THE CONSTELLATION APPROACH. Jamy Faust

would of responded” are common reactions to Representatives in Constellations.

      The second is when people who are not present in the room are affected. Numerous times, we have witnessed a person reporting that they received a call or message during a Constellation, or soon after it ended, from a loved one who was represented. It is uncanny how the healing energy seems to travel from the Family Energy Field almost immediately to effect positive change.

      Phases of a Constellation

      There are four phases in a Constellation, and each corresponds to a different Level of Consciousness, the various energy fields, time, and bodily sensations. Ordinarily, a Constellation progresses from the Client issue phase to the Spirit-Mind phase.

      The first phase begins with a brief interview process that engages the Mental Level of Consciousness, during which the Client and the Facilitator determine a core issue to work on in the Constellation. A presenting issue might be related to the Client’s perceived conflict with his mother or it might be related to a Client’s loss of her brother in childhood.

      Next, the Client places the Representatives—silently and intuitively - in particular positions around the Constellation working area within the seminar space. Imagine for a moment arranging participants you have chosen as Representatives of your sister in relation to, say, your deceased aunt or in relation to your chronically ill father. Then, the Client begins to observe his/her Family Energy Field. From the Mental Level of Consciousness, the Client acknowledges what is being presented. Like a lighthouse illuminating night, the ocean of Constellations offer clarity, vision, and surprising moments of enlightenment. By expanding consciousness, Constellations increase our depth perception and reveal what was previously hidden from our view. They also increase our ability to see more of what has always been there but was obscured by a variety of factors.

      The second phase of a Constellation involves movement on the Physical and Emotional Levels of consciousness. The Client begins to move through the Family Energy Field. He or she looks more closely at Representatives, often deeply into their eyes. Verbal communication is replaced in the second phase with specific Words of Empowerment chosen by the Facilitator to help the Client transition from the Mental to the Emotional Level. As the heart center engages, the story begins to recede. Only what is present in the form of thoughts, images, and feelings is relevant. The Facilitator follows the physical and emotional cues of the Client as well as the Representatives to see where a shift is needed in order to create balance in the family. All energetic systems seek a state of balance to be healthy. Both individuals and groups have an unconscious desire to achieve a state of equilibrium. In TCA, the Facilitator helps bring imbalances to the forefront in order to restore equilibrium through awareness, insight and resolution.

       A Constellation Journeyer

      Clair — Four Generations

      Clair was in her early forties when she came for help concerning the feeling of separation she felt with her mother, and that she was beginning to experience between herself and her two daughters. During the interview process she revealed that her mother had been estranged from her own mother (Clair’s grandmother) in early childhood.

      Clair chose Representatives for herself, her mother, and grandmother. She placed the Representative for her grandmother several yards away and with her back turned to Clair’s mother. This suggested that the grandmother was focused on something from the past and was not available to her daughter (Clair’s mother). An additional Representative for the great-grandmother was placed in view of the grandmother. Soon thereafter, all three women began to cry and slowly began moving towards one another to embrace.

      Clair was stunned. She didn’t know anything about her great-grandmother or what had happened in her life, but watching the three preceding generations of mothers and daughters holding each other, touched her deeply.

      The Representative for Clair helped her to enter the Constellation then sat down. The great-grandmother, grandmother and mother turned to face Clair. Upon sensing relief and love emanating from the Representatives, she burst open in waves of sadness, then joy. Clair understood that the separation she felt with her mother began two generations earlier. The women were placed in a line each resting their backs into their mother’s bodies. She could feel the distance beginning to heal within her. Clair felt serene as she allowed the sense of separation to be replaced by a feeling of connection with her mother’s lineage.

      It is common in Constellations for the Facilitator to move certain Representatives to different positions in relation to each other and ask how the new positions affect them. Often their responses reflect an uncanny resemblance to the Client’s family situation. When the “right” positioning is found, there is visible relief and relaxation on the part of the Representatives as well as the Client. This reflects a restoration of equilibrium, as a more complete picture of the family system begins to take shape. The Client may gain insight, know intuitively their next step, feel resolved, or come to peace with the issue they have presented. Most importantly, the Client accepts what has occurred, often meeting the very edge of his or her resistance at the Egoic Level.

      In the third phase, the Client moves through the ego’s resistance to enter Soul Level Consciousness where knowledge in the form of feelings, thoughts, and images is transmitted almost instantly. This third phase creates what in Sanskrit is called anandamayakosha, a bliss state of consciousness. In this state, we are absent of any judgment or criticism of those represented, or what has occurred. The Veil of Forgetting lifts, the heart center opens, and Soul agreements for this lifetime are remembered. The Client re-cognizes—sees again—the family member involved for who they really are in their Soul nature.

      In some instances, we immediately understand why things transpired in our family as they have. Clear answers to some of life’s biggest questions may arise, such as why I am the son or daughter of this parent, why certain illnesses presented in my life, and most importantly, why I chose to be incarnated into my Family Lineage. At the Soul Level of Consciousness it becomes possible to agree without hesitation; we feel freer and no longer held captive by the past. We gain insight into how we might live our life in relation to the family we actually have, to our loved ones. Along with a deep appreciation for our Family Lineage, we experience a humble willingness to contribute to the evolution of our family’s consciousness. Moreover, Constellations at the Soul Level provide a precious opportunity to understand why we are here, enabling us to fulfill our Soul agreements.

      The fourth phase usually begins with an alignment of all the Levels of Consciousness—as a deeply felt experience. This alignment may cause a transmission through the room, like a gentle shock wave that can be felt by each person who is in tune with the Constellation. This is the Spirit-Mind phase. During this phase, those in attendance often feel as if a powerful shared blessing has been bestowed upon them.

      Ours is the time that knows No bounds. When we enter this space All is forgotten and forgiven Only love, only life.

       This moment flushes out The wounds of the past To leave our hearts Open, supple, ready to receive Like never before. We are endless, We are one, In this boundless time

      — Peter

      Phases of a Constellation

      This diagram shows the Phases of a Constellation, the Levels of Consciousness and the progress from Client issue to Spirit-Mind.

       A Constellation Journeyer

      Anna — Appreciating Marriage

      Anna felt a deep spiritual connection with the man she married from the first moment they met. Yet, she and her husband had an intense