Processes for Councils

Back to Web of Life:

The beauty of Councils of All Beings is that there are no set ways to do it. All kinds of process and activities are very powerful. Here are write ups of both old and new pieces of the work to inspire you.

Eco-milling

Shambhala Story

Mourning

Evolutionary Journey - Future Human Visualisation

Surrender to Earth

100 Year Circle

Open Heart During Milling

Other Process Notes

ECO-MILLING — John Seed
We are here because our world is in distress ...
Of course you can make up different steps for the milling, but the ones I commonly use are:
1. Walk around fast looking at the ground. 
2. Slow down, watch your breath. 
3. Start to make eye contact. 
4. Take a couple of minutes each to share ... maybe something important/transformative that's happened to you in Nature. Or: Here is a person living on planet Earth at the same time as you. Share with them something you love about yourself, and something you love about the Earth.

5. Person "A" put up your hand. Put the palms of your hands together and person A lead, person B follow. After a couple of minutes, "person B lead, A follow". After a couple minutes more: "now, without stopping your movement, continue but with neither leading nor following.

6. Look into this persons eyes and let the thought arise in your mind that here is a person who loves Nature, that's why they're here for this weekend. Consider the millions of people who are doing something else (e.g....), but this person is here out of that love of Nature and desire for her wellbeing. Allow whatever feelings may arise in response to this thought (pause for a minute). Now, dropping this thought, allow the thought to arise in your mind that here is a person who has great knowing about what's happening to our world ... they know which mighty power dropped which bomb on which other mighty power in August 1945 ... they know which countries are preparing to do far worse even now ... they know (whatever you want to fill in here). Once again, allow any feelings to arise in response to this thought. Now consider the dangers in the world that this person inhabits. They could die of a cancer as a result of the poisons spewing into their environment. They could die in a nuclear holocaust. Indeed, this could happen at any moment and without warning. In fact, these could be the last pair of eyes that you'll ever look into. Again, invite any feelings that may want to arise in response to this thought.

7. Take this person's left hand in yours and begin to explore it. Feel the texture, the heat/cold, moist/dry, explore it with great wonder, as if you've never felt anything like it before. The skin, bones, knuckles, sinews, strong opposable thumb etc. Now, see what this hand can teach you of it's history. Is this a hand that has done a lot of hard manual labour? etc. Now allow this hand to take you back, see if you can feel the hand of the child that once was this hand, the baby, now even further back, can you feel the paw in this hand? the claws that led to these nails... the fin... can you feel the very dust of stars of which this hand is composed?... Now, with your eyes still closed, without words, say goodbye to this hand and start milling again.

8. Blind walk. Person A lead, B follow. This is about trust and about opening to your senses other than sight. Five (or 10) minutes each way. Person A, a few times in the course of the blind walk, when you see something that you want to share with your partner, position them so (model this), move their head into position and then squeeze their shoulder. Person B, when you're shoulder is squeezed, open your eyes for just a second, like a camera and take in what person A is sharing with you.