Astrology of a Walk-In

 

February 24, 2006

 

http://cainer.com/ericfrancis/feb24.html

 

Dear Eric,

 

I have been classed by several people as a walk-in or 'soul transfer' in etheric terms. This was confirmed by my teacher due to the non-existence of level 15 in my aura, which is a classic sign of a walk-in. (Except in my case it was a jump-in.) In life, I have nothing from my previous life left! Due to certain external circumstances, none of my physical possessions remain as artifacts of my previous life.

 

I am lucky enough to know the time and date of my 'rebirth' Does this mean I have two natal charts? Is there anything in a person's original natal chart that is symbolic of a possible walk in experience at a later stage in life?

 

Twinkles

 

Pod

 

 

Dear Pod,

 

Well, this counts for an interesting question. Straight away, it's a reminder that astrologers need to be open-minded and ready to hear a little of everything; and we must be ready to grant the benefit of the doubt in matters were we have no personal experience. It's important, in the first instance, to take someone's account of their life at face value; and then, as the work progresses, see what emerges.

 

To restate your situation in other words in case anyone is not quite putting it together, what you seem to be saying is that at a certain point, a different soul has come to inhabit your physical body than the one you were born with. You have the data for when this 'transfer' occurred and you would like to know about the astrological implications.

 

First let me address the question of double birth data and a walk-in, which is similar to any situation where there is double data. Then, if you like, next we can take a look at the charts. I'll address this response to you, but also to people who are studying astrology and who may encounter such a situation.

 

All natal charts are events. You are asking whether the walk-in event counts as a birth; I would say remember that your initial birth counts for an event, as do all births. After listening to your account of events, I would do a few things, one of which is to start with the original natal chart and check your progressions at the time of the walk-in event.

 

People new to astrology can get confused between transits and progressions; they are two different things. Progressions are a way of advancing the natal chart in slowed-down time, one day per year. Hence, if an event happens on your 33rd year of life, we would check the horoscope of your 33rd day, and vice versa. There are actually strong scientific reasons why this method works, but experience simply teaches that it does.

 

Progressions give a picture of internal development that is highly individualized for person involved. While many people can have the same transits at the same time, progressions are entirely unique for each individual and have no connection to transits that affect masses of people.

 

Second, I would check the event chart as transits to your birth chart. That is, the positions of the 'real planets' at the time of the walk-in event in contrast to your natal chart. The transits speak to a combination of internal and external circumstances.

 

Last, I would bring all charts up to date and see what's going on at the time of the reading. This would give a fairly complete picture, astrologically.

 

But what I would be most interested in is how you feel about the whole thing, and how this contrasts with the astrology I am seeing. My feeling is that significant as it is, the astrology gives less than half the story. It is true that you need more than half of the story to have a functional understanding of something, but the ethics of client-centered astrology say let the client speak for their chart. Then, in the second instance, the astrologer can become the voice of the chart for the client, and there can be an interesting dialog. But the order you do things in is important.

 

One (not the only) thing I do with walk-ins, while giving the benefit of the doubt, is that I try to use the experience as a metaphor as well as literal reality. This has to do with taking some responsibility for working with the shadow side of the trauma that almost inevitably shows up at the same time, or an old trauma that was triggered by a transit.

 

Most of the walk-ins I've talked to (and there have not been a lot - just a few, but enough to give me a feeling) try to take it super duper literally, oh hi, I'm this new person and none of that old stuff about me applies, thank you; and when they do concede that there is some, well, psychology going on [too], it is helpful. Usually there is some very heavy childhood trauma and a dissociation from it. Essentially, the whole game (if you will) that I play is to shift from one track thinking to two track thinking; from mono to stereo. Then, both realities can be handled in a meaningful way.

 

I will work with this method any time there is a situation involving the statement, 'I am not me'. Generally, there will be plenty of metaphors in the original natal chart to help give clues as to what this is about; and plenty to go on from the biographical material alone.

 

One of my old spiritual teachers gave me her new 'rebirth' data and we always worked with her original natal chart, which seemed to be just fine. In theory, the original natal chart should contain the coding of all the events that follow. Why not, right?

So, if you like, we can take a look at your astrology and see what we learn. At the end of the day, if the charts work, and if the charts talk, then they are the right charts; let's see what they say.

 

Thanks for an interesting question.