Finding Inspiration and Healing in Times of Crisis 

Many of us are bound by inherited beliefs that are so deeply rooted, we mistake them as our own. Feelings like "I am not good enough" or “there isn’t enough” often originate from ancestral experiences, passed down through generations. These beliefs can keep us limited, confined by invisible walls we don't even realise exist.

I was once caught in this cycle, when I worked relentlessly within the field of corporate sustainability, grappling with climate change and systemic inaction. I immersed myself in the despair of a world I felt powerless to change, working to the point of burnout. It was only when I looked deeper, beyond current events and even my own life, that I began to see the full picture. The inner anguish I carried was not solely mine but a thread connecting me to past generations who had faced overwhelming circumstances and difficult choices.

It was through the practice of ancestral healing that I began to unravel this web. Understanding that my ancestors had faced immense hardship somehow brought me solace and a new perspective to the world I have been born in to. Their struggles to survive in a world rife with challenges planted seeds of inherited beliefs, but they also carried an enduring spirit: one that I could call upon as I created my own path.

Finding beauty amongst the devastation

In the face of today’s turmoil, I’m reminded of John Clare, a poet who lived two hundred years ago during a time of upheaval in rural England: the Enclosures. Claire was living in an extremely distressing time for the English peasants: my ancestors. The way of life for hundreds of thousands of people was wiped out entirely in just a few generations as they were forced off their ancestral lands into a life of poverty in the slums of Victorian Britain. Clare witnessed the devastation to his community and the land that he loved so dearly because of decisions made by the ruling class. Yet, despite the immense grief he felt, articulated through his poetry, he found beauty amidst the destruction unfolding around him.

Yesterday, on the morning that the US presidential election results were announced, I read a poem by Clare ‘To an April Daisy’. Clare captures the beauty of this flower in his words, and as spring’s ‘messenger,’ he sees it as a representation of hope, renewal, and a promise of better days.

There are two centuries between us, but these words from Clare couldn’t have rung truer. Rocked by the outcome of the election, and sitting amongst the despair that many of us are feeling, I can find hope.

Where there is despair, hope is often close by. Humans are wired for optimism: it’s a natural part of our evolution. Even in the midst of global turmoil, we have the resilience to find hope. It is a powerful force, something we can actively pull toward us. One thought I have when I rise up and look at the bigger picture, is perhaps the intense challenges we’re witnessing are necessary pressures, similar to a tight muscle being released. This tension might ultimately drive transformative change, pushing society to address threats to democracy and safeguard values that matter deeply to us all.

I know from past experience, if I focus on world events I can’t control, I get anxious and can find myself on the brink of depression with regular apocalyptic nightmares. I am not able to function in this place. So, now I put myself in a place where I can function: a place where I can create beauty and celebrate beauty. I throw myself into my passion projects and work hard to overcome my blocks to living my best life.

One of our Mystery School members shared this fitting quote, along the same theme, from Chris Packham, in response to the US election results:

“Things have just got a lot more difficult. Here’s what I think. I had no control over what just happened. None. But I do have control over how I will react to it. And I am not going to give up on the beautiful and the good, the grip on my dreams just got tighter.” Chris Packham

An old world dying or a new world being born

Writing this blog, I am reminded of the teachings of Joanna Macy: The Work That Reconnects. Macy’s approach helps people to move from feeling despair about the world to a place of action.

In these turbulent times, are we witnessing an old world that is dying or a new world that is being born? I can hold both possibilities within me. Macy makes the point that we don’t need to know the answer to this question in order to take action. Whether someone is supporting a person dying, as a death doula, or a new baby coming into the world as a midwife, the qualities that are needed are the same. These qualities are compassion, empathy and kindness, and the ability and desire to pay attention.

Whether this world is dying or being reborn, my approach and actions will be the same regardless. What is important that I am not paralysed by fear and despair. What is important is that I find my way into seeing the beauty of this world. What is important is that instead of being numb with anxiety, I am able to move forward and live the life that my soul is calling out for me to live.

Healing inherited ancestral wounds

The work of healing creates resilience and a new way of being. One area we need to turn our healing focus to is the wounds of our ancestors that are holding us back. By letting go of outdated beliefs inherited from our ancestors, by removing these blocks and aligning with our true purpose, we can better contribute to building a world that serves both people and planet.

If you feel called to explore this path, consider joining me on this journey of ancestral healing, where together we can peel back the layers that hold us back and step into a life aligned with our true essence. Here, amidst the crumbling of old structures, is an invitation: to find hope, to seek beauty, and to make peace with the past in order to create a future filled with purpose.

As we face the profound shifts in the world around us, there is an opportunity for healing and growth. The journey of ancestral healing invites us to uncover deeply rooted beliefs that hold us back, to break free from unhelpful inherited patterns and beliefs, and to create a life aligned with our true essence.