Past Life Tarot Spread

3 card tarot spread

Are you curious about your past lives and how they effect you today? This past life tarot spread will help you understand the challenges and lessons that you are currently experiencing which have been carried over from past lives.

You will also be able to identify the important lesson that you learned from a past life which can help you the most right now. Insight and understanding of past lives can be extremely helpful in transcending current challenges and this past life tarot spread helps you do just that!

1) Main challenge / theme of past lives:

  • Major lesson / issue that you are currently working on which has its roots in a past life (or past lives)
  • What you need to understand about your past life in order to transform your current life

2) How this theme shows up in current life:

  • Current situations which you are manifesting in order to learn the lesson carried over from your past life
  • How your past life issue is showing up today

3) Most important lesson you learned in a past life:

  • What you learned in a past life that will help you dissolve the issues you are having today
  • How you can use the wisdom you currently have to heal your past life issues

Here is my demo-video on how to do a past life reading using this spread:

If exploring past lives is of interest to you, I highly recommend Brian Weiss’s book Many Lives Many Masters and Past Lives, Present Miracles by Denise Linn.

See more tarot card spreads…

32 thoughts on “Past Life Tarot Spread”

  1. I am trying to do the past life spread. It is showing me 3 cards. All black, with just the meanings of each card on them. How do I see my ACTUAL 3 cards? I’m new at this

  2. Hi Kate I’m new at this I got the card Queen of swords , two of swords, and Queen of pentacles and I don’t really know what that means??

  3. I had :
    the Ermit
    the Emperor
    and the High Priestress.

    To my mind this spread have a connection with a past life monk/nun, and everything about Church people… What do you think ?

  4. I love this spread. I’m still in the beginning stages of learning Tarot and am not sure if I’m getting the full meaning, in particular my first card:

    Knight of Pentacles
    Ace of Cups
    The World

    Ace of Cups couldn’t be any more accurate about my current life. I definitely feel a spiritual awakening and a journey I feel within myself of getting to self love and self discovery. Which I feel ties into The World because I am transitions and starting or getting ready to go onto a different path in life. However, Knight of Pentacles throws me off. It was a jumper card so I had placed it first. But I’m not sure if it means that I was someone who kept working towards my dream? Or since I’m not really driven to anything materialistic but for happiness and joy in life, is that what I was working towards and still continue to as of today? Any who, thanks for this spread. I’m super excited to do this spread for my family and friends.

  5. Card 1: Justice
    Card 2: Nine of wands
    Card 3: King of swords

    I must have had something to do with legal matters. Being fair, putting aside my emotions and getting the job done in the best possible way.

  6. Jasmine Morris

    I got all 3’s of some form.

    My first card was the 3 of Pentacles.

    My second card was ‘The Empress’ which is number three in the major arcana.

    And finally I got the 3 of Wands…. what does this mean?

  7. Kyashi Komatsu

    Kate,
    Thank you for this blog post, as what I got on what my past life was completely correct. I’ve known what was my past life was but I didn’t know the lesson completely.
    I drew –
    Three of swords
    Queen of pentacles
    6 of cups

    In my past life I was a Samurai that was betrayed and killed by family members.
    This explains the three of swords as well as the 6 of cups. As I am attached to family for a long time in this life even when they do me harm.

    I believe that the Queen of pentacles points out that I give to much to others and deny myself in life. Also I tend to ignore the important purchases to splurge on things mainly for others.
    Eye opening how what I do know about my past life was confirmed in a tarot reading.

  8. I am brand new to tarot and have been guided or drawn to your site. I love the way you explain and make the overwhelming tarot seem much easier. I decided the only way to learn tarot is to use my cards (I have been hesitant). This morning I did my past life reading. It is as follows:

    The Magician (I have an entire toolbox to work with from my past life. Through practice I can achieve balance and knowledge.)

    Seven of Swords (I am careful and willful but sometimes “leave things of the table” (my 2 swords). I should use the power of my past life to help me become more focused on all aspects of my life.

    Ten of Pentacles (I was a little confused by this one. Perhaps I need to give of myself to my community and to a network outside of my typical surroundings. Am I missing this aspect in my life; and, if I can work on this, it will bring balance.) ??

    Kate, I would love for you to help me figure this out.

    Thank you.

    1. I’m glad you found my site, Elane and thank you for sharing your reading here πŸ™‚
      I don’t do Tarot interpretations for people anymore (just don’t have the time!), but perhaps another reader will give you their two cents here?
      Cheers,
      Kate

  9. Hi tara
    I drew first card …father 2nd greco roman
    3rd karmic relations and phobias as 4th card what cud this mean
    Pls tell

  10. Hi Kate, I’ve recently been going on several sites pertaining to tarot cards; the major arcana, and the minors. I’ve over many many years have enjoyed both horoscope readings, as well as tarot readings. I consider myself hyper aware of my surrounding’s and my emotional state of mind. I would like nothing more than to understand the meanings of the tarot cards and spreads ????. I LOVE the Large tarot cards, I also along with having the large deck, I very much also would like bold and beautiful cards ???? that I can just look at and study what I see within each card. Can you recommend a deck that is both large and colorful; and easy for first beginners’ such as myself. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you,
    Rhonda

    1. Hi Rhonda,
      I love big cards as well. The Sirian Starseed Tarot by Patricia Cori has big cards and would be fairly easy for a beginner. Tarot of the Water (by 78 Tarot Nautical) is another good one worth checking out. Druidcraft Tarot is wonderful – big cards, gorgeous artwork and perfect for beginners. Hope that gives you some good ideas!
      Cheers,
      Kate

  11. Kate I’m new to this so I thought I try past life reading and I got
    Card 1 The star
    Card 2 The empress
    Card 3. Daughter of cups.
    Please help me understand

  12. Thank you for your wonderful website! Ive recently been re-introduced to Tarot from back in the day when a single tarot book was my only source of information. I was really intrigued by this spread and the results were very accurate and quite beautiful.

    I knew when to stop shuffling and to cut the deck with the first two cards (eight of air, five of water) but for the final card it just didn’t feel right to stop. Two cards jumped out of the deck and I took note of them and placed them back, knowing that if they re-appear, they’d be right…lo-and-behold, after a few minutes of indecisive shuffling the very same two cards jumped out again. Nine of fire and the Hierophant. Made me smile ?

    1. I love it when stuff like that happens when I’m reading! It feels almost magical to me…and a bit creepy, LOL!
      Thanks for your compliment, Emma – I’m happy you’re enjoying my site πŸ™‚

  13. I’m fairly new to reading tarot cards and I have found your site very useful and easy to follow. My question is should you always read the card in reverse when it is turned that way? Or only for specific layouts? When I did this layout my first card was the 10 of pentacles reversed, second was the 7 of pentacles, and third was the wheel of fortune… I wasn’t sure if I should read the 10 of pentacles reversed or not? Also this is the first time I have pulled the wheel of fortune and I had a hard time interpreting it, can you give me some insight?
    Thank you for sharing your wonderful gifts!

    1. Hi Nicole,
      Good to hear your finding my site helpful πŸ™‚ Thank you!
      You don’t ever have to read reversed cards. I don’t. I don’t like to so I just shuffle my cards in such a way so that they always end up upright. This isn’t cheating, so don’t worry. Some readers read reversals, some don’t – it’s just a matter of preference.

      cheers,
      Kate

  14. Hi Kate, I tried this spread yesterday and got a very interesting result – one that I felt was “spot on”. Although I used the Starseed Tarot in the traditional they would be: 7 of Cups for the Past (1) card, Ace of Wand for (2) Present challenge, and the Emperor (3) for Most important lesson learnt in past life. However this last card, the Emperor was Reversed, so I take it that the lesson is to challenge the accepted way of thinking, and not to be dominated by male authority. I am correct in this interpretation I wonder?

    1. That’s a fantastic interpretation of The Emperor, Caroline – I think your spot on. I don’t read with reversals much (well, not really at all, actually) but your interpretation makes total sense, especially in the context of the other cards.

      Cheers!
      Kate

  15. Sarah Catherine

    I have recently been looking though things about past lives and have had some interesting and a bit disturbing happen to me. I dreamed about a past life a day ago and after much thought i believe is really is. but all i can remember is a small detail, how her hair looked. I did a hypnosis regeneration early today and thought i was going room have a panic attack,trouble treating and just uneasy” and when i finally went thought the β€œdoor” i only saw my shoes, which kept shifting to bare feet and back, and i think an old London-y street. Then it was almost like my body threw me out of the trance. And before i found your spread a tried to do a reading on her and for the most part it connected pretty well and to me now. but there where parts that counter acted those. i contribute that to the fact i new to reading cards.
    Have you heard of anything like this? and what do you suggest i do? I want to learn more about her (me?) but its almost like something is trying to stop me..

  16. Hi Kate,
    I am new for tarot reading . I have bought the card of Rider Waite . Today I am very exited to know about my result . I had spread 3 cards of whole day. In Morning I got ( The Sun) , In Afternoon ( Five of Wands), and in Evening ( Three of pentacle ) . Can you tell me please that what the spread tell us . I will thankful to you.

  17. Hello Kate, first I want to say how you much I have learned from you. Your an amazing teacher and i wanted to thank you! πŸ™‚ I did a reading for my son regarding his past life and the 4 of cups came up as the first card….I hope that I have him the right info. I told him his pride was in the way and was stubborn with accepting things from others, be it emotionally or advice, etc. I also said that he seemed dissatisfied with himself, like he was putting himself..did I read that card right? The other two were temperance and page of swords..
    Love and light,
    Tara
    . P.s. You have and are doing a wonderful thing I am so happy I was drawn to your page.

    1. Hi Tara!
      Thank you so much for your compliments πŸ™‚ I am really touched that you enjoy my site so much and I love to hear from those who have tried out my spreads. I think you interpreted the 4 of cups perfectly! It can also signify being bored easily and perhaps feeling dissatisfied with life, but not really doing much about it.
      Good luck with your Tarot readings and thank you for leaving a comment πŸ™‚
      Hugs,
      Kate

  18. Hi kate
    Just did this spread and im confused how to interpret the four of swords for the main theme/challenge in my past life. Was i ill in my past life? Id love to hear what you think
    Thanks xx

    1. Hi Ian,
      I saw your question here, and I thought maybe I would take a shot at helping you discover the meaning. The 4 of Swords is about taking a break, and getting a much needed rest, separating yourself from a difficult situation, making a clean break, and looking at problems from a distance. Do you have issues with resting or taking breaks from work, or things you are involved in? I know in our technologically advanced world, it can be hard to separate ourselves from work or the stresses of daily life, and truly take a break. Any thoughts?

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