Old Souls and the Evolutionary Ladder

“I’m an old soul.” This is almost always said with a certain amount of pride and arrogance, as if the listener should be awed, and the speaker should be worshipped. It always cracks me right the hell up. I’m an old soul, too; I want to make that absolutely clear, then explain why this is not necessarily an awe-inspiring condition of which anyone should be jealous, or (hardly) anyone should be proud.

Any astrologer worth his or her salt can tell in a glance the age of your soul and how many times you have reincarnated by looking at your natal chart. This is not a number; it’s more of a biography – where you’ve been, and how you spent your time there. They can even tell you why you’re back, and what your life plan made in the Bardo is about.

A child is born on that day and that hour when the celestial rays are in mathematical harmony with his individual karma. His horoscope is a challenging portrait, revealing his unalterable past and its probable future result. But the natal chart can be rightly interpreted only by men of intuitive wisdom: these are few. ~ Swami Sri Yukteswar

The theory of reincarnation encompasses the idea that the soul returns to earth in a new body in order to 1. work out the karma of past lives, and 2. master new lessons needing to be learned. Souls who have balanced their karma and learned their lessons have no need to return. They are released from the “sentence” of having to come back to right their wrongs. So if you’ve been back a lot of times, and you’re not an avatar, what does it mean? It means you haven’t yet done either of these things, in spite of trying repeatedly. It means you’re a slow learner. Makes you want to brag a little less about being an old soul, doesn’t it? Don’t worry about it; we are all exactly where we need to be.

There are a few old souls who return to earth (a sacrifice of love) for the purpose of helping mankind. You've heard of entertaining angels, unaware? Many are disguised as every-day, normal human beings, such as Oskar Schindler. Some are so unexpected that we don't think about it or take it seriously, like John Lennon. Others are clearly spiritual leaders such as Mahatma Ghandi, angels of mercy such as Mother Theresa, or those who elevate our awareness, such as Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy, and Princess Diana. There's even that child in the Sudan. Don't think for a second that his life wasn't a sacrifice of love FOR US. The question is - did we hear his message?

How they appear to us depends on the needs of the world, and how well the individual achieves his or her life plan. Anyone can spread the message of love. Anyone can teach compassion for his fellow man. Some are exceptional at it, and get a lot of people to listen. Are we listening? Are we spreading the word? It’s not the age of our souls that’s significant. Those of the Hindu faith believe that we have always existed, and always will. The Law of Conservation of Matter states matter cannot be destroyed, it can only change form. It’s what we do while we’re here that counts.

Jeffrey Wolf Green is probably the greatest living astrologer today (at least I think he’s still among the living; the last I heard, he was very ill with diabetes, and I can't find his website). Jeff served as a Marine in Viet Nam, where he carried on a telepathic conversation with a Buddhist monk, whom he finally met at the end of his tour of duty. Afterwards, he spent two years in a Vedantic temple, where he became aware of his soul’s purpose and life destiny. He told me the contents of his book Pluto: The Evolutionary Journey of the Soul, came to him in a dream. Jeff specializes in helping others understand their life purpose according to the plans their souls made in the Bardo. He explains in the book how the four natural evolutionary conditions must be taken into account when interpreting a person’s chart. Check them out and see if you can find where you fit in.

Dimly evolved OR de-evolved state: 2 or 3% of the human race fit into this category. An example of this state are those who are mentally challenged from birth – those born with autism, Down’s Syndrome, and similar deficiencies. However, this category is very strictly divided.

Those in the dimly evolved condition are just evolving into human consciousness from other kingdoms (transmigration), most likely the animal kingdom. They are new human souls, and provide lessons in patience, responsibility, compassion, sacrifice, and unconditional love for their caregivers.

Those in the de-evolved state are in this condition due to prior life karmic consequences. These people are often recognizable by the pinpoint of light in their eyes that we perceive as madness. It can be “madness,” as in rage, as well as mental illness. The examples of these eyes are not being shown in currently de-evolved people, because I don't have any photos of them available. I've had to use the eyes of people who will become de-evolved. In both conditions, the souls are learning how to be in the human world.


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The difference is that the de-evolved are aware of their condition and can do nothing about it, thus the rage. They are re-learning how to be in the world without the ability to change or have any influence upon it. They are here to observe only. They can wreak no havoc. And it ticks them off to no end. This is where people like Charles Manson, Adolf Hitler, Ted Bundy, and Jeffrey Dahmer end up in their next lives; as de-evolved souls.

The Herd state: 75% of the human race exists in this condition, which is characterized by sheeple. They seldom think for themselves. They question nothing. If their daddies were rednecks, they’re rednecks, too. These are the fans of trash TV, and those who think Saturday morning ‘rasslin’ is real. The people who attend church Sunday morning and turn around and treat the waitress at Sunday brunch like shit. They believe what they’re told to believe, do what they’re told to do, and learn by bad example. Tell them the earth is flat, and they believe it. Tell them astrology is bogus, and they believe it. They follow trends, and jump off bridges, because “everyone else is doing it.” They do not wonder who they are, or what their purpose in life might be. They do not seriously question their lives, laws, rules, the existence of a higher power, the superiority of authority figures, whether or not what the preacher or president told them is the truth, or much of anything else, on an independent basis. Oh, and by God, America is the greatest country in the world. Really? It’s better than say, Canada, Switzerland, or Australia? When was the last time one of those countries started a war? These are the lemmings who go along to get along, or simply don’t think. Those who spend many lifetimes in this state become the leaders of it. There’s a scary thought to ponder. We all know people like this, but we’re not one of them right? Look again at the percentage of the human population who occupy this evolutionary state. Some of us are in it.

The Individuated state: Approximately 25% of the human race exists in this evolutionary condition. These are people who question just about everything on a consistent basis. They want to understand the reasons behind things, the truth of matters, and why a rule or law has been set down. These are people who drove you nuts as kids by always asking, “why?” Every answer given to them presented a new: “But why?” And in many cases, if their parents were sheeple, the answer eventually became, “I don’t know. That’s just the way it is!” or worse, "Because I said so!" These are people who seek to discover things within themselves. They vibrate with independence. They value self-discovery and the freedom to think and decide what’s right for them. They are perfectly willing to allow others to do the same.

The Spiritual state: 2 or 3% of the human population attempt to understand their own life and those of others in a holistic context. Their desire is to understand the nature of all Creation and commonly link themselves to spiritual ideas or teachings as the guiding principles in life. They attempt to discover and align themselves with timeless and universal values, beliefs and truths that apply at all times. There are actually only two desires in the world: One is to unite with the Source of Creation, and the other is to separate from it. The highest condition of this state produces spiritual masters and teachers: Jesus, Buddha, Lao-Tzu, Mohammed, Moses, and so on. These are the avatars.

It’s natural for a person to slip in and out of a particular state once in a while. A person in the Individuated state may have an experience that lifts them to the Spiritual state for a while, but in time, may slide back. A person in the Herd state may make it to the Individuated state later in his life, and maybe even graduate to the Spiritual state. So if you gave some thought to the state you might be in, and aren’t thrilled about it, don’t despair, just work harder at it. And if you’re a bit too arrogant about the state you believe you’re in, watch your step. You could find yourself sliding backwards if you’re not careful.