ARROWS FOR YOUR QUIVER
Resources We May Draw On, in Our Work as Conveners
ARROW 1: STRINGING THE BEADS
Speaking and Listening in the Presence of the Sacred
By Pele Rouge Chadima
The way we speak and listen to our self and others determines the way we experience our world.
Stringing the Beads is an ancient, indigenous human practice founded upon two fundamental premises:
• That all of life is sacred;
• And that all of our voices are important, and for there to be wholeness and balance, each voice must be heard, each must be respected—each has wisdom to share.
Creating a space for both the presence of the sacred and the hearing of all voices is the essence of Stringing the Beads.
Stringing the Beads is a way of awakening the field of relationship that connects us all. It is a way of accessing and allowing the unique wisdom, power, and opportunity present in each moment to emerge.
The practice of Stringing the Beads grew out of the time when we were all tribal people, living in close proximity to one another and to the earth. Although practiced in different ways and by different names in different cultures, Stringing the Beads was fundamental to the strength and well-being of the people and the community in which they lived.
It is no less essential or vital today.
The Metaphor of Stringing the Beads
Imagine a timelessly beautiful necklace made of exquisite beads, each bead unique, each bead contributing in an essential way to the overall beauty and power of the necklace.
And now imagine that you are one of those beads—uniquely magnificent, full of genius and mystery. And imagine that you are sitting in a circle with others, equally unique, equally wise.
Slowly, by passing a talking piece clockwise around the circle as the words of each person are spoken, we create a thread of connection that transforms us from independently beautiful “beads” to a necklace of unimagined possibility, wisdom, and strength.
Stringing the Beads is the act and art of gathering all of the beads to make a whole strong, powerful, and beautiful necklace—never the same and yet always more than the sum of all the individual beads.
We String the Beads by inviting each person to speak from the heart to the others in the circle and then listening deeply from the heart as others speak, one by one, until all who wish to speak are heard. This practice allows a deeper wisdom to emerge from the group than is possible to predict.
It allows us, once again, to experience our deep connection to one another—to experience our differences as gifts that create the possibility of greater wisdom and strength, rather than as more reasons to separate.
It reminds us of the best of who we are—as individuals and as a people whose lives matter. It carries us home, to ourselves, to one another, and to the web of life in which we live out our individual and collective lives.
ARROW 2: WISDOM CIRCLES
Evoking the Wisdom of the Group
Wisdom Circles are an effective and efficient way for any small-group breakout session to get to the heart of the matter in any gathering.
Getting Started
• Pull chairs into a circle with no table in the middle.
• Use a talking piece to pass if you wish.
• Begin by Stringing the Beads. Each person takes one to two minutes to address a pre-determined question or theme.
• Each person speaks in turn moving clockwise around the circle.
• Do a second round; or, open the circle for insights and reflections.
Wisdom Circle Etiquette (things to keep in mind)
• It’s helpful to listen and ask questions versus giving advice or “the answer.”
• Notice the difference between advice (talking at) and wisdom (being spoken through).
• Speak only if you wish; you may pass at any time.
• Listen deeply for the wisdom that is emerging.
• Allow a pause between each person speaking.
LISTEN
… with respect for all the voices.
… without fixing, problem-solving, advice-giving.
SPEAK FROM YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE
Speak from the “I,” from your own experience.
What is on your mind/heart?
SLOW DOWN THE CONVERSATION
Allow pauses between speakers.
SUSPEND CERTAINTY
Notice your assumptions.
Look for the surprises.
ALLOW SPACE FOR DIFFERENCE
Be aware of your judgments.
Honor the questions and the inquiry.
… and, you can always take back what you said.
ARROW 3: A CONVENING WHEEL SUMMARY
Putting It All Together
