Community and Wellbeing
Lessons from Another Culture

Report from a gathering in Newcastle

Over 50 people came together on Sat Jan 8th to participate in a unique and innovative day to learn about how another culture addressed issues of Community and Wellbeing with WindEagle and RainbowHawk, Keepers or an ancient wisdom tradition.

The group sat in Circle and passed a Talking Stick, an old way of connecting and hearing on another’s words in respect.

For more photographs of the day click here.

 

Circle of Foxes
WindEagle and RainbowHawk told an old story about a People who lost their way and were guided by the Dog Soldiers to tell their stories to each other for 44 days until they could listen to on another again with compassion and saw themselves reflected in each other.

This was an excellent context in which to explore Community and Wellbeing in today’s environment.

 

Questing
The process for the day was moving towards a Wisdom Council, a way to look into challenging issues in an holistic and systemic way. First however a question was needed to take to Council.

“The first People’s had questions and they were free.
The second People had answers and they became enslaved.” Old native saying.

This circle of people, the growing community, was guided through a process called the Question Basket and Ten Stones in order to find their most urgent and important question to take to Council. First the people gathered in eight societies and each came up with one question to offer to the circle.

When all eight questions had been written on sheets of paper for all to read, each person in turn was asked to ‘cast their stones’, imagining that they each had a pile of 10 small stones and would put 4 stones on the question that was most important and urgent for them, 3 on the next, 2 on the next and 1 on the 4th most important and urgent to them. People cast their stones with felt tip marking which were then totalled.

In this way the circle could see which questions was being selected for Council today. In this old way, all questions are honoured and over time, all would be addressed.

The question with the most stones casts was:

“How do we create the shift of consciousness that makes true community possible?” 83 stones

 

The other questions were:

How can we become more compassionate in a disconnected world? 76
What is needed for each individual to take responsibility for their own spirit and wellbeing? 69
How do we hold the vision of light, warmth, hope, life for ourselves and others and move it out into the world? 57
How can we stay connected to the Source of our Flow? 54
How can we connect with people who are disconnected? 51
How do we bring back the focus onto community in relationship with the Earth? 49
What is needed to bring connection into communities whilst respecting individual needs? 34

 

What is the Wisdom Council?
The Wisdom Council draws on an ancient understanding of living systems, complexity and of wisdom and ‘coming-to-knowing’ to look into the issues and decisions facing us from eight distinct perspectives that make up a sequence of wholeness. It engages the hearts and minds of the people to provide the diversity of perspectives needed to release creativity and innovation for solving complex problems.

WindEagle and RainbowHawk taught and involved people in a revealing of two important old ways of understanding our place in the Universe (Sacred 20 Count) and a translation of this into eight directional energies (the Key Words of the Council) that inform the Wisdom Council.

 

 

Preparation for Council
Eight societies, each representing one of the eight directions met to explore together what they saw when they looked at the question through the lens of their key words, and what recommendations they would bring to Council as a result.

x

Two ‘Elders’ volunteered from each Society to share what they had seen and their recommendations in the formal sitting of the Wisdom Council.

 

The Wisdom Council
Here are the highlights of what was spoken, the collective wisdom of this community gathered on the 8th Jan to look into the question:

“How do we create the shift of consciousness that makes true community possible?”

EAST

Freedom – Freedom of expression, freedom of spirit. That sense of being unbounded and unrestricted in any way.
Creativity – Full access to our, often hidden, talents to create and imagine whatever we choose.

As Elders holding the perspective of Freedom and Creativity, we see the journey starts from within and freedom comes from within. Need to do some inner reflection, often in silence, leading us to self-authority. Unburden ourselves from rules that we make for ourselves. Thought creates. Each have a role in the community, from love, leading to cooperation. Sun inside each of us.

We Recommend

• Unburden yourself from the rules of society and those that you give yourself
• Identify yourself by the passions that you have, rather than labels (eg. Joy or health conditions)
• Create the time to introspect, to break free from old patterns into new patterns of thinking
• Everyone has a part to play in creating community together, no matter how apparently small.

SOUTH EAST

Present Condition – paying attention, through the senses, to what’s happening right now rather than living in the future or the past.
Appreciation – that quality of the neutral observer that does not blame or judge what is happening.

As Elders holding the perspective of Present Condition and Appreciation, we see symptoms of great unhappiness – of people on earth and earth herself. We are disregarding the needs of earth = what is making us unhappy. Earth showing us – volcanoes, famine, disease – this in turn is affecting our physical and mental health – and spiritual.

We Recommend

• Communities of interest, within community of place should identify and agree to live by common values
• Mind body, & spirit all connected, to create sustainable and vibrant communities
• Identify common needs within community re individual health and self responsibility
• Offer some heart felt gift that you have to the community
• Become a beacon – train yourself to show by example how to make the shift in consciousness

 

SOUTH

Power – harnessing the power of our emotions to fuel right action
Danger – of reacting, being caught in our emotions and driven to conflict

As Elders holding the perspective of Power and Danger. We see power is about empowerment. Using emotions – understanding our emotions – responding from rather than reacting to our emotions. Being deeply rooted in our power base. Gut feel – centre of our physical world. Connecting to our senses that we tend to forget about. Shift in consciousness will cause a shift both individually and collectively. Creating opportunities for sharing, discussion, checking in with others to consider individual and collective responses.

We Recommend

• Cultivate a powerful environment of silence
• Use the power of listening
• Use silence to create a pause between gut reaction and choice of response
• Remember ultimately there is nothing to defend

 

SOUTH WEST

Purpose – remembering who we are, what we have come here to do and the lessons from our past
Direction – being called by our powerful shared vision of the future

As Elders holding the perspective of Purpose and Direction we see a need for trust; self-belief; get in touch with our hearts desire ; understanding unconscious and desires; teaching children; learning from nature.

We Recommend

• Shifting direction of focus onto the positive aspects of what we do rather than what we are lacking,
• For individuals to commit to their own self development through stillness, self reflection and connection with Nature.
• Self acceptance, personal honesty – understand themselves first
• Every Elder facilitates the empowerment of more Elders with integrity and humility.

 

WEST

Maintenance – sustaining and strengthening the structures, processes and systems that enable us to function healthily.
Balance – being mindful of what is needed for sustainability – 7 generational thinking

As Elders holding the perspective of Maintenance and Balance, we see that communities can heal and are great healers – should be looking outwards as well as inward. Talk of ‘we’ vs ‘I’. Future generations are important – hard to see where children’s children will be. Yearning to have value will always be with us. Create time to make communities work. Motivation to make communities work. Resilience for differences as well as what is shared.

We Recommend

• We Elders should reawaken our understanding and application of what community is
• When we know deeply what we want from community consciousness will shift itself when you know what you want
• Celebrating and acknowledging differences and tolerating other ways in a non-aggressive way
• We must practice as Elders the art of being both ourselves as individuals and as energetic members of the community we wish to see in the future

 

NORTH WEST

Interrelatedness – acknowledging how all things are connected and seeing the future consequences of all actions.
Timing – understanding the cycles and patterns of events unfolding and their appropriate timing

As Elders holding the perspective of Interrelatedness and Timing, we see a balancing between consciousness of ‘now’ and that of interconnections. Helping people to be grounded. Intuition and awareness. Connection through sensing. Connecting with Self. Gifting your work to the community. Trust in uncertainty.

We Recommend

• Taking responsibility for reconnecting consciously to the Divine
• Taking responsibility for our own conscious growth for the benefit of ourselves and others.
• Expanding our consciousness to connect in right time & trust that it will work
• Contribute the shift of your own consciousness

 

NORTH

Clarity – the deep inner knowing and wisdom of what’s needed in the moment.
Action – skilful implementation without procrastination.

As Elders holding the perspective of Clarity and Action, we see that we are in a unique time were actions ripple out across the planet and global community. Important to teach others to see values more clearly – seeing it as it is. Need leadership and management to acknowledge self organising and co-creation.

We Recommend

• Be open to community in community, sharing deeper stories, the deeper the better
• More of these ceremonies of different sizes, frequency and length
• Present the alternatives – speak your truth quietly and clearly
• Focus on the positive – don’t be easily discouraged – every little action contributes to the bigger picture.

 

NORTH EAST

Integrity – a sense of wholeness particularly in respect of hearing all the voices and respecting the balance of the feminine and masculine.
Vitality – having the shared enthusiasm to move into action.

As Elders holding the perspective Integrity and Vitality, we see that a shift in consciousness begins with personal responsibility. We are the knowing. We have in our hearts the love of community. We have in our minds the intelligence & wisdom. There is a lot of stagnation in people’s lives. If you are fulfilling your soul’s purpose, there is vitality. If people know their gifts & are expressing them things will change

We Recommend

• People come together to discover their gifts and qualities
• Create communities where there is trust & safety – so people feel safe to open more of their personal stories without fearing
• judgement
• Create circles for people to tell of their stories – include the elders – respect & listen to their wisdom
• Listen to the diversity of all the voices – ensure all are heard so people feel problems/issues are heard fairly.

 

A short reprise of the main message of each directions offering was provided:

EAST
Freedom comes from within. To grow our freedom we need to let go of the rules and labels that restrict us, and embrace our passions. When we feel free, we are also free to expand, explore and express our creativity.

SOUTH EAST
The people are unhappy. It affects our mental, physical and spiritual being. Challenge – What can we each give to our community?

SOUTH
We need not be held back by the trap of our emotions and instead to use their power by choosing in each moment how we act – knowing that we have the capacity to act.

SOUTH WEST
It is recommended that the Elders teach the Elders and that there is a shift in focus from what’s missing, to a sense of abundance – seeing the gifts and talents in each of us and in the community as a whole.

WEST
Rejoice in our capacity to pass on wisdom through the generations. Prepare for this through anticipation of future generations’ needs.

NORTH WEST
There is a reverberation out from us with the gift of our expanded consciousness. Where is the shift going to start?

NORTH
Create more circles and share your stories.

NORTH EAST
Life force flows when we offer our gifts.

 

What Next?

People met in their societies again. Many new connections were made. The felt sense of community was deep and most people wanted to explore how to take this old way of Council further to explore new issues, share it with other groups, deepen their understanding and practice. Much is unfolding as a result.

 

Closing

Sitting in fully circle again, the Talking Stick was passed and everyone spoke a few words of their appreciation for the day.