Ready for the symposium

It has been a very busy time lately.
Now all participants are looking forward to coming, and we're so much looking forward to welcoming them all at Marjatta.

It's going to be a great week where there all day and night will be talked about how stories can do a difference in peoples lives and health.

People are coming from Spain, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Germany, England, Slovenia, Scotland, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark to join.

Teachers
Alexander MacKenzie from Ireland
Bente Klrke from Denmark
Lewis Mehl-Madrona from Hawaii
Nancy Mellon from USA
Roi Gal-Or from Israel/England

Read more about them all at my homepage www.mariannechristensen.dk

There is still room for more people if you like to join!
Just call +45 30254774 to hear more.

I am looking forward to meeting you

By Karsten Mathiasen, Danish storyteller

I am looking forward to meeting all the participants in the symposium at Marjatta. It is a very beautiful place close to the fjord. I live close by. It is known as one of the best places for mentally retarded people, children and adults. They work a lot with creativity. I have made several circus performances there over the years.

When I started my career as a storyteller I focused on “trickster stories”. I told stories about “when I was a naughty boy”, stories from my ten years as scaffold worker in Copenhagen, stories about Till Eulenspiegel, Hodja Nashreddin and Coyote, etc.

As a peace activist, I also more and more gathered and told stories about forgiveness and reconciliation, alongside working as a circus clown in his my circus.
I believe that forgiveness is the greatest healer and that acts of forgiveness provide powerfully creative sources for stories that guide us towards a better future - both on the personal and global level. ”Let us find the stories that work like small sticks in the wheels of revenge and hate!” I am looking forward to facilitating the daily lunchtime storytelling session on this fantastic subject.

I have founded "Think Tank for Forgiveness" with the website www.tilgivelse.dk . I am sorry there is not yet an English version, but you should take a look at the menu “links”, And you will get an entry to the world wide movement for forgiveness. There are many links, and I have not yet even myself been through all of them.

Also take a look at the menu “Arbejdsgruppe og rådgivningspanel” (Advisory Board) Here you will find contact information about eleven highly qualified people, working with different aspects of forgiveness and reconciliation


Also take a look at the menu “Arbejdsgruppe og rådgivningspanel” (Advisory Board) Here you will find contact information about eleven highly qualified people, working with different aspects of forgiveness and reconciliation

Hearts ease

Hearts ease

In the old times, when time was stiller than now, there lived a young man.

Taking his sword in his hand, the young man decided that the moment had come when he must walk out into the world, and find the song which had been calling him for so many years.

The song had been whispering gently to him from time to time, in little moments recently, and it was gradually becoming stronger and louder.

The words of the song were not yet in his understanding, and he knew that if he followed the words and the voice – eventually he would reach a place where everything would become clear.

His parents were sad to see him go, and his first love cried bitterly – and she knew that where he was to go, was important for him, his purpose was heart led and he must find its ending.

Before leaving his parents handed him three things.

A large book, in which he could finally write the song that had eluded him for such a long time, a silver pen filled with unfading ink, so that the song could be recorded for ever, and a packet of seeds, that never emptied – so that he could mark his journey with flowers – hearts ease – so that any who followed might know the right way to go.

He embraced his parents, wished them love and a strong journey, then turned to his first love.“My sweet one, this is one place that I must visit, and I will not return. In time you will follow me, and remember that hearts ease will mark the footpath on the way.”“

My love, I am deeply sad to see you go, for I cannot hear the sweet song that you hear, and I know it fills you with a deep joy that cannot be denied. Please take this with you – for it has been a part of me for so much of our lives, and I would feel happy if I knew you had me with you”.

With that, she handed him a tiny gold heart on a chain which contained a lock of her own hair. She put it around his neck and kissed him gently on the lips.

The young man smiled and his heart filled with love for the family and for his first love, there was nothing more that he needed, so taking his bag filled with gifts, and wearing the heart on a chain around his neck, he set out on the road, following the sound of the beautiful voice that called onwards.

The family watched the young man as he disappeared over the hill, into the sunset, and as he dropped from view, the most beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky, as if gifting the family with a last shaft of love straight from the heart of the young man.

The journey had only just begun, and a wonderful journey it was to be. What was the song?

We may never know, for the young man reached his destination – but all along the way, he strew hearts ease seeds, which still bloom to this very day.

........

Written by Stephanie, whom I met at Emerson College in Sept. 2008.

I'm very grateful for that story in a time when my husband is very ill. Thank you!

Marianne

I see you

Last week my little group of storytellers from 'Vordingborg fortællerkreds' and I went to a day care center for elderly people who've become too weak to live by themselves. We did it for free to help a friend whose brother is at the home, handicapped with Parkinson's desease.

An old lady was sitting in her wheelchair as left by the staff facing a table but with her back to the storytellers. So we turned her around so she could see us. After the coffe break, however, she was again sitting with her back to us. I turned her chair again, she raised her hand and with the tiniest voice she whispered 'Thank you'.
I looked into her light blue eyes and saw an ocean of gratefullness and life.
While I was telling my story she kept staring at me and I enjoyed watching her laugh a quiet laughter.

Afterwards I went to say goodbye to her and asked her name. She told me. And then she whispered again. *I didn't mean to stare at you, but the spark in your eyes when you were telling just dragged me into the story. And I enjoyed your radiation. You saw me, and I'm so thankful that I got to meet you today!"

I didn't do anything special, I just saw her.
And now I can't stop thinking about what her story is. She gave me a wonderful gift that night, and I know that all I have to do is be myself, and see.

What is the opposite of¨'healing'?

Healing doesn't have to be the opposite of 'illness'.

Recently I told an old love story about a woman who waited more than 40 years for her loved one, while he was travelling around, having children with other woman. They finally got together, and she was very happy.

After the storytelling a woman came to me and told me, that the story had felt healing for her, because she had lost her husband a year ago. Listening to the story had made her become aware of her deep feelings of sorrow and grief, and now she could finally deal with her feelings.
She cried - but now it was tears of relief.

I've told the story many times, and I always get very warm feedback but from different viewpoints.

You never know when and from what the story is healing.

Flyer

Please send an e-mail to mach@oncable.dk if you want me to send the flyer for the symposium.
You can get as a pdf-file.

The symposium at local tv

Even if you don't understand Danish, you can see the pictures of where we are going to have the big night of storytelling as part of the International symposium for storytelling as a healing art.

It's in the center of Vordingborg, at the foot of the Goosetower.

See the little video here: Storytelling symposium

Read about the history of the Goose Tower.