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Reincarnation
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Reincarnation It
is known that the Egyptians believed in reincarnation or the transmigration
of the soul. They thought the soul transmigrated from body to body and this
was a reason why they embalmed the body in order to preserve it so that
it could journey along with ka, an animating force that was believed to
be counterpart of the body, which would accompany it in the next world or
life. Ka might be considered equivalent to the term of soul. This establishes
the dating of the concept of reincarnation back to the ancient Egyptian
religion but many think it dates beyond antiquity.
The belief is thought to have been an necessity among primitive peoples.
Certainly long before ancient Egypt peoples believed in transmigration of
the soul. If they were not sophisticated enough to understand the concept
of a soul, then they may have simply called it life. An individual or object
which moved had life, and the one which did not, did not have life. This
is analogous to the belief of animism.
Gradually the concept of a soul developed with a further realization
that the soul departed the body at death and entered the body at birth.
Soon it was thought the soul leaving a dead body would seek another body
to enter, or enter an animal of a lower life form. It was also thought the
soul left the body during sleep. This soul was pictured as vapors that entered
and left through the nostrils and mouth.
Later grew the notion the soul transmigrated to an infant of one of dead
person's kin. This helped to explain family resemblances.
The terms reincarnation and transformation of the soul, especially when
applied to humans, are about synonymous. However reincarnation is not accurately
synonymous with either metamorphosis
or resurrection. Metamorphosis is roughly the changing of one life form
into another life form. Resurrection, in the Christian sense, means the
rising again of the body after death.
About the first definition of soul transmigration came from Pythagoras, the Greek philosopher and mathematician,
who taught that the soul was immortal and merely resides in the body; therefore,
it survived bodily death. His further teachings held the soul goes through
a series of rebirths. Between death and rebirth the soul rests and is purified
in the Underworld. After the soul has completed this series of rebirths
is becomes so purified that it can leave the transmigration or reincarnation
cycle.
Plato, another Greek philosopher, shared similar views as Pythagoras
in that the soul of man was eternal, pre-existence, and wholly spiritual.
In Plato's view of the transmigration of the soul from body to body, however,
there is a difference. Plato claimed the soul tends to become impure during
these bodily inhabitations although a minimal former life knowledge remains.
However, if through its transmigrations the soul continues doing good and
eliminates the bodily impurities it will eventually return to its pre-existence
state. But, if the soul continually deteriorates through its bodily inhabitations
it will end up in Tartarus, a place of eternal damnation. This appears to
be an origination of both the concept of karma
and the Christian concept of hell.
It was around the first century AD that both the Greek and Roman
writers were surprised by the fact that the Druids, a priestly caste of
the Celts (see Druidism), believed in reincarnation.
The Greek writer Diordus Siculus (c. 60 BC - 30 AD) noted
that the Druids believed "the souls of men are immortal, and that after
a definite number of years they live a second life when the soul passes
to another body." The Greek philosopher Strabo (c. 63 BC -
21 AD) observed the Druids believed that "men's souls and
the universe are indestructible, although at times fire and water may prevail."
Even Julius Caesar wrote of the Celts "They wish to inculcate this
as one of their leading tenets, that souls do not become extinct, but pass
after death from one body to another, and they think that men by this tenet
are in a great degree stimulated to valor, the fear of death being disregarded."
Elsewhere Caesar complained the Druids were a troublesome people. They were
difficult to destroy.
There is little evidence of reincarnation among the early Hebrew people
but it later became a part of the Kabbalistic
teaching. The teaching occurred among the early Christians, especially the
Gnostics, Manichaeans, and the Carthari,
but was later repudiated by orthodox Christian theologians. When asked by
college students why Christianity does not teach reincarnation Patricia
Crowther, a witch, answered, "...The early Christians taught it (reincarnation),
and this can be proved by the words of Saint Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa: 'It
is absolutely necessary that the soul shall be healed and purified, and
if it doesn't take place in one life on earth, it must be accomplished in
future earthly lives.'"
Later, in AD 533, reincarnation was declared a heresy by the
Council of Constantinople.
The reason reincarnation was repudiated was because of the eschatological
teachings of death and judgment which were established as orthodox Christian
doctrine. In simplicity this doctrine states man has just one life in which
to merit his eternal reward or damnation. Such a doctrine also strengthened
the Church. However, many Christians still believe in reincarnation because
they think it was taught by Christ.
In an interview the author Jess Stern asked a lady who had previously
seen the late American mystic Edgar Cayce "Why do you now find it so
important to believe in reincarnation -- wouldn't just being a good Christian,
believing in the message of God through Christ be sufficient to get you
into Heaven?"
She answered plainly, "Don't you know that Christianity embraced
reincarnation for three hundred years, until the Roman influence expunged
it after the Enmperor Constantine recognized the Church? What do you think
the early Christians were thinking when they asked Christ whether he was
Elijah, who had come before? They were think reincarnation, that's what."
She continued, "If you thought of reincarnation as rebirth, I think
you could understand it better. Just as the earth has a constant rebirth,
so does the spirit. Don't you remember Christ saying, 'Unless man is reborn,
he cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven?'"
Stern told her he thought the was a reference to baptism. She replied,
"Christ was not interested in show, but substance, that was at the
heart of everything he said or did."
Most occultists and witches would certainly agree with their Christian
friend. Reincarnation is rebirth. Just as the earth is renewed so is the
spirit or soul which knows no death. To many reincarnation is taught by
nature herself. Some would say by the Mother Goddess. In the spring the
trees give birth to new leaves, flowers bloom, new foliage springs up. In
summer and fall the crops are harvested. In winter the earth rests, everything
is dormant. This is the earth's life-cycle which many believe symbolizes
the spirit's.
The Christian lady speaking with Stern referred to reincarnation as a
learning experience. Each reincarnation not only purifies the soul more,
but this purification comes through opportunities to learn more in life
if the soul is willing. Here is a division of thought concerning reincarnation.
Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism teach each reincarnation
may be different, that is, man may return as a lower life form such as a
plant, tree, or animal.
Certain sects of Gnosticism held this
belief too. The rationale of such a belief is that the soul has to experience
all aspects of life. Western thought of reincarnation is that man just reincarnates
to higher spiritual levels of life, but never returns as a lower life form.
In Western philosophy it is also held if man does not reach a higher spiritual
level he must repeat the cycle until he does.
Most occultists and witches believe reincarnation is a cycle of birth,
death, and rebirth. As to the exact cyclical process there are divergent
views. Some hold a view similar to the Buddhists the individual personality
disintegrates at death with its characteristics forming in a pool with other
traits which come together in new reincarnations. Others believe reincarnations
only occur within a tribe, race, or family. This is Odinism. Another view
is that there is a resting period between reincarnations, where the soul
rests in a state of bliss in the astral plane called Summerland before it
passes into the next reincarnation.
Many occultists have attempted to retrace their past lives or reincarnations
by dream analysis, meditation, or occasionally hypnotic regression. The
witch Sybil Leek thought she had been Madame Helena P. Blavatsky, the co-founder
of the Theosophical Society. Aleister Crowley believed he traced his reincarnations
from Pope Alexander VI, renowned for his love of physical pleasures; to
Edward Kelly, the assistant of the Elizabethan occultist and magician John
Dee; to Cagliostro; to Eliphas Levi who died on the same day as Crowley
was born. Continuing back further Crowley believed he had been Ankh-fn-Khonsu,
an Egyptian priest of the XXVIth dynasty. A.G.H.
Sources: 1, 4,
7, 9,
14, 26,
31.
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