‘Reincarnation’
Taken from: Thea Sabin, ‘Wicca for Beginners’ (pp. 31-32).
Although most Wiccans will tell you they believe in reincarnation - the soul returning to the earth again in a new body or form after death - their views vary widely on what that means. Some simply believe that our souls are reborn into new bodies, and others think that our essence ‘recycles’ after our bodies die and becomes cosmic energy. Some even believe that we all share one soul, and that this soul experiences the many possibilities of life by inhabiting all of our bodies at the same time.
I do believe in reincarnation and I believe I have had past lives both on Earth and elsewhere in the universe. My concept of how reincarnation works, however, is much less developed. The three ways suggested in the above excerpt all seem like possibilities to me and sound like they could even operate together quite harmoniously, rather than choosing one. I’m also sure threre is an endless string of reincarnation theories, some which I will find plausible and others which won’t resonate with me.
This focus on reincarnation stems in part from a belief that the earth is divine. As we’ve seen, Wiccan practice is earth-focused, here-and-now focused. It’s natural, then, that Wiccans would believe that death is not the end of their existence, and they’re going to be back again in some form.
This claim didn’t really make any sense to me. I can’t see any logical link between thinking the Earth is divine and believing in reincarnation. Reincarnation, in my opinion, goes way beyond Earth. Earth is not significant on the universal scale and I believe reincarnation is universal, not limited to Earthly life.
Please feel free to comment with any of your own reflections, responses or relevant resources. I appreciate input as a fundamental aspect in my development and growth.