We inherit more in our DNA than just the genes for blue eyes or brown hair. We inherit the stories and experiences of our ancestors which included our family, community, culture and homeland.
I have always been an avid reader and in books as well as television shows and movies there is often a character whose actions and personality are, shall we say, difficult, if not impossible, to like. We may also see that character’s behavior acting like a pebble dropped in a pond with the ripple out effect, in turn, causing other characters’ feelings and actions to be affected. The reader (or watcher), the other characters in the story, the events that may be beginning to unfold are all affected by this one character and how everyone feels about him or her.
Then as the story progresses, more information is discovered — what in literature is called the backstory. The revelation of this backstory affects the way that character is perceived, and a shift happens. You may see that, in fact, their actions are noble and selfless or the result of some heretofore unseen forces. What do we feel when this happens? Does our body suddenly relax? Does empathy for that person flood over us?
What happens if that fictional character isn’t fictional? What happens if that is someone in our family? What happens if that person is us?
Constellations are a place to view the backstory, view the unseen dynamics. They are a place to begin to tell a different story.