Review of Karmic Astrology Vol. II: Retrogrades and Reincarnation
"Karmic Astrology Vol. II: Retrogrades and Reincarnation" is a thought-provoking book that delves into the complex and intriguing topics of retrogrades and reincarnation in the context of astrology. The author, Julia Seton, presents a comprehensive and well-researched exploration of these subjects, offering insights into the karmic implications of planetary retrogrades and their role in the soul's journey.
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"Karmic Astrology Vol. II: Retrogrades and Reincarnation" is a valuable resource for anyone interested in exploring the spiritual dimensions of astrology. Seton's work offers a unique perspective on the karmic implications of retrogrades and reincarnation, providing insights into the soul's journey and life purpose. While the book may have some minor flaws, its strengths make it a worthwhile read for astrologers and spiritual seekers alike.
Rating: 4.5/5
Recommendation: This book is recommended for:
PDF Availability: The book is available in PDF format on various online platforms, including Amazon, Google Books, and online astrology stores. Ensure you purchase from a reputable source to access a high-quality PDF.
Venus retrograde is a heavy karmic placement regarding relationships. It often signifies a past life where love was unrequited, betrayed, or where the individual was forced into a partnership not of their choosing. There is a lingering sense of "the one that got away."
In this life, the individual often struggles to feel worthy of love. They may project a "love ideal" onto partners that is impossible to meet. They are here to learn self-love. The karma is resolved when they stop looking outside for the reflection of their own beauty and realize that they are the source of the love they seek. They are often old souls in love, terrified of the vulnerability required to be in a relationship.
While most astrologers discuss the North and South Nodes, Volume II is unique because it discusses the retrogradation of the nodes themselves. It argues that the nodes are always retrograde, symbolizing that our karmic destiny moves backward in time to heal the past.
Jupiter Retrograde: In a past life, the individual may have been part of a dogmatic system or a rigid religious structure. They may have been a zealot, or conversely, someone who rejected all spiritual truth. In this life, Jupiter retrograde demands that the individual find their own truth. They cannot blindly accept the teachings of society; they must philosophize from the inside out. The "Guru" lies within.
Saturn Retrograde: This is one of the most potent signatures of karmic debt. Saturn represents structure, discipline, and authority. A retrograde Saturn often indicates a past life where the individual misused power, or conversely, was crushed by authority. In this life, there is a deep-seated fear of failure and a hyper-critical inner voice. The lesson is to become one's own authority figure, to stop seeking external validation for an internal sense of inadequacy. The individual is learning to rewrite the laws of their own existence. karmic astrology vol. ii retrogrades and reincarnation pdf
Do not read Volume II like a novel. Open your birth chart (available free on astro.com). Go to the "Planet Positions" table. Note every planet marked with an R for retrograde. Then, open the PDF to the corresponding chapter.
Karmic astrology teaches that retrogrades are not cosmic annoyances—they are soul-level review sessions. Every time a planet goes retrograde in the sky, you are given a collective chance to heal that archetype. But if you were born with a planet retrograde, that healing is your life’s specialty.
Karmic Astrology Vol. II — whether by Schulman, Hall, or another author — ultimately reminds us: We are not punished for our past lives, but by our unawareness of them. Retrogrades are the alarm clock of reincarnation.
Let the backward steps lead you forward.
Karmic Astrology, Vol. II: Retrogrades and Reincarnation by Martin Schulman is a foundational text in esoteric astrology that reinterprets retrograde planets as specific keys to a soul's past-life history. Rather than viewing retrogrades through traditional "good" or "bad" lenses, Schulman treats them as inward-turning energies that "break the time barrier," allowing past-life memories and unfinished business to bleed into the current incarnation. Core Concepts and Methodology
Schulman's approach focuses on the psychological and spiritual weight of these planetary placements:
The Three Vibrational Moods: The book introduces a system to explain how retrograde planets express themselves through different "moods" or vibrational states rather than fixed traits.
Inward Energy Flow: Retrograde planets represent energy directed toward the inner self rather than the external world. This often manifests as a "blending of lifetimes," where the individual feels they are reliving past traumas to finally resolve them.
The "Retrograde Individual": Schulman defines a person as a "retrograde individual" if they have three or more retrograde planets, a personal planet retrograde, or a retrograde planet near the Ascendant or Midheaven.
Three Phases of Retrograde: A unique and sometimes complex aspect of his theory involves three phases of the retrograde process, representing different stages of a person's karmic development. Content Breakdown
The book acts as a comprehensive reference guide, detailing the karmic implications of every planet in retrograde:
Planetary Glyphs: Provides esoteric explanations for the symbols of each planet.
Signs and Houses: Offers detailed delineations for each retrograde planet through all twelve zodiac signs and astrological houses.
Karmic Symbolism: Builds on the foundation of Volume I (which focuses on the Moon's Nodes) to further explore how these placements act as a "cosmic ledger" of past actions. Availability and Format Review of Karmic Astrology Vol
While originally published in the late 1970s, the book remains a popular resource for students of karmic astrology.
PDF eBooks: Modern digital versions are available from sellers like Etsy for approximately $6.89.
Physical Copies: Paperback editions, including vintage printings from Red Wheel/Weiser or eBay, typically range from $28.00 to $35.00, while rare editions on AbeBooks can reach $75.00 or more.
Karmic Astrology: How Past‑Life Karma Is Reflected in Your Birth Chart
The rain in Seattle didn’t touch the pavement; it seemed to dissolve into the gray atmosphere before it ever landed. Inside the cramped back room of "Celestial Dynamos," a bookstore that smelled permanently of dust and patchouli, Elias sat hunched over a scanner.
He was a volunteer, unpaid and unseen, just the way he liked it. His job was digitizing the donation bin—pulp sci-fi, outdated almanacs, and water-damaged cookbooks—saving the words from the landfill.
Then he found it.
It was bound in a deep, bruised purple cover, the gold lettering flaking off like dead skin. Karmic Astrology Vol. II: Retrogrades and Reincarnation.
Elias felt a static shock when his thumb brushed the spine. He knew the author, Martin Schulman, by reputation only—a voice from the 1970s astrology boom, a man who wrote less about daily horoscopes and more about the debts of the soul. Volume I was famous, but Volume II was the grail. It was the one that explained why life felt like walking upstream in a river of molasses.
He checked the online databases. A scanned PDF existed, but the links were all dead, leading to broken geocities-era pages and abandoned forums. The physical copies sold for hundreds of dollars. This copy, sitting in a box of donations from a deceased estate, felt heavy, gravid with importance.
Elias made a decision. He wouldn't just scan it for the shop archive. He was going to make a PDF and upload it to the cloud. He felt a strange, urgent need to free the information.
He opened the book to a random page. Chapter 4: The Retrograde Mercury and the Unfinished Conversation.
His eyes caught a passage: “The retrograde planet does not function in linear time. It is a spiral. The individual is not moving forward, but downward, drilling into the bedrock of past lives to retrieve the gem they dropped centuries ago.”
Outside, the rain intensified, drumming against the glass like insistent knuckles. Elias’s phone buzzed. A text from his brother, Marcus. Strengths:
Coming into town. Need to talk. It’s about Dad’s watch.
Elias stared at the screen. He hadn’t spoken to Marcus in three years. Their father had passed away four years ago, leaving a will that sparked a feud Elias had tried to ignore. He had moved across the country to escape the guilt of how that inheritance had torn them apart.
He looked back at the book. “Retrograde Mercury forces the soul to revisit the scene of the crime. It is not a curse; it is a second chance to say what was left unsaid.”
A shiver crawled up Elias’s spine. He looked at the natal chart printed on the facing page—a generic example, but the Mercury symbol had a tiny 'R' superscript. Rx. The prescription for the past.
The scanner hummed, dragging a beam of light across the page. Whirrr-click. Whirrr-click.
With each page, Elias felt a growing sense of vertigo. The book wasn't just talking about abstract concepts. It felt like it was narrating his internal monologue. When he reached the section on Saturn Retrograde, the air in the room grew cold.
“Saturn Retrograde in the chart indicates a soul that has misused authority or responsibility in a past incarnation. In this life, the native runs from leadership, fearing the corruption they once embodied. Yet, the lesson is not to flee power, but to learn integrity.”
Elias had always been the "responsible one" growing up, the one who managed the money, the one who took care of the parents. And he had resented it, feeling crushed by the weight, eventually taking more than his
In his seminal work Karmic Astrology Vol. II: Retrogrades and Reincarnation
, Martin Schulman offers a radical departure from traditional "good or bad" interpretations of retrograde planets. He views them as powerful psychological and spiritual indicators of how an individual carries memories and unfinished business from prior lifetimes into the present. Core Philosophy of the Book The central premise is that retrograde planets represent internalized energy
. While direct planets focus on external manifestation, retrogrades turn the individual's focus inward, often leading to deep introspection and a subjective experience of reality. Breaking the Time Barrier
: Schulman suggests that those with prominent retrogrades are "living in another time zone". They may feel out of sync with chronological time because they are simultaneously processing experiences from the past and the present. The "Retrograde Individual"
: You are considered a "retrograde individual" if your natal chart contains: Three or more retrograde planets. A personal planet (Mercury, Venus, or Mars) in retrograde.
A retrograde planet positioned near the Ascendant or Midheaven. Key Concepts & Structure
The book is structured as a comprehensive reference guide, covering each planet's karmic meaning across all signs and houses.
Karmic Astrology: Retrogrades and Reincarnation: 002 - Amazon UK