The Karmic Journey, the Birthchart, Karma and Reincarnation by Judy Hall, The Penguin Group, London, England, 1990.
This book is part of that great British astrology book series, Arkana Contemporary Astrology, edited by astrologer Howard Sasportas.
Judy Hall has studied the links between reincarnation and astrology for 30 years. At the time of this writing, she worked as a Karmic Counsellor in England.
From the frontispiece:
"You can't kill the Spirit
She is like a mountain
Old but strong, going on and on and on…"
This is an extremely rich and informative book which identifies many types of karmic patterns in the birth chart, from many viewpoints. Judy also includes a multitude of case studies, as well as histories of famous people. It's the kind of book which is difficult to put down, and yet one is getting good, solid information on every page.
Let us take an example, and look at the two Johns' charts from a karmic standpoint. For starters, we will look at the Moon's Nodes, which Judy says show the karmic purpose of incarnation. The North Node represents that which is to be developed now. The South Node shows behavior which is instinctual and habitual. As Judy says, "It is a paradigm constructed from all that has gone before, an endless cycle of repetition and reaction." We operate unconsciously here, even when it may no longer be appropriate.
For example, my South Node is in Sagittarius, and my North Node is in Gemini. My natural way of being is wild, free, and living with nature—Sagittarian. I feel as though my whole life has been one of learning to become "civilized." Gemini is the sign of civilization.
The karmic purpose of Gemini, says Judy, is to communicate.
John Kerry has his North Node in Leo (as does the United States). The karmic purpose, according to Judy, is to be self-enabling. The impetus is to use its own power creatively, rather than operating through collective power. Leo is connected with the heart, and Leo North Node's path is to communicate from the heart.
Judy says that the Leo-Aquarius nodal axis is one of the most difficult, because it asks us to put together head and heart. The answer, says Judy, is to be found with the integration of the collective with the personal. The Leo North Node becomes the focal point for directing universal love through the individual.
The Aquarius North Node, on the other hand, must give of itself unconditionally to humanity, working with the collective rather than using personal power. The unconscious South Node in Leo may become involved in power struggles, remembering how it feels to take egocentric control of the group.
Judy calls Chiron "The Wound of the Soul," and she says that planets which aspect Chiron take on karmic pain. John Kerry's and John Edwards' Chirons trine one another, another helpful aspect. They both have many important aspects to their Chirons, showing both past wounding, and the areas which need healing, and have the potential to act as healers, in this incarnation.
Kerry has Chiron in the ninth house, with likely wounding in regard to beliefs or to religious values. Edwards has Chiron in the seventh house, which shows wounding in relationships.
I have observed that the Chiron wounds show up, as well, in the current incarnation, especially during the early years.
Saturn is also a karmic indicator. Positively, it shows one's work now. Negatively, it shows old patterns of constriction, fear, and feelings of inadequacy. Connected with Sun and Moon, as both Kerry's and Edwards' are, one is imbued with a drive to achieve. I think of it as akin to being raised as the oldest or the only child.
Judy goes into health, ancestral karma, family karma, sexual karma, and the karmic component of other problem areas.
The material in this book adds another dimension to astrology, and is very helpful in solving some of the mysteries of our lives.
