Note: if you don’t believe in past lives, this post is not going to try to change your mind. But if you feel connected to things, places or knowledge beyond your current experience, then you may see why understanding your past lives matters and how Tarot can help.
We (almost) Start Fresh Here
The way I see it each of our lives flows likes a river. All the drops together make for moments and feelings. They define our identity. There are quiet spots, waterfalls and rapids on the way. Until we reach our destination, which may be an ocean or a mountain lake.
When we start again, we still carry with us drops and memories from our previous journey. They add up over time. Defining us more and more. Making it ever more important to understand where we traveled before. For what we already have been through will leave marks on our soul and continue to influence us from one life to the next.
Each life is its own experience with a clear start and finish. What we learn, how we grow, evolve and what makes us the person we are here and now is mostly defined by our education, environment, experiences and choices. But is that really all?
From irrational fears to deja vu and strong life principles, we still carry faded memories and beliefs from our previous lives. Shedding light on them is as important as understanding our immediate background (upbringing, family influence etc.) to paint a true picture of ourselves.
Traumas, Fears & Triggers
One thing that is almost always true of any past life reading I have done or seen – including for myself – is how it often explains certain fears, apprehensions and sometimes even trauma.
As we discover what happened in the distant past, we slowly start to accept and realise why we feel a certain way about things (including some that should not always matter that much to us).
Digging into our past lives is like therapy. It does reveal why we behave in a particular way, why we sometimes have a harder time trusting people or accepting a certain type of people. It may explain an irrational fear of water or heights. It could also give insights about why we care about a cause or feel connected to other cultures.
But our past lives don’t just leave us with fears and bad memories, they also – and above all – make us stronger, more resilient and connected. Especially when we actively remain connected to the lessons we learned.
Growth, Connections and Talents
The more past lives one’s had, the wiser and calmer their soul. When I do a reading for someone in person, I can usually guess if the soul is young or experienced. And the cards will then confirm with a Karmic spread (more about this below).
Through our experience of different places and identities, we grow and become more and more aware of the deep and complex connections at play in the universe. We also learn things that stay with us.
Our past lives can often explain special talents and gifts.
Creative talent is often directly related to past learnings and experiences. It is true for arts as well as fortune telling and healing gifts.
Revealing our Past Lives With Tarot
There are several ways to look into your past lives and cosmic journey using the cards. My personal approach is to use three spreads.
The first one is a Karmic Reading, which is only made of 3 cards and gives you general information about your journey, including how many past lives you’ve had and where you’re headed to.
The second spread is done once for each past life, starting from the most recent one.
Each spread reveals the sitter’s gender, social status and family life. This is already very enlightening. A lot of my sitters usually feel strongly about having been male or female in past lives for instance. The main events and learnings are then revealed by additional cards up to the final ones, which tell us what is being carried from this life to the next and what main purpose was served.
Adding up all this information is basically like reading your own hidden biography. The one about that part in your life you had forgotten about and which yet explains so much about where you find yourself now.
Like a complete birth chart, it helps you see the bigger picture and understand what makes you you.
The last spread is usually just one or two cards to get a final message from the cards on how to bridge this and the next life.
Things Tarot Can Reveal About Your Past Lives
Just like for any reading, there are things you can and cannot expect the cards to tell you. You may get additional information from your intuition, but the cards will mostly focus on the following:
Gender
Family Situation
Social Status
Era
Location (usually country/regional)
Main Challenges in Past Life
Main Lesson(s) in Past Life
What Still Influences you in this Life
You can also look into connections with other people. If you feel that someone may have been connected to you in previous lives, Tarot can help confirm this intuition.
I have had sitters feeling a weird connection to people to whom they were not always/yet close to. That’s because they had already met a long time ago. You may also discover that someone who was not yet connected to you in any previous life will now be part of your journey in future ones.
Learning about your past lives with Tarot is basically like getting a birth chart reading or learning about your genealogy.
It completes your portrait and helps you understand what makes you unique: Why you feel the way you do. Why you sometimes behave in certain ways. It can explain your tastes, fears and talents.
Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.
Ever had a Past Lives Tarot reading or other related experience? Don’t hesitate to share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.