The Way of Council

Preparations:

Look for a quiet place in nature where the floor is mostly flat and where all participants can fit comfortably sitting in a circle. Check the floor for thorns or other sharp items, or anything else that could make sitting uncomfortable. Make sure the place is not under the full sun. Places under very big trees are particularly suitable. The activity can also happen indoors, but it is generally more powerful if held outdoors. Make sure it’s a place where you won’t have any external disturbances for the duration of the session.

Prepare a circular “altar” in the middle of the space. This could be done with natural materials such as flowers, stones, twigs and leaves (take care not to compromise the life of any living being while doing so), but also with scarfs of different colors and/or candles.

Description:

10 min - Mindful slow walk towards the place where the Council will be held, in silence and thinking of the moment in which we were notified that we had been selected to participate in this training.

10 min - Introduction to Council. The facilitator introduces the practice of Council as follows:

People from all cultures have been sitting in circles around the fire for millennia. Circular gatherings, also called councils, have been used over the years to connect to others and build community. This is done through sharing stories authentically. The Way of Council is a ceremony based on the tradition of the native americans.

There are 4 invitations, 1 principle, a talking piece and a guiding question.

The 4 invitations are:

1. Listen from the heart – When someone is speaking, concentrate your attention on what that person is trying to communicate. Pay attention to both verbal and non-verbal communication. Listen between and beyond the spoken words. Refrain from judging, and practice empathy.

2. Speak from the heart – Not from your brain. Talk about what moves you. You may share in the shape of a story, a song, a poem, gestures, silence, tears, laughter or any other form of expression that serves you to convey your message.

3. Be lean of expression (speak the essence) – Be mindful of the time available. Go straight to what’s important. Distil the essence of your message and communicate only that which serves you or the group. Speak on your behalf (I), not on anyone else’s behalf (we).

4. Be spontaneous – Follow your instinct. You will know when it’s your turn to speak, wait for that urge to come and claim your turn.

The principle is “the principle of confidentiality”: what is shared in the circle, stays in the circle.

The talking piece is placed in the middle of the circle. Only the person who holds the talking piece can speak. The rest listen. Once the council ceremony is opened, whoever feels the urge to share a story stands up, grabs the talking piece, sits back in place and shares his/her story from there.

The guiding question is the prompt that guides the theme of each particular council.

The facilitator mentions that it’s of utmost importance that we all see each other’s faces during the Council, and asks for a better circular arrangement and for everyone to make sure that they can see everyone else’s faces clearly.

An explanation about the particular talking piece is given (why it is special, what’s its story or what it represents), and the piece is passed around the circle once, so that everyone has the chance to hold it and to have his/her voice heard in Council for the first time: the ice-breaking question could be “Where do you come from?”, and the facilitator starts by completing the sentence “I come from…” and then inviting participants to do the same, while passing the piece to his/her left.

After the talking piece comes back, it is placed in the middle of the circle. The facilitator asks if there are any questions about the procedure. If there are, they are clarified, and then the opening ceremony starts.

60 min - Council.

The guiding question is presented, so that participants can already start reflecting on it while the ceremony is being opened. Some examples of guiding questions are: “What moved me to be here now?”, “What’s my motivation for being a youth worker?”, “What’s the story of my environmental awakening?”, “What’s my story of transformation?”, “When I go back home after this training, what story will I tell?”.

The facilitator asks for a volunteer to light up the fire in the middle (a tealight) while setting an intention for the Council. If more than one person offers themselves, they both are invited to do it together.

After this, the guiding question is repeated. The incense stick is lit. The facilitator says “we have 60 minutes for this Council, we will go on until there are stories, or until there is time” and then rings the chimes. “The Council is open”.

10 min - Closing of the experience and leaving the place.

After the 60 minutes, or after everyone (or almost everyone) has spoken and there is a very long silence, the facilitator slowly takes the chimes and looks around everyone’s eyes to give one last chance for anyone who still has something to share to do so. If that’s not the case, he/she rings the chimes.

The facilitator notifies that the council has come to an end and thanks participants for sharing their stories, asking everyone to remember the principle of confidentiality.

Some songs can be sung at this point.

Everyone is invited to crawl to the middle to blow out the fire together at the count of 3.

Then participants are asked to stand up and hold hands. The facilitator asks them to release hands and slowly leave the place of the Council, while he/she says “Let the circle open, but unbroken”.    

Variations:

If there are less than 60 minutes for the Council or more than 20 people in the group, the council leader may ask for the talking piece to travel from the first person who spontaneously took it first, to the one to the right and so on. After a whole circle is completed, there can be a second round if there is time.