What a forum!!! So much is touching, so much teachings, learnings, sharings.
Here comes my contribution to the communication about Soul. Personally I believe that there is only one soul, the one Hellinger calls the Greater One, the one that animates all existence. However to be able to communicate in this work about different aspects/manifestations of this Soul/Source/All it is usefull for me to distinguish with Hellinger between the individual, family and greater Soul.
In one of my own constellations I experienced how a resolution became possible after the facilitator placed a representative for my 'individual soul' into the field. Before that it had become apparent from the reporting of the representative of 'the soul', who was placed in the constellation earlier, that she was a 'family soul'. I do not remember the exact details, being the client myself and feeling the impact of the change rather than understanding it. I remember though that the rep's connection seemed to be orientated to all members of the family, rather than being more in relationship with the rep who represented me. Could that have been the result of entanglement(s)? Anyway in that constellation it did not show like that, rather I was very deeply touched and moved by the realisation that I actually existed on that deep level as an individual and my soul could merge with me individually (my representative had been 'lost' up to then) and through that give me access to what is greater than me, from which all comes and into which all merges (which I understand as Hellinger's Greater Soul).
Re-reading the above words, it seems a clumsy attempt to describe one of the effects of a very moving constellation, the issue of which was actually originally money or better the lack of it.....
I also stood as a representative for an individual soul for somebody else. The experience was also very moving particularily as only months before I had the constellation with included the above described experience. An instant sense of deep unconditional love, support and non-judgement were my main feelings as a representative. In that constellation the client, who had taken her own place at that time, was able to move forward with the soul's support, which showed in the field through a very close physical embrace from her back. It felt as if a merger had taken place, in which the soul gave' internal life' to the client.
I think that when I/we communicate with each other using the word 'soul', each of us is trying to describe, capture, illuminate and particularily make sense of our own experience/understanding of soul. Understanding intellectually the way Hellinger experiences and describes the three different levels of soul, helps me to 'see' them clearer at work in the dynamics that show themselves in the systems. As a facilitator (just beginning) I try to keep my awareness with the 'Greater Soul', in which all is united: I see the individual soul and the family soul dance within the graeter One. I feel insignificant when I witness this dance and am part of it, when I am invited by a client to explore together if a new dance step might show itself or not....
Thank you, Stefan, for raising this topic and other for their much valued imput. It has given me the incentive to search in myself for what soul means for me in this work and to revisit some constellations I took part in. Ulrike
Ulrike Danks Denmark Western Australia
