According to Schulman’s framework presented in the book, when a planet is retrograde in your birth chart, it indicates that in a previous incarnation, you expressed the energy of that planet in an extreme or excessive manner. Consequently, in this life, that energy cannot flow forward until you have corrected the imbalance.
For example:
Volume II provides the exact delineations for these placements, which is why the demand for the Karmic Astrology Vol. II Retrogrades and Reincarnation PDF remains high even decades after its original publication.
In the schema of reincarnation, a retrograde planet represents a "karmic knot." In a previous lifetime, the individual encountered a specific type of energy represented by that planet and, for one reason or another, failed to integrate it.
The retrograde planet does not allow the individual to express that energy superficially. It forces them to go deep within. The energy is not weak; it is internalized. It is a pressure cooker of intensity that demands resolution before the soul can truly evolve.
The quest for the Karmic Astrology Vol. II Retrogrades and Reincarnation PDF is, ironically, a perfect example of the book’s thesis. The difficulty in finding the information represents the retrograde energy itself: you must work harder, search deeper, and review old sources to uncover hidden truth.
Whether you find a scanned PDF, a dusty library copy, or an audiobook narrated by an astrologer, the text remains a revolutionary tool. It teaches us that retrogrades are not punishments. They are flashlights into the past. By studying the planets that move backward, we learn to move forward with purpose, healing reincarnational wounds one degree at a time.
If you are ready to stop asking "Why is this happening to me?" and start asking "What past life lesson is this retrograde bringing to light?"—then locating this volume is your first step toward karmic liberation.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes. Always respect copyright laws. If you cannot locate a legal copy of the book, consider interlibrary loan programs or supporting independent astrological publishers who may reprint out-of-print classics.
In his seminal work Karmic Astrology Vol. II: Retrogrades and Reincarnation
, Martin Schulman offers a radical departure from traditional "good or bad" interpretations of retrograde planets. He views them as powerful psychological and spiritual indicators of how an individual carries memories and unfinished business from prior lifetimes into the present. Core Philosophy of the Book The central premise is that retrograde planets represent internalized energy
. While direct planets focus on external manifestation, retrogrades turn the individual's focus inward, often leading to deep introspection and a subjective experience of reality. Breaking the Time Barrier
: Schulman suggests that those with prominent retrogrades are "living in another time zone". They may feel out of sync with chronological time because they are simultaneously processing experiences from the past and the present. The "Retrograde Individual"
: You are considered a "retrograde individual" if your natal chart contains: Three or more retrograde planets. A personal planet (Mercury, Venus, or Mars) in retrograde.
A retrograde planet positioned near the Ascendant or Midheaven. Key Concepts & Structure
The book is structured as a comprehensive reference guide, covering each planet's karmic meaning across all signs and houses.
Karmic Astrology: Retrogrades and Reincarnation: 002 - Amazon UK
Karmic Astrology, Vol. II: Retrogrades and Reincarnation by Martin Schulman is a foundational text in esoteric astrology that reinterprets retrograde planets as specific keys to a soul's past-life history. Rather than viewing retrogrades through traditional "good" or "bad" lenses, Schulman treats them as inward-turning energies that "break the time barrier," allowing past-life memories and unfinished business to bleed into the current incarnation. Core Concepts and Methodology
Schulman's approach focuses on the psychological and spiritual weight of these planetary placements: karmic astrology vol. ii retrogrades and reincarnation pdf
The Three Vibrational Moods: The book introduces a system to explain how retrograde planets express themselves through different "moods" or vibrational states rather than fixed traits.
Inward Energy Flow: Retrograde planets represent energy directed toward the inner self rather than the external world. This often manifests as a "blending of lifetimes," where the individual feels they are reliving past traumas to finally resolve them.
The "Retrograde Individual": Schulman defines a person as a "retrograde individual" if they have three or more retrograde planets, a personal planet retrograde, or a retrograde planet near the Ascendant or Midheaven.
Three Phases of Retrograde: A unique and sometimes complex aspect of his theory involves three phases of the retrograde process, representing different stages of a person's karmic development. Content Breakdown
The book acts as a comprehensive reference guide, detailing the karmic implications of every planet in retrograde:
Planetary Glyphs: Provides esoteric explanations for the symbols of each planet.
Signs and Houses: Offers detailed delineations for each retrograde planet through all twelve zodiac signs and astrological houses.
Karmic Symbolism: Builds on the foundation of Volume I (which focuses on the Moon's Nodes) to further explore how these placements act as a "cosmic ledger" of past actions. Availability and Format
While originally published in the late 1970s, the book remains a popular resource for students of karmic astrology.
PDF eBooks: Modern digital versions are available from sellers like Etsy for approximately $6.89.
Physical Copies: Paperback editions, including vintage printings from Red Wheel/Weiser or eBay, typically range from $28.00 to $35.00, while rare editions on AbeBooks can reach $75.00 or more.
Karmic Astrology: How Past‑Life Karma Is Reflected in Your Birth Chart
Karmic Astrology, Vol. II: Retrogrades and Reincarnation by Martin Schulman examines retrograde planets as "time-links" to past lives, exploring how they represent unfinished karmic lessons. The work focuses on how these planets direct energy inward, forcing individuals to re-experience past-life influences to achieve resolution. The book is available to borrow through the Internet Archive.
Martin Schulman’s Karmic Astrology, Vol. II: Retrogrades and Reincarnation is a seminal text for anyone looking to understand the spiritual weight of retrograde planets in a birth chart. First published in 1977, this volume moves beyond traditional "good or bad" interpretations, instead framing retrogrades as powerful "karmic messengers" that signal unfinished business from previous lifetimes. The Core Concept: Breaking the Time Barrier
Schulman’s most radical proposition is that retrograde planets "break the time barrier". While direct planets focus energy outward toward current life experiences, retrograde energies are turned inward, causing the individual to mentally and spiritually relive past life events.
Blending of Lifetimes: A person with prominent retrogrades may feel like they are living in a different time zone or replaying old traumas as if they were current events.
Subjective Reality: Because the energy is internal, the individual’s perception of time and space can be out of sync with chronological reality.
Magnetism of the Past: Schulman describes an "irresistible magnetism" of past lifetimes that can sometimes feel more important or vivid to the soul than the present incarnation. Defining the "Retrograde Individual" According to Schulman’s framework presented in the book,
Not everyone with a retrograde planet is considered a "retrograde individual" by Schulman’s standards. He establishes specific criteria for those whose lives are most heavily influenced by these karmic echoes: Three or more retrograde planets in the natal chart. Any personal planet (Mercury, Venus, Mars) in retrograde.
A single retrograde planet located near the Ascendant or Midheaven. Key Themes by Planet
In the book, Schulman provides detailed interpretations for each planet in every sign and house. Generally, these placements represent "cosmic accountants" of pending karma: Karmic Astrology, Vol. II: Retrogrades and Reincarnation
The rain in Seattle didn’t touch the pavement; it seemed to dissolve into the gray atmosphere before it ever landed. Inside the cramped back room of "Celestial Dynamos," a bookstore that smelled permanently of dust and patchouli, Elias sat hunched over a scanner.
He was a volunteer, unpaid and unseen, just the way he liked it. His job was digitizing the donation bin—pulp sci-fi, outdated almanacs, and water-damaged cookbooks—saving the words from the landfill.
Then he found it.
It was bound in a deep, bruised purple cover, the gold lettering flaking off like dead skin. Karmic Astrology Vol. II: Retrogrades and Reincarnation.
Elias felt a static shock when his thumb brushed the spine. He knew the author, Martin Schulman, by reputation only—a voice from the 1970s astrology boom, a man who wrote less about daily horoscopes and more about the debts of the soul. Volume I was famous, but Volume II was the grail. It was the one that explained why life felt like walking upstream in a river of molasses.
He checked the online databases. A scanned PDF existed, but the links were all dead, leading to broken geocities-era pages and abandoned forums. The physical copies sold for hundreds of dollars. This copy, sitting in a box of donations from a deceased estate, felt heavy, gravid with importance.
Elias made a decision. He wouldn't just scan it for the shop archive. He was going to make a PDF and upload it to the cloud. He felt a strange, urgent need to free the information.
He opened the book to a random page. Chapter 4: The Retrograde Mercury and the Unfinished Conversation.
His eyes caught a passage: “The retrograde planet does not function in linear time. It is a spiral. The individual is not moving forward, but downward, drilling into the bedrock of past lives to retrieve the gem they dropped centuries ago.”
Outside, the rain intensified, drumming against the glass like insistent knuckles. Elias’s phone buzzed. A text from his brother, Marcus.
Coming into town. Need to talk. It’s about Dad’s watch.
Elias stared at the screen. He hadn’t spoken to Marcus in three years. Their father had passed away four years ago, leaving a will that sparked a feud Elias had tried to ignore. He had moved across the country to escape the guilt of how that inheritance had torn them apart.
He looked back at the book. “Retrograde Mercury forces the soul to revisit the scene of the crime. It is not a curse; it is a second chance to say what was left unsaid.”
A shiver crawled up Elias’s spine. He looked at the natal chart printed on the facing page—a generic example, but the Mercury symbol had a tiny 'R' superscript. Rx. The prescription for the past.
The scanner hummed, dragging a beam of light across the page. Whirrr-click. Whirrr-click. Volume II provides the exact delineations for these
With each page, Elias felt a growing sense of vertigo. The book wasn't just talking about abstract concepts. It felt like it was narrating his internal monologue. When he reached the section on Saturn Retrograde, the air in the room grew cold.
“Saturn Retrograde in the chart indicates a soul that has misused authority or responsibility in a past incarnation. In this life, the native runs from leadership, fearing the corruption they once embodied. Yet, the lesson is not to flee power, but to learn integrity.”
Elias had always been the "responsible one" growing up, the one who managed the money, the one who took care of the parents. And he had resented it, feeling crushed by the weight, eventually taking more than his
The study of karmic astrology finds one of its most profound expressions in Martin Schulman’s seminal work, Karmic Astrology: Retrogrades and Reincarnation (Vol. II). In this text, Schulman shifts the focus from traditional personality-based astrology to a soul-centered perspective, arguing that retrograde planets are not merely "weakened" influences, but rather concentrated gateways into a person’s past-life history. The Mechanics of Retrograde Karma
Schulman’s core thesis is that a retrograde planet represents a "thwarted" energy—a lesson or desire that was left unresolved in a previous incarnation. When a planet appears to move backward from our vantage point on Earth, its psychological influence turns inward.
According to Schulman, individuals with several retrograde planets often feel as though they are living in two different time zones simultaneously. They are physically present in the "now," but their soul is still processing experiences from the "then." This creates a sense of hesitation or internal rumination, as the individual must navigate the debris of old habits before they can fully engage with their current life path. Reincarnation and the "Inner" Planets
Schulman provides detailed spiritual blueprints for each retrograde planet:
Mercury Retrograde: Suggests a mind that is still analyzing information from a past life, often leading to a unique, non-linear way of communicating in the present.
Venus Retrograde: Indicates a soul that is re-evaluating its worth and its past relationships, often feeling a "karmic debt" or a need to experience love in a more internalized, spiritual way.
Mars Retrograde: Points to a history of misused power or suppressed desires. The challenge here is to learn how to direct energy and assertion without repeating the aggressive patterns of the past. The Process of Integration
Unlike traditional astrology, which might view retrogrades as obstacles to success, Schulman views them as opportunities for deep soul-cleansing. He suggests that the "reincarnation" aspect of these placements is not meant to be a punishment, but a chance for the soul to achieve "completion." By turning the energy inward, the individual can finally resolve the internal conflicts that have followed them through the cycles of birth and rebirth. Conclusion
Karmic Astrology Vol. II remains a cornerstone for those seeking to understand the "why" behind their psychological struggles. By reframing retrogrades as spiritual echoes, Schulman offers a path toward self-forgiveness and evolutionary growth. The book teaches that while we are bound by the karma of our past, understanding our retrograde planets gives us the conscious tools to finally break those cycles and move forward.
If you locate a legitimate copy of Karmic Astrology Vol. II: Retrogrades and Reincarnation (e.g., via used bookstores, library, or authorized publisher), you can use this guide to:
Note: Many PDFs circulating online are unauthorized copies. Consider purchasing a used physical copy or checking platforms like Google Books, Scribd (with subscription), or WorldCat for library access.
The text is famous for its explanation of the "Shadow Zone" —the degree of the zodiac a planet enters before stationing retrograde and re-visits after turning direct. It argues that reincarnation happens in these shadow degrees; events occurring at these degrees trigger past-life flashbacks.
If you have access to the PDF of Karmic Astrology Vol. II, you would typically look for these elements. Here’s what they mean:
While the original printed edition is rare, the digital karmic astrology vol. ii retrogrades and reincarnation pdf is widely circulated among astrological study groups. Here is a breakdown of its most critical sections.