Healing People, Healing Planet

I have to say that listening to these conversations for a second time is even more inspiring than the first time. In this conversation there are two Australians (one Aboriginal, one white), a neuropsychiatrist and a transpersonal climate psychologist! (See the end of this post for links). Living in New Zealand made the Australian wisdom even more interesting in relation to our own history with our indigenous culture.

The conversation focused mainly on healing from trauma - personal trauma and planetary trauma. One theme that stood out is the impact of trans-generational trauma. Some of the stories told were heartbreaking. They showed not only the trauma sustained directly by a child or adult as a result of the brutal actions of colonists, but also the ongoing trauma through the generations.Here is a two minute clip of Judy Atkinson talking about her own journey and her work with indigenous Australians. 

This, of course, is not limited to the effects of colonisation. Diane spoke of working with people who had never met grandparents or great-grandparents who had lost their lives in the Holocaust. Yet the trauma of that heritage needed deep healing in the life of the current person. The cellular memory (and soul memory) of the trauma remains. She has also worked in depth with some of the "lost boys of Sudan". I read a book about these "lost boys" some years ago. 20,000 boys were left without family or home in the genocide in Sudan during the Civil war 1987-2005.

Kylie, as a white Australian, spoke of feeling the guilt of being part of the colonising culture. A significant experience during her childhood was having an Aboriginal girl living with her family over a long summer holiday. She assumes it was a well meaning programme of "let us (white) help you (aboriginal)". For her it planted a deep sense of unity beneath any cultural divide. She is now a transpersonal climate psychologist.

It's not only people who bear the effects of generational trauma.. So does the planet. Judy spoke of "the memories of country". (We might say "memories of the land".) For example: On a "behind the scenes clip" on the current David Attenborough series, one of the camera team was close to tears as he returned to an area that had previously been home to trees specifically suited to that desert environment. They were lying dead because of increasingly extreme heat and drought. The wildlife he was hoping to film there was gone. The theme of really listening to the land and all that the land sustains is becoming more crucial every day.

Deep listening is also an essential factor in healing people. Returning to the "lost boys of the Sudan" situation, Diane spoke from her experience and affirmed: "no-one is beyond help". However, the kind of listening that leads to healing can only be offered by someone who is not afraid to "go to the depths of hell" with the traumatised person. If the listener is afraid to hear the worst of the story or tries to 'make it feel better', the speaker will quickly shut down. It is no longer a safe place for them to dare to explore the depths of their pain. When a person has a guide to travel with them to the deepest core of trauma they can begin to heal and journey back, still accompanied by the guide.

This healing journey can take a long time. Sometimes words are inadequate or simply cannot be found. An example in Judy's case was an extremely traumatised young girl who couldn't speak the horror of her abuse "or my head will burst". Judy gave her paper and art materials and said: "paint for me". It was many years later after many paintings that this young woman had courage to report her abuser and have him convicted. Judy's comment was that the young woman did this "out of her own authenticity". We are called to accompany the journey however long it takes.

I re-tell these examples for two reasons. Sometimes I think we feel overwhelmed by all that needs healing on the planet and in people. It feels too much to comprehend or cope with. Yet listening is something we can all do. Perhaps we are not skilled or trained in the kind of listening described here - but it is something we can practice every single day. We all put out little hints of something we hope someone will "hear" and shut down very quickly if the response shows that deep listening is not on offer.

Links to the people in this conversation:

Catherine G Lucas
Judy Atkinson 

Diane Hennacy-Powell

Kylie Harris and here

 

Sacred Economics for a Sacred Earth

One of the things I notice in every one of these conversations is that no matter what the specific topic is there are certain fundamental principles that come up every time. One of those is that everything in life is sacred. Looking for a specific "answer to a problem" or a way to "correct/heal" past wrongs or hurts is, as one person said, "a bottomless bucket". Only as we step into a new story, a new perspective, does fundamental change happen. That new story is what indigenous and spiritual elders have been saying for centuries: all of life is sacred and is designed to function with reciprocity, generosity and abundance. If we truly "get" that, then we are invited to participate in this story - right now. Fixating on the past can bring regrets and frustration. Looking at the future can make us scared and overwhelmed. Opening myself to what is asked of me right now, in this present moment, is motivating.

Economy:

It's interesting to me that in this time of pandemic and lockdowns and closed borders, much is said on mainstream news about "the economy". It is usually couched in literal monetary terms: profit, loss, GDP, savings, debt, inflation etc. Understandably there's a lot of anxiety for individuals and businesses - and for the country in general. I'm not passing judgement on that - I live in that "story" too. 

But what if we were corporately living from a new story of co-operation, generosity, reciprocity - knowing that there really is enough for all (ie abundance)? There are encouraging examples of communities and organisations who do live out this story. Here are three examples I personally know about: Our current NZ government launched a "wellbeing budget" in 2019 and still operates from those principles. A friend of mine recently sold her house. She told the real estate agent that she didn't need "top dollar" and the house must be sold to first home buyers. The church to which I belong is associated with a housing trust CORT Community Housing where rent is matched to income not market rates.

I'm sure there are many more examples - you probably know of some. At the moment they are probably the exception rather than the rule. However, I am optimistic that in time a tipping point will be reached where this new story becomes the norm.

The word 'economy' coming from the Greek means "good housekeeping"! Maybe like me you had a class called "home economics" at school. I don't remember learning anything about money in that course! It did focus on cooking and sewing however. For many of our mothers and grandmothers cooking and sewing were a key part of the good housekeeping economy. I'm sure in some households that is still true.  I'm really heartened that so much of this way of living is coming back into the mainstream. Schools are featuring gardens where children plant, nurture and then cook and eat the produce. Farmers' markets are popular and regenerative farming is becoming more well known.

Glen Eden Primary School: Garden to Plate

Values:

What do we truly value? It was suggested that our values are often "upside down". For example we value a tree when it is cut down and made into timber but we don't value it in the same way when it is alive. We value products but we often don't value the people who made them. (However, see TearFund's Ethical Fashion Guide.) Budgets often seem to value sickness (hospitals etc) more than health and well being. The NZ Wellbeing Budget is seeking to turn this around. We say we value the growing number of elderly in our midst but the pay scale for those who care for them certainly doesn't demonstrate that. 

Money:

All of us have some relationship with money. Maybe we fear it, worry about not having enough, feel guilty about having so much or are focussed on accumulating as much as possible to ensure our security.

 

It was suggested that money is a beautiful resource and energy for connection to the things/people we value. If it was generally seen in this way it could be the resource to drive things in a different direction.

What is your sacred currency?

We can also see "currency" in a different way. We each have a sacred currency to bring to the table. One may bring the currency of teaching, another of building, another of caring, another of legal training, another of gardening, another of parenting, another of political skill. If you are from a Christian background this is probably reminding you of the "gifts of the spirit" and the part we each play in the unity of the body (1 Corinthians 12). I'm sure all religions have their way of saying the same thing. All of life is sacred and each of us has gifts to bring and a part to play. It is when all these sacred currencies are woven together for the good of the whole that we create a culture of co-operation, generosity, reciprocity and abundance.

Our personal economy is how we spend our life energy. Do we "spend" it on what we value and share or on what we want to accumulate and protect? The resources listed below offer ways to explore our own approach to "the energy of money" (Sarah McCrum) and the outcome of this approach to life (Jyoti Ma). Mick Collins' books offer visionary challenges to the spirit in which we live out our values and Catherine G Lucas invites us to share in Co-creating Our Future.

Links for those in the conversation:

Catherine G Lucas Co-creating Our Future, Birth the New Earth

Sarah McCrum sarahmccrum.com The Energy of Money Scorecard

Jyoti Ma           thefountain.earth

Mick Collins   The Unselfish Spirit  The Visionary Spirit