How to do a Past Life Reading

Past Lives Tarot Reading

The goal with a past life reading is to get a glimpse of who you might have been in a previous incarnation. The goal is to understand how past energies are affecting you now.

First divide your tarot deck into 4 sections:

1. Major Arcana (soul purpose, death)

2. Kings & Queens (gender and parents)

3. Knights and Pages (childhood-young adulthood)

4. Minor Arcana Ace-10 (career/s)

1. Soul Purpose, Personality, & (possible) Causes of Death: Shuffle the major arcana piles and pull a card to represent your soul purpose (dharma) in a past life, your personality type, and possible cause of death.

2. Gender: Shuffle the kings and queens and choose a card. (K: male Q: female)

3. Parents: divide the Kings and Queens into 2 piles: Kings/Queens. Shuffle each pile. Choose one card from each, the king representing your father, the queen your mother.

4. Childhood+Young Adulthood: divide the Knights and Pages into 2 piles: knights/pages. Shuffle each pile and pull a card from each; the page represents childhood-20, the knight represents 20s-mid 30s.

5. Career: shuffle the rest of the minor arcana (aces-10s) and draw one card to represent career. Feel free to pull more than one card for clarification or to represent more than one career path.

   
   

   1

   SOUL PURPOSE (DHARMA), PERSONALITY & POSSIBLE CAUSE OF DEATH

   Note on reversals: I do not consider reversals in this part of the reading. If you do, they could mean the negative tendencies were stronger than the positive attributes.*

   
   

The Fool: adventurer, romantic hero, creative writer/playwright, actor, performer, eccentric, actor, musician, dancer

Negative Tendencies: drifter, irresponsible, aimless, easily influenced, indecisive, changed jobs a lot, moved a lot, incomplete goals

Possible Causes of Death: young, accident, careless act, soldier, adventure-seeking

Magician: alchemist, inventor, chemist, scientist, healer, doctor

Negative tendencies: trickster, opioid addict, overly dreamy, manipulative

Possible Causes of Death: sudden illness, poison, overdose, mental illness-related

High Priestess: seer between worlds, nun/monk, visionary, psychic, witch, spiritual leader, healer

Negative tendencies: psychic skills used for black magic, mentally unstable, secretive

Possible Causes of Death: old age, illness

Empress: creator, artist, homemaker, designer, chef, horticulturist, herbalist, healer, mother, caregiver, childcare worker, florist

Negative tendencies: promiscuous, seductress, narcissist, self-indulgent, gluttonous

Possible Causes of Death: childbirth (giving birth), illness, killed out of jealousy, poisonous plant, old age

Emperor: leader, warrior, political figure, king, father, army sergeant, protector, fighter

Negative tendencies: tyrant, abused power, controlling, arrogant, conceited, dictator, workalholic

Possible Causes of Death: died in battle, heart attack, stroke

Hierophant: spiritual authority, teacher/professor, therapist, healer, mentor, academic, pope, pastor, preacher, rabbi, saint

Negative tendencies: abuse of power, dogmatic, sanctimonious, self-righteous, anarchist

Possible Causes of Death: old age, martyr: died for a cause, natural causes

Lovers: lover, peace keeper, mediator, marriage counsellor, human rights activist, therapist, worked well in partnership

Negative tendencies: promiscuous, unfaithful to partner, secrets, poor choice in partners, co-dependency, fear of intimacy, unable to hold a job

Possible Causes of Death: broken heart, cardiovascular issues, suicide

Chariot: competitor, athlete, fighter, soldier, died young, trail blazer, missionary, worked with horses, overcame huge obstacles, extroverted personality, magnetic personality

Negative tendencies: stuck, unable to move past trauma, careless driver, neglected animals, stuck in a situation or mindset, run from problems

Possible Causes of Death: died in battle, casualty of war, car accident, fall from horse

Strength: warrior, soldier, animal trainer, ninja, leader, zoologist, cat lover, lion tamer, incredible stamina and endurance, person of authority

Negative tendencies: anger issues, bad temper, inconsistent, critical of self and others, misuse of strength and power

Possible Causes of Death: animal attack, killed, overdose, heart attack, old age

Hermit: wise elder, shaman, seer, died very old, seer, psychic, loner, mystic, guru, non-materialistic, old soul, counsellor

Negative tendencies: anti-social, too introverted, overly shy, too much naval gazing, prone to depression, lack motivation

Possible Causes of Death: suicide, hypothermia, old age, natural causes

Wheel of Fortune: entrepreneur, opportunist, inventor, performer, stock trader, lucky, optimistic, seized opportunities, creates opportunities, tarot reader, astrologist, self-made, attracted good luck

Negative tendencies: gambler, took advantage of people, fake fortune teller, addictive personality, jealous

Possible Causes of Death: killed, gang-related, natural causes, drowned, boat accident

Justice: judge, lawyer, mediator, public servant, advocate of justice, union leader, activist

Negative tendencies: obsessive about rights, manipulate the law/system, unfair

Possible Causes of Death: exposed to chemicals, dangers in work force, killed, heart attack, accident

Hanged Man: mystic, writer, journalist, therapist, acrobat, martyr, died for the cause, philosopher, thinker

Negative tendencies: too much of a martyr/martyr mentality, withdrawn, unmotivated, give up easily, victim mentality, trouble with the law, self-destructive

Possible Causes of Death: hung, suicide, natural causes, overdose

Death: transformer, executor of change, public figure, doctor, mortician, medium, cemetery worker, spirit worker, re-invents self several times during lifetime

Negative tendencies: executioner, murderer, lacks morals, profiting from the death of others, addicted to too much change, self-sabotaging

Possible Causes of Death: murder, caught in the crossfire, fire, suicide, natural disaster

Temperance: diplomat, philosopher, philanthropist, role model, herbalist, healer, earth angel, activist of justice and fair, lived a balanced life

Negative tendencies: fallen angel, poor timing, mentally imbalanced, mental illness, lack of self-moderation

Possible Causes of Death: natural causes, chronic illness/condition, plague

Devil: slave owner, controller, con, professional criminal, corrupt CEO, exploiter, gang leader, pimp, occult/black magic, misuse power, narcissist, psychopathic tendencies, dominant, addict

Other side: enslaved, controlled, conned, exploited, prostitute, co-dependent, in and out of rehab, unable to break bad habits  A difficult karmic cycle to break

Possible Causes of Death: overdose, car accident, carelessness, fall, fire, murder

Tower: rebel, radical, instigator of change, job with a lot of travel, fire fighter, pilot, meteorologist, storm chaser, resilient, able to rebuild after calamity, survivor of natural disaster

Negative tendencies: homeless, restlessness, fear of heights, hit by lightning, fear of change, causality of war, schizophrenia

Possible Causes of Death: fire, fall from height, struck by lightning, suicide, murder, airplane accident, natural disaster

Star: spiritual guide, astrologist, astronomer, light worker, saint, star/celebrity, earth angel, light worker

Negative tendencies: obsessed with fame, dreamer but don’t take action/dream unrealistically, superstitious, stuck in the past, head in the clouds

Possible Causes of Death: natural disaster, old age, addiction/overdose

Moon: faith was tested, tested boundaries, night job, P.I., follow dreams, very intuitive, psychic, healer, strong feminine energy, mystical, mysterious, vivid dreamer

Negative tendencies: lunacy/mental illness, insomnia, bad dreams, possibly wrongly institutionalized due to hormonal imbalance/post-partum etc., restless spirit, paranoia

Possible Causes Death: elements (cold or heat), drowning, old age, suicide, mental-illness related

Sun: protector of children, nurse, caregiver, role model, altruistic, giver, healer, happy-go-lucky, actor, singer, clown, comedian, positive energy, had many children

Negative tendencies: care for others more than self, bipolar, unrealistic dreams, polyana/blindly optimistic, naïve, unable to see problems, died young, lost a child

Possible Causes of Death: chronic illness, fire, natural disaster, accident, old age

Judgement: assessor, moralist, preacher, leader, good karma, musician, instigator of change, humanitarian, volunteer, realizer of soul purpose, past life memories, learned from mistakes, able to transform life

Negative tendencies: judgemental toward others and self, gossip, unable to learn from mistakes, stuck, possible issues with the law

Possible Causes of Death: died for a cause, killed, died in battle, natural causes

World: survivor of war and battle, writer, many lives in one, many hats, fame, success, overcame many obstacles, highly evolved soul

Negative tendencies: overwhelmed by fame, doubting self despite success, body image issues, never feel totally satisfied, infidelity, inflated ego

Possible Causes of Death: natural disaster, old age, Alzheimer’s, chronic illness

2

GENDER

*Note on reversals: I do not consider reversals in this part of the reading. If you do, they could signify someone who was born one gender and possibly transitioned or identified with another.*

Divide the Kings into one pile and the Queens into another. Shuffle each pile and draw one card from each. King: male. Queen: female.

3

PARENTS

*Note on reversals: I do consider reversals in this part of the reading. If the card is reversed, it represents a missing or deceased parent. *

Father Figure: shuffle The Kings. Draw one card  (If reversed, it may mean your father was absent or died.)

Mother Figure: shuffle all The Queens. Draw one card (If Reversed, it may mean your mother was absent or died.)

King of Swords: educated, organized, fair, tidy.

Negative Tendencies: cold, tyrannical, too strict

Queen of Swords: strong intellect, independent, objective, fair.

Negative Tendencies: emotionally detached, bitter, or resentful. 

King of Pentacles: loving, kind, good with money, provided well.

Negative Tendencies: too tight with money, workaholic

Queen of Pentacles: practical, secure, and generous.

Negative Tendencies: careless with money and materialistic

King of Wands: motivated, spiritual, employed in jobs they loved.

Negative Tendencies: too religious and/or started and stopped projects often

Queen of Wands: confident, courageous, good leader, passionate, creative, fiery energy and self-assured.

Negative Tendencies: stubborn, sure she's always right, and impulsive.

King of Cups: very loving, nurturing, fair.

Negative Tendencies: unfaithful, addictive personality, inconsistent, too free-spirited

Queen of Cups: compassionate, emotional intelligence, empathy, intuition.

Negative Tendencies: too giving, loved too easily, and lacked boundaries. 

4

CHILDHOOD, ADOLESCENCE, YOUNG ADULTHOOD

(Pages: childhood-20 yrs Knights: young adulthood 20-35yrs)

*Note on reversals: I don't consider reversals in this part of the reading. If you do, they might signify the negative tendencies being stronger than the positive attributes. *

Page of Wands: fun-loving, carefree, playful, curious, active, open-minded, optimistic, idealistic, ambitious, confident, sunny desire to travel, adventurous, spontaneous, original, inventive

Negative tendencies: fiery, hasty, impatient, gullible, hyperactive, delinquent, lack of confidence, pessimistic, tantrums, aggressive

Knight of Wands: personal freedom, ambitious, fearless, warrior, hero, courageous, brave, trail-blazer, independent, active, traveller

Negative tendencies: impatient, hasty, dramatic, fiery, intense, forthright, direct,  reckless, foolhardy, rebellious, hasty

Page of Cups: sensitive, kind, happy, dreamy, loving, gentle, soft nature, peaceful, innocent, intuitive, vulnerable, friendly, trusting, creative, artistic, poetic

Negative tendencies: sad, naive, gullible, unhappy, broken hearted, overly sensitive, highly strung, tantrums, whining, fantasy world, obsessive

Knight of Cups: romantic, charmer, chivalrous, gallant, dreamer, imaginative, poetic, peace loving, harmonious, good dresser, caring, sensitive, refined, diplomatic.

Negative tendencies: seducer, lustful, one night stands, no commitment, user, too idealistic, moody, artful, deceptive, cheater, flighty

Page of Swords: intelligent, curious, alert, protective, mentally agile, articulate, talker, planner, loves to learn, high standards and morals, negotiator, analytical,

Negative tendencies:  defensive, argumentative, needs to be right, stubborn, guarded, suspicious, indecisive, ungrounded, cynical, sceptical

Knight of Swords – honest, direct, fearless, fast, brave, intelligent, assertive, articulate, debater, educated, knowledgeable, analytical, strategist, logical, facts, sharp, authoritative, single-minded, ambitious, trouble-shooter, witty, well-read,

Negative tendencies: bossy, argumentative, controlling, sarcastic, critical, tyrant, dictator, dishonest, manipulative

Page of Pentacles – organized, intelligent, dedicated, loyal, steadfast, ambitious, goal-setter, hard-worker, high-achiever, results oriented, cautious, committed, reliable, practical, down to earth, animal lover, productive, likes to save money, future oriented, long-term, traditional, conventional, homebody

Negative tendencies:  obsessed with order, lacks spontaneity, too cautious, afraid to spend money, super type A personality, OCD

Knight of Pentacles: committed, organized, excellent with money, hard-worker, professional, highly skilled, high standards, impeccable, successful, down-to-earth, loyal, tenacious, long-term plans, conservative, conventional, traditional, responsible, methodical, thorough,

Negative tendencies: Must have things done their way, inflexible mindset, cheap/refuse to spend, not generous with money, too methodical, too Type A, OCD, dogmatic, too traditional

5

CAREERS

Note on reversals: I don't consider reversals in this part of the reading. If you do, apply the same rules you would when interpreting reversals in regular readings.

Below are possible careers. Each suit has many possible careers. Similarly, one may have had more than one career in a lifetime. To determine which careers are most likely, consider the other cards drawn in sections 1-4. For example, if you pulled the fool card from the major arcana, and the page of cups for childhood, then for career you pulled a wands card, the likely career would be something creative.

Numbers: the numbers can indicate how far along they were on their career path. In this reading, we look less at the traditional meaning of the card and more at the numerological symbology and their ranking in their field. For example, the 10 of swords traditionally means hitting rock bottom, repeating lessons, and learning the hard way. However, in this reading, 10 represents highly developed in their field.

See a numbers guide below.

WANDS

Creative fields: writers, artists, musicians, designers, and anyone involved in expressing themselves through creative pursuits

Leadership roles: entrepreneurs, managers, political leaders

Spiritual leaders: pastors, priests, rabbis, ministers

CUPS

Caring professions: counselors, therapists, nurses, social workers

Hospitality and service: chefs, waiters, event planners, hoteliers, caterers

Creative and artistic jobs: musicians, actors, performers, writers, dancers, architect

SWORDS

Analytical and legal fields: lawyers, judges, researchers

Communication and media: journalists, editors, broadcasters, reporters, camera

Military and law enforcement: soldiers, police officers, legal assistants, court jobs

PENTACLES

Financial and business careers: accountants, bankers, investors, managing money

Trades: construction workers, farmers, electricians, plumbers, etc

Real Estate: agents, developers, property managers

Environment work: environmental conservationist, urban planners, archeologists, land landscapers

Numerology in Minor Arcana Past Life Career Reads:

Aces: novice, just starting out, intern, apprentice

2s: worked well in a team or partnership,

3s: collaborated well, possibly a team leader, creative problem solver, moving up the ladder

4s: stable in their career, respected, leader or manager, organized

5s: instigator of change in their field, beat to their own drum, possibly resented for going against the grain, professional in their field, innovative, rocked the boat.

6s: watched over others, protected colleagues, able to mentor and train lower level employees, set a good example, well developed in area of expertise

7s: professional and experienced in their field, likely became a professor, business owner

8s: high ranking in their field, overcame obstacles others couldn't, similar to 5s: 8s break down barriers possibly sacrificing a lot in the process (possibly died trying)

9s: career advancement, they progressed a lot in their field, valued progress, brought about progress, leader in their field

10s: masters in their field, likely achieved awards, highly accomplished. Possibly experts in more than one area. Well-known and respected in their field.