By Joanne DiMaggio, MA, CHt

I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that most people on a spiritual path seek out other like-minded souls. There is a comfort in being in a group where you don’t have to edit everything you say, as you may do when you are in a more mainstream audience. That can get exhausting! You yearn to be with others where you can freely discuss matters of the soul, including some of the topics that make your mainstream friends and family a little nervous–like reincarnation! If you’re like me, you seek out your spiritual family in places and organizations that are more conducive to esoteric studies. Early on for me, that meant Edgar Cayce’s A.R.E. and for a few years, The Theosophical Society. Later I found my way to Unity Church. As my speaking circle widened, I found other organizations eager to learn of my research in past lives and soul writing. I quickly became deeply committed to some of these organizations. I devoted endless volunteer hours because I believed so strongly in their message and the vehicle they provided for sharing this most profound level of soul exploration.

I admit to you now that I was extremely naive when I embraced my newfound spiritual family. I expected to be warmly welcomed into the fold–another soul who found its way home–and to be among people who walked their talk. People I could trust. I came in love with an air of celestial anticipation of what it would mean to have these enlightened souls as part of my life, supporting me, encouraging me, and most of all, loving me. It never occurred to me that I had stepped into a phase of my life where painful lessons were awaiting. I had walked into Karma House.

I first heard the term “Karma House” many years ago by a man whose dream was to work at one of these aforementioned spiritual organizations. He did get a job there and went in with the loftiest of intentions and anxious anticipation…only to be assigned to clean the bathrooms! Over the years, he had many encounters of the painful kind, as did others in the organization who referred to that place as “Karma House.”

It wasn’t until I was knee-deep in my research on what goes into our pre-life planning session that I discovered there is a logical explanation for this seemingly illogical turn of events. When you consider we travel together in a “pod” so to speak, as a soul family, it stands to reason that we would all be attracted to the exact same place where we would interact with each other and play the role in each other’s lives that we agreed to while still in the afterlife. Each of us comes into this life with a list of karmic issues we agree to work on. Members of your soul family are also well aware of those issues and so, before agreeing to come into this life with you, they know what role they will play to help your soul resolve that karma. If you are dealing with issues of acceptance and approval, they will never give that to you. If you are dealing with issues of abandonment, at some point they will leave you. If you have authority issues, they won’t acknowledge you in a leadership position. If betrayal is your karmic issue, expect someone at some time to betray your trust. It’s not one-sided. You will do the same for them, if that was part of your pre-life agreement in coming into their life.

This may seem harsh and rather ironic for it to happen in a so-called spiritual community, but when you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Where else would you encounter these soul mates who are hell bent on helping you learn the very lesson YOU decided to work on. When you think about it from that perspective, the classes we take through our involvement with these groups, are part of an advanced curriculum. Rather than resisting them and expressing anger, resentment and bitterness, if we can see each lesson as a positive step in our evolution, then we can learn to forgive the very people who cause us the most harm. It’s all part of a plan and an agreement we made together. That’s why I entitled my book, “I Did It To Myself…Again!” It isn’t healthy to wallow in your issues and point fingers of blame at those around you even though we all do it. I certainly do!  What I know is that it helps to remember that whatever issue we encounter with someone, they did it out of love on a soul level, with a desire to help our soul attain a higher awareness by moving beyond our past-life karma. What better place to do that, than in the “karma house” we share with our soul family.