Reincarnation

Reincarnation is one of the most controversial spiritual topics. You can find hundreds of books on the subject in your local bookshop. All of them debating is it fact or just a great way of dealing with death?

Reincarnation is one of Wicca's most valuable lessons. The knowledge that this life is one of many: when the physical body dies our souls live on to be reborn in another body. But the question I asked myself was why? Why are we reincarnated? Well Wicca teaches that reincarnation is the instrument through which our souls are perfected. One lifetime isn't enough to achieve this 'perfection', so the consciousness (soul) is reborn many times. With each new life a new set of lessons are learnt until perfection is achieved.

There is nothing written that says how many lives we must live before perfection is achieved as we are only human and it is easy to fall into non-evolutionary behavior. Greed, anger, jealousy, obsession and any other negative emotions inhibit our growth.

In Wicca we seek to strengthen our minds body and souls. The best way to do this is by living full, productive and earthly lives. It is important to remember that while doing so harming none.

The soul is ageless, sexless, non-physical allowing us to be reborn in many forms. You never know if you're a woman in this life you may be reborn into the next as a man!

Some people, especially children have the ability to recall past lives. Those who cannot have the option of past life regression (hypnosis). But not all regression experiences are to be trusted. How many people have you heard say that they were Cleopatra in a past life?! It is better not to worry about your past lives as the best way to achieve perfection is by looking at the problems you have in this life. You will find that many of the problems you have today are ones that you did not overcome in a previous life. It is only by solving these problems that you can take the next step on the cycle of life.

So what happens after you have this perfection? Well, as Wiccan Teachings say, those souls that have achieved perfection break away from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth, and join The Goddess and God. Nothing is lost as the energies resident in our souls return to the divine source from which they originated.