Old Crafts

[fireflydancing]

How many of you feel a connection to an old craft, although you were never trained in this?

We all have lived so many times and we must have gathered so many experiences over time. It's just a shame that this knowledge is also lost every time we leave our lives. Just by coincidence, I've picked up some crafts that I used to do in my former lives.
The most recent one is spinning wool. I never had an interest in this craft, and thought it was a kind of prison work (read: a kind of punishment). A few months ago I happened to be offered beautiful sheep wool as a mulch for my garden, but I couldn't use it. It was too beautiful. I searched for my old wooden spindle and started spinning. Wow, that went very well. After one week, I felt a lot of itching in my feet as if they wanted to participate as well. So I went looking for a cheap spinning wheel. I found a second-hand spinning wheel and the lady offered three hours of spinning class for free as well. I had never touched a spinning wheel in my life, and I started spinning immediately as if I had done it all my life. The lady even said: what are you doing here? You already know how to spin. Well, no, never done it before, except for using the spindle the week before.
Then I started weaving, haha, also something that is new to me.

So much fun, I also need to learn knitting now

In my memories, visions, and flashes, I have seen my hands on several occasions. In my life on the island, I've seen my hands making skeins of wool. So I must have had a spinning experience as well. And in my life as a young Maya girl, I've seen my hands weaving a cloth. Not on a big loom, but backstrap weaving.
But there must have been so much more occasions in which I have worked with fibers in all those lives in the past. I didn't understand why I never had any interest in these crafts, I even disliked them, and now all of a sudden I find so much joy in all the stages of preparing wool, dying wool, carding, combing, spinning, and so on. Then I watched a conversation about historical Viking wool combs on Youtube and one of the ladies said: I am so happy that it is just a hobby because when I had to comb and spin the wool every day, day in, day out, I would detest it. That ignited the light bulb in my head: Yesss... spinning and wool preparation had had a negative connotation for me because somewhere in the past I had no choice. Today I do have a choice and I enjoy doing it. I do notice that I am my own strict teacher. Somehow I feel bound to produce good quality and I do not allow myself to skip parts of the preparations.

Another 'craft' that I learned myself is preparing medicines. Making balms, tinctures and so on. I don't sell them but I do teach others to make them in workshops. It's a compulsive hobby. Really, I have so many dried herbs, bottles, and herbal oils in my home. I grow medicinal herbs in my garden or I forage in the wild. Its really compulsive, it's hard to explain. Especially, because I have less than zero intention to prescribe anything to anybody. I just want to prepare. And to make good quality as well and then... nothing. I have some clues where this is coming from but only circumstantial evidence, lol, no clear memories.

I assume I am not the only one with some specific strong interests that might be related to former lives. Anybody who can relate to this?

 

[Cryscat]

I've always had an interest in traditional blacksmiths. Turns out I was one in a past life. I also prefer swords over guns. Past life related, for sure.

 

[Totoro]

From what I know, most of my hobbies have remained the same, except I can't draw or paint like I used to be able to. I remember trying really hard when I was younger, but I just don't have the fine motor skills like I used to.

To keep with the spirit of your post, I may have somewhat of an opposite situation, in that I really enjoy a task I never got to do before.

Since I was young, I have really enjoyed housework! Sure as an adult, when I'm busy, it's the last thing I want to do, but I really take a lot of pride and satisfaction in doing it.

I like things clean and neat anyway, but it's always been something that makes me feel grounded and productive because it's something I can do for myself.

I know that sounds weird, but from what I've known and read of my past lives, someone else always did the work and particularly in my last life, I really enjoyed sitting and talking with the older servants while they cleaned and went about their business.

I know if it were allowable, I would have cleaned for myself back then, so now I feel proud that I can do such a basic task. It's also kind of a feminine thing and it makes me feel connected with my mom and grandma too.

It's weird, but at work I'm in male mode, so to speak. Then I'm home and I've long stopped hiding my innate female mannerisms and behaviors. I'll sit on my couch with my cats watching murder mysteries and I'm always playing with my hair. It's short, but I'll still go through the motions of trying to put it up. This maybe be TMI, but I was able to walk in heels several times without practice! Haha.

It's fascinating I agree. There's so much in there that we probably take it all for granted and my not realize it's past life related.

Your post makes me think of all the types of people that do reenactments of one kind of another, like Renaissance faires. Maybe their interest is past life related.

 

[fireflydancing]

Your post makes me think of all the types of people that do reenactments of one kind of another, like Renaissance faires. Maybe their interest is past life related.

Sure

It's fascinating I agree. There's so much in there that we probably take it all for granted and my not realize it's past life related.

Yes, I think so too. Not only the things we are good at but also our dislikes. You mentioned cleaning. I've always hated that, like another imprisonment. It sucks up so much energy and it never ends. In my past lives, I didn't like that either but I was forced to do so. I've had several servant lives (at least two that I know of).

Right now at this moment, I remember another remarkable thing. When I was a very young girl, we were taught how to knit at primary school. Well, only the girls (separated from the boys who went doing fun stuff with woodworking). There was only one teacher and a lot of girls and I was not so quick in understanding how it all worked. So I had to wait and wait a lot every time before this teacher had time again to help me continue my little project. I was so annoyed that I started to figure out how to knit by myself. And until today, I still knit the same way that I started at the age of 6.
It's not like how the women knit here and there is a little twist in the stitch. I never cared about it and I've never been a prolific knitter.

Now the weird thing. I have watched a lot of videos made by Arne & Carlos, two Norwegian professional knitters. I was so much surprised that my way of knitting is so very close to the Norwegian way of knitting. But I still have my twist in my stitch, something that they don't do. Then I discovered that when using five needles, this twitch disappears (!). This (internationally unwanted) twitch only appears when I knit and purl, but not when I knit in circles. It even went one step weirder (for me ofcourse) when I watched an episode where they (the Norwegian knitters) recommended my way of knitting to create some kind of effect.
This was a mind-blowing moment for me. Really, because I had done this all my life, ignoring the local way of knitting by the women around me. Especially, because in my life as a widow on the island (probably one of the Faroe Islands) I always had the feeling that I originally came from Norway. Followed my husband to his island. I did process wool in that life, because I have seen my hands making skeins of wool.

 

[SeekerOfKnowledge]

I've always had an interest in traditional blacksmiths. Turns out I was one in a past life. I also prefer swords over guns. Past life related, for sure.

Yes, swords. And bows and crossbows. Definitely prefer them over guns.

I wasn't good at art class and didn't have a good handwriting as a kid in school, but for some reason, drawing with a bottle of India ink and an old-fashioned pen holder worked much better.

I used too do knitting and crocheting. I am not good at sewing, but if I have to, I'd rather do it by hand. Somehow have trouble with sewing machines. I have been interested in cross-stitching and bobbin lace, but never got into it.

What about old-fashioned musical instruments? I haven't tried or learned, but I like it when people are playing the hurdy-gurdy. And somehow I favor harpsichord over piano, lute or mandolin over guitar. I still love more "modern" music, too (good ole rock music, not exactly what some people would call "modern").

How much of this is PL-related I do not know.

Isn't it great that we can have it all nowadays?

 

[purging.infinity]

How many of you feel a connection to an old craft, although you were never trained in this?

We all have lived so many times and we must have gathered so many experiences over time. It's just a shame that this knowledge is also lost every time we leave our lives. Just by coincidence, I've picked up some crafts that I used to do in my former lives.
The most recent one is spinning wool. I never had an interest in this craft, and thought it was a kind of prison work (read: a kind of punishment). A few months ago I happened to be offered beautiful sheep wool as a mulch for my garden, but I couldn't use it. It was too beautiful. I searched for my old wooden spindle and started spinning. Wow, that went very well. After one week, I felt a lot of itching in my feet as if they wanted to participate as well. So I went looking for a cheap spinning wheel. I found a second-hand spinning wheel and the lady offered three hours of spinning class for free as well. I had never touched a spinning wheel in my life, and I started spinning immediately as if I had done it all my life. The lady even said: what are you doing here? You already know how to spin. Well, no, never done it before, except for using the spindle the week before.
Then I started weaving, haha, also something that is new to me.

View attachment 3215 So much fun, I also need to learn knitting now

In my memories, visions, and flashes, I have seen my hands on several occasions. In my life on the island, I've seen my hands making skeins of wool. So I must have had a spinning experience as well. And in my life as a young Maya girl, I've seen my hands weaving a cloth. Not on a big loom, but backstrap weaving.
But there must have been so much more occasions in which I have worked with fibers in all those lives in the past. I didn't understand why I never had any interest in these crafts, I even disliked them, and now all of a sudden I find so much joy in all the stages of preparing wool, dying wool, carding, combing, spinning, and so on. Then I watched a conversation about historical Viking wool combs on Youtube and one of the ladies said: I am so happy that it is just a hobby because when I had to comb and spin the wool every day, day in, day out, I would detest it. That ignited the light bulb in my head: Yesss... spinning and wool preparation had had a negative connotation for me because somewhere in the past I had no choice. Today I do have a choice and I enjoy doing it. I do notice that I am my own strict teacher. Somehow I feel bound to produce good quality and I do not allow myself to skip parts of the preparations.

Another 'craft' that I learned myself is preparing medicines. Making balms, tinctures and so on. I don't sell them but I do teach others to make them in workshops. It's a compulsive hobby. Really, I have so many dried herbs, bottles, and herbal oils in my home. I grow medicinal herbs in my garden or I forage in the wild. Its really compulsive, it's hard to explain. Especially, because I have less than zero intention to prescribe anything to anybody. I just want to prepare. And to make good quality as well and then... nothing. I have some clues where this is coming from but only circumstantial evidence, lol, no clear memories.

I assume I am not the only one with some specific strong interests that might be related to former lives. Anybody who can relate to this?

How lovely! I'm glad you took up spinning the wool. It sounds like you're having fun being creative at least (no disdain). That's the most you can ask for. Plus the photo of the project you took is beautiful. I learned to crochet in this life, and enjoy making things with it. Everything from throw blankets to stuffed animals. But I highly doubt it has ANY connection to my past life.

Instead, with PL, I remember as a child doing projects as a boy with my Mother near Christmas. Christmas is always a big deal in Germany, it seems! And despite learning my PL was a bit more on the wealthy side (and could have bought everything they wanted), there were still crafts we did together.
Has seen these little 1920s birds you clip onto the Christmas trees:

And just remembers sitting around the table with my two other brothers, painting the birds. They came in a box, layered with tissue paper, and were just silver. So it was our job to make them nice for Mother.

Also remembers whittling, and doing things with wood a bit. But once I was older, I was far too interested in being social to sit around and fidget all day.
At older ages, I've seen sketches and doodling in old journals found of my PL, and that rings true to my current life. I've since taken a step back from it, but all the way up into high-school I won awards for art, painting and drawing, so I'm not shocked he used to draw. Actually found it quite amusing.

Same with his love for singing and music:

I took choir in this life, back in Ontario Canada while I was roughly 4th and 5th grade, and had the opportunity to join in for a massive choir gathering at Roger's Arena. I had no idea, (as they kept it a surprise from us!) that we would be singing for Prince Charles! Diana was alive at that time, but did not attend, as she was doing Land Mine removal in Africa(?) But it was still amazing to have been part of! To sing for royalty was an honor; arena full of other kids or not. I'm not sure which photo album I've put it in, but I still have my entry ticket someplace.

 

[purging.infinity]

Yes, swords. And bows and crossbows. Definitely prefer them over guns.

I wasn't good at art class and didn't have a good handwriting as a kid in school, but for some reason, drawing with a bottle of India ink and an old-fashioned pen holder worked much better.

I used too do knitting and crocheting. I am not good at sewing, but if I have to, I'd rather do it by hand. Somehow have trouble with sewing machines. I have been interested in cross-stitching and bobbin lace, but never got into it.

What about old-fashioned musical instruments? I haven't tried or learned, but I like it when people are playing the hurdy-gurdy. And somehow I favor harpsichord over piano, lute or mandolin over guitar. I still love more "modern" music, too (good ole rock music, not exactly what some people would call "modern").

How much of this is PL-related I do not know.

Isn't it great that we can have it all nowadays?

I'm drawn to Latin flaminco style music for PL reasons too. As I understand, the last parts of his life were spent in Brazil, so I could see where that might be a happy memory for him! Same with brightly colored art/tourist shops! Brazil paints their stores like this all the time near the beaches:

So I find it ironic, that where I live now, we do similar things to our tourist shops near the waterfront. Very similar building styles too. Just wish it didn't get so cold here in Winter. Way too much rain. Brazil would've been heaven! Lol

 

[fireflydancing]

@purging.infinity, what a cute example of a past life memory. I know those birds but I had never thought that it was an option to paint them at home. I remember them from this life. My mother had a box with Christmas decorations that she brought with her when she married my father. They were highly fragile. We had at least one bird (maybe more) and there was a kind of glass powder on it as decoration. So the bird was without paint, only white powder on it.

I really think we carry over so much more experience, and knowledge than we might expect from former lives. In the comments above I read multiple times some of you saying: "nah, I don't think it's past life related". Well, what if it really is? Humans roam around for thousands and thousands of years and we don't know how many lives we have had. We had to survive individually and as a group. There are still so many lives we don't actively remember but we must have had special skills now and then. I am convinced that all of us have mastered a lot of basic skills in the past. We all know deep down how to make fire and maintain the fire for quite some time, we know how to hunt, prepare skins, fishing, make a settlement, fighting and so on. The fact that we 'lack' this knowledge in the Now, doesn't mean anything.

Wouldn't it be interesting to invite all that knowledge into your current life? You won't be a master again, because materials changed, circumstances changed but the basic understanding of the principles of those crafts will flow through you again. From my own experience, I can say it gives a lot of joy and fulfillment.

I also want to add another thing. Some people think that during a 'privileged' life (noble person, rich person) they were allowed to do nothing and just exist in the sunshine. Well, I don't believe this at all. There might have been cases of completely useless lives but usually, everybody had to participate at some level in a group dynamic.

My memories of past lives are cloudy, fragmented with a few lives standing out. I just know I've had a few 'privileged' lives in which I was not part of the working class but it didn't mean that I didn't work during the day. I've got a collection of fragmented memories of my life as a girl in England. In her childhood, she was dressed very fancy. They must have been rich. Then she went to a household that was completely different. The mother-in-law made her work as a maid, in order to understand everything, so one day she would be able to reign over the household. Unfortunately, the girl died young in childbirth.

In my life as a girl in Silesia, I was also not a peasant. My father had a kind of mini-castle and I married someone who was not poor. But I worked as well during the day, just like all the others. The great privilege we had was the fact that we were able to leave and travel. If we had been serfs that wouldn't have been possible.

I also have some cloudy memories and clues that I might have lived in higher nobility circles (Spain and France) and I might have been a bit less likable then. Like the memory of sitting on an expensive well trained black horse and looking down at a begging lady below me with confusion and disgust. That was Spain but I did work as a kind of nanny or companion lady. Probably not being paid at all. Just assigned to a task. I have the feeling that although this was not a so-called famous life, there must be a way to find her in historical documents. Like the seventh daughter of some kind of noble Spanish family in the past. Anyway, even then doing absolutely nothing at all was not an option.

At least, this is my experience. We always had to learn skills, doing tasks, crafts, and so on.

 

[Morgan VK]

How many of you feel a connection to an old craft, although you were never trained in this?

We all have lived so many times and we must have gathered so many experiences over time. It's just a shame that this knowledge is also lost every time we leave our lives. Just by coincidence, I've picked up some crafts that I used to do in my former lives.
The most recent one is spinning wool. I never had an interest in this craft, and thought it was a kind of prison work (read: a kind of punishment). A few months ago I happened to be offered beautiful sheep wool as a mulch for my garden, but I couldn't use it. It was too beautiful. I searched for my old wooden spindle and started spinning. Wow, that went very well. After one week, I felt a lot of itching in my feet as if they wanted to participate as well. So I went looking for a cheap spinning wheel. I found a second-hand spinning wheel and the lady offered three hours of spinning class for free as well. I had never touched a spinning wheel in my life, and I started spinning immediately as if I had done it all my life. The lady even said: what are you doing here? You already know how to spin. Well, no, never done it before, except for using the spindle the week before.
Then I started weaving, haha, also something that is new to me.

View attachment 3215 So much fun, I also need to learn knitting now

In my memories, visions, and flashes, I have seen my hands on several occasions. In my life on the island, I've seen my hands making skeins of wool. So I must have had a spinning experience as well. And in my life as a young Maya girl, I've seen my hands weaving a cloth. Not on a big loom, but backstrap weaving.
But there must have been so much more occasions in which I have worked with fibers in all those lives in the past. I didn't understand why I never had any interest in these crafts, I even disliked them, and now all of a sudden I find so much joy in all the stages of preparing wool, dying wool, carding, combing, spinning, and so on. Then I watched a conversation about historical Viking wool combs on Youtube and one of the ladies said: I am so happy that it is just a hobby because when I had to comb and spin the wool every day, day in, day out, I would detest it. That ignited the light bulb in my head: Yesss... spinning and wool preparation had had a negative connotation for me because somewhere in the past I had no choice. Today I do have a choice and I enjoy doing it. I do notice that I am my own strict teacher. Somehow I feel bound to produce good quality and I do not allow myself to skip parts of the preparations.

Another 'craft' that I learned myself is preparing medicines. Making balms, tinctures and so on. I don't sell them but I do teach others to make them in workshops. It's a compulsive hobby. Really, I have so many dried herbs, bottles, and herbal oils in my home. I grow medicinal herbs in my garden or I forage in the wild. Its really compulsive, it's hard to explain. Especially, because I have less than zero intention to prescribe anything to anybody. I just want to prepare. And to make good quality as well and then... nothing. I have some clues where this is coming from but only circumstantial evidence, lol, no clear memories.

I assume I am not the only one with some specific strong interests that might be related to former lives. Anybody who can relate to this?

This I always found unusual but since age 4 have been able to french braid all hair WITHOUT ever being shown how to do it. x

 

[Morgan VK]

I'm drawn to Latin flaminco style music for PL reasons too. As I understand, the last parts of his life were spent in Brazil, so I could see where that might be a happy memory for him! Same with brightly colored art/tourist shops! Brazil paints their stores like this all the time near the beaches:

So I find it ironic, that where I live now, we do similar things to our tourist shops near the waterfront. Very similar building styles too. Just wish it didn't get so cold here in Winter. Way too much rain. Brazil would've been heaven! Lol

Swords, indeed! Jousting as well. x

 

[Jet]

How many of you feel a connection to an old craft, although you were never trained in this?

We all have lived so many times and we must have gathered so many experiences over time. It's just a shame that this knowledge is also lost every time we leave our lives. Just by coincidence, I've picked up some crafts that I used to do in my former lives.
The most recent one is spinning wool. I never had an interest in this craft, and thought it was a kind of prison work (read: a kind of punishment). A few months ago I happened to be offered beautiful sheep wool as a mulch for my garden, but I couldn't use it. It was too beautiful. I searched for my old wooden spindle and started spinning. Wow, that went very well. After one week, I felt a lot of itching in my feet as if they wanted to participate as well. So I went looking for a cheap spinning wheel. I found a second-hand spinning wheel and the lady offered three hours of spinning class for free as well. I had never touched a spinning wheel in my life, and I started spinning immediately as if I had done it all my life. The lady even said: what are you doing here? You already know how to spin. Well, no, never done it before, except for using the spindle the week before.
Then I started weaving, haha, also something that is new to me.

View attachment 3215 So much fun, I also need to learn knitting now

In my memories, visions, and flashes, I have seen my hands on several occasions. In my life on the island, I've seen my hands making skeins of wool. So I must have had a spinning experience as well. And in my life as a young Maya girl, I've seen my hands weaving a cloth. Not on a big loom, but backstrap weaving.
But there must have been so much more occasions in which I have worked with fibers in all those lives in the past. I didn't understand why I never had any interest in these crafts, I even disliked them, and now all of a sudden I find so much joy in all the stages of preparing wool, dying wool, carding, combing, spinning, and so on. Then I watched a conversation about historical Viking wool combs on Youtube and one of the ladies said: I am so happy that it is just a hobby because when I had to comb and spin the wool every day, day in, day out, I would detest it. That ignited the light bulb in my head: Yesss... spinning and wool preparation had had a negative connotation for me because somewhere in the past I had no choice. Today I do have a choice and I enjoy doing it. I do notice that I am my own strict teacher. Somehow I feel bound to produce good quality and I do not allow myself to skip parts of the preparations.

Another 'craft' that I learned myself is preparing medicines. Making balms, tinctures and so on. I don't sell them but I do teach others to make them in workshops. It's a compulsive hobby. Really, I have so many dried herbs, bottles, and herbal oils in my home. I grow medicinal herbs in my garden or I forage in the wild. Its really compulsive, it's hard to explain. Especially, because I have less than zero intention to prescribe anything to anybody. I just want to prepare. And to make good quality as well and then... nothing. I have some clues where this is coming from but only circumstantial evidence, lol, no clear memories.

I assume I am not the only one with some specific strong interests that might be related to former lives. Anybody who can relate to this?

 

[Jet]

I picked up chair seat weaving using reeds of all types in a week or two. It came easy to me but most people couldn't believe it. I'm a lot older now and haven't done it for awhile. A long while.