About Taylor Swift and Emily Dickinson
What attracted my attention was a line explaining how on many occasions Taylor Swift an her fans made reference to the connection between the work of those two artists, completely unaware of their ancestral relation.
Is it possible that talents, skills and traumas travel from one generation to another?
Schützenberger dedicated most of her life to this topic. One of her key concepts is the ‘birthday syndrome’: a similar event repeating itself from one generation to another, on the same date. A mild and harmless example of this could be Taylor Swift releasing one of her albums on Emily Dickinson’s birthday.
Sure, she might have chosen that date on purpose. Yet, in our work with family
constellations we regularly see traumas and accidents repeating themselves down the
ancestral line, often around the same dates. For Schützenberger and others this is not a
mere coincidence.
How does the past influence my present?
experiments which have proven this over and over again. Among humans, similar dynamic
happen. When someone in our past has lived a strong trauma which they couldn’t
elaborate properly, this trauma and the emotions related to it seem to manifest again down
the line, in the form of symptoms. Physical as well as emotional and mental challenges. In
my work, I often witness this transgenerational trauma and the impact it has on the
present.
How can I become aware of my ancestral line influences on my present? And what
can I do about it?
Just because the past has past, it does not mean it doesn’t influence your present
anymore. If in your daily life you repeat, more or less consciously, patterns which are
present also in the life of your parents, grandparents, or great grandparents, then it might
be worthy to dig a bit deeper.
Start off by creating your family tree. Note down the main facts in the life of your ancestors.
Go back 3-4 generations and research who they were, where they lived and what they did
How did they die? Did they have to migrate? Did they live in places of conflict and war?
Creating your family tree is like a meditation. People we work with often tell us this
exercise has supported them in gathering precious insights regarding present challenges
they face. Once they come to SPARK for a family constellation, they observe first hand
how the past comes alive to release ancestral entanglements.
If you are interested in knowing more about this topic, get in touch. Explore how your
ancestors’ story might still influence you today by joining our upcoming family constellation
seminars or book an individual session with us.
HamSa Serena Olgiati, February 2025
