towards getting what you truly want and need.
• An opportunity to learn how to follow your passions and desires.

 Jupiter Retrograde

• An opportunity find closure from past life issues by looking deeply within yourself to find truth and meaning.
• A chance to let go of past life feelings of not being deserving of life’s rewards and riches.
• An opportunity for soul growth through resolving issues around spiritual and religious beliefs. (For example, perhaps you were persecuted in a past life for your religion or maybe you were forced to follow a religion you didn’t believe in.)
• A second chance to find fulfillment and achievement through:
• ~Deep study and higher learning.
• ~Experiencing different countries and cultures.
• ~Learning to have faith in life, yourself and the world.

Saturn Retrograde

• Unfinished business from past lives where you may have felt inadequate, pessimistic or blocked. These issues can be worked out by facing them head on and taking positive steps to resolve them.
• A second chance to balance karma by working out issues from a past life where you had difficulty taking responsibility or setting healthy boundaries.
• A chance to let go of fears that may have held you back in a past life.
• An opportunity for soul growth through being a parent or becoming an authority.
• Soul growth from succeeding and earning respect by your own efforts, without cutting corners.
• A chance to find fulfillment and achievement through patiently and diligently working towards long term goals.

The Outer Planets ~ Uranus, Neptune, Pluto

Note: The outer planets spend so much time retrograde that most souls come in with at least one of these planets retrograde. These are the generational planets, so if you have one or more of these retrograde in your chart you are part of a generation that has some collective karma to work out. As such, the retrograde outer planet may not have much karmic resonance with you on a personal/individual level. However, if your retrograde outer planet is on an angle (such as the Ascendant or Midheaven) or is making a close aspect to one of your personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars), then it may have some karmic significance for you. If you’re not sure, use your intuition and experience to guide you.

Uranus Retrograde 

• Unfinished business from past lives where you resisted change. In this life you learn that change can be a good thing.
• A chance to balance past life karma by daring to do things your own way, even if it upsets the status quo.
• A chance to let go of a past life fear of being persecuted for being different.
• An opportunity to pursue independence and freedom that was denied in a past life.
• An opportunity for soul growth through embracing your individuality and originality.
• A chance to find fulfillment and achievement through living life authentically, being true to who you are. 

Neptune Retrograde

• Unfinished business from past lives where you were super sensitive. In this life you can learn to use your sensitivity to help others while at the same time learning to set healthy personal boundaries.
• A chance to balance karma by embracing your creativity and imagination, especially if you didn’t nurture these in a past life.
• A chance to let go of unhelpful fantasies and escapist tendencies that held you back in a past life.
• An opportunity for soul growth through learning that there is more to life than what you can see and touch with your five senses.
• A chance to find fulfillment and achievement through fostering compassion for yourself and for all life.

Pluto Retrograde

• Unfinished business from past lives around issues of power and control. Perhaps you had no power or control in a past life, or perhaps you had too much and abused it. In this life you learn that power and control can be used in healthy, constructive ways, not in destructive ways. You may also need to recognize that there are some things in life that you cannot control.
• A chance to balance your karma and regenerate yourself by purging unhelpful, self-sabotaging behaviors and emotions.
• A chance to balance karma by seeking fresh perspectives on old (past life) problems, in order to release yourself from them.
• A chance to let go of a past life ‘addiction’ to crisis and upheaval by learning that there is a calmer, more controlled way of dealing with life’s ups and downs.
• An opportunity for soul growth through learning to trust your instincts.
• Soul growth through learning that while you can’t always control what happens to you, you can control how you react and respond.
• A chance to find fulfillment and achievement through learning to be honest and forgiving in your dealings with others.

Part 1: The Sun and Past Lives
Part 2: The Moon’s Nodes and Past Lives

Resources and Further Reading:
You can get a copy of your chart for free at www.alabe.com
Book recommendation: Karmic Astrology, Retrogrades and Reincarnation by Martin Schulman

With love,
Mandi
www.mandilockley.com

 

Halloween Special ~ Past Life Astrology (Pt. 2)

In part 1, I looked at what our Sun sign can tell us about lessons learned in past lives and lessons to be learned in our current life. In the second part of this series on past life astrology, I will be taking a look at another significant past life / karmic indicator....

The Nodes of the Moon

Some astrologers believe that the Nodes of the Moon are special karmic and spiritual significators. Studying the signs, houses and aspects of our Nodes can help us understand our past life karma ~ how we can release it (South Node) and the nature of our spiritual / soul mission for this life (North Node).

The South Node represents:

• Where we’ve come from, our past lives
• The past life karma we bring with us into this life for release, including unfinished business from past lives
• Where we have lifetimes of experience
• Our talents, strength and weaknesses from past lives
• Where we feel comfortable and what we fall back on, even if it’s not in the best interest of our current life path
• Where we need to move away from in order to release our karma and fulfill the promise of our North Node…

The North Node represents:

• The key to our soul’s direction and purpose for this lifetime 
• Where we need to grow spiritually 
• What we need to learn and pay attention to, in order to grow as spiritual beings
• Unfamiliar territory which we need to explore
• Parts of ourselves we neglected in past lives 
• Talents and strengths waiting to be discovered

It is easy for us to avoid the urgings of our North Node, because they feel uncomfortable and unfamiliar. However, when we take the plunge and start ‘doing’ our North Node (according to the sign and house it’s in and its aspects), we find that we are able to release the karma and unfinished business represented by our South Node. Then we can embrace our soul’s journey and life purpose and strive toward the ultimate goal the Nodes represent – integration, growth and karmic balance.

(Please note: there are other interpretations of the Nodes, but this article focuses primarily on the past life/karmic significances of the Nodes)

Find your North and South Node signs and discover what they mean at: http://www.cafeastrology.com/nodesofthemoon.html

See Part 1: The Sun and Your Past Lives

Part 3: Retrograde Planets and Past Life Karma

Books about the Nodes: 

Karmic Astrology-the Moons Nodes and Reincarnation by Martin Schulman

Lunar Nodes: Discover Your Soul's Karmic Mission by Celeste Teal

Incarnation: The Four Angles and the Moon's Nodes by Melanie Reinhart

North Node Astrology: Rediscovering Your Life Direction and Soul Purpose by Elizabeth Spring

Astrology for the Soul by Jan Spiller

With love,

Mandi

http://www.mandilockley.com/

Halloween Special ~ Past Life Astrology (Pt.1)

It is said that at Halloween, also known as Samhain and All Saints’ Day, the veil between this world and the next is at its thinnest. As ghosts and spirits rise, we are invited to pay homage to those who came before us. After all, the energies they created in life still live on in the words, thoughts, deeds and descendants they gifted to this earthly plane.

Many people also believe in reincarnation, the idea that our spirit comes back again and again into body, wherein the soul learns and develops through material experience. Some astrologers believe that this soul journey through various incarnations is reflected in the birth chart, which describes the karmic lessons these incarnations bring.

Here is an introduction to Past Life astrology, for your seasonal pleasure. I cannot offer extensive interpretations here, but will provide some clues on how and where to look in your chart, so you can explore and interpret your chart for yourself, from a karmic perspective.

Let us begin our journey…

The Sun Sign

On a karmic level, our Sun sign represents the lessons we need to learn in this lifetime. The qualities of our Sun sign do not so much not represent us as we are, but as we should aspire to be. Embodying the very best of what our Sun sign represents is our goal for this lifetime. The journey towards this goal is a heroic one, peppered with obstacles, lessons and challenges along the way.

In a past life (or lives), we had to learn the lesson of the Sun sign that came before our current one. Our aim was to become the best and highest manifestation of the qualities of that sign, On completing the lesson, we moved on to the next sign, taking what we learned with us to use in the next life.

For example, in a past life you may have learned, through experience, to embody the highest manifestation of Sagittarius. You worked your way through the negative aspects of Sagittarius and through experiencing them you absorbed the lessons and learned to take a higher path. In the process, you became a wise mentor and inspired faith wherever you went. Now, in this life, you have Sun in Capricorn. Having learned the lessons of Sag, you know that achievement will not come from recklessness and risk taking, but from steady, patient hard work and organised effort. You know that grand Sagittarian promises are nothing if they do not crystallize into something tangible and useful. As a Capricorn, you have the earned wisdom and faith of Sagittarius to help you overcome all the obstacles you will meet along the way. This wisdom and faith can be called upon to help you raise yourself above the negative manifestations of Capricorn, helping you to be the best that you can.

To interpret the lessons of your own past life and current life Sun Sign, see the Sun sign interpretations at Café Astrology.

Read the Sun sign that comes immediately before your own. The best qualities of that Sun sign are the culmination of the lessons you learned in past lives and are resources that you have at your disposal in this life time. (The signs are listed in sequential order below. If you are an Aries, your past life Sun sign was Pisces.)

Next, read the interpretation of your current sign. The negative aspects are the lessons and pitfalls. The positive ones are what you are striving for. By comparing the best of both signs, you can work out what you need to learn (current Sun sign) and the resources you have to help you (previous Sun sign).

For example, the courage of Aries, learned in a past life, helps Taurus to strive for healthy emotional security in this life, whilst overcoming fear of change and avoiding possessiveness. The generosity of spirit learned in a past life as a Leo helps Virgo to serve others with humility and love and to avoid small mindedness and nit picking.

Aries – Taurus – Gemini - Cancer – Leo – Virgo – Libra – Scorpio – Sagittarius – Capricorn – Aquarius – Pisces

In Part 2 ~ What the Moon’s Nodes say about past life karma

In Part 3 ~ Do Retrograde Planets represent past life karma?

With Love,

Mandi

http://www.mandilockley.com/