I just love this 1978 video of The Who, recording Who Are You? Look how young and enthusiastic they are about the sounds they are raising! I think of this song when I offer clients the the Who WERE You Exercise (WWYE). Who? Who? Who? Who?
PSST!
If you don’t believe in past lives, maybe try a different exercise! If you don’t like The Who, turn to Led Zeplin!
The WWYE asks Tarot querrants to identify with a past life, through their imagination, intuition, feelings, and breath. Have you explored your past lives intentionally? Have they become known to you in surprising ways? Do you have a sense of your most recent former lifetime? If you can’t recall you most previous past life, but have a strong feeling about a long ago past life, you can focus on that one. The key is to choose one, the most recent is ideal. Whether you know who you’ve been or not, you can imagine a past life. The WWYE invites you to try.
The WWYE
Prepare for your experience by setting up for what comes after the exercise. Choose a glass from your kitchen cupboard and fill it with drinking water, add ice if you like. You might prefer to put a pot of tea to steep. Set your beverage aside, next to your writing journal and pen.
Disable your electronic devices and sit quietly to clear your mind. Take a couple deep breaths to center yourself, whatever that means to you, then…
IMAGINE who you were in the last life you lived. What did you wear? Where were you living? Who was your family of origin? What language did you speak? What was the landscape of your past life?
INTUIT what your former self would say to you today. What wisdom can they offer across time and location? Listen with your heart to your past person.
FEEL who you were in your body. Where do you sense your former self? Awaken each part of your body into your past life. Where do you feel a heavy sensation? Any tingling?
BREATH into your former life. Take three full breaths. On the intake, embody the wisdom gifted from the past you, on the outbreath thank yourself for connecting and sharing.
After you take the three closing breaths, carefully attend to your current body and CLAP YOUR HANDS! Drink your water or tea, as you make detailed notes about your experience in your journal. If you didn’t intuit a name for your former self, make one up. Choose something that feels right in the moment.
In the long run, you can refer to your former self for wisdom and strength when their wisdom fits a circumstance. Invoke their name, in your mind or outloud, call them into your actions. Let them provide clarity or guide you through sticky situations.
Adapt the WWYE for a night-time dream.
Try this exercise before you sleep. Ask your guides for help in dreaming about your past life. Maybe you want to dream you meet yourself, or you might dream as your former self. Be sure to thank your guides, and your former self for connecting. Be sure to make notes in your journal before and AFTER your sleep.