The effects of war are always present with us. Someday we may realize the consequences that reverberate through every generation that follows. We see this consistently in the practice of Family Constellation Work. A few years ago I had the opportunity to work with clients in Japan, at the invitation of The Knowing School in Tokyo, and had a profound experience that I would like to share on this Peace Day and Anniversary of the atomic bombing of Japan.
It was a expansive experience to work with issues unique to the culture of Japan. It has endured natural disasters and wars that show up time and time again in our Constellations. The great Earthquake of 1923, separation from family and country, participation in WWII, and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, all showed up in a substantial portion of the Constellations that I have performed for Japanese clients there, and in the US.
I had a knowing that I would be doing one very significant Constellation for the atomic bombing of WWII. It was the last Constellation of the last workshop with a wonderful client whose family was from Hiroshima. The client's presenting issue felt very connected to the great loss experienced by her family over two generations ago.
I felt the magnitude of the Constellation as I set it up and it began to unfold. Over the hour and half we were immersed in one of the most memorable and moving Constellations of my 13 year career. We worked in a deep silence, as one by one, participants where added to the circle as the need emerged. Representatives for the family of the client, and the lost and dead relatives and community, someone to represent (in this case) the” bomber”, someone for America, and someone for Japan, and lastly the “bomber s“ parents. Over time the huge Constellation circle was filled with all those that needed to be seen and included. Only 2 or 3 participants where left seated.
The first movement of opening came from representatives of the clients family as they, burdened with grief moved to “see” those they lost, the movement continued as the family was “seen” by the “bomber” who had to be supported by his family, and country that he had been in service to. For those representing the dead all were not at peace, each had to be acknowledged separately and allowed to make a peaceful transition. One did not come to peace. It appears to die a sudden death does not allow a serene passage for the soul. Ultimately America and Japan “saw” each other. A strong feeling of peace overcame the circle, and we felt complete. But the circle kept moving, amazingly the Constellation continued with a very slow movement of America seeing everyone and moving towards Japan. America continued its movement towards the Japanese side of the circle, finally come to a stop at the foot of the one restless dead. With that movement the dead came to final rest. Now the peace was complete as America stood with the dead facing Japan. We stood in silence occupying this rarefied space for a long while as the healing moved out into the room and beyond.
I will never forget the feeling of openness, relief and strength of my client and the Representatives for her family. I closed the circle with the assistance of my wonderful interpreter Yuriko. As a first generation American on my mother’s side, born in Germany, and my American father in the service in WWII, I was well aware of everything moving within myself as well. For the first time ever I found it difficult to speak the words of closure in releasing back to the client. We were seated and rested in the energies that where moving out from the heart of the now unified circle to my client, her family and out into the world. We took a short break to get fresh air, and eat and breathe.
Upon returning I could feel many where not complete in the group as we took our seats back in the circle. Much was moving indeed. My client was doing marvelous, and expressed her profound gratitude, and joy. Others in the circle where having deep responses to what had just transpired. As I shared a little of what we had just experienced the consensus was surprise that one could be so moved and affected by that which they had no direct experience. It is important to note, I set up every Constellation blind, meaning no one knows the issue. The only people that knew who they were representing where the Reps for the client and her parents.
One by one I brought the participants that needed assistance to me to facilitate what was moving with them. Eventually bringing in an ancestor that could help, to stand behind them and sit next to them as they returned to their seat. One woman who was not in the Constellation found she was feeling very emotional, and shared her family was from Nagasaki. She was amazed that she would have such a strong response and be affected by something that happened so long ago. After I placed in support behind her as she sat next to me, I explained to her and the group once again our connection to our families run deep and all pervading, and that the love and the trauma is passed genetically. Everyone one in the group now had a visceral experience, and healing of that fact. The woman calmed and opened with that information and support as she returned to her seat in the circle.
I reminded the group when we do this work it is not only a personal transformation but we are participating in a global healing. I closed the workshop that day moved beyond words and deeply altered. I wanted to write about the experience but only now on this anniversary date of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki do the details come back to me of that Constellation we did that moved out into the collective field to be part of a healing whose time has come.
The effects of war are always present with us. May we someday realize the consequences that reverberate through every generation that follows.
It was a expansive experience to work with issues unique to the culture of Japan. It has endured natural disasters and wars that show up time and time again in our Constellations. The great Earthquake of 1923, separation from family and country, participation in WWII, and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, all showed up in a substantial portion of the Constellations that I have performed for Japanese clients there, and in the US.
I had a knowing that I would be doing one very significant Constellation for the atomic bombing of WWII. It was the last Constellation of the last workshop with a wonderful client whose family was from Hiroshima. The client's presenting issue felt very connected to the great loss experienced by her family over two generations ago.
I felt the magnitude of the Constellation as I set it up and it began to unfold. Over the hour and half we were immersed in one of the most memorable and moving Constellations of my 13 year career. We worked in a deep silence, as one by one, participants where added to the circle as the need emerged. Representatives for the family of the client, and the lost and dead relatives and community, someone to represent (in this case) the” bomber”, someone for America, and someone for Japan, and lastly the “bomber s“ parents. Over time the huge Constellation circle was filled with all those that needed to be seen and included. Only 2 or 3 participants where left seated.
The first movement of opening came from representatives of the clients family as they, burdened with grief moved to “see” those they lost, the movement continued as the family was “seen” by the “bomber” who had to be supported by his family, and country that he had been in service to. For those representing the dead all were not at peace, each had to be acknowledged separately and allowed to make a peaceful transition. One did not come to peace. It appears to die a sudden death does not allow a serene passage for the soul. Ultimately America and Japan “saw” each other. A strong feeling of peace overcame the circle, and we felt complete. But the circle kept moving, amazingly the Constellation continued with a very slow movement of America seeing everyone and moving towards Japan. America continued its movement towards the Japanese side of the circle, finally come to a stop at the foot of the one restless dead. With that movement the dead came to final rest. Now the peace was complete as America stood with the dead facing Japan. We stood in silence occupying this rarefied space for a long while as the healing moved out into the room and beyond.
I will never forget the feeling of openness, relief and strength of my client and the Representatives for her family. I closed the circle with the assistance of my wonderful interpreter Yuriko. As a first generation American on my mother’s side, born in Germany, and my American father in the service in WWII, I was well aware of everything moving within myself as well. For the first time ever I found it difficult to speak the words of closure in releasing back to the client. We were seated and rested in the energies that where moving out from the heart of the now unified circle to my client, her family and out into the world. We took a short break to get fresh air, and eat and breathe.
Upon returning I could feel many where not complete in the group as we took our seats back in the circle. Much was moving indeed. My client was doing marvelous, and expressed her profound gratitude, and joy. Others in the circle where having deep responses to what had just transpired. As I shared a little of what we had just experienced the consensus was surprise that one could be so moved and affected by that which they had no direct experience. It is important to note, I set up every Constellation blind, meaning no one knows the issue. The only people that knew who they were representing where the Reps for the client and her parents.
One by one I brought the participants that needed assistance to me to facilitate what was moving with them. Eventually bringing in an ancestor that could help, to stand behind them and sit next to them as they returned to their seat. One woman who was not in the Constellation found she was feeling very emotional, and shared her family was from Nagasaki. She was amazed that she would have such a strong response and be affected by something that happened so long ago. After I placed in support behind her as she sat next to me, I explained to her and the group once again our connection to our families run deep and all pervading, and that the love and the trauma is passed genetically. Everyone one in the group now had a visceral experience, and healing of that fact. The woman calmed and opened with that information and support as she returned to her seat in the circle.
I reminded the group when we do this work it is not only a personal transformation but we are participating in a global healing. I closed the workshop that day moved beyond words and deeply altered. I wanted to write about the experience but only now on this anniversary date of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki do the details come back to me of that Constellation we did that moved out into the collective field to be part of a healing whose time has come.
The effects of war are always present with us. May we someday realize the consequences that reverberate through every generation that follows.
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