The Knowing Field Issue 41

Firstly, my apologies for the late arrival of this, my final issue of The Knowing Field journal. Reaching this point has been a difficult journey. Letting go of 18 years of dedicated service is not easy!

However, I have finally arrived and am pleased to publish this last edition.

This piece entitled ‘Farewell’ from Bert Hellinger felt a fitting piece to end this process. Interestingly, there was a different article with the same title some issues previously. Maybe that one was more to do with his Farewell.

As he raises the issue of the transition towards death, this article is filled with questions, because after all, no-one really has answers to what happens when we cross that threshold. The words that stand out in this piece are: stillness, wholeness, oneness and returning.

Following his piece is my interview with Stuart Taylor. It feels somewhat strange to be publishing my own interview in this journal and at the same, it seems fitting to be bringing myself out from the undergrowth more into the public eye on this final occasion. It is a long interview but I hope of enough interest and inspiration to carry you through to the end, as this is who I am and covers my whole reason for editing this Journal and my philosophy around the Constellation Work and life in general!

Moving on from this, Paul Stoney, current Chair of ISCA travels back in history from the formation of ISCA and brings us up to date with recent events there which have been full of turbulence and difficulty – no stranger to this Association. At the same time, Paul looks forward with optimism to a better way ahead.

Next, Nadia Rehman Sadiq takes us on a beautiful journey through Islam and shines a light on the various aspects of this well-known faith and how they overlap with the Constellation Work. It is a faith full of ritual and prayer and the relationship with parents is a major priority. She also writes of the trauma in her own family and the splits that have occurred as a result of the larger split in her history with the issue of partition, which so ravaged that part of the world.

This article is followed by another soulful piece submitted by Colette Green on the theme of horses and their wisdom and how that wisdom can be brought into Constellation Work. This aspect of Constellation Work seems to be becoming increasingly popular as a way of doing constellations. Horses are so unattached to any outcome, it is beautiful to behold. She describes so movingly how she manages to work with the horses and convey their movements to a group in India via video, showing how the Field moves beyond space and time.

Kay Shoda returns to describe the development of her work with Kintsugi Constellations which had come out of her initial thoughts and experiments with this approach which she first published in issue 35 of the journal. In this article, she describes in detail the five elements that are needed for such a constellation and then offers two case studies to illustrate the process.

The next article from Zita Tulyahikayo challenges us to widen our perspective on the current way of thinking about race, to look at our binary perceptions, our ‘them’ and ‘us’ beliefs, our assumptions about how it is for black people to be seen as victims, the crowd mentality and the harm it can cause. This is, for me a quite revolutionary way of looking at this thorny issue and has certainly halted me in my tracks to have another look at my own views.

Hollenbery’s two contributions, we turn to finding our own inner joy by ‘Living Deliciously’. Through Julia’s seven principles of transformation, we are guided to fall in love with our bodies, to embrace our power, potency and pleasure and enter more fully into each of our relationships as a way home to being more fully who we are. Her introduction to her work is then followed by an extract from her book on this same theme, entitled: ‘The Healing Power of Pleasure: Seven Medicines for re-discovering the Innate Joy of Being’.

A second book extract comes with Francesca Mason Boring’s latest collection of ‘Nature Constellation stories’ all brought together in a beautiful handbook, for easy reference for all readers. She has managed to draw from the Constellations field such a rich array of contributions, it is immediately apparent how widespread nature constellations have become. This is a must for all budding and experienced constellators.

I am really pleased that this final issue draws almost to a close with three soulful poems from Colette Green, Angus Landman and Poppy Altmann.

And finally, we include two tributes to Anngwyn’s husband Richard Lamm and Katherine Curran’s husband Michael Paul McElwee who both died last August. As a stop press we are sorry also, to hear of the death of Alison Levy, sister of Dan Booth Cohen who contributed so much to the field of Constellations. Our condolences to Anngwyn, Katherine and Dan and their families.

So here I am at the end of the end of this, my final journal. I have no idea as yet how it will be without my regular gathering process, and my twice-yearly birthing of these journals. I have experienced some sadness on the way to the end and no doubt there will be more to come. At the same time, there may also be some relief at the letting go and watching what happens to the Field from now on.

So to all my helpers, ‘hidden faces’ and famous faces alike, to those who have shown me such kindness and support over the years, I can only end with a huge thank you.

Go well everyone and thank you for reading to the end.

With love and blessings

Barbara