Carolina Dean

A Modern Witch's Book of Shadows

The Dead

The Search for Signs of the Human Soul  

Death and the Afterlife

Reincarnation

The Search for Signs of the Human Soul

The existence of the soul has yet to be proven, yet every religion is based on the idea that there is life after death. In our search for the existence of the soul, we will consider the concept of Cosmic Consciousness. This refers to the idea that there is but one soul in all the universe, which we are all apart of and apart from. This one souls is what many call "God". If we liken God to the ocean, then all conscious beings would be represented by the trillions and trillions of molecules that comprise the ocean. When we consider that one water molecule (the individual) is comprised of one atom of hydrogen, and two of oxygen for a total of three atoms, we see that man is comprised of three parts: Physical, Mental, and Emotional. 

Even if we accept this as true, the question becomes how to reconcile this with the concept of individuality. We recognize that the individual is present in the form of a person's consciousness and personality. To extend the analogy above, a water molecule can be extracted from the ocean, it's atoms separated and/or united with other atoms to produce a variety of effects. It has been said that whether ice, cloud, or stream---water is always water.  

As stated above, man exists in three dimensions. They are Physical, Mental, and Spiritual.  A man's body is a reflection of his soul in the physical, or material world.  We experience the physical world via the impressions we receive through our five sense, and therefore its existence cannot be denied. Man also exists in the mental realm. This is the realm of thought and ideas. There is an entire school of thought which states that "I think, therefore I am." It is man's ability to think which has helped to establish him as the dominant species on Earth.

Finally, man exists in the Spiritual World. The spiritual would can seem distant and unknowable. However, we perceive the spiritual world with our sixth, or psychic sense, The spiritual world co-exists with the physical one. We can illustrate the relationship between these two worlds by comparing them analogously to oil and water in a single glass. Both the oil and water co-exists separately within the same space. Unless you shake the glass, they will remain separated, but when you stop shaking the glass, the oil and water will slowly separate again.  

Death and the Afterlife

Death is not the end of life, but rather life in another form. What has been referred to as an afterlife doesn’t exist to punish us but rather to teach us. Reincarnation is the process by which our souls grow and involve over successive lifetimes. In accordance with the law that you create your own reality, upon physical death, the soul journeys to a place of its own choosing.  There will be no god to condemn you to hell, and no Satan to punish you for your perceived sins, unless that is what you truly believe that you deserve. You are your own judge, and the architect of your own afterlife and therefore what you truly believe you will manifest.

In order to assist the individual into peacefully leaving the earth plane, we as Wiccans teach that the Otherside is a place of peace and rest (called the Summerland) where all our needs are met. Here, with the assistance of our spirit guides we evaluate our most previous incarnation, our experiences, and the lessons that we learned in that incarnation. If, after this period of evaluation, we feel that more lessons are warranted, our spirit guide assists us in writing an outline for our next life. This outline will include those experiences necessary to learn the lessons we feel are needed for our continued evolvement. Unfortunately, as we age we lose conscious awareness of our outline, and tend to stray from the path we have planned for ourselves. Our spirit guides are there to put us back on the correct path.  From their vantage point on the spiritual plane they have access to divine knowledge and they can be in several places at once. 

Some individuals choose not to incarnate again, however, this does not mean that they have attained a state of ultimate enlightenment, but that they are choosing to continue the process of soul evolvement on the spiritual plane rather than the physical one. These individuals may become spirit guides to other souls or enter into a special communion with the Godhead. Conversely, there are those who have attained a high level of enlightenment and because of this no longer needs to incarnate and yet they do so for the highest good.

Reincarnation

Reincarnation is the process by which our souls grow and evolve over successive lifetimes. Most witches believe that upon physical death our souls journey to the Summerland, a place of rest and peace where all our needs are met.  Here, with the assistance of our spirit guide, we evaluate our most recent life, our experiences, and the lessons that we learned in that incarnation.

 If after this period of evaluation, we feel that more lessons are warranted, then our spirit guide assists us in writing an outline for our next life.  This outline will include those experiences necessary to learn those lessons that we feel are needed for out continued evolvement.  Once our outline is written, we may not reincarnate immediately. Reasons for not doing so may include but a desire to spend time with loved ones on the other side, or a need to rest. Time may also be another factor, in that the soul may have to wait to be born into the circumstances specified in our outline.

 Some individuals choose not to incarnate again, however, this does not mean that they have attained a state of ultimate enlightenment, but that they are choosing to continue the process of soul evolvement on the spiritual plane rather than the physical one.  These individuals may become spirit guides to other souls or enter into a special communion with the Godhead.  Conversely, there are those who have attained a high level of enlightenment and because of this no longer needs to incarnate and yet they do so for the highest good.

Workbook of Shadows

EXERCISES

  1. Research at least three religions other than your own and explain their beliefs regarding the afterlife. Record what you have learned in your journal.
  2. Write a one page essay on Death and the Afterlife in the Wiccan religion.  
  3. Research and create your family tree, going back as far as possible. Keep this in your magickal journal.
  4. Choose one of your relatives that have passed away and write a 3 page essay about his or her life. 
  5. Create an Ancestral Shrine and begin to make contact with your Ancestors, building a relationship with them.
  6. Research at least one landmark in your area which is thought to be haunted, and record what you have learned in your journal.
  7. Research at least one method of contacting the dead that appeals to you and write a one 2 page essay on that topic. 

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