The Medicine of Remembering: Ancestral Healing in Community

There’s a particular kind of healing that happens when we remember together. When we sit in circle and share our stories, our struggles, our victories, something shifts in the space between us.

I’ve been facilitating healing circles for years now, and what I’ve learned is that we’re not meant to heal alone. Our ancestors didn’t heal alone. They had their communities, their circles, their people who held them when they couldn’t hold themselves.

In my work with Folkway LLC, I’ve seen time and again how powerful it is when people come together to remember who they are. It’s not just about individual healing—it’s about collective remembering, collective healing.

When we sit in circle, we’re not just sharing our own stories. We’re also holding space for the stories of our ancestors, for the wisdom that’s been passed down through our lineages. We’re creating a bridge between the past and the present, between the living and the dead.

The medicine of remembering works on multiple levels. On the personal level, it helps us understand our own patterns, our own struggles, our own gifts. On the ancestral level, it helps us heal the wounds that have been passed down through generations. On the community level, it helps us remember that we’re not alone, that we’re part of something larger than ourselves.

In my recent Deepening the Circle classes, I’ve been amazed at how quickly people form deep connections when they’re given the space to remember together. It’s like they’ve known each other for lifetimes, even though they just met.

This is the work I’m most passionate about—creating spaces where people can remember who they are, where they can heal together, where they can reclaim their place in the circle.

What would it look like for you to remember in community? Who are the people you need to sit in circle with?