This is an interesting, and challenging, book. For the reader well-versed in astrological concepts, it is downright difficult. This is because Ms. Aharoni has ‘tossed out’ many of the symbols and relationships that most astrologers use to see karmic relationships: the Part of Fortune, for example and Chiron’s effect. Instead, she focuses on what she calls ‘footprints’ visible in the houses, elements, signs, planets, and nodes. Her perspective on Karma is informed by her background in yoga, with a strong flavoring of qabbalah. This makes some concepts and descriptions just slightly ‘off’ for the typical Neopagan or Christian reader.
I found her description of soulmates (in chapter 2) fascinating. She sees three levels; matched (suitability and harmony); twin (strong emotional attachment, not necessarily a comfortable one); and complete (we only ever have one, and they are our ideal mate, but we may never meet them in a single lifetime). Clearly, the complete soul is the one much of the literature is talking about; but I’ve never heard of the two other levels. It was food for thought.
Chapter three discusses karmic pairings as coming through opposite signs of the zodiac (Aries/Libra, Taurus/Scorpio, etc.). In chapter four she writes about karmic pairings as visible in the relationships between the personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars) and the karmic planets (Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto). Jupiter is apparently an ‘intercessor’ between the two groups, but the reason why is not given. As is typical in astrology, if the relationships (aspects) between the planets are harmonious, that indicates a positive karmic pairing (past ties have been resolved and the lesson is smoothly being incorporated into the current life) and disharmonious aspects show that the lesson(s) still need to be learned. Later chapters discuss the sign in which the couple met, the conjunctions created by the combined chart and the karmic effect that energy has on a relationship, and how the placement of the Nodes (north and south) is a specific indicator of karmic relationship.
Although the concepts are not difficult, simply because Ms. Aharoni does not teach the reader how to read, or cast, a combined chart, Karmic Astrology immediately becomes an intermediate-level astrology book. Overall, I found the ideas interesting, but not compelling. The book suffers from not having enough meat to support the framework and I wish we’d been given just a few pages more in each chapter to flesh it all out.
~review by Lisa Mc Sherry
Author: Ruth Aharoni
Llewellyn Publications, 2007
