Thoughts on the afterlife?

The Phoenix is a perfect symbol for reincarnation. It symbols Life, death, and rebirth and rising above adversity.

I believe that we are here to learn lessons in life so that we can become a more spiritual being. That means, we need many lives (Reincarnation) to achieve this goal. No one is going to learn every lesson in one life. Nor are we going to get every lesson right the first time around. I've talked about Soul Mates before. Basically I believe souls group together. We reincarnate together, we arrange times in our lives where we will meet. Some souls will stay together forever, some for a short time. It all depends on what each soul needs and how we can benefit each other in learning. I also believe once we've learned all we need to, we can choose to become guardian spirits for others. They are there to guide us if we listen.

When you mention reincarnation people always ask about spirits reincarnating in the form of an animal. I don't exclude the possibility. I think if the spirit has something to learn that can't be done in a human form, an animal may be the better option. So yes, I do believe animals have spirits. That doesn't mean that every spirit has been an animal in a past life. Matter of fact I think its more likely they have not.

I've chose to include a picture of a Phoenix for this entry because to me it symbolizes reincarnation perfectly. Its journey from new life and the journey to the end of its life, and then rebirth reminds us of the journey through our lives, and the adversity we face along the way.