Heather’s Journal: Healing, Self-Discovery and Peacemaking

Hello SuperForesters Everywhere,

How are you? I hope you had/are having a lovely day :) Today I’d like to talk to you about an amazing book!

If you go back into the SuperForest Archives, you may find some mentions of a book called “Manual for the Peacemaker: An Iroquois Legend to Heal Self & Society” by Jean Houston. A while back,  few of us started reading this book together and began the journey towards healing and self discovery through the context of becoming better peacemakers. As we made our way through the book, we were guided by two transformational figures in Iroquois history, Deganawidah and Hiawatha.

At this time, we are just about to complete the last chapter and process of the book and I am feeling so grateful for this journey we have been on. I am also excited because we get to plant a tree of peace in the final process!

I decided to write this post because I want to encourage anyone who is interested in going on a healing journey of self-discovery to do it! One way to do so is to find this book, gather a group, and go for it! (Note: you can also do this journey solo). If you do gather a group, it doesn’t have to be a large group, nor do you have to be “in person” with your group members for each process (although that is ideal). We used Skype, phone and email communication as well as a little bit of in-person interaction, and it has all worked very well.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this experience since it was my first time doing anything of the sort, but I have been pleasantly surprised, and like I said, extremely grateful for it. In attempting to describe it to a friend, I said, “It’s kinda like group therapy, with an Iroquois legend as your guide!” For some of us, “therapy” has been a scary word, but if you replace it with “healing”, it doesn’t seem so scary, does it? Words are very powerful things!

Through these processes, I’ve learned a lot about myself and have begun to cultivate friendships and connections with my group members. One of the most powerful aspects of working in a group (especially one where you do not know the other group members very well at the outset), is that you will begin to learn so much about yourself by seeing yourself through their eyes.

Because of this experience, I have noticed a shift in my confidence, my self-love, my respect for others and my habits and behaviours…and my overall SuperForesty-ness! At times it was difficult to share personal thoughts and feelings with people I have only known a short time, but the freedom that comes with allowing yourself to be that vulnerable is amazing. No risk, no reward. Plus, your group members are also sharing with you, so you’re not out on a limb alone.

I have always been a ridiculously self-analytic person, always pondering the meaning of life and my place in it; the essence of who I am and what my purpose on earth is meant to be. However, it was only until I started this book/process that I was truly able to see myself in ways that revealed my deeper truth. I’m still a work in progress, as we all are, but I have a clearer vision now and I want to offer my deepest gratitude to my group-mates as well as the amazing Jean Houston.

To create peace in the world, we need to create it in ourselves first, SuperForest.

“I take hold of it. I embrace it.”

Yours in healing,

SuperForester Heather