by Steven Forrest
This is a book that exposes the reader to a branch of evolutionary astrology where the birthchart can be used as a tool to glimpse an archetypal story of one’s past-life themes. According to the author, evolutionary astrology examines the way consciousness evolves through lifetimes subject to the free will of the individual. In this context, evolutionary astrology can be thought of as a form of psychological astrology merged with metaphysics.
While the techniques to figure out who you were and what your circumstances were like are outlined, the emphasis of the book is on recognizing patterns and situations from the past which are recurring. These are the ones that need the soul’s attention and work for healing and growth. This is an astrology of symbolism that may not be an actual past-life but rather a similar version of a prior life. The value of doing an evolutionary astrology analysis is to identify unresolved issues from prior lives that exist in the present life, so that they can be resolved, and the soul can evolve.
So this then, is reincarnation astrology. Who knew?
In this fairly technical book, you’re unlikely to make it very far with the techniques without a good grasp of astrology and the knowledge of how to read a birthchart. This is a book for astrologers. It is, however, possible to have your chart read by an evolutionary astrologer if you’re so inclined. I’ve worked with the material using my chart and I have to say, the results are pretty startling- mostly in the way it confirms what I sense is right about my (archetypal) past and the way it diagnoses current life difficulties. I’ve also done further analyses on other birthcharts and I have to say, there does seem to be an uncanny correctness about the data it produces.
The key into the past is an exhaustive examination of the south node of the moon in the natal chart. To construct a past-life story, the south node’s sign, house, and any planetary conjunctions must be assessed. Further analysis of the ruler of the south node along with hard and soft aspects give more insight into the soul’s past-life situations and challenges. It’s a complicated and fascinating methodology that appeals to the storyteller in some of us. But- it is not necessarily easy or straightforward in practice because there are often contradictory bits of information. The technique does require time and practice to perfect. To that end, there are five case studies in the book to try your hand with. Unfortunately, these are mostly famous people and the astrological “hits” feel like cherry picking. Perhaps generic charts stepping through the technique might have proven more effective (at least, for me).
In the end, I spent hours with the book working with my own chart. Although I never quite came up with a cohesive archetypal tale, I did grasp certain aspects about the past which ring loud and clear in my existence today. Compelling so! The book also sounds the call for journeying toward the soul’s evolution through the work of the north node. If you are familiar with your birthchart, give this book a try. If you’re interested in past-lives and your soul’s work but can’t fathom taking this on, consulting an evolutionary astrologer or doing a past life regression might be worth looking into. Remember though, evolutionary astrology does NOT produce an actual past life but rather is symbolic of the kind of existence you were likely to have had.
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Very nice! Take care and thank you for following.
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fascinating! will give it a look! thanks for sharing!
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Steven Forrest has a lot of books. Next up is one on Neptune. Neptune transit is going to rock my world.
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I actually looked at my entire node chart months ago.
The moon nodes are, oddly, the only part of a birth chart I found useful and it’s completely neglected. I find it scary-accurate when looking at others charts where everything else is kind of wish washy.
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I think astrologers are giving the node interpretations a lot more attention now because it provides relevant direction for people.
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I hope so. With moon nodes, I don’t find the reincarnation part to be necessary if a person doesn’t want to adopt that view. It works fine as early to later part of life moderated by the moon sign & house.
I looked at mine where my moon nodes were “center” and it made a ton of sense.
Plus.. my moon nodes (Virgo 1st north, Pisces 7th south) made my whole chart make sense because I’m Virgo rising and Pisces descending also. (That alters the meaning a lot).
My grandparents passed away when I was looking into nodes and that polar conflict was 100% their end of life conflicts. I view it as possibly the most important placement to know.
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Interesting. I agree that the nodes can be used by those who don’t hold a belief in reincarnation. It can focus people to work on their soul’s work (ie. “purpose”). I’m also a Pisces south (but 12th house).
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I check to see if anything was new about north in 1st (with rising).. some reads are off.
You don’t LEARN the rising sign behaviors and you make them your own.
The weird thing about mine is I have Saturn in Virgo in the 12th.. sun and Mercury Leo (M is retrograde) in 12th with Saturn V12.
The thing that resonates with me is I knew piscean stuff as a kid. And at this stage I’m all about trying to correct people’s misinterpretations of piscean ideas. Aka Jung and Joseph Campbell. (Campbell is a Pisces south node).
I was reading newer posts saying 1st house norths in the same are shallow; no, they have that difficulty with persona (mask) so they kind of see through persona because they lack it. 1st north implies they need to learn to be an Aries flavor because they resort to the house of libra naturally that’s “other first”.
I’m libra dominant with 1st & 12th split.
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What about honoring the Virgo energy of your north node placement?
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You do. I’m trying to remember specifics off the top of my head but it’s been a couple years…
You absolutely do the north node, that was the odd cautionary tale I mentioned with my grandparents passing.
Intuitively you’d easily say rising sign and north implies a difficulty in the rising. That’s not entirely bad, it just means the sign is more your own.
I’m trying (mainly) to recall my own separated from other things. Like.. I’m Leo 12th and that’s conjunct Saturn Virgo in the 12th, so I’m not wanting to apply an aspect to north and rising that’s from somewhere else accidentally.
People tend to guess me as a Scorpio rising which isn’t THAT far off from Virgo so it’s definitely not that. The word used is “transcend” and I’m trying to think how that applies making sure I’m not merging it with Saturn.
With how others are reading that in a quick search, I think they’re just mistaking Aries as a sign and Aries as a house.
I know in my case I have a high focus on Virgo negative traits as in caution to others about it. I know north node in 1st has a high focus on “self” and it depends on what the south Pisces focus is on. With my own, there’s an individual part (house) then the chart gives the flavor of the output that’s definitely coming from sun and Saturn.
I kinda view nodes as past, present, and future. Pisces south to Virgo north kinda channeled by Aquarius 5th house.
I’m Virgo rising, Leo 12th sun, aqua moon 5th, merc Leo 12th r, Venus and mars libra 1st, Saturn V 12th, Jupiter cancer 11th…
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Since you know your chart so well, this is definitely a book to give further insight. For example, Forrest believes the north node is a “good idea” (seldom attempted let alone achieved) meaning that any attempt toward it is good for spiritual progress. Most of us default to the south because we know it and it’s comfortable. Very few break out of that pattern and reach for the new, risky, and untried. The north is an area we suck at.
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I’m actually taking note and planning to whenever I have time.
I slightly disagree with that view because I view north as the karmic destined talent that a person tries to avoid clinging to the south because it’s more comfortable. And what that specifically means is related to the full chart as in what it aspects with.
I view it as a personal tao. If you look at Donald Trump’s chart he was destined to be president but it’s shaping the way it is because he’s paying a karmic debt.
I think much is misinterpreted just a little, I don’t think South is bad karma, I think it’s basic alchemy of unification of opposites where they need to balance out.
If you don’t, you’ll HAVE to. My gramps was a Aries north and he was extremely independent but struggled to balance out his north and south, he became so north no one wanted to help him with anything. My grandma was a Leo south and wouldn’t make sacrifices so she was easier to care for and her daughter (my aunt) stole from her estate. Trump.. a lot of his chart is high profile up to north being a high profile politician (you’ll notice he was always eyeing the presidency in youth) but because he resorts to his south node (Gemini plus he has mars in the 12th) his presidency is about betrayal (because his south node talent doesn’t work well anymore) and public humiliation.
I view it as Joseph Campbell’s “follow your bliss”. You’ll collect south node objects and ideas which needs fixed by north node processes because south node processes are deeply unfulfilling.
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Ah!
I glanced deeper in your blog; that’s what I’m saying. I can spot the VirN/PiscS a mile away.
If the nodes are right you’ll just do them. I’m not familiar with 6th/12th but they’re definitely at home in their own house.
I just know, with me, piscean things come naturally where I just don’t think of them and the Virgo north is required to communicate what that means to others. BUT I am trying to learn to not be so all or nothing because the Virgo north is far too meticulous and precise where I don’t enjoy it.
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The book does describe house placement for the nodes. 1/7 and 6/12 are similar. I had an evolutionary astrologer who did a reading placing me in the 1/7 camp because he views the house cusps as “fluid” more so than the sign energy.
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Yeah. Related to nodes, in the past I relied on partners up until around 27 and then shut all partnerships down which is north 1st and south 7th behavior.
When I was a kid (about 5) I took a high interest in how kids played and adults played but were unaware they were. You know how adults tell kids how the real world is. I was all “you still do what I do..” play with toys and play make believe. Totally a Pisces south which is why it resonated.
Neptune in sag 3rd fits that little kid moment. To today, I work a lot on taking those non linear thoughts and organizing them where people understand me.
The signs in houses with nodes can be vague to mean anything where it can go anywhere.
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If you have Pisces in the 7th, it is likely you will need to define strong boundaries around relationships- period. Learning to say NO! and not taking on everyone else’s emotional baggage. Removing yourself may have been protective for a time. I’m off to meditate!
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It’s a mixed bag. You’d have to factor in Mercury in the 12th… plus Aquarius moon. Emotional boundaries are fine. There’s also mars and Venus in libra… descending in libra.. and Saturn conjunct sun. The Saturn conjunction on its own implies I need to see a future and move towards goals; I think it’s more that than emotional boundaries. I’m fairly cold and aloof as it is but if a person is having problems they need help with I view as completely self created or pointless it’ll suck the life out of me.
Which reminds me.. I should look at the specific aspect with north node and Saturn since they’re both Virgo.. it’s not a conjunction since they’re far enough apart to be in different houses.
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The way my chart lays out, I honestly think my future “spouse” will be somehow piscean where it’ll highlight the north.
I wouldn’t say that about anyone else’s, I’m just saying that because my own chart has indications of it.
Just because the vertex and fortune are both in Pisces and 6th instead of 7th.
That would activate the vertex.
7th, yeah, libra and partnerships but it’s also the house of marriage so I view that as it being “rooted” there and the north grows out of it.
I already know the meat of what my north is, I just don’t know what it’ll surface as.
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Found it..
I’ve been looking at node interpretations and the one I’m viewing as the actual “accurate” one falls into Vedic. Which is where it came from.
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Ah! (Sorry to ramble)
I remember now. It depends on the ruling planets. The “flavor” and “issues” are there. I’m Pisces south with Neptune in sag 3rd then Virgo merc in Leo 12th.
My south nodes interest is in how the brain doesn’t distinguish between fantasy and reality; stuff like that. Then it goes to Leo in r in the 12th.
The focuses plus challenges relate there.
I didn’t want to expand without remembering. Case in point; Neptune 3rd has a chaotic mind.
Virgo/Pisces is so broad, having the specifics helps. One way of putting it is the challenge of my own Virgo north isn’t the Virgo north but using the Virgo north to organize/structure the Neptune Sagittarius 3rd house in a Mercury Leo r 12th way.
I think the difficulty with the north isn’t that a person is bad at it, it’s just not supported in early life one way or another.
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I agree that everyone’s chart is complex. It is had to look at just one aspect (the nodes) and exclude other placements. There are also cycles of maturation that may trigger life cycle changes (first and second Saturn returns, a Pluto transit over the AC, etc).
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I have this book on my nightstand. For me it speaks to the art of astrological interpretation and offers a lot to integrate. Definitely one to spend several hours with natal chart in hand and a notebook!
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Exactly! It’s also enlightening to look at other members of your family/friends and do the analysis.
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Absolutely! Sounds like a good winter project ❄️ 🌙 ✨.
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