I’ve been thrilled over the last few days with my newly discovered ability to grant karmic pardons. I’ve granted them to anyone and everyone who has ever hurt me, intentionally or not.

And I feel exhilarated!

A karmic pardon happens when someone who feels hurt or wronged by another asks Spirit (Universal energy, Source, Divinity, Goddess, God, Great Spirit…) to give the offending person a free pass to walk away from any negative karma they may have created without repercussion.

Consciously going beyond forgiveness and the practice of giving it to the Universe to handle, I’m claiming the power to give complete freedom to both of us. As vulnerable, imperfect humans with our own traumas, we are both set free from the situation, forever.

Here is how it works and, more importantly, why it works.

I discovered this during a descent into a sad place—embarrassingly, when someone didn’t reply to me within the time I thought they would. This was a long-standing pattern of thinking and fearing that people don’t like me—ugh! I was in it.

But this time, a recent conversation with a friend came to mind. She had offhandedly mentioned how much people like me. She reminded me that I don’t burn bridges, and that people really like me. She was sincere, and I felt the truth. Not everyone loves me like that, but those who do, really do. I felt it in my bones, and I let it in, just enough.

In the middle of my torturous self-doubt, her comments came flooding back to remind me of who I am. I felt the hurt and fear of not being liked, and at the same time, I felt how I am loved. And in that moment of dichotomy, I remembered where the old pattern began.

It started in elementary school with a teacher who didn’t like me very much, and she had power over me that year. I took in the negative things she said and accepted them as true about me. Then I carried them around for years. (Please note that this is not a post disparaging teachers. The teachers I had the year before and the year after her were wonderful!)

As I remembered, or rather felt where the doubts had been created, I realized they were only tied to one person whose power had magnified them. And in that moment, I was finally able to release them.

I also sensed how in the past, I might have felt comforted by the idea that karma would take care of the rest. But not this time.

A completely new experience was growing inside of me.

I felt curious about who the teacher was. I realized that I knew nothing about her life… and that she would be a lot older now, maybe even frail. I felt compassion, and… I deeply wanted her to be free, too, not bogged down by karma from this in any lifetime. I was free, and she could be, too.

Inside of me, I consciously set her free by releasing her from any and all related karma. No looking back. No wishes for resolution. Nothing left at all. The complete experience was gone from existence in that moment.

This was revolutionary. It was enlivening, and totally freeing!

Since then, I’ve given a lot of karmic pardons. Some are for people I had previously forgiven but had secretly hoped would learn a lesson. Now it’s just about their freedom.

As I do this, I feel major shifts in my being on many levels. I’m letting go of wanting (or demanding) that anyone improve or pay karmically, and yet along the way, it’s my own freedom I find. Freedom from residual hurt. Freedom from waiting. Freedom from everything related to an unpleasant situation that I’d really rather forget, anyway. Freedom to go on without concern.

Truthfully, I don’t know if I actually have the power to grant karmic pardons for other people.

But if I can, by chance, influence the flow of destiny, I want my influence to be that of freedom of heart for all.

 

Reflection Questions:

Even if you aren’t sure you have the power to offer karmic pardons, I invite you to consider these questions and tune into your own deep knowing.

• Who would you like to offer a karmic pardon to?
• What are the possible benefits for them?
• What are the benefits for you?
• Who do you wish could or would extend a karmic pardon to you?
• If you believed you had this ability, what would be different?

An Experience:

This is a simple process to extend a karmic pardon to someone. Please feel free to bring in your own inner guidance, as well.

• In a quiet space, place your hand on your heart.
• Tune into your most compassionate and competent self.
• Invite in Spirit, Universe, Goddess, God, Source…
• Acknowledge yourself for feeling and releasing the hurt in this situation.
• Acknowledge yourself for the learning and growth you’ve gained.
• Intend that you and the other person are both fully released from the situation, without any remaining karma.
• Express a thank you for your freedom, as well as for theirs.

Notes: This is not intended as a spiritual bypass of emotions. It’s most effective within the context of a larger emotional healing process. 

This article was written in January of 2016 and was updated before being posted here.