 Dear Friends
Have you ever noticed how, if you look back at your parents' and grandparents' experiences, you can see patterns – on physical, emotional and even spiritual levels – that seem to be repeated in your own and your children's lives? In my own case, somewhat delicate health, poor self-esteem and the tendency to be drawn into relationships in which one is bullied, unfairly criticised or regarded with suspicion, are just three examples of patterns I can see repeated in all the generations of my family of which I am aware. Well, the health pattern could be explained simply by genes of course, although I prefer to go deeper in my search for causes. But what about the relationships, and the self-esteem? These patterns must have deeper origins. These could include unconscious beliefs handed down from generation to generation; beliefs that make us behave in certain ways and attract certain patterns of experience into our lives.
An even deeper cause, I feel, may be eddies and currents of negative energy swirling about in our subtle- or energy-bodies. These come into being as a result of unresolved trauma, and – if they remain unresolved – are also handed down not just from lifetime to lifetime via reincarnation, but also through the family tree, acting rather like magnets causing the same patterns of experience to repeat themselves over and over again until they are healed. No wonder Denise Linn remarks how, sometimes, ‘habitual ancestral patterns and traits resurface again and again throughout generations in an almost mystical manner. It's as if a deep aquifer of ancestral consciousness – an ancestral soul – flows underground for several generations, and then resurfaces, tapping in to the consciousness of present-day descendants'. (Four Acts of Personal Power)
I love the way Alberto Villoldo describes these vortices of energy in the following passage from his book, Shaman, Healer, Sage:
‘The Luminous Energy Field contains an archive of all our personal and ancestral memories, of all early-life trauma, and even of painful wounds from former lifetimes. These records or imprints are stored in full colour and intensity of emotion. Imprints are like dormant computer programs that when activated compel us toward behaviours, relationships, accidents, and illnesses that parody the initial wounding. Imprints propel us to re-create painful dramas and heartbreaking encounters, yet ultimately guide us toward situations wherein we can heal our ancient soul wounds.'
Yes, that's why I think these patterns keep on repeating themselves: to offer us and our descendants the opportunity to heal them. For in truth we are all one family: past, present and future generations united by a single task – which will not leave us alone – of birthing, in our own being, a physical vessel that can hold and express love, light and wisdom in the purest form possible.
In my own experience, and that of many friends, the currents impelling us – helping us – towards becoming conscious of and healing negative family patterns are particularly strong at the moment. Dormant patterns are becoming active – often painfully so. Buried secrets are being wrenched forcefully into the light of day. The aim, of course, is to allow us to resolve these patterns of trauma – to heal those eddies and currents in our energy bodies and replace them with light and peace. We do this through a combination of total honesty, inner work, and action. Through our willingness to be totally honest with ourselves and others, no matter what, hidden traumas can come to light. Painful feelings long repressed can find expression at last, and thus we can let them go. And our power, given away to others through blame and bitterness, can be reclaimed through owning that, whatever may have happened to us, we alone are responsible for our reaction. We find the courage to see and let go of our former selves, or at least those parts of us that do not serve our highest good.
Through our inner work, we access the subliminal levels on which negative patterns and beliefs are held, so that we can transform and replace them; visualization, affirmation, meditation and prayer are all tools that can help us here, as can healing methods such as Reiki.
And then, to complete the circuit, comes action. Situations will be drawn to us in which we are tested. Have we really freed ourselves from the effects of past trauma? Gradually, if only we keep on feeding the flame of our new intentions, and honing our choices accordingly, we will find that we have. We are free. And the beautiful thing is that the freedom we have earned will be for ‘all our relations' – for those who came before us, and for our descendants. There will be one less rumbling volcano for our children, and our children's children, to deal with, and we will have given them a great gift of light and peace. As Denise Linn says in Four Acts of Personal Power, ‘The way to that bright future starts with you. One stone doesn't make a dam, but thousands of stones can change the course of the mightiest river.'
With love, Ann, Geoff and the Cygnus Team
Photographs © Cygnus Books 20-Apr-2007
|
Messages from 
