Manifesting Your Ancestors’ Dreams: Have You Ever Thought….?

Tracing My Ancestry

You may have spent time tracing your family tree — learning where your ancestors came from, what they did, and how you’re connected to them.

Me? Not so much. I only know what I was told growing up.

In my family, education was everything. Success was measured by how well we did in school. On my mother’s side, most of us are well-educated, with many attending top schools in Japan. Several generations back — maybe my great-great-grandparents — started a Terakoya during the Edo period. Terakoya were private schools where children of commoners learned to read and write. My ancestors dedicated their lives to education.

On my father’s side, both of my grandparents’ families were active in local politics. My grandfather’s cousin served as mayor twice, and my grandmother’s brother was also an elected official for several terms. My father was appointed as a precinct chair after two cities merged and helped establish a new local government. He’s naturally gifted at mediating and bringing people together.

I can see how this family heritage shaped my identity and influenced my career path here in the United States. But that raises a question — why America? Everyone else in my family pursued happiness and success in Japan. I didn’t. I felt called to come to the U.S., and being here has always felt “right,” like home.

That feeling was validated when I became a U.S. citizen just over ten years ago. It didn’t feel like a door opened — it felt like brick walls came down. The journey wasn’t easy; for years, parts of my life felt stuck. But once I became a citizen, everything started moving quickly. Within that same year, I got a new job and met my future husband.

Divine Intervention

So, back to my question: whose dream am I living? I don’t really know why my soul chose to come to America or why this country feels like home. Maybe one of my ancestors longed to cross the ocean and see the world but never had the chance. Maybe she hoped that one day, a descendant would fulfill that wish.

Or perhaps, far back in time, someone from my lineage and someone from my husband’s lineage were connected — and we’re here to finish what they couldn’t. Or maybe it’s simply part of a greater cosmic plan. I can’t say for sure, but I do feel Divine Will guiding my journey.

Our history is shaped by human choices, but maybe God works through them. Sometimes, when you look closely, you can see how divine wishes seem to override our own.

When I think about that, I’m reminded of Queen Elizabeth I. Even if you’re not a history buff, you might know that King Henry VIII was obsessed with having a male heir. He went through great trouble to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon because she didn’t give him a surviving son. His third wife, Jane Seymour, finally gave birth to a son, Edward VI, who became king at nine—but he reigned for only six years before dying at fifteen.

In the end, it was Henry’s daughter, Elizabeth, from his second marriage to Anne Boleyn, who became one of the greatest monarchs in English history. Henry dreamed of a male heir, but it was his daughter whose reign became known as the Golden Age.

What the Cards Say

For the third time, I return to my question: whose dream am I manifesting, and why am I here—on Earth, and in America?

To explore this, I pulled some tarot cards, which I often do these days.

I used the beautiful Swiss Marseille Tarot by Irene Torres, Naipes Artesanos (2022). You can watch a recording of this reading here.

The cards I drew were all Wands — the 4, 6, and 3 — which together add up to 13. The Wands suit represents desire, passion, growth, and creation.

• Four of Wands: a pause for rest, stability, and preparation. Change is coming, but it’s not time yet.
• Six of Wands: harmony and alliance — two forces with different goals finding common ground.
• Three of Wands: direction and momentum. Though the numbers appear to go backward, this card signals progress and new growth ahead.

In modern tarot decks, the number 13 corresponds to “Death.” In traditional decks, it’s L’Arcane sans Nom — “the Nameless Arcanum.” Despite the name, it’s not negative. It symbolizes new beginnings, rebirth, and transformation.

In this card, a skeleton with a yellow scythe faces forward, cutting through the past and clearing space for new life. The black ground represents the unseen spiritual realm.

This card often appears in my readings as a sign of fate or divine intervention. In this case, the message is clear: I came to America to break from old traditions and begin new ones. I may carry my ancestors’ dreams, but divine will is guiding me forward.

Your Turn

How about you? Where are you in your journey? How are your ancestors supporting you? What do they hope you’ll resolve in this lifetime?