| Astro Power - Divine Mechanism for Soul | | | | a sense of their "lack of development" or |
| Development | | | | "unworthiness". These shards (young souls) ate of the |
| More and more people from diverse religions and | | | | "Bread of Shame". They thought that being so |
| cultures believe in reincarnation as a way in which the | | | | profoundly blessed and yet so undeveloped made |
| Individual Soul goes through its "paces". Those who | | | | them in need of development. Of course, the Divine |
| wish to make reincarnation a strictly religious topic may | | | | said: "You can't have it any better than this, but you |
| do so, but those who are not bound by strict religious | | | | can get better, sure! Physical existence will give you |
| dogma are free to explore this topic as the "divine | | | | opportunities for development. As you go out on this |
| mechanism for soul development". | | | | journey, you are going to feel lost and alone, many |
| The River Lethe - Forgetfulness of the Soul - | | | | times. But you will be brought back from life to life to |
| The place I will start is with the Greeks. Ah, the | | | | contemplate your development. This is your decision, |
| Greeks, those ultimately syncretistic peoples who, | | | | but in the end its what the Divine wants too." This |
| breathing the Spirit of Democracy were about | | | | proposed dialogue gives a sense of what |
| combining ideas, absorbing ideas and making new | | | | reincarnation, as a belief imparts. |
| ideas, giving them new names and packaging them in | | | | "The Fall of Man" was not our grim determination to be |
| Hellenic ways! The Greeks, sitting where they sat in | | | | God-like, and impetuous and rebellious, the "fall" was |
| their craggy stony island places, in between the East | | | | our recognition that we needed to go through a |
| and the West, are a wonderful source for so many | | | | process that would take ages. Virtually everyone I |
| ideas. | | | | have ever listened to characterizes the "fall" in wholly |
| Paying the Boatman and Spiritual "Lethargy" | | | | negative, superior, condemnatory ways. So |
| The River Lethe is their name for the process of | | | | reincarnation settles mankind into a Spritual Context of |
| forgetting - what happens to the Soul when it passes | | | | Continuity. Orthodox Christianity sees general humanity |
| from Death to the Other Side, from the Other Side to | | | | as "lost souls" about to slip into oblivion. If you believe |
| Rebirth. The word "Lethe" has the same root word as | | | | this, I am sorry to offend you, but many people in |
| LETHARGY. We are supposed to be forgetful | | | | numerous traditional religious contexts see this as not a |
| (sleepy) of our past lives, otherwise how could we live | | | | particularly elevating vision of the human state. |
| our current lives? The ancient practice of putting coins | | | | Salvation is not the end, but the beginning - |
| on top of the eyes of the dead was to "pay the | | | | When I look into the eyes of a newborn child, my heart |
| boatman" who took you across that River of | | | | does not overflow with awe because I am |
| Forgetfulness. So they devised Imagery that feels vivid | | | | contemplating its hoped for redemption from the |
| and somewhat like a movie. Greek Mythology was | | | | strangle hold of physicality. I am filled with awe |
| highly picturesque. It all tends to stick in the mind. | | | | because I see an ancient soul. wrapped up in one of |
| "The Uttermost Farthing" - | | | | life's new packages, ready for a new round of |
| Christ refers to this in his picture of "agreeing with your | | | | experience. Birth is a salvation for new complex and |
| adversary quickly, lest you be taken to the uttermost | | | | demanding situations to happen to an old soul. Death is |
| farthing". Most see this as a warning against being | | | | a release into a new round of such activity. |
| overly litigious. It is really most likely Jesus' reference to | | | | Dying Suddenly In Youth - |
| a judgment phase for the soul. (It has recently been | | | | When Mrs. Ryan's feet and knees buckle on her front |
| shown through archaeology and history that Jesus | | | | porch, upon hearing that she has lost 3 sons, in that |
| was highly Hellenized.) The point here is to appreciate | | | | painful scene from "Saving Private Ryan", (one of the |
| the fact that your Soul is under constant assessment | | | | best movies ever made), your heart sinks in your |
| and analysis, and as you pass, you should be in a state | | | | chest. The awareness of this "mortal coil" being |
| of peace, not disputing and struggling with the fingers | | | | shuffled off is always with us. "In the midst of life, we |
| of judgment that are pointing at you. "Agree with your | | | | are truly in death." |
| adversary quickly" says: "Get some perspective. You | | | | With reincarnation you need not conjure up a scene in |
| are in a State of Grace, you are about to go to the | | | | your head of suddenly-dead Mikey, bouncing his ball on |
| Other Side. Don't struggle with the Accuser. It's over | | | | God's driveway with all his other recently passed |
| for now. Let the process work. Do not exhaust your | | | | young friends. Reincarnation puts a soul back into the |
| spiritual resources fighting like a fool for your Virtue." | | | | action "asap". Loss, to be understood and appreciated, |
| The Grand Overarching Comfort that Lies in the | | | | makes its mark on us all. As a species, we have cut |
| Concept of Reincarnation - | | | | enough young people down in the vibrancy of youth in |
| The point is to get people to think about all of the | | | | the act of war and violence. Reincarnation puts a quiet |
| psychological, emotional and spiritual benefits that can | | | | comfort in contemplating that that young one will be |
| be derived from contemplating this "divine mechanism | | | | back in the flow of flesh sometime soon. |
| for soul development". For those of you who might not | | | | Racial and Cultural Prejudices - |
| be aware of it, reincarnation is a concept that spans | | | | Reincarnation says: "You don't know what you used |
| ages, centuries, and cultures. There is no need to | | | | to be, you don't know who you are going to be in the |
| document that here. Of course, culture and history hold | | | | future, so try to get some neutrality about who you |
| LOTS OF OPTIONS for what reincarnation means. I | | | | are dealing with." In the subjectivity of your current |
| will discuss how I am approaching the topic, but let me | | | | existence, your identity tells you how to feel about |
| acknowledge here the multiplicity of offerings from | | | | others. Human cultural, ethnic, linguistic worlds are |
| around the world on this topic. | | | | constantly creating a person's reality. We can not |
| You have a background story - | | | | resist thinking of ourselves as Americans, Brazilians, |
| Is there a rationale for your lot in life, the people you | | | | Germans, Cubans, Majorcans or Chinese. We are |
| have met, the positives and negatives of your fate | | | | where we are born, brought up and pickled. And |
| and your character? Forgetfulness dictates that you | | | | religion, as a cultural creation, perpetuates that reality of |
| do not remember your background story, but the | | | | what it is to be a socialized enculturated human. |
| reality of your life - its complexity, apparent | | | | However, if you believe in reincarnation, you have a |
| contradictions and the mixed-ness of life, make each | | | | thought in your head that keeps you in check. "Last |
| individual ask - is there a WHY to all of these various | | | | time, I could have been like that guy. Next time, I could |
| factors? If it is random, then you must deal with what | | | | be like her." At this moment in time, that might not be |
| that sense of randomness does to you. If you have a | | | | comforting to you in your current state of mind, but as |
| "once around" sense, then luck, curses, despair, | | | | a backdrop of human consciousness, this thought |
| privilege, blessings and all those words tend to have | | | | could alleviate racial, strident, virulent, fighting fury. At |
| more power. But if you see the background story as | | | | least, as a night time nugget of contemplation, it might |
| an explanation for your soul development, then you | | | | calm your soul a bit and give you a different kind of |
| can be transmuting trouble, building on blessings and | | | | feeling about your neighbors. |
| crushing curses. If you think in good news/bad news | | | | "I'm depraved on account I'm deprived." - |
| terms, its easy to get discouraged with life. If you see | | | | In "West Side Story" the gang members sang to |
| your soul as going through a set of experiences that | | | | Officer Krupke about how people were poorly |
| with conscious work will all be beneficial to the | | | | socialized and thus criminal. In the 50's these ideas |
| eventual further development of your soul, then Life's | | | | were up for more ridicule than they are now. But |
| Lot does not need to be a weighty burden. | | | | presently, we also consider that not everyone who is |
| You've Gotten Another Chance - | | | | "deprived" becomes "depraved". Character, will, choice |
| I once told my sister that the fact that she was alive | | | | and determination also come into play. I bring this up, |
| and on the planet was evidence that redemption and | | | | not to restart the "nature/nurture" controversy, but |
| salvation were hers. The divine has declared that you | | | | rather to talk about how reincarnation is life's way of |
| can learn more lessons and progress in your spiritual | | | | saying that everyone is a Distinctive Soul with a Unique |
| journey. You have a life. That is a positive statement | | | | Past and our Own Special Will and Horoscope. What |
| that you are progressing. If you have been "beaten up" | | | | you decide to do in your life is a result of all of these |
| in the past, this current life is a declaration that you | | | | uniqueness. Reincarnation says: "You are a divine |
| need not be a victim again. You are not granted | | | | individual with a plan. This puts a heavy responsibility on |
| another individual existence for failure. You have | | | | the soul. Reincarnation puts a burden on the identity. It |
| gotten another chance and that is reason for Joy! | | | | puts a burden on the heart and head to come up with |
| Ultimately the Mystery of You has a Great Ending - | | | | a plan based upon self respect and a sense of |
| Why is a mystery story so compelling? Because you | | | | obligation. |
| know that everything will be explained in the end. A | | | | Relationships have Greater Potential Meaning - |
| mystery is a great mystery if it keeps you guessing | | | | Some or our relationships in life are not loaded with |
| and wondering and coming up with potential answers | | | | meaning. Some are meaningful but negative. Some |
| and being forced to look at everybody as the solution | | | | relationships are long term, meaningful and full of love. |
| to the mystery. That faith that your good mystery | | | | With reincarnation, you are constantly looking for the |
| story will be satisfying in the end is what reincarnation | | | | poetry and sense of the interdependence of |
| offers you. Reincarnation says: "There is a reason for | | | | relationships, because you believe that the other |
| your story, and when the story is over, your | | | | person, also is a divine soul with a past and a purpose. |
| wonderfully complex character will manifest again with | | | | And perhaps, just perhaps. you have a past with them. |
| even more color and texture for your development in | | | | "Soul Mate" is a term that is popular and is based on |
| the next life." | | | | the idea that because of our past lives, we were |
| Death is not Final - | | | | uniquely meant for each other. "Previous lives" is just a |
| I am trying to avoid discussions of heaven and hell and | | | | more fascinating term because it quickly leaps to |
| purgatory because they tend to put dead people in | | | | "previous relationships" in those previous lives. |
| spots for the "organizational purpose" of "where do | | | | NAMASTE - |
| dead people go?" Reincarnation sees death as | | | | "The divine in me acknowledges the divine in you." This |
| necessarily transitional. The human body is only going | | | | ancient eastern idea faces human interchange as |
| to live a short time. The soul having previous | | | | being one in which our divinity is ever present in us all. |
| existences, current existences and future existences, | | | | This affects human consciousness, if you let it. |
| "knows" that multiple lives are the only way to build | | | | Reincarnation, as a belief held, is a reminder that |
| character, and arrive at spiritual states it has not | | | | everyone we are dealing with is a child of god with a |
| previously had. | | | | load of karmic action in their past. It makes you not |
| Kabbalah's Shards of Light - | | | | necessarily tolerant, but aware. Reincarnation sends |
| One vision of soul development (ancient wisdom from | | | | the message that people are not doing things at you |
| Mosaic/Egyptian tradition) sees our souls as once very | | | | and on purpose, as much as they are just acting our |
| young splintered fragments of divine light, and filled with | | | | their horoscopes and working off their karma at the |
| the glory of divine company. But at the same time, | | | | human populace in general. |
| these "shards" of divine light were overwhelmed with | | | | |