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Tuning in and representing constellations

There are two types of constellations with people: tuning in and representing. If you have read the section on ritual ancestor constellations, you will know by now that you need a facilitator for a representing constellation. So if you are alone, it will always be a tuning in constellation.

You can also do constellations in other ways, for example with animals or with figures that you place on a table. Horses are often used for constellations with animals, but there are also constellations with dogs.

This website is about constellations with people, to which a pet can be connected.

The tuning in constellation

If you do a constellation by yourself, it is always a tuning in constellation. In a tuning in constellation, you become as aware as possible of everything that is happening with you, to you, through you, and within you.

The representing constellation

In a representing constellation, you are a representative for an energy. You then make space within yourself for that energy and do not think about it any further. You spontaneously become the other person who comes through you. You don't ask any questions, you don't reflect on it. You just do, are and feel whatever comes to mind. You don't look at it. You leave it as it is. You don't really pay any attention to it. Something else comes through, you have made space for it and you yourself do nothing. You are not at home for a moment.

An example that illustrates the difference

Recently, I was representing several people in a case, and I was supposed to set them up one by one, which in this case meant representing them. I stood on the piece of paper of someone I was going to represent, and one of the first questions the facilitator asked me was how I felt standing there. Whether I was standing firmly or not, whether I could say anything about it. It wasn't the most highly developed being I was representing, and I blurted out: “What a strange question! I've never heard such a strange question.” I couldn't do anything with that. Because ‘I’ had stepped onto the piece of paper and was therefore the person I was representing. I wasn't Edith at that moment. Edith was not at home. When someone represents, they are that other person for a moment. Have you ever experienced in your life that you are standing somewhere waiting, watching, well, you're just standing there, and someone asks you: "How are you standing there? Do you feel stable?" Probably not. You would probably find it strange if someone asked you that question. That's how you have to imagine representing. So the representative is immediately the other person and responds as that other person would respond to a question. It's a good question, by the way, if someone is tuning in. Then everything they perceive in and about themselves is important to be expressed and observed. The person who tunes in should share this so that the other person can form a picture of the energy that is being tuned into. But when it comes to a representing constellation, the facilitator needs to tune in and empathise with the person being represented, otherwise they will not feel understood and will think: “What the hell is this?”

Effect of the facilitator's attitude

The facilitator must listen to and observe the person who comes forward, i.e. the energy that is represented, with love. When my sister Mirjam facilitates the constellation, a represented person or energy, in their sadness or confusion, regularly seeks warmth, safety and affection from her. In our group, we have a very relaxed setting that allows for this and in which the represented persons regularly bask in the loving atmosphere that prevails there at their own request.

A representing constellation with two people

If there are two of you, representation is only possible if there is no theme to be constellated. A constellation with two people and representation is possible if it concerns an energy that you both wish to explore. Then you have to deal with the fact that there must be permission, and that you are not going to represent another person in any case. But you are also not going to represent your guide, or Archangel Michael, just to name something random. Realise that you are also being seen and that everything you do counts on a subtle level. It would be a good preparation if you were to ask yourselves together: “What could we set up, represent?” See the case as an example at the bottom of this web page.

A representing constellation with three people

With three or more people, a representing constellation can be set up in which someone works on a theme. With three people, one person is the facilitator, one person is the representative for all the people and energies in the constellation except for the person for whom the constellation is being done. This third person, the questioner, positions himself or herself. So he or she participates in the constellation. Then there are always two people in the constellation: the person with the question or theme, and the representative for all the other positions. As more people join, this last task can be divided. You could also say that when there are more people, i.e. four or more, the person asking the question does not participate in the constellation himself, but that someone else represents the questioner.

Option for a representing constellation with four or more people

With four or more people, the person asking the question can sit down and be represented by someone else. Why would you do that?

There can be all kinds of reasons. Simply because someone feels the need to do so. Sometimes it is too complex for someone and they prefer to watch from a distance. You can also choose to start with a representative and then have the questioner take over in the constellation. I don't have anything specific to say about this. It is often an added value for someone to experience for themselves what happens in a position. That is the advantage of setting up yourself and not being replaced.

If the people present are free for the other positions, it is possible to see how those positions react to each other. In a more complex situation, this can be significant. That is also a reason to let the questioner set themselves up.

The tuning in constellation

Without a facilitator, you are always tuning in and not representing in a conellation. When it comes to aspects of yourself or things that are close to you, that is perfectly fine. Always do it with love. Look to your heart to see if it agrees. Are you helping? Are you increasing your understanding or that of another? These are important criteria.

The only advice I would like to give you about tuning in, besides being loving and involved, is: stick to things and matters that fall within your framework and consciousness. I mean, there is no point in tuning into or representing the universe or the planet Venus. But I already said something like that.

Case: The bookcase, the dog and the old stone

The bookcase wants to say something too

Once I got together with a small group of people to represent randomly chosen topics that we selected ourselves. I felt that a bookcase in the room where we were setting up wanted to be constellated itself. Why? Because it also wanted to say something. It had an opinion too. It was in the house of two people who often do constellations, and I think that's why the bookcase was familiar with the phenomenon. It wanted to have something to say itself. It was not happy with its place in the house. It expected a more central place because it was an important bookcase with important books in it, and it was not seen very often. It asked for attention and asked whether people who came into that house would greet it when they entered.

When you start doing constellations and become curious about other energies, how do you relate to them when they express feelings of pleasure or displeasure, or even pain? When you enter the subtle world, how do you relate to it? Can ‘it’ come and show itself to you and then go away again like a book you have read? The subtle world certainly likes it when we open ourselves to it and also knows that it is a long way we have to go. But do give it some thought.

Ancient dog energy

The other constellation I chose to investigate at the time was an animal, a dog. Not a specific dog, but dog energy. The energy of dogs. That became more of a tuning in constellation. I was impressed by the experience I had at the time, that dog energy was once beautiful and grand, and that we now only know the crumbs of it because nature is gone. Everything is wrapped up, packaged, pigeonholed, literally and figuratively. This allowed me to experience how little life was left, because I got a glimpse into the dog energy. What an amazing energy that was. Then I saw what a tiny world we live in, a puppet show. But anyway, everything happens for a reason...

Being a stone

I also found it quite a sensation to have been a large old stone once, and to have truly experienced stone consciousness from within. It only knew itself. So it did not experience any boundaries. I also knew then, as stone consciousness, that there had been a time when stones could fly through the air. At that moment, it felt very normal, it felt logical.