On Collective Healing: A Post-Activism Constellation Inquiry

"Postactivism … is my way of describing the flows and possibilities that proceed from the moment when things no longer fit.

Postactivism is not a superior form of being that guarantees solutions. … Instead, it is the site where continuity becomes impossible … When we have come to the end of the rope, to the very end of the world, and there are no more words."

- Bayo Akomolafe  

https://www.bayoakomolafe.net/post/what-i-mean-by-postactivism

The summer of 2016 was the last time when I was “smart enough” to know what was happening and what needed to happen.

Why the last time? Because that was the summer in which I was engaging in collective constellation work with others like me who believed we had the solutions to the problems of the world.

Instead of witnessing the great healing we expected to see, we witnessed a spectacular collapse. And we elected Donald Trump for his first term.

It took me years to understand what happened: we were blind to what we were blind to. That there was a fundamental inner orientation that was flawed, which can be stated simply: we thought we had the answers.

Now, that might sound obvious. But the truth is, you and I - we believe what we believe because we think it’s true and right.

The lesson I learned is that if you have a version of “what’s true and right” that creates a world of us and them, it is inherently flawed.

I have changed so much since then, forced to examine my previous views and mindset. It has been a hard-earned gift, for now I stand with great humility and an open heart.

I am in a conscious process of letting go what I think I know, and listening instead to what the world around me is speaking. I am committed to limiting my own projections, seeing into my own blindspots, and illuminating my shadow. And also to trust the there is true guidance available for me and all of us.

I am in what Bayo Akomolafe’s describes as “postactivism”.

Getting here has required the humiliation of my ego. The good news is that I have found humility to be a soft welcoming ground as my rigid ideas collapse.

If your heart is breaking with these times, and you want to listen for the larger movement that your and our souls are being called into, I am hosting an in-person circle for people to explore the intersection between personal and collective healing. The circle is already forming, and we have space for a few more.

We will meet in person for three Wednesdays, July 23, Aug 6, Aug 20, 6-9pm. Location TBD (someplace near Greenfield or Northampton MA).

If this speaks to you, email me: hello@greenriverfc.com