Catalan Constellations

I want to share this video with you about one of our Catalan traditions, CASTELLS or HUMAN TOWERS, which I believe is a beautiful metaphor for what happens in a FAMILY CONSTELLATIONS WORKSHOP.

Strangers come together for a common purpose: to raise “castells”, creating a kind of constellation where THEY ALL SUPPORT EACH OTHER. Everyone is INCLUDED, men and women alike, adults and children, people from all walks of life and origin, with EACH PLAYING THEIR OWN DEFINING ROLE. Every “COLLA” or group of Castellers has STRONG BONDS and RELIES ON ITS LARGE FOUNDATION.

If we think of the principles of family constellations, they are all represented in this aesthetically rooted tradition: BELONGING/INCLUSION, HIERARCHY/ORDER and BALANCE.

“Castells have always been raised by castellers, but with help of other enthusiasts in the PINYA, the human structure in direct contact with the ground and supporting the tower”. “The colles not only receive help from the public, they also help each other”, like participants in our workshops support each other’s family system by representing and holding the space for the client.

When “the castell collapses, the force is absorbed by the base”, the safety net. Possibly one of the most moving effects of our constellation work: the soothing power of the ritual, the healing presence of the circle that supports the client and helps to release the stress in his system.

Building castells, like engaging in a constellation process, requires a high level of TRUST and tolerance to UNCERTAINTY and taking RISKS. When we want to heal and grow, we take the risk to change, trusting our instinct and accepting the uncertainty of what will happen next. Enjoy.