One of the tarot decks I picked up last year is called the Ghost Tarot. And the images are lovely, with ghostly figures playing a big role, but the book clarifies that ghosts can be seen as the memories of the past, of emotions or experiences as much as people. And I think that is a really interesting perspective.
Thinking about Samhain and getting in touch with ancestors, made me think about my own inner ghosts. The parts of me that I have out grown or have moved beyond. We all have ghosts of our former selves, the people who we were at different places in our lives. There is a lot of talk about our inner child, but we may have many child selves, stuck like insects in amber, frozen at the moment of their purest experience. Each one can effect us in different ways, and may continue to 'haunt' us if we haven't fully resolved the issues that surround them.
But I don't think our ghosts are always forged in bad experiences. We may have ghosts of our self when we were at peak moments, those special times where everything is perfect, and in that moment we loose a part of our Self because that person who is fully immersed in the bliss can't accept what happens when the moment passes. Reaching out to these ghosts lets us tap into that pure innocence and absolute belief that everything is wonderful.
Past self ghosts remind me a little of archetypes, and yet they aren't really the same thing. The maiden archetype may encompass the ghost of our teenage self, but our ghost is a specific being. While anyone can connect with the maiden archetype, and we may even see her in the guise of our teenage self, she isn't who we were, at that time in our life. Our ghosts are unique to us, because they ARE us, at a point in our past. Trying to interact with them as if they were an archetype can lead to frustration, because our ghosts have particular needs and desires.
If you think about the definition of a ghost as a spirit who has unfinished business, that can be helpful in figuring out how to work with your own ghosts. Think about the person you were, when you were the ghost. What lies unfinished from that point in your life? What can you work on to help bring peace to this ghost? I don't think our ghost selves ever truly leave us, but I do think they can be appeased so they don't haunt us.
It's also interesting to think about ghosts of future selves. I think we can easily create ghosts of what we fear may happen to us in the future. If we are struggling to find love, we may summon a ghost of our future self where we never found 'the one', and were forever alone. This ghost can create even more insecurity as it will constantly remind you that you could grow up and become the ghost you fear.
I see this a lot in my own life, in the fear of 'becoming my mother'. Don't get me wrong, I love my mother, but she isn't me, and I don't want to be her. But there are moments where I feel the presence of 'her as me' in my life, where I see ways in which I am acting more like her than like me.
Another ghost we may find is that of the forgotten one. There may be times in your life that you don't find remarkable, and the ghost self who lived those times may feel neglected. I feel like all of our life, even the less memorable parts, shape us into who we are. There may be whole years where you feel like you didn't accomplish anything, or that you just went about your daily business trying to 'get by'. It is well worth seeking out those ghosts and spending time with them. Find out what they have brought to your life and how you can honor them.
I think that most of the traditional ways of dealing with ghosts can be used for our past self ghosts. If you are being seriously haunted by a past self, then you can absolutely set protections to keep their influence limited. But I see protections as a bandage: they may help in the moment (which can be very necessary!), but ultimately you need to deal with the ghost and find a way to come to terms with it, or you will be forever casting protections trying to keep it at bay (while it constantly tries to get your attention).
The method I like most for working with past self ghosts is kind of like a seance. I think that what causes our ghosts to interfere in our lives is their unfinished business, and the best way to help them resolve their issues (and thus help our lives move forward with their help instead of their hindrance) is to spend time getting to know them. This might mean doing dream work, letting the ghost 'possess' you in your dreams (or meditations) and stepping back into that phase of your life and seeing what is important to your ghost self.
You can also sit and talk with them. Depending on what methods work best for you, this might mean a meditation where you see them sitting next to you and you have a conversation. Or you might use oracle cards or some other divination method to let them answer you. It may help to have the full ritual structure, with a circle cast, especially if the ghost is particularly troublesome. Some Ceremonial workings with spirits involve summoning them into a particular space (traditionally a triangle from what I understand). This way the spirit (or ghost in this case) is limited in how they can effect your space. If you are working with a ghost that is bringing up issues in your life, be sure to send them away once you are done working with them!
Once you start building relationships with your ghosts, you can start to work with them, like other spirit allies. The peaceful ghosts my be the easiest to work with, but remember that the other ghosts are forged in hardship, so when a similar situation comes around, they may be very well suited to help you deal with it. If you are comfortable with it (and them), consider letting them take charge during such situations, or at least asking for their advice.
Our ghosts may have been us, at different points in our lives, but they are not who we are today. And yet, they will always be connected to us, and we will always carry a little bit of them inside of us. Being able to work with your ghosts can help you solve problems that they would otherwise bring to your life, and it gives you a new set of allies to work with, and new tools for sorting out issues in your life. No matter how intense the memory might be, it is worth facing our fears and getting in touch with our inner ghosts, so that we can get to know them and embrace them instead of running away.
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