Our Elders: In the west, we’ve mostly lost the traditional wisdom that invites us to honor our elders and look to them for wisdom. What’s replaced it is a lot of people (mostly older white men) who have acquired power and use it for their own aggrandizement. Trust is low, and in that environment, we might well wonder if perhaps the energy, idealism, and creativity of youth might be a better answer.
Of course, we need both. Elders to share their life experience and provide an environment for the young to grow, and our youth to provide exactly that dynamism and push for the new. Our current culture, though, has a very distorted framework for these systemic relationships, where age is all about holding onto power, and youth has been commodified.
Family Constellations reminds us of the preciousness of both. And it presents a unique role for the ancestors, the ones who came before and gave us life. Who endured, survived and are a resource for us if we can learn to lean on their strength once again.
But not all the elders are ancestors! We have living elders in our families, neighborhoods, businesses, and causes. We also have elders in our teaching lineages.
The living elderhood of Family Constellations is remarkable. And once again, I have the honor of inviting three of our elders to the Bay Area to teach, heal, lead and collaborate with those of you who want to re-connect with your ancestors, explore your family patterns, and enjoy adventuring into new realms of healing. I’ve experienced all three of them, and I can’t wait to share them with you.
Suzi Tucker traces her lineage directly to Bert Hellinger. She was one of his earliest students, and for years was the primary person who would bring him to the United States. Suzi is a gifted writer, and a soulful constellation facilitator. She comes to us from New York.
Sarah Peyton is one of Family Constellation’s newer elders. She has combined constellations work, neurobiology, and Non-Violent Communication (NVC) into a powerful healing synthesis. She comes to us from Portland.
Finally, Peter DeVries is one of our local elders, from Marin County, one of the first people to train locally. He’s adapted constellations to individual contexts, and is particularly interested in using constellations for transpersonal explorations.
We will be gathering outside of Santa Cruz at the world-class Mount Madonna Center. This is a good time to check out our website and register. You will save $300 if you join us during the Super Early Bird period, and there are only a few single rooms left.
For more information and to register, go to http://www.westcoastconstellations.com/. I hope you join us!
What is your experience of elderhood – either receiving from your elders, or being one yourself? Please share your stories here, on my blog, below.
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