Tag: hinduism

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A Word About Karma and Reincarnation

Rx Mercury in Pisces sermon…

Some western astrologers who use North and South Nodes nevertheless do not believe in reincarnation. That’s fine, I’m not out to convert anyone, but I think it’s important to understand the concept before throwing it out.
The detective in me likes to look for clues to past lives in a chart reading, but it’s not the entire purpose of the reading. Sometimes what I find really resonates with a person, sometimes it doesn’t, but to think every person begins everything from scratch at birth falls short. How do you explain a child prodigy like Mozart, for example? Just genetic info being passed down? Perhaps.

The Hindus may have invented the Nodes, but they did not invent the idea of reincarnation. Many ancient/indigenous peoples, including the Greeks, Inuit, Celts and others subscribe(d) to the idea that, like all things observed in nature, we return. Probably what JC was trying to tell his followers, too, but they didn’t get it and saw ‘being raised from the dead’ as a kind of zombie apocalypse. Likely it was only really taught in earnest to a handful of Gnostics.

In Tibetan Buddhism, reincarnation does not just involve being reborn into another body in this realm, they take into account other realms. There is nothing to say that a soul can’t be occupying different realms simultaneously, or that reincarnation is some sort of assembly line thing, since ‘linear time’ does not exist outside this one. Your cells are in fact being reincarnated at this very moment.

Also, ‘karma’ is not just an ‘eye for an eye’, that’s the westernized idea. Teaching people that if you behave in this life, the next one might be better is no diff than saying heaven or hell awaits. Something to control people with, or maybe just something they’ll ‘get’ in simple terms.

Even if you never came into contact with another human being you have karma – ie, an accumulation of memory resonance in every particle in your body, which has indeed had another life, previous – that’s just quantum science. Our karma  influences the choices we make, as well as our thoughts, so the more consciously aware and less emotionally invested in it we are, the better. (Why astrology is a great tool). Again, the idea is that everything returns, hence, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

It’s all a beautiful mystery, and the idea is to focus on the here and now, not get seduced by the romance of what we may have been, once upon a time. Past life memories (or parallel universes) can and do pop up from time to time, in dreams, altered states of consciousness or perhaps simply as a kind of deja-vu  type of feeling when visiting a foreign place. Sometimes you meet someone and feel you’ve known them before. Like present life memories, past ones are worth examining for clues they may hold to otherwise unexplainable behaviour patterns or talents, to provide inspiration, or, as in evolutionary astrology, to check in with our soul’s progress, but should not be dwelt on or attached to beyond this.


Reincarnation cartoon by David Coverly speedbump.com
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Rethinking Black Moon Lilith


We still use the given Greco-Roman names of Gods and Goddesses to describe the planets, but this can sometimes be limiting. Mesopotamians, for example, didn’t deny Ishtar-Inanna her dualism as morning and evening Star, nor her aspects as both love/sex and war/death Goddess. Venus, the same planet, is pretty much restricted to Goddess of beauty and love. Not that Love isn’t the highest power, but she’s left being a bit one-dimensional. Her shadow is repressed and, according to the mythology, comes out in underhanded ways due to jealousy or vanity. How are we supposed to consciously evolve if we are still stuck on these incarnations of the archetypes ?

Digitally ‘restored’ Burney Relief, depicting Lilith or Ereshkigal

Case in point – Black Moon Lilith. This is not actually a physical object but a ‘void space’ that acts as a shadow Moon, in modern astrology. Being the Moon’s dark twin, it’s been named after the screech owl of the Hebrew Bible who is, essentially, menstruating Eve, with a clinical case of hysteria-induced vampirism. Based on this archetype, Black Moon’s natal position shows where we sabotage our own happiness, especially in relationships. But modelling our un-lived self on this jilted first lady, who chose to cavort with creatures of the night, rather than submit to her husband’s dominance leaves us without the means to consciously break the cycle of hurt. Personally I don’t mind that she was a ‘demoness’, but that word has  some heavy associations I’d rather not have to carry !

Tibetan Mahakala and Hindu Kali
In Buddhism and Hinduism, deities that are black are referred to as ‘wrathful’. But they are actually more like the embodiment of relentless mercy or fierce compassion, that cuts straight through fear, anger or whatever state of distraction our minds might be in. Kali or Mahakala are extreme examples, but the Black Tara – who is most often depicted as dark green/blue – might be a more subtle yidam*  for our shadowy, lady Lilith. 
 

Unlike the radiant energy of White Tara, Black/Wrathful Tara is associated with power, but embodies the freedom and potentiality of non-form and infinite wisdom. A Buddhist friend was describing it to me as the feeling of infinite space one gets in a pitch blackness. More un-structive than de-structive. Wrathful yidams are also protectors, which is ideally what BM Lilith must become for women who are past child-bearing years.

Tibetan Bluish-Black ‘Wrathful’ Tara (Looks like the actual ‘black’ manifestation is in the top left corner, while the main one is a more of a wrathful, Green Tara)
Black Moon Lilith’s  retrogrades are frequent, her next being Jan 23 to Feb 7, with a Sun opposition on Jan 27. It’s two-week  opportunity for contemplating what drives our self-sabotage (for women especially, but also for men who project their shadow feminine onto the ladies) and work on integrating Tara and Lilith. During her retrograde, make time to sit in a pitch black room, where you feel safe, or if you are out in the country, with no lights, sit outside during the New Moon at the end of the month. “Lay down all thoughts, surrender to the void.” If you should feel or see a negative emotion or it’s embodiment, observe it, note it, let it dissolve naturally into the blackness. Feel the protection and constance of this void space, the true, feminine nature behind the demoness mask of Black Moon Lilith.
 

*enlightened being, aka deity.

 

Note: There are, in fact, three Liliths – Black Moon, Dark Moon and asteroid. Some astrologers combine all three. I find BM to be enough by itself, not least because she’s exactly conjunct my Moon.

All written content herein is copyright ©Roxanna Bikadoroff and may not be reposted or reprinted without permission plus a credit and link to this page.  Feel free to share the article via link. Thank you for being respectful.