Contrary to popular conception, karma has nothing to do with punitive fate. Karma is truly about expanding perspective and discovering balance through experience and interaction. “What goes around, comes around” is erroneously associated with karma. That phrase is closer to having a connection to the Universal Law of Cause and Effect. I say “closer” because it seems to me that that phrase is emotionally charged with judgment and punishment which are both products of the ego, not of an unconditionally loving Universe. In fact, another Universal Law states that there is no judgment in the Universe.

Now that we have put aside judgment and punishment, allow me to further illustrate karma. When humans incarnate, we “forget” the perspective of eternity (for the most part) so that we can have a dynamic journey of discovery, possibly including an awakening in which we “remember” eternity. Between lives, our point of awareness is withdrawn from the temporal, incarnated version of the self and what remains is the Eternal Self. We are never separate from the Eternal Self, we simply have focus dialed into the temporal experience while in the body.

The Eternal Self holds all of the experiences of all lifetimes. For example, just imagine that if, in a single lifetime, you started as an impoverished under-privileged citizen but later rose to a place of powerful governmental leadership. You might be more compassionate and empathetic to the under-privileged because of your memory of a similar experience. Now factor in all of the possible roles you could play throughout thousands of lifetimes. Your Eternal Self holds record of this growth. Even though the human incarnate experience involves forgetting those lifetimes, the wealth is contained in the soul and can be drawn upon… or rejected, after all, we have free will.

The dance of having contrasting experiences in an effort to expand perspective and awareness, whether over many lives or within a single lifetime, THAT is Karma.

This explanation was inspired by a reader’s question about how “karma” was referred to in a blog I reposted by healer and numerologist Joanne Walmsley[1]. Joanne wrote: “[Upheavals in your life are] happening for karmic reasons and [they] will break new ground for you that will bring about new opportunities for you to grow spiritually.”[2]

My interpretation of the context in which Joanne is referring to karma:
I believe Joanne is pointing out that even though we may not be aware of it, the Eternal Self selected aspects of this present life (pre-birth) from the perspective of all of the knowledge of all of the lifetimes. Expanding focus to this point of awareness may help us to relax with the knowing that there is a higher purpose, especially when we are feeling overwhelmed by life’s upheavals.

Physics teaches us that energy contracts and expands, respectively, in particles and waves. Likewise, the breath functions as contraction and expansion. And so these dual functions counterbalance one another. When you are feeling very particular with life’s details, find a way to engage in the wave function and expand. Take a breath and open your awareness to your Higher, Eternal Self’s perspective. Take a moment to trust in the wisdom and love of Eternal perspective.

[1] https://sacredscribesangelnumbers.blogspot.com/