In shamanistic traditions, it is stated that parts of the soul can separate from us and that this separation, this loss of soul parts, can be a cause of physical and mental illness. In this context, by soul, I mean an intangible part of our being that gives us vital energy and houses emotions, memories, feelings, sentiments. (This idea of the soul is similar to the concept of the astral body – as described in the article “The Five Bodies”)
Lost parts of ourselves mean that we experience less energy/vitality because there is less ‘spirit’ in us due to the loss. A ‘full soul’ is fully present, clear, radiant. We unconsciously try to regain the lost parts through dreams, daydreams, quests for healing, spiritual disciplines, and by creating relationships with others that repeatedly mirror our lost soul parts. This search requires a lot of energy, while we already lack power because we have lost parts.
Parts of the soul can be lost due to various circumstances. These do not always have to be extreme circumstances.
Examples through which soul parts can ‘depart’ are:
You are too busy and lose sight of your soul
The soul gets bored because you “don’t live it.”
Souls can get jealous and then go to a ‘better place.’
Difficult situations “It’s not fun here anymore, so I’m going to a better place.”
Trauma, including abuse, loss of a loved one, miscarriage, abortion, surgery, accident
Sudden and extreme shock/fear
Parts of the soul can also be ‘stolen’ by someone else.
Symptoms or expressions of soul loss are:
Lack of vitality and connection with life
The feeling of being ‘absent’ after, for example, the death of a loved one, an accident or after an operation – the feeling of still being a bit in the anaesthesia
Feeling after a divorce that ‘a part of you is still with the other person.’
In shamanism, there are methods to bring the lost soul parts back to the person. This technique is called soul retrieval. Also, with the Systemic Ritual method, we can contact lost soul parts and help bring them back. After a soul retrieval, you will experience more connection with life, the earth, yourself and others.
In the article “The Multiple Soul”, you have read that shamanistic traditions assume multiple souls. In my work, I distinguish the family soul, the tribal soul, the individual soul, and the universal soul. You can give the souls a place on the Wheel of the four directions, and the Wheel tells something about the development.
The Family soul
A baby cannot be born without a father and a mother. With this fact, the baby becomes a member of the family system. A baby comes from the spatial, formless, timeless and nonpolar direction of the North; actually a gift from the ancestors whose place is also in the direction of the North. The North-East point in the Wheel is the moment of conception.
If you want to learn more about Systemic Ritual and working with the concept of the Soul: See:
A baby comes from the spatial, formless, timeless and nonpolar direction of the North; actually a gift from the ancestors whose place is also in the direction of the North. The North-East point in the Wheel is the moment of conception. The child gets to know the polarities, rules, norms, values, and concepts about the world and life in the family. The child adapts to that because he needs protection and structure, just as a body needs bones. Adapting to the rules, norms, and values makes the child belong to the family and feel safe. In essence, the family soul narrows our space. This is necessary to be able to participate in the world later on. At some point in adolescence, the family system feels too limited. At that moment, the child starts to rebel against the parents, the so-called individualisation. It is a fake individualisation because the family is replaced by peer groups. Friends come, and the child starts to adapt to the accompanying subculture of these peer groups with their rules and limitations.
The tribal soul or collective soul
Joining a community is a necessary and logical step. Belonging to a group is needed to function in the world. It is a law of nature that you are more powerful as a group than as an individual. Therefore, when you join a group, you experience more safety and power. The group forms a unit by the grace of excluding others. As a result, polarities arise – we and them. To have a sense of being part of a group implies that there are outsiders. Sometimes it concerns minor differences, such as dress codes. There are ‘hard cores’ in the tribal soul. Groups that only look inward, cannot or do not want to enter into a relationship with other groups. Dialogue is not possible in that case. This hardcore does not allow individuation. The hardcore does not tolerate dissenting opinions or behaviour from its group members. We know this from religious communities, but the same thing happens within football clubs and other associations or between political ‘camps’.
The individual soul
In time the individual member, if the circumstances are well enough, develops and matures. At one point, he/she will experience that the tribal soul also becomes too oppressive. The group member starts to feel different in some aspects and wants to find his own values. This entails a whole process. We are programmed to survive, and that works better in a group. If the chances of survival (physical and mental) allow it, the individual can grow further. In humanistic psychology, this is called self-actualisation. In Jungian psychology, it is referred to as the process of individuation.
The universal soul
It is paradoxical, but while maturing in the individual soul, the realisation will come that you are a universal being; one with all there is. Ultimately, by observing your being, you arrive at the deepest core of your being. The identification with your body and personality disappears. That structure is released and transforms into a sense of unity with the whole. That is timeless, formless, unconditional, awareness of the equality of people, animals, plants. Here there is no more experience of polarity, no personal identification.
We stand on the shoulders of our ancestors.
African saying.
It is said that around the beginning of November, the veil between the living or the material world and the world of the deaths /gods/saints/spirits or the ‘other world’ is at its thinnest and that on these days, contact with the other world can be most easily accomplished.
The month of November seems to be a suitable month for ancestor rituals. I start an ONLINE workshop series of 5 Saturday afternoons: Systemic Ritual with family themes and ancestors (basic) This series starts on November 6, 2021 and consists of 5 ONLINE workshops. For more information and registration, see: /systemic-ritual-with-family-themes-and-ancestors/
Roots
The first week of November is when the sun is halfway through its (apparent) course toward the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere. There the sun ‘arrives’ around December 22. The sun is at that moment the furthest away from the Northern Hemisphere. Early November is on the Wheel of the four directions the moment where we move from the West to the North – actually the beginning of winter. The boundary between West and North is also the boundary of the living and the deaths. The West is the place of the elderly; the North is the place of the deaths and the immaterial existence. We see that at the beginning of November, the transition from the direction of the West to the direction of the North is central. Hence probably the idea that the veil between the two worlds is paper-thin at this time. At least this applies to the Northern Hemisphere. It is different in the southern hemisphere (sun in the North). And that will be different for countries between the equator and the tropics.
Various myths tell about this, and traditionally different cultures have rituals that have to do with ‘the other side’ in this period. For example, the Celts and Germans celebrated festivals like Samhain these days. Likewise, it’s the time of Halloween, All Saints’ Day (November 1), All Souls’ Day (November 2) and the Dia de Los Muertos (Mexican Day of the Death). All these celebrations have the same theme, namely the commemoration and tribute to the deceased.
Samhain
Altar
The ancient Celts and Teutons celebrated the beginning of winter and the new year around October 31 – the exact date differed by tribe and region. The celebration of Samhain (Celtic New Year) traditionally begins at sunset on October 31 and lasts for three days. Since – according to the Celts – during this period the division between the world of the deaths and our world is paper-thin, the Celts believed that the deaths are present in our world during Samhain. So it is the best time to commemorate and honour the deceased. The ancestors are welcomed during this festival with fires outside and inside the hearth fires. On Samhain, the table is set again for deceased family members. A plate with a napkin is placed on the altar to welcome the deceased and food is placed on the altar. Food can also be left outside for the deaths. However, it was not a sad feast but a joyous feast with amusement, entertainment, food, and drink. During Samhain, the life of the ancestors is celebrated, and they become involved with the living. The ancestors are consulted and receive not only food but also gifts. Actually, a very nice way to deal with the deceased, to honour their place and to process their loss. It is not only a celebration to honour and commemorate the deceased, but a celebration of all spirits and nature spirits. They also show themselves during this period. Around this period, the harvests is brought in and stored. Some of the cattle are put back into stables and some are slaughtered to add to the food supply needed to get through the winter. The slaughtered flesh was also offered to the Gods, nature spirits and ancestors. Therefore, Samhain is also a closing harvest, slaughter festival, and thanksgiving to the Gods, nature spirits, and ancestors for the harvest obtained.
Halloween – All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints Evening.
Halloween is associated with the Samhain festival. Irish and Scots who immigrated to the United States and Canada in the 19th century took the Halloween celebration with them. Today it is ‘celebrated’ by almost everyone in the US and Canada and has also been ‘blown’ back to Europe.
Wintertime
All Saints and All Souls
All Saints Day – November 1 – is a Christian holiday. On this day, all saints are commemorated and venerated in the Roman Catholic Church. During All Souls’ Day – on November 2 – all the deceased are commemorated. At the beginning of November, there was also a ‘holiday’ in the agricultural sector in the Netherlands. That was a day of thanksgiving for the harvest. This took place on the first Wednesday of the month. Until the beginning of the 7th century, All Saints’ Day fell on May 13. But to gain more acceptance for Christianity among the people, the festival has been moved to November 1. By celebrating the Feast of the Departed Saints on November 1, followed by the All Souls’ Day on November 2, these Christian festivals blended more easily with the original traditions of the people. Moreover, that made it easier for the church to “win souls”.
Dia de Los Muertos
In Mexico and, to a lesser extent, other countries of Central America, the Dia de Los Muertos takes place at the beginning of November. A 3-day festival in which the deaths are commemorated and honoured. This festival has its origins within the Central American Indian peoples. In many aspects, it resembles Samhain. Here too, it is not a sad event but a joyful celebration. Altars are made for the deceased, on which food, drinks and gifts are placed. Life is celebrated both indoors and outdoors – in the cemetery. There is singing, eating and dancing. Initially, this festival took place in early August. Under the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, this festival was ‘moved’ to the beginning of November to coincide with the Roman Catholic Remembrance Day. Early August is an interesting time for Central America. Around June 21, the sun is perpendicular to the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere. For Central America, that is the North. At the beginning of August, the sun is almost perpendicular to Central America. Then the sun moves south again. From the beginning of May to the beginning of August, Central America has the sun in the North. Then the sun shifts south again. Initially, that was the moment of the Dia de Los Muertos.
Systemic Ritual with Ancestors
Overall, the month of November seems to be a suitable month for ancestor rituals and contact with souls. I participate in that by giving an ONLINE workshop series of 5 Saturday afternoons: Systemic Ritual with family themes and ancestors (basic) This series starts on Saturday afternoon (4 p.m. Dutch time), November 6, 2021 and consists of 5 ONLINE workshops.
In the article ‘Five bodies or our being‘ you could read about the different bodies. In this article I describe a Systemic Ritual to support the mental body. You can perform this ritual alone or with others. In this ritual, the White Spider is used.
The mental body The mental body can best be described as a structure that makes thinking possible. So it’s not the thinking or your thoughts themselves. It consists of channels and structures that determine how dreams, thoughts and associations are processed. The actual expression of the thinking process is done by the personality, the ‘me’ or ‘I’. We find strong patterns in the mental body. Patterns consist of an automatic link between perceiving, recognising and feeling. The mental body has created paths that link past events, beliefs and emotions and lead to “automatic” responses. Some of these automatic ‘responses’ or conditionings may be unfavourable for you and deeply grooved. It takes practice to get rid of these destructive paths and put new ones in their place. So IT IS NOT A ONE TIME PRACTICE, BUT A PRACTICE YOU HAVE TO REPEAT AGAIN AND AGAIN.
The White Spider The Spider can eat its own web. (That is a West aspect, cleansing) She reuses matter. Concerning the mental body, she can remove old structures and patterns. The Spider also can weave a new pattern or structure for you. (That is an East aspect). She is also called Grandmother Spider or Crystal Spider.
A ritual to ‘heal’ patterns in the mental body
Take a seat in the centre of the wheel. You look to the South. In the West (to your right) invite (in your mind or a representative) the White Spider that eats unfavourable paths. To the East (to your left) invite (in your mind or a representative) the White Spider that creates new paths.
Ask the the Spider in the West:
“White Spider coming from the West. Certain patterns don’t serve me anymore. I ask you to help me get rid of these patterns.”
The White Spider in the West says:
“I am the White Spider who can break down, eat up, unfavourable pathways in your mental body. I help you to let go of what is no longer good for you at this moment of your life. I come from the West.”
Aks the Spider in the East:
“White Spider coming from the East. I want to replace old patterns that are not beneficial to me with new patterns that work better. Will you help me with this?”
The White Spider in the East says:
“I am the White Spider who creates new pathways in your mental body. I help you attract what is good for you at this moment in your life. I come from the East.”
And then you sit there for about 10 minutes – with a rattle or a drum or meditative music or just in stillness. In these 10 minutes, you keep the image of the two White Spiders active. You repeat the sentences regularly. Just let happen what wants to happen.
You can repeat this ritual for a few days as long as it feels good to you.
Besides practising Systemic Ritual and Systemic Constellations, I work at ZID Theater in Amsterdam as a project manager. I love theatre. People sometimes wonder how does this combination of Systemic Ritual and theatre work for me. I tell you, for me, there is no difference. As Systemic Ritual is related to Shamanic work, I want to explain how theatre is associated with Shamanism.
First: What is theatre? When I use the word theatre, I am not talking about a building nor the standard narrative dialogue style of plays. Instead, I use the word theatre for the branch of performing arts concerned with acting out stories in front of an audience, using a combination of speech, gesture, music, dance, sound, and spectacle – so, in essence, multidisciplinary.
Second: What is Shamanism? Shamanism is one of the most ancient human traditions. It exists already from the early beginnings of humanity. Shamanism evolved in hunting-and-gathering communities. An essential task of the Shaman was predicting and influencing the outcome of the hunt. Above that, his ceremonies were done not only for the sake of the community but also for the sake of the animals in the wood to be healthy and reproduce themselves.
It is said, Shamanism originated in the distant forests of Mongolia from where it spread. But I suggest it originated already before that time – at the very beginning of humankind in Southern Africa. Shamanistic practices still exist in our present time. The detailed methods vary from one culture to the next. However, they all have in common that a Shaman can heal the sick, communicate with the otherworld, escort the souls of the dead to the otherworld, recalls souls back to a person that lost a soul part and the technique of trance. Women, men and transgender individuals can be shamans.
Strictly speaking, the word Shaman only refers to the peoples of Nothern Asia and the Ural-Altaic. But more generally, Shamanism is also used to describe all indigenous groups where a medicine man or woman is a central figure in a community, like in Arctic peoples, American Indians, Australian Aborigines and African groups as the San.
What is a Shaman? Easy said, a Shaman is an important figure within small communities who connects with spirits or the divine through trance to gather spiritual and medicinal needs to heal individuals and the community.
In shamanic cultures, the Shaman is the keeper of ritual, religious mythos, and ancestral lore. Essential is the fact that the Shaman always works in and with the whole community. Family, food and fellowship always accompany ceremonies. This reinforces the cultural identity and unity of the community.
The origin of theatre There is a theory that states that theatre evolved from Shamanistic rituals. The art of the Shaman is multidisciplinary. We find rituals complete with masks, costumes, dance, music, props, dialogue, chorus, myth, music, poetry and let us not forget forms of visual art (sculptures, decorations, paintings). All of this is similar to theatre.
Similarities and differences between theatre, Shamanism and Systemic Ritual
Time and space Time plays no role either in a shamanistic ritual, Systemic Ritual or Theatre. The rituals take place in space, in the here and now, as is true for a performance. The space is in all three methods set up. There is a clear ground plan or decor wherein the ritual or performance takes place.
The aspect of healing Shamanic and Systemic Rituals have an explicit aim to bring healing, not only to an individual but to the community as a whole; healing on physical, mental, emotional and soul levels. In Shamanic and Systemic Ritual, healing comes not merely from ritual healing actions and words, but also from the supernatural, spirits, and ancestors. Thus, the healing effect is not so much based on the individual’s capability, but forces from outside are used – for example, an ancestor.
Theatre is primarily directed to entertainment, although a healing aspect of theatre can be that it brings catharsis in one way. We love the performance that evoke us a tear, a laugh, a sigh, a moment of reflection. Don’t we? For sure, nowadays, this is not a prime aim of theatre. But once it was. Aristotle said that proper tragedy has to lead to an evocation of emotions followed by a purgation or purification of those feelings to restore emotional balance and order. Also, the ancient Greeks saw theatre as a means of healing a community or providing a public good through demonstrating societal ills and their consequences.
Purgation and purification is also an element in Shamanic and Systemic Ritual. In a Shamanic Ritual predatory spirits that have either possessed or wounded a patient’s body and soul are relieved. The same can occur within Systemic Ritual. In Systemic Rituals, often strong emotions can appear and be released. These strong emotions evoke the feelings of the other participants that join the rituals. This enables them to process their own emotions and undergo catharsis.
Use of language In Shamanistic and Systemic rituals and theatre, language/sentences are used in a specific way, more like poetry, sentences with an archaic power – appealing to our creative capacities and unconscious. Maybe it is not the purpose of theatre, but these sentences are meant for a healing effect in the Shamanic practice and Systemic Ritual.
In all three methods, dialogue exists. In the Shamanic ritual, the dialogue occurs between the various characters that the Shaman becomes; he can speak as the evil spirit or next time as the benign spirit, for example. In Systemic Ritual the dialogue occurs between the representatives. In both cases the dialogue is created at the moment, in Systemic Ritual mainly with the help of the facilitator. In theatre, the dialogue is between performers and well-rehearsed.
Music Like in theatre music often guides the Shamanic and Systemic rituals. In the Shamanic and Systemic Ritual, that happens with the sound of the drum. The monotonous drumming helps the Shaman or participants of the Systemic Ritual into trance. For the Shaman, this is important to transport him to the world of the beyond. In Systemic Ritual, only a very light trance is invoked to help participants to feel what is, instead of thinking.
Embodiment / movements In theatre, movements or dance are performed as esthetic entertainment. And well-rehearsed. The Shaman uses his body too in rituals. The dancing helps to sustain the trance, but above all movements are a way to contact the spirits and communicate with the audience. In Systemic Ritual I always encourage the participants to embody their experiences because it helps deepen the experience and representation.
Besides these movements, in Shamanic and Systemic Ritual, ritual actions with the aim to bring healing are used – just like the archaic sentences do.
In the trance state, the Shaman can perform acrobatics or vigorous dancing for very long periods. In normal states, this would not be possible. The same counts for fire-walking, fire-eating, and other acts of apparent self-torture; without trance, this would not be possible. These acts are taken as demonstrations of the supernatural. These things you won’t meet in Systemic Ritual.
Voice In Shamanic and Systemic Ritual, there is singing. Singing is a kind of prayer that holds the space for good things to happen. “It keeps away the bad spirits”.
Besides that, the voice reinforces the connection with the spirits and communicates with them. So during the ritual, the Shaman may make the sound of the animals he meets in the trance journey or mostly his own power animal. In Systemic Ritual, I encourage the participants to use their voices for the same reasons. But only the very experienced participants will do so.
Representatives versus performers In theatre, there are performers. They rehearsed very well, and each time they perform, they do more or less the same. In a Shamanic Ritual, there is only one performer – the Shaman. Well-educated in connecting with the spirit and making trance–journeys, but all his movements and sounds arise from the moment in a trance. In Systemic Ritual, we work with representatives, just like in Systemic Constellations. Everything that occurs arises from the moment, guided mainly by the facilitator – unless the participants are experienced.
Costumes, masks, props This is an essential part of theatre. But from the very beginning, it came from the Shaman. The mask and costume of the Shamans are very complex. All aspects of the Shaman’s costume and mask are a part of the animal nature of the Shaman. By putting on the mask the Shaman becomes possessed by the spirit represented and takes on the functions of that spirit. Furthermore, there can be different props on the costume that protect the Shaman during his journey and help him come back to reality. In the space where the ritual is done, there are other props that serve as food for the spirits, animal offerings and other objects for several purposes.
In Systemic Ritual, props can be used for similar reasons. However, costumes and masks are not used – at least not by me.
The role of the community Rituals are always done for a whole community. As theatre is performed in front of an audience. In Shamanic work, the community attends either as witnesses (audience) or as participants, depending on the ritual. Mostly, the communities help prepare for Shamanic rituals, which are often accompanied by feasts or fasts, a sacrifice of community resources, or even challenging group journeys into the wilderness. In Systemic Ritual, everybody participates actively. Because of this active participation, the rituals help integrate individual problems and collective ones. Shamanic and Systemic Ritual work recognises and emphasises that an individual never stands alone but is always a part of a community.
Dramaturgical Applications of Shamanic Healing for Social Change John Patrick Brunner, Jr. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in the Theatre Department of the School of the Arts, Columbia University, April 23, 2021
THE HEROIC JOURNEY: SHAMANISM AND THE ORIGIN OF THE THEATRE By Alisa Shriner Ridgway, A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA. In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the graduate college THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, 1975
Recently I visited Florence for my work. I had some time to enjoy this beautiful city. So I went for a long walk, a bit outside the city. I visited the San Miniato al Monte. As the name points out, this church is situated on a hill, not far from the city centre. The building of this church began in 1018, and it was completed about 1207. The church is for sure one of the Tuscan Romanesque masterpieces. It is built on the grave of the martyr St. Miniatus. I was impressed by the symbol of the Eagle that you can find in this church and wanted to find out more about that. I found out that the eagles are the emblem of Calimala, the Merchants’ Guild that was responsible for the church’s maintenance from the 13th century onwards. But, the Eagle must mean more than this. In general, Christian churches house more pagan symbols and astrological symbols.
What about the Eagle?
Soaring to the heavens The Eagle has the ability to soar towards the heavens, to 10 000 feet. The wingspan of an eagle can range from 6 to nearly 8 feet wide. When an eagle dives, they are streamlined for speed. They can achieve speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. When they soar, their wings spread wide as they allow the air currents to elevate them.
Symbol of Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension Because it soars upward, the Eagle is often used as a symbol of Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven.
Symbol of St. John The Eagle is also the symbol used to depict St John. John was one of Jesus’ disciples and wrote one of the four Gospels about the life of Jesus. John’s writing about Jesus is often said to ‘soar’ with inspiration – just like an eagle in flight.
The Divine Because of its ability to soar incredibly high, some traditions say that the Eagle is an intermediary between humans and the Divine or the Great Spirit.
Monogamous animals Like swans, geese, ducks, cranes, storks and a few other big and prey birds, Eagles are monogamous animals who mate for life. Male eagles stay with their female partners to help raise their eaglets. And many eagle pairs return to the same nest year after year. So the Eagle can teach us about loyalty and devotion. I am sure the Christian religion likes the Eagle because of this.
Other symbolic meanings of the Eagle.
Hope and salvation In other cultures, this ability to soar so high in the sky is associated with hope and salvation. In ancient Rome, the Eagle stood for victory. In ancient Greece, it stood for the triumph of good over evil.
Freedom and Independence Because of their flight abilities – speedy diving and high soaring, the Eagle is also associated with freedom and independence – the embodiment of life without restrictions, borders, or limitations.
Truth and Honor – “The truth will set you free.” The Eagle teaches us that when we live in the truth, we will have the power to soar higher than ever imagined. In this context, the truth means being truthful to ourself and others. Being truthful to ourself means living our life’s purpose on Earth and not the life others want to implement on us.
Powerful vision Like owls, hawks, and other birds of prey, eagles have incredibly powerful eyesight. However, unlike owls that hunt at night, eagles hunt during the daylight hours. Their eyes are like a telescope: they can see eight times as far as we can and broaden their view/make a landscape view, but they can also zoom in on prey – they can read a newspaper (if they could read 😊) from two miles away. Furthermore, they can see more colours than we do. In this aspect, the Eagle is a symbol of foresight and psychic awareness. Metaphorically the Eagle can also help us to see things from a viewpoint we usually don’t see.
Family constellations is a method in which the relationships and hidden dynamics between family members are made visible. And even more than making it visible is that a constellation works towards a healing resolution. That is the point where a new, more natural and healing balance for the whole system is found. The point where love between all members can flow again. I like to say that a family constellation works with the family soul or family karma. A constellation reveals what is happening in the family soul and heals that soul.
What do you mean by a family soul / family karma?
Each individual belongs to and is bonded in relationship to other members of his or her family system. Bonded to all family members, even if they have passed away a long time ago or if the person has never known them. Some sufferings that happen in family life can have a huge impact not only on the present family but even on many generations that follow. Some events are known to have this huge impact. Events like a mother or father who dies while there are still small children, a divorce, a child that dies, someone who is rejected from the family, suicide, murder. These life events can lead unconsciously toward destructive familial patterns. Individuals can ‘take on’ destructive patterns of anxiety, depression, anger, guilt, aloneness, addictions and even illness. These individual patterns cannot be understood by events that happened in the past of the individual him or herself. But a constellation can reveal that this pattern comes from entanglement with another family member – even a family member from many generations before. If, for example, a great-grandmother has been very sad because of the death of a child – grief she could never process completely – then you see that one or more family members from next generations take that grief upon their shoulders. They are trying to cry the tears of that great-grandmother. They do this out of love and loyalty. The person himself suffers from grief, but cannot clearly indicate where that comes from. A constellation can show this person the grief is not his or hers but belongs to this great-grandmother. When this insight is gained he or she can release this grief. And this can be true – not only for the inexplicable feeling of grief but also feelings of anger, guilt, shame or fear that cannot be understood well enough from the individual life events. Even destructive behavioral patterns can be a result of entanglements with previous family members. Behaviors like addictions, uncontrolled aggression and so on.
How does a constellation take form?
The starting point of a constellation is the personal issue of the ‘client’. A constellation can be done in a group or in an one on one setting. The constellation is led by a facilitator. In my practice, I have a brief interview with the client before the group is involved. In that interview, I want to know more about the issue the client wants to bring in and facts of his family history. I don’t want the other participants of the workshop to hear those facts. Some facilitators take the interview in front of the other participants. After making this inventory I, as a facilitator, suggest which key family members (or other elements involved in the clients question) will be represented in the constellation. Usually this is a representative of the client, one or more family members and an abstract concept such as ‘depression’ of ‘the addiction’ – depends on the issue the client brings in. The client asks people from the group to stand in the constellation as representatives. The client arranges the representatives in space according to what feels right at the moment. In the one on one setting in my practice – I work with puppets – and I as facilitator explore all the elements that are set up.
At the moment the representatives stand in – they will experience feelings and sensations that mirror the members they represent. As a facilitator, I observe their body language accurately. (the body doesn’t lie). With what the representatives have to tell I work. The healing resolution for the issue is achieved after adding some more key members of the system, repositioning the representatives and giving and sharing some healing sentences or ritual actions. The constellation and the healing process is concluded when all the representatives feel comfortable in the reconfigured family system. I often give some homework after a constellation to keep on the healing process.
Does it only work with the person who is doing the constellation or also for the other family members?
A family constellation can bring insight into the dynamic behind the life issue of the client and bring healing to it. So that he can live healthier, happier and have a more fulfilled life. Usually, the benefits of a constellation take some time to unfold.But in a constellation, a whole family system is involved. The moment you restore the system, it will affect the other family members – even if they are unaware of what happened in a constellation. This can manifest itself, for example, as contact between family members is suddenly restored after a constellation.
How does someone know when a family constellation can help or give support?
I always say – when you have a certain problem and you have already looked at it from different perspectives, but it still hasn’t fully disappeared, or when you have a certain problem and you do not know where it comes from – then a constellation can be helpful.
How many constellations does a person need?
The issue of a certain moment can be solved with one constellation, only sometimes more constellations are necessary. And after some period new issues can come up.
How much time is there between different sessions?
I advise at least a time period of 3 months between different sessions.
How is it for a representative to represent?
First of all. Everybody can do that. You don’t need a special gift for this. Many people like to represent. By doing so they help someone else and most of the time helping feels good. It may happen that someone represents a family member of the client with a similar issue as the person himself. Then representing the position of someone else awakens your own issue.
Does it happen that a representative sometimes cannot get rid of the energy he was representing?
That can happen. As the facilitator of a constellation you have to pay attention to that. If it turns out that someone still carries an energy of the constellation, you have to undo that. There are various methods for this.
Systemic Ritual is a different form of constellation work, enriched with elements of shamanic ritual. Systemic Ritual was developed by Daan van Kampenhout. He specialized in shamanism early in his life. In the 90s he came to know the work of Bert Hellinger – the Family Constellations. He was impressed by the depth and healing effect of family constellations. The similarities and differences between shamanic rituals and family constellations fascinated him. During many years he has explored many combinations of aspects of constellations and elements of shamanic ritual, and out of these two he gradually developed a new method, now called Systemic Ritual®. Some similarities are:
Time plays no role either in a shamanistic ritual or in a constellation. A constellation and ritual take place in space, in the here and now.
The healing effect applies to the whole system and not to one individual.
The healing effect is not so much based on the individual’s capability, but forces from outside are used – for example, an ancestor.
The deaths and the living have a role in family constellations as well as in shamanistic rituals. Both exist in the here and now. The deceased are only in a different ‘dimension’ or ‘world’.
We work with ‘healing sentences’, sentences with an archaic power – that speak to the unconscious and bring about a healing effect.
Both methods make use of representatives and healing sentences and actions.
The influence of shamanism can be seen in the sound of the drum, the ongoing prayers and the use of ground plans and fixed structures that guide the movement of the ritual.
Differences with family constellations
For working with Systemic Ritual, the exact details of a family system are not required.
In Systemic Ritual, compared with family constellations, the emphasis is more on the elements that give strength to a person.
In Systemic Ritual it can happen that people are asked to represent ‘healers’ or to represent power animals with certain qualities or distant ancestors (ancestors from the fifth, sixth or even 20th generation).
In Systemic Ritual we also work with the qualities of the four directions – a concept from shamanism (medicine wheel).
Furthermore Systemic Ritual encompasses different concepts. For instance the concept of the human being having many souls. In Systemic Ritual various souls and layers of the soul can be represented.
Connecting to resources
In Systemic Ritual, a connection is made with ‘resources’ – who or what can give support/strength to the client to enable a healing movement. In Systemic Ritual, people may be asked to represent ‘healers’ or power animals with certain characteristics or distant strength-giving ancestors. In Systemic Ritual, we also work with the qualities of the four directions or the multiple souls or bodies – concepts from several Shamanistic viewpoints.
The Wheel of the four directions forms one of the basic ground plans in which a systemic ritual takes place. The Wheel of the four directions works with the qualities of the four cardinal directions, which means no more than the conscious application of the universal cycle of ‘coming’ / ‘being’ / ‘going’ / ‘rest’ and all associated qualities. The Wheel brings order, depth, insight and balance on the mental, emotional and soul levels.
Systemic Ritual is a method that Daan van Kampenhout developed out of thorough research of the combination of constellations and elements of Shamanic Ritual. The aim is to create healing by connecting to more expansive ancestral fields and their resources, strength and support. The focus of a Systemic Ritual is to activate support and resources within or outside ourselves. Like in family constellations, Systemic Ritual uses the method of representation and archaic, healing sentences. Similar to Shamanic rituals, Systemic Ritual is often guided with the sound of the drum, prayers, ground plans, and fixed structures that guide the movements that occur in the ritual. Systemic Ritual doesn’t focus on searching for the origin of an individual- or family problem and offering a solution. That is why for working with Systemic Ritual, knowing the exact details of a family system are not necessary. Systemic Ritual works with the abstract essence of a family story. An individual issue is translated to a collective theme. In that way, all participants can relate to it. This principle also achieves that the rituals not only help integrating individual problems but collective ones. The community is seen as essential in this work. Systemic Ritual recognises and emphasises that an individual never stands alone but is always a part of a community.
Systemic Ritual and Systemic Constellations 