Understanding Past Life Curses, Vows and Ties: How to Heal, Break, and Balance Your Karma
"Karma is not fate. Karma is an opportunity to change our actions, thoughts, and words for a better future."
Paramahansa Yogananda
In the journey of life, many of us encounter recurring patterns, challenging relationships, and unresolved emotional struggles that seem to follow us despite our best efforts to move forward. These experiences may be rooted in karmic cycles and past life connections that influence our present reality. Understanding and healing these karmic ties is a powerful step toward personal growth, spiritual evolution, and inner peace.
Life is a journey full of moments of joy and sorrow, success and struggle, and the unexpected twists that define our existence. Along this intricate path, sometimes we find ourselves tangled in frustrating patterns and cycles that seem unbreakable and impossible to overcome. These are the echoes of our past that ripple through time and shape our future. They are the manifestations of our actions and reactions, a cosmic dance of cause and effect.
In this post we'll delve into the purpose of karmic cycles, their impact on our lives, and how we can transcend them to ascend to a higher level of consciousness.
"The only way out is Through"
Understanding Energy Cycles
How do you know if you're stuck in cycle of negative energy from the past?
It can manifest in various forms such as:
persistent misfortune
frequent illness
frequent accidents
unusual bad luck
nightmares or other sleep disturbances
familiar but frustrating patterns
recurring encounters with specific individuals
confronting our deepest fears
These are usually a result of past life energies in the form of
curses
contracts
commitments
agreements
vows
oats
bindings
alliances
allegiances
hexes
The thoughts we think, the words we speak, and the deeds we perform are not meaningless and random; they actually create a series of steps along our path. These imprints, known as karma, carry their outcomes from one life to the next, etching our destiny into the collective memory of our soul.
But why do karmic or planetary cycles exist? Because they are fundamental to our evolution. They present us with the valuable opportunities to understand our existance, grasp life's profound lessons, fostering our growth and guiding us toward a higher plane of consciousness.
These cycles are not something that we can ever speed up or skip over. We must simply endure them, and ask our spirit guides for protection to get through as safely and joyously as possible. We must surrender and let them pass on their own.
"The obstacle is the path."
Zen Proverb
Past Life Vows or Oaths
Past life cycles refer to the concept that our souls have lived multiple lives, each one leaving "programming" that carries over into our current existence. These energy pathways often manifest as unresolved lessons, emotions, or behaviors that repeat across different lifetimes until they are fully understood and integrated.
Vows are heartfelt promises or soul-commitments made at some point in a past life. Unbeknownst to us, these become deeply entwined in our core energy and may remain in effect through multiple lifetimes if not resolved.
We can be so many different things in our past life. Perhaps you were a monk, or a nun, or a healer. Perhaps you were a slave, a dictator, or a warrior. All of these carry their own karmic energy which influences your future incarnations and may manifest as related challenges or entanglements.
There are various types of past life vows that can influence one's current life:
1. Religious or Spiritual Vows
Monastic vows: Promises of celibacy, chastity, poverty, and obedience or conformity
Vows of silence: A commitment to refrain from speaking as a spiritual practice.
Vows of devotion: Complete dedication to a deity, spiritual path, or cause.
Ascetic vows: Committing to a life of simplicity, self-denial, and discipline.
Vows of poverty or scarcity: Renouncing material possessions, abundance and wealth for spiritual purity or discipline
2. Relationship Vows
Marriage vows: Promises of love, loyalty, and companionship
Vows of loyalty: Swearing lifelong allegiance or fidelity to a partner, friend, or community.
Vows of protection: Promises to safeguard or defend someone, even in future lives.
3. Vows of Sacrifice or Service
Self-denial: Renouncing personal happiness or desires for the sake of others or a cause.
Martyrdom vows: Promising to suffer or die for a belief or cause.
Vows of service: Pledging to serve others or a higher purpose, often in a sacrificial or humble role
Healer’s oath: Swearing to heal others physically, emotionally, or spiritually
Vows of compassion: Committing to alleviate suffering and care for others.
Vows to repay a karmic debt: Pledging to right past wrongs or to balance previous actions.
4. Power Vows
Vows of dominance: Pledging control, authority, or power over others,
Vows of revenge: Swearing to seek retribution or justice
Vows of protection: Committing to protect a kingdom, community, or people
Oaths of secrecy: Promises to keep sacred or dangerous knowledge hidden
Vows of wealth: Promising to accumulate wealth or resources for a specific cause or group.
5. Vows of Self-Improvement or Mastery
Perfection vows: Committing to achieving a certain level of skill, wisdom, or mastery, which might lead to karmic lessons related to success or failure.
Vows of wisdom: Promising to dedicate one’s life to the pursuit of knowledge or enlightenment.
Vows to break a cycle: Swearing to end destructive patterns or relationships, thus healing karmic wounds
These vows could impact one’s current life in many ways- influencing one's personality, values, and recurring life themes. Almost all of them involve a transfer of power from one person or energy entity to another, and thus continue to operate in the background of our lives, generations later.
Vows usually manifest as anything that constantly or consistently holds us back
indecision
discomfort
difficulty
overwhelm
self-sabotage
suffering
striving
Energies tied to past lifetimes don’t simply disappear; they continue to affect us until they are cleared and healed. That's why it's important to identify and release these disempowering commitments, allowing you to regain your personal power and move forward in your life.
"What we call the present is given shape by an accumulation of the past."
Haruki Murakami
Karmic Relationships
Karmic relationships are connections we form with others based on unfinished business from past lives. These relationships can be intense and difficult, and are often characterized by a deep sense of familiarity. The purpose of these relationships is to teach us important life lessons and to help us balance karma—an accumulation of the actions, intentions, and decisions we’ve made across lifetimes.
Our lives are full of karmic relationships. These people, often disguised as "toxic, abusive or narcissistic" friends, family, lovers, bosses, coworkers or neighbors, show up in our lives for one reason: to help us heal and grow.
It's easy to think that if something or someone is consistently causing us anger, disappointment, frustration, confusion, pain and suffering that we need to cut ties and move on. However this is a somewhat limited, 3D way of thinking.
When we are living in a condition or "unawakened" state we may believe that people are out to get us, or trying to hurt us rather than help us. We may wrongly label other's behavior as narcissistic or toxic, just because we don't like them. We may falsely assume every unpleasant experience is a result of our trauma or triggers. Every disagreement, conflict, or feeling of is not being gaslight or abused.We may bottle our emotions in and hide behind the superficial advice of online experts and "pop psychologists."
For those who have stepped onto a spiritual path of growth, however, you will see that all relationships actually serve a purpose: to teach us, to further our journey, to change us for the better. They're meant to be a force for good in our lives by pushing us towards a more loving vibration, towards a higher consciousness.
We shouldn't resist these people in our lives. We shouldn't judge them, label them, run from them assuming their worst - not ours. When we meet these people in our lives, we must search inside of ourselves to find the reason why we attract them and heal that part of us. We must do whatever we can to stop the suffering and release the toxic pattern.
Karmic relationships might cause us to work harder at first, but once the work is done, the lesson is learned and we feel more equipped, ready or at peace, the universe responds. The relationship either becomes suddenly lighter, or more positive. It could also slow dissolve, or completely fizzle out as if it were never there in the first place.
“Karma, when properly understood, is just the mechanics through which consciousness manifests.”
Deepak Chopra
The "Witch Wound" Within
'Witch' is a term with many meanings. The etymological roots of the word witch are mixed and mysterious. But many believe it can be traced back to the Indo-European word "weid" – which means both “to see” and “to know.”
As you may notice, this is also a derivative of "weird". Over time the word 'witch" has evolved. Its been an accusation, a slur, a fear, a story, a fairytale, and a children's costume.
But in the beginning, a witch was someone who was recognized as a lightworker or healer, someone who could see possibility everywhere, even in the ordinary.
To be a witch doesn’t mean that you manipulate reality to your liking. It means that your perception of reality goes farther than normal, and that you can perceive the presence of freedom, peace, prosperity in all things.
The Witch Wound refers to an ancestral fear from a deep, collective trauma experienced primarily by women and those in touch with their intuitive or healing gifts, stemming from the historical persecution of witches and healers during witch hunts. This wound is rooted in fear, shame, and the suppression of feminine power, often manifesting as a fear of being visible, speaking one's truth, or embracing spiritual practices.
The Witch Wound can create blocks around
self-expression
leadership
intuition
spirituality
sexuality
Many of us have a collective fear around what it means to be outspoken, to be visible and to show up in our lives. We have an unconscious fear of being judged, ridiculed, rejected, or punished for our authentic gifts or wisdom.
We tell ourselves, "If I use my voice, if I do what I want, if I'm honest about who I am, somebody will persecute me for it."
It is heartbreaking to logically, and spiritually know that we live in a free and abundant world but we still always carry a fear within us that something bad is going to happen. So we're always making ourselves smaller, always hiding in the background, not fully reaching our full potential.
Healing the Witch Wound involves reclaiming one’s inner power, embracing intuitive gifts, and releasing the fear of rejection.
The Laws of Karma
Karma operates under the principle of cause and effect—what you put out into the universe through your actions and intentions will come back to you.
Karmic cycles represent patterns or lessons we are meant to learn through repeated experiences, often tied to unresolved emotions or unhealed trauma. To exit these cycles, individuals must fully integrate the lessons presented. This involves recognizing harmful behaviors or tendencies, healing emotional wounds, and choosing new actions aligned with higher consciousness .
Many spiritual teachings emphasize that the only way to overcome negative karma is by taking responsibility for past actions and generating positive karma through compassionate and self-aware behavior .
The unresolved aspects of ourselves—our shadow—will continue to influence our behavior unless we bring light to it - confront and healing those parts of ourself. When we engage with karmic situations openly consciously, we create the potential for true transformation.
Instead of reacting from old wounds, we must consciously change our response and take steps that reflect our matured growth and understanding. Healing is demonstrated through new actions and behaviors that break the karmic loop.
"Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at the moment."
Eckhart Tolle
Breaking, Balancing & Healing Your Karma
We cannot bypass karmic laws; instead, we must work within them, showing that you’ve learned the lesson embedded in the karmic challenge through your actions.
In order to liberate ourselves from the grip of karmic cycles, we must embark on an inner journey. And this path to breaking free from our negative patterns, thoughts and behaviors isn't easy. It means consciously committing to deep introspection
self-reflection
self-awareness
self-compassion
self-love
self-preservation
It demands we look at our unresolved emotions up close, and confront our past actions head-on.
As we break free from the constraints of karmic cycles, we find ourselves on the cusp of personal transformation. This journey heralds greater peace, wisdom, and happiness as we balance our karma. Eventually our energy will vibrate at a higher frequency, attracting experiences and individuals in harmony with our newfound state of being.
Recognizing Karmic Patterns
The first step in healing from karmic cycles is to recognize the patterns in your life that seem to repeat without resolution. These could include:
Recurrent Relationship Issues: Finding yourself in similar, often challenging relationships with different people.
Emotional Triggers: Experiencing strong emotional reactions to certain situations that feel disproportionate to the current context.
Unresolved Conflicts: Struggling with ongoing issues or problems that seem to have no clear origin or solution.
Recognizing these patterns can provide insights into the karmic lessons your soul is trying to learn.
Accept the Situation. We might think we won’t survive a negative or challenging chapter . But we always do, and these circumstances in our lives will put us directly on the path of our dreams, purpose, and self-love.
For that to happen, we need to accept the karmic curse, relationship or cycle, and acknowledge that it could be our own doing from another lifetime.
Of course it is easier to shift the blame, whine, complain or wallow in self-pity, but that doesn’t change anything. The moment we take responsibility of our own actions (in the present and the past), we automatically step into a higher vibration: the frequency of Awareness.
"I Revoke, Recant, Rescind, Reclaim, Renounce, Denounce, and Destroy all spells that keep me from my own magic. All known and unknown agreements that are no longer useful or serving me are now null and void."
Let Go. Avoid going into our ego space, thinking we will heal, control, change, or transform this situation on our own. We should always strive to surrender our attachment to outcome to the divine instead. Afterall no one can actually understand the karmic web until the karma is completely resolved. We can never know what will happen with complete accuracy, and we don’t know what is for our highest good. Sometimes people and situations are not what they seem- they're all part of a larger plan, a web, a puzzle.
Seeking Guidance: Go inward to seek guidance and intuitive answers when contemplating whether you have past life vows to release. This can be done through quiet contemplation, dreams, or intuitive insights.
Identify Your Patterns: Recognize the areas in your life where you feel stuck, stagnant. Understanding your patterns is the first step in breaking free from past karma.
Ask for Reparations: In spiritual and metaphysical traditions, the idea of reparations involves acknowledging past harm, whether personal or ancestral, and making amends through acts of service, compassion, and restitution. Reparations can be a part of healing past life wounds by addressing karmic imbalances and unresolved emotional, psychological, or energetic debts from previous lifetimes. This process can release negative karmic cycles, restore harmony, and promote deeper healing at a soul level, allowing individuals to move forward free from the burdens of past-life trauma or mistakes. By consciously engaging in reparative actions, one can clear old wounds and foster spiritual growth and renewal.
Take New Actions: Assess your habitual behaviors and be open to changing them if they no longer serve your well-being. Doing good deeds daily can help generate positive karma. Act with mindfulness,kindness, compassion, and integrity to create positive karma and balance out past energies. Present action and intention can also help reclaim your power.
To release a vow of Silence: make the decision to use your voice and speak up.
To release a vow of Chastity: allow and seek pleasure in all areas of your life.
To release a vow of Poverty: actively pursue financial opportunities and practice gratitude for what you have.
To release a vow of Self-Sacrifice: Prioritize self-care and personal well-being, setting healthy boundaries and honoring your needs.
To release a vow of Obedience or Loyalty: Step into your autonomy, making independent decisions and trusting your instincts,
To release a vow of Humility: Embrace your self-worth, celebrating your accomplishments and confidently accepting praise or recognition for your efforts.
To release a vow of Suffering: Allow yourself to experience joy and happiness without guilt or shame by seeking out activities and environments that uplift your spirit.
To release a vow of Isolation: Actively build and nurture relationships, reaching out to others, joining communities, and allowing yourself to connect with others on a deeper level.
“Many souls who are reunited in this lifetime have met before in other lifetimes. They are learning and growing from each other. This learning may include challenges and pain, but it is all for a higher purpose.”
Dr. Brian L. Weiss
Transforming Karmic Relationships
Karmic relationships, while challenging, offer profound opportunities for growth. Transforming these relationships begins with:
Open Communication: Engage in honest and compassionate communication with the other person involved. Often, karmic relationships bring unresolved emotions to the surface; addressing these openly can lead to healing.
Sever Ties: Distance yourself from toxic individuals whose energy brings negativity and stress into your life. This doesn't mean harboring ill will, judgement or resentment, but simply creating farther space and setting healthy boundaries if it is too toxic or no longer serves your growth.
Learning from Mistakes Ask yourself what this relationship is teaching you. Avoid dwelling on the past but take responsibility for your actions and admit your past wrongdoings. And of course, commit to making better decisions in the future.
Practice Forgiveness: Forgiveness is a powerful tool to break free from bad karma. Holding onto negativity only fuels negative cycles, so letting go of anger, bitterness, and frustration is crucial for your spiritual growth.
This goes for ourselves too. We may have thoughts like, “How dumb could I have been? How could I not see that? Why did I ignore the red flags?" We might be confused or in shock for some time by the blunders we did—or that the other person did.
That said, forgive EVERYONE involved. Take the change and the growth that ensued with you, and leave the rest.
"Let Them" Sometimes we tolerate more than we should because we don't want to lose someone, or risk the discomfort of angering them, or feeling alone. But the people that are meant to stay longterm in our lives (our soul-tribe, our karmic "gifts" rather than our 'punishments" ) would not treat you with disrespect in the first place. They wouldn't lie to you, hurt you and then blatantly not seem to care, or apologize, or take accountability.
Those behaviors, words and actions are all the closure you need, screaming at you to LET THEM GO. Let them be themselves, and go on your own way.Know that Access to you is a privilege they have proven they can’t be trusted with. Hold tight to what you can control (your peace) and release your grip on what you can’t control (them)
Let them be upset.
Let them judge you.
Let them misunderstand you.
Let them gossip about you,
Let them ignore you.
Let them be "right."
Let them doubt you.
Let them slander you.
Don’t let them smother your joy.
Don’t let them diminish your light.
Don’t let them steal your peace.
Don't let them take your power.
Nourish Your Spirit: Engage in activities that promote your health and well-being: nutrition, exercise, sleep, meditation and creative self-expression.
Visualization: Channel images from your past where you witness or experience a serene life of complete freedom, simplicity and inner peace. Visualize yourself cutting cords or breaking chains that link you to negative past energies
Work in the Collective: Karmic cycles are not solely individual experiences. They can also occur in entire communities, cultures, and societies. Widespread cruelty, violence, and oppression can weave intricate karmic threads that shape our shared experiences, relationships, and the world itself.
Recognize and acknowledge the consequences of our shared actions. Work in advocacy, education, and policy changes to co-create a world that transcends the limitations of collective negative karma.
Invocation or Cord-cutting Rituals
Consciously declare your intent to sever any unwanted spiritual or karmic connections from the past. Call in your protection from a higher power or divine source to reinforce your release and encourage new, more healed paths to emerge.
A cord-cutting ritual is a spiritual practice used to release energetic attachments or ties to people, past relationships, or situations that no longer serve your growth, promoting emotional and energetic freedom.
To perform a cord-cutting ritual, follow these steps:
Create a Sacred Space: Find a quiet space, light candles or incense, lay out crystals, music, and set your intention for the ritual.
Visualize the Cord: Close your eyes and imagine an energetic cord connecting you to the person, relationship, or situation you want to release.
State Your Intention: Say out loud or in your mind what you are cutting ties from and why, emphasizing your desire for emotional or spiritual freedom.
"I release all that no longer serves me, with love and gratitude."
"I cut the energetic cords, commitments and vows that bind me, and I reclaim my power and peace."
"I forgive and let go, freeing myself from past pain and attachments."
"I honor the lessons from this experience and now release it with compassion."
"I am whole and complete on my own, and I move forward with clarity and strength."
"I send love and healing to all involved, as I step into my highest potential."
"I release fear, anger, and resentment, and invite peace, harmony, and growth."
"I sever this connection with grace, knowing that new opportunities and relationships await me."
"I trust in the process of healing and allow the universe to guide me to greater freedom."
"With this act, I set myself free and open my heart to new experiences and joy."
"I resolve and clear any ties or binds with any people, places belifs, habits, experiences and energies not aligned with my abundance, unconditional love and peace."
4. Cut the Cord: Visualize or use a physical gesture, like moving your hand or using a ritual tool (e.g., scissors or knife), to "cut" the cord.
5. Release and Ground: Picture the cord dissolving, release any lingering emotions, and ground yourself through deep breathing or meditation.
6. Close the Ritual: Express gratitude for the lesson or experience, and visualize yourself cleansed and free of the attachment.
"I release all curses, conditioning, commitments, and contracts that no longer serve my highest good. I hereby rewrite my souls history into one with balanced and harmonious abundance, autonomy, peace and prosperity."
Clearing & Cleansing: After releasing vows or rebuking a curse, do a physical cleansing ritual to clear any residual energies in your auric field, and protect against further harm or negativity.
Rosemary Bath: Soak in a rosemary-infused bath
Smoke Cleansing: Use sage, rosemary, or mugwort to purify your space and body.
Salt Barrier: Create a protective barrier with salt around your home to ward off bad spirits.
Citrus Aura Cleanse: Use a salted lemon to cleanse your aura and remove negative energy.
Lemon on Altar: Place lemons on an altar with a white candle to absorb and dispel negative energy.
Burn Incense: Use bay leaves, cinnamon, and or incense to release bad energies.
Pray: Use prayer, directed to your higher power or the universe
Burning Ritual: Burn a mixture of garlic, chili, sage, salt, and a paper description of the curse to destroy negative energy.
Seek Guidance. If the journey seems too complex and overwhelming to tackle on your own, seek guidance and support from professional experts, counselors, shamans, healers and guides who can offer valuable tools, techniques, perspective and insights. Experts who specialize in past life regression, Akashic Records (where your soul's information is stored across lifetimes), reiki or karmic healing can be invaluable.
“Change yourself—do not expect the whole world to change for you.”
Yukteswar Giri Maharaj
Wrapping It Up
Two factors of life: 1) All suffering is temporary. 2) We are all here to learn and grow.
As we embark on the path of healing and growth, both individually and collectively, we inch closer to a world where peace, wisdom, and happiness prevail.
Each of us is engaged in our own karmic battle, and by identifying and addressing our unresolved karma, we can experience liberation and fulfill our greater life purpose.
There is a profound interconnectedness of every action and experience. Breaking free from karmic cycles is the key to accessing a higher plane of consciousness.
While the power to heal lies within you, this transformative odyssey is not one we should undertake fully alone. I am here. How can I support you?
"To exit a karmic cycle, you must return to the timeline where the damage initially occured and show up with the healed response. You must demonstrate that you've integrated the lessons with rectified behavior. You cannot subvert the Laws of Karma. You can only work with them."
Erin is a certified feng shui consultant, energy healer, wellness coach and holistic growth strategist.
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