I recall a time when someone told me “astrology can’t work for me because ‘I’ wasn’t born when my body was born. I’m a ‘walk-in’”. She was telling me that the soul that came with her body left, (in what appears to be a death) and her soul took over the body at that point, so she wasn’t “born” with the body.
I didn’t argue with her. I could see she was invested in her viewpoint and I didn’t need to make a point. But I can now.
Astrology speaks to the conditions of the physical world. When a body is born, that BODY is part of the physical world and is affected by the physical world, including the astrology when the body was born. A so-called ‘walk-in’ must agree to step into the fate of the body they were about to inhabit. The soul must adjust to the conditions of the body.
Swami Rama, an Oxford educated spiritual master, talks about this in his book Living with the Himalayan Masters. Swami Rama lived with cave-dwelling swamis from the age of six until college, honoring a promise made by his parents. He recounts a visit with his teachers after graduating Oxford. There had been a terrible flood, and dead animals and humans were seen in the raging river that they were about to cross. One very elderly teacher said “Excuse me a minute” and jumped into the river. A few minutes later, a young handsome man walked out of the river and picked up the conversation where they’d left off.
Swami Rama questioned him–was he still the revered teacher in a different body? The answer was “my old body was pretty worn out and I’ve still got a lot to do.” (Living with the Himalayan Masters by Swami Rama)
Ohm Seti also experienced this, as described in the book The Search for Ohm Seti. Born in England in the late 19th or early 20th century (my memory needs a refresh), she fell down some steep stairs and apparently died at age 4. The family doctor pronounced her dead before she got up again and appeared to be fine. But from that day on, she was obsessed by Egypt, demanding to spend days and days at the Egyptology museums in London and learning the language of heiroglyphs. She was convinced she was the soul of a beloved mistress of Seti, an Egyptian pharoah. Her “memories” of the land, buildings, geography, and customs have been invaluable to archeologists and historians in locating and interpreting excavation sites.
When the physical body of someone we loves dies, we suffer a physical loss. Even while we know the spirit lives on, most of us are unable to communicate with that spirit and NONE of us are able to give and receive hugs and physical comfort with the spirit. The physical loss is great, and always brings questions about what we might find beyond the threshold of death.
SO–I promised you a bibliography, and here it is:
Destiny of Souls by Michael Newton; In this book, psychologist Michael Newton continues to map the picture of the “between lives” period that he began in Journey of Souls. While the first book was more the geography and mapping feature, Destiny shows the decisions we make between lives that help us see the Meaning of our lives, and helps us understand the kinds of decisions we make before we even enter this life. In a similar vein, you might want to read the works of Raymond Moody including his book with Elizabeth Kubler Ross: Life after Life.
Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife by Eban Alexander. In this book Alexander not only recounts the details of his profound experiences during a period in which he was in a coma and virtually braindead from an overwhelming brain infection. He also explores, with the help of other medical specialists, all the scientific and rational explanations that might say his experience was an artifact of his disease or medication. This is a powerful testimony to the power of spirit, written by someone who still lives in the rational scientific world, and manages to explain his knowledge of both to his lucky readers.
The Map of Heaven (second book by Eban Alexander) In some ways even better than the first. He goes through many philosophical traditions and the collected reports of many others who have “been there” to make the case that we are part of a vastness of love that we can only barely begin to imagine.
The Search for Bridey Murphy by Morey Bernstein. This un-put-downable book details the research into the roots of the tale of a young woman who remembers a life hundreds of years ago in Ireland more than she remembers her life today. Originally written in 1956, it’s been reissued many times. A fascinating tale.
The Search for Om Sety by Jonathan Cott and Hanny el Zeini. This is a more recent book and one with more profound impact on the scientific world. This book recounts the life experiences of an Englishwoman who believes herself to be the reincarnation of the true-love of a great Egyptian Pharoah. It’s a paranormal story, a love story (he physically reappears to her frequently and they continue their deep love affair), and a story of archaeology. Om Sety (as she called herself, following the tradition of naming oneself after one’s spouse) understands the physical layout and cultural meaning of many of Egypt’s ancient monuments, and made significant archeological contributions as she explained to archeologists where to find specific temples and the meanings of architectural symbols as they related to practices in the temples and other buildings. Her contributions to Egyptian archeology are considered to be vital and fundamental.
There are many many other books on these topics, but if you’re just now turning in this direction I can’t recommend any more than these.
