River of Souls

Maldek or Rocky Remnants?

Let's begin with the commonly proposed scientific theories of how the asteroid belt originally formed. For the most part, the explanations center around leftover material from the early Solar System. There are 4 primary schools of thought.

The first is the Failed Planet Theory. According to Wikipedia "Dust and rock between Mars and Jupiter began to accrete into planetesimals, but Jupiter's gravity stirred the region so strongly that the material kept colliding too violently to form a full planet."

Next, we have the Depleted Belt Theory. From an article that appeared on May 14, 2025, the BBC's website www.skynightmagazine.com we find a proposal that "the belt may once have contained far more mass, but over time about 99.9% of its material was removed by gravitational interactions and collisions."

Then there is the Implantation or "refilled belt Models. On September 14, 2017, an article was published the website www.phys.org proposing a new theory on the origin of the asteroid belt.

This theory proposes "the belt began nearly empty and was later populated by rocky material from the inner Solar System and carbon-rich material from farther out."

Finally, there is the Grand Tack Model. From www.space.com we learn of a theory that states "According to a developing theory known as Grand Tack, in the first 5 million years of the solar system, Jupiter and Saturn are thought to have moved inward toward the sun before changing direction and heading back to the outer solar system. Along the way, they would have scattered the original asteroid belt before them, then sent material flying back to refill it." 

A synthesis of these theories essentially suggests that this reservoir of rocky debris was produced by Jupiter's gravity, collisions, and early Solar System migration.

Like so many things, there is also a non-scientific explanation of the main asteroid belt. It comes from the realm of the metaphorical, esoteric, mythopoetic worlds. This domain postulates that a former planet, sometimes referred to as Maldek, was destroyed and its soul dispersed. Thus, the name of this article, River of Souls. The implication being that this endlessly circling stream of fragments could very well be the graveyard of a planet that existed long, long ago.

These shattered remains carry with them memories and ghosts of those who have gone before. Even the world of science concurs that energy is never created from nothing or obliterated into nothing; it's a closed system, the total amount of energy stays constant. Approach a light switch near you right now, turn it on, electrical energy becomes visible and heat; the energy hasn't vanished, it has just changed form.

If we adopt this more spiritualized view of the main asteroid belt, as a river of souls, composed of the remains of some shattered world, perhaps destroyed in some cataclysmic war or spiritual collapse, there are some interesting ideas we can explore. One of the more popular and influential claims comes from a channeled source known as the Law of One, information received from an entity named Ra. This entity is described as a collective consciousness or "social memory complex".

In this book, we are told that a planet named Maldek was destroyed roughly half a million to 700,000 years ago, with its debris forming the asteroid belt; the surviving "souls" migrated to Earth and other bodies. Further interpretation proposes that Maldek is a cautionary symbol of a world destroyed due to the misuse of technology, egoic power, or spiritual imbalance. This stream of rubble then serves as a "grave" or "memory" of that failure.

As a Shaman and Astrologer, I naturally lean into the spiritual and soul-based side of life. We dwell in a living and breathing universe, a universe that is teeming with powerful energies. As those energies express themselves in the form of oscillation (vibration), they can be tuned into, or not, depending upon where our own frequency is set. Some people hear whispers in the wind; others strain their ears and hear nothing. Astrology is a tool that assists us in understanding the "receiver" we are walking through this life with. The swirling energetics of the universe impact us all differently due to the oscillation we inherited at our birth.

In astrology, these metaphoric oscillations are identified as archetypal in nature, rather than concrete. An archetypal interpretation looks for the underlying pattern, symbol, or recurring human theme behind an event, image, or story. This differs from a concrete interpretation which stays with the literal, specific, observable details of what happened.

This leads us to look at the currently structured framework of astrology that categorizes the planetary bodies it tracks into 3 broad groupings, personal, social, and transpersonal. Below is a table of these groups:

Category	Bodies	Key Traits
Personal	Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars	Fast-moving; define core identity, emotions, communication, relationships, and drive.
Social	Jupiter, Saturn	Moderate speed; govern growth, structure, societal roles, and long-term lessons.
Transpersonal	Uranus, Neptune, Pluto	Slow-moving outer planets; influence collective change, innovation, spirituality, and transformation.

As I have reflected on the realm of asteroids and their significance in interpreting and outlining astrological charts, I have found it fascinating to imagine the space between the "personal" and the "social" as a river we must cross to connect these two realms. When we enter this river, we carry our identity, emotions, motivations, values, and unique relational styles with us. As we wade through, our collective movements either attract or repel the energies present there. Moreover, if we consider this river as a resting place for souls, it contains mythical and personal archetypes, remnants from a planet once inhabited by souls with lives and dreams similar to ours.

My reasoning for picturing the main asteroid belt through this lens, a river of souls, is due to the manner in which I have seen asteroids actually play out and show up in astrological charts, be those of individuals or nations. Asteroids in astrology tend to be grouped in two categories, mythically named and personally named. The mythical one's range from being named after mythologies connected to Norse, Celtic, Indigenous, Vedic, Asian, and Egyptian lore. There is even more modern naming that are connected to fictional and fairytale characters that have sprung forth from our present-day consciousness. Where do these stories come from and why do we continue to identify with their concepts?

Then there is the world of personally named asteroids. This is truly the wild west territory in this realm. Here the range of names can be people, places, events, things, items, and even concepts. Below is a small random sample of examples of this (there are currently 25,641 asteroids listed as available to include in an astrological chart):

Asteroid Name & Number	Brief Interpretation
Lova #868	Lovers, love, possibly superficial intimacy; quick hook-ups.
Child #4580	May indicate having children in a natal chart, or one's inner child. May also indicate how childhood was experienced.
Bennu #101955	A flexibly named asteroid connected to myth; can remarkably be substituted for the name Ben and appears prominently in Michael Jackson’s birth chart.
Kennedy #7166	Honors Malcolm Kennedy but can be substituted for other Kennedys and features prominently in Marilyn Monroe’s birth chart.
Applegate #34282	Likely named after Katherine Applegate, author; when in the chart of Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, it fits into his life story.
Sly #14882	Named after astronomer Robert Sly; indicates cunning and deceitful, con artist, trickster, mischief, clever and crafty, scheming, distrust; features prominently in the chart of serial killer Ted Bundy.
California #341	Discovered by Max Wolf and named California by him; features prominently in the chart of Brian Wilson, founder of the California band the Beach Boys.
Champion #1212	Discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth; evokes perseverance, victory through effort; features prominently in the chart of Muhammad Ali.

As seen in the table, asteroids in astrology can offer subtle archetypal insights, with similar or closely sounding names often proving surprisingly accurate. For instance, Applegate aligns uncannily with Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computer, in his birth chart, while Bennu fits seamlessly into Michael Jackson’s life story, where the song “Ben” played a significant role. It’s a bit like the eerie whispers two teenagers might hear after sneaking into a remote cemetery at 2 a.m. on a dare, later swearing they caught muffled voices as they nervously tiptoed through the sacred grounds.

I often ask others: where do your thoughts come from? I’ve yet to hear a satisfying answer. My current view is that we’re simply tuning in with our own personal receivers—like a natal chart with its unique oscillation—and pulling information from the vast, hidden consciousness that permeates everything. Some might call it a matrix, an unseen layer beneath the surface of everyday reality.

Back to my concept of the main asteroid belt being like a "river of souls" that could be the remnants of an ancient planet. Trapped in that stream are the hopes, dreams, beliefs, and ideas of souls who have gone before. One of the most sacred and powerful rituals I perform while acting in the capacity of a Shaman is space clearing. Essentially, what I am doing is entering into spaces (homes or other buildings) where energy is trapped. As a Paqo Kuna in the Q’ero tradition, I enter the space as one would enter a sacred grove, listening for what is out of rhythm, sensing where the energy has dimmed or become tangled. Through sound, smoke, prayer, and the guidance of spirit allies, the space is cleansed, recalibrated, and re‑blessed. Sometimes an old imprint is released; sometimes a protective spirit steps forward; sometimes the house itself reveals what it needs.

Are we as souls incarnated at this time and in this place, Earth, clearing trapped energy for ancestors who have gone before us?

Is this what occurs as we traverse the mythical river of souls? Equipped with our unique set of desires, emotions, motivations, values, and relational styles, we immerse ourselves in myths, events, concepts, locations, and people that influence our social presence in the world. This is the domain of Jupiter and Saturn, the opposite bank of the river. Throughout this journey across the metaphorical river, we draw from these same myths, events, concepts, locations, and people the experiences that transform into our understanding of structure, beliefs, and our place within the larger concept of society, along with the lessons we derive from it.

I cannot prove that the asteroid stream known as the main belt originated from an ancient planet that was destroyed, now serving as a flowing river of memories. However, I can confidently say that through my personal experiences of engaging with people who have opened their lives to me via conversation and through the portal of their individual astrological charts, I have found that the inclusion of asteroids (from the mythical river of souls) has, remarkably and with uncanny accuracy, left people astonished and asking, "How can that be?" The great mystery is beyond what our limited minds can grasp. Embrace that mystery to begin truly understanding.