Bonnie:
When you used the term "ecology of partnership" on our first call, it really struck something in me. Want to explore it further and create something around it? Maybe we can find a way to frame it mythologically, or create a sort of visual map of what the elements are that would make up an “ecology of partnership”. Maybe it’s a 3-D map so we would also have to identify psychological structures that make up the substructure, and then logistical actions that make up the surface....
Willi: Ideas concerning Ecology of Partnership ...
1. Use Roundtable as group "mythic metaphor"
2. Define some psychological structures and issues that we want to work on
3. ID some roles that will help provide consistent guidance and support
4. Write an action plan
Bonnie: These are good. 1) When you say “roundtable” as metaphor, do you mean the mythic roundtable (as in King Arthur myth?). If so, brilliant, and what are the pieces related to the metaphor we could tap into? If not, clarification as to what you DID have in mind, please…
Willi: I see that Collaborative Inquiry and the Mythic Roundtable merge into our modern day Ecology of Partnership. The former is the egalitarian process, while the latter provides a spiritual vessel. We update the King Arthur metaphor.
Together we tackle the issues of the day, in the Light!
Replies
The myth and image of the roundtable is so profound to/for me and also my work with clients. I keep writing something here, erasing it, starting over. I hope we can discuss this image at our call on Tuesday. Thank you Willi for sharing this here.
You probably have some psychological structures that come to mind already. For me, I’m thinking fear, shame, anger, and grief—complexes (wherever energy has clustered around any archetype into a pattern that can be triggered by certain situations.) In this case, I guess I don’t know whether fear, shame, and grief are
a) emotions
b) archetypal structures (which I define as concepts everyone across eras and geographic regions can recognize and relate to), or
c) archetypes themselves (or instances of them at least—Jung says no one can actually KNOW an archetype; just their representations)
d) all of the above
Regardless, I do think fear, shame, anger and grief are each psychological structures that affect any work we each want to do, any calling we may be feeling, or any new initiative we each may want to start. In some cases they may be limiting us. In some cases they may be driving us.
I don't think we can address these in the group here as a therapist would—and that’s certainly not my intention—but I do think we can acknowledge them and honor them in order to come into better relationship with them so we're not combatting them or being limited by them in the long run.
Other ideas of "psychological structures" that are "under the RoundTable" we should be aware of for potential recognition, observation, engagement?
Fantastic image here! Very impactful. Thanks, Willi. The circle in the "Round"Table is, of course, the ultimate symbol of "ecology" for me.
Eco comes from the Greek "oikos" which also means house or dwelling—in other words, related to "home." How can we visually depict a "landscape" in which we can each locate ourselves currently so we can start making a map of where we might go or where we can all "meet"....?