Finding My Way Home

“Healing comes when the individual remembers his or her identity—the purpose chosen in the world of ancestral wisdom—and reconnects with that world of spirit.”

— Maladoma Some (Dagara Tradition) — Native American

Having Irish heritage myself, I learnt from my Dad at an early age about the trauma that was experienced by the people of Ireland, and we knew some stories of trauma and pain that had been passed down, both directly and indirectly. More than that, I felt it in my bones. I felt a deep sense of injustice from a young age about this. I still grieve often for the people there, but in a different way. I am passionately grateful for shamanic practice and various Eastern philosophies, as the guidance I received contributed to embodying concepts about relationship that I was reflecting on throughout much of my training as a therapist.

Once upon a time, I would have been in disbelief at being asked to forgive people who had wronged me. I’d have seen the idea of surrender as a weakness, and of course, that is a justified stance, but my anger and sense of injustice were also expressions of my own grief, and it infected every part of my life. However, surrendering to my own internal battles and allowing my grief to pour out has led me to new feelings. My respect for peace and dialogue is now stronger than my need to battle. This shapes how I approach life and my practice now, and ultimately, it is a quality that has been refined.

My journey into my own ancestry opened immediately as I started exploring alternative spiritual practices, which led me to shamanism in 2021. I was out hiking one day and saw a tree that held the shape of a heart. I took a photo and was in awe of it. I felt a deep connection with it and shared it on my social media.

My Irish Grandad, John- Joe Kennedy, died when my Dad (Ray) was just a boy, and many of his siblings had disbanded throughout the world. My Dad had kept in touch with some of them, and we had visited some of the remaining family in the deep south of Ireland when I was a child, where my Grandad had come from.

One of my Dad’s Irish cousin, Kathleen Hughes, sent me a message describing a vision that she had been sent from my Great Grandma all of the history that she carried was lost during my Grandad’s childhood. My Great Grandma was sent to an asylum many years ago, and I felt immediately the ancestral trauma that had been experienced. In the vision, she asked kathleen to get her a gravestone, as she had not had one.

Because her history had been lost, it took some time for Kathleen to find the pauper’s grave where she was laid. Though when she did find the paupers grave that she was laid to rest in, Kathleen sourced her a gravestone for her. Kathleen explained that on the day of going to set it in place, a shard of light in the shape of a love heart was there on her kitchen floor. She then explained that a heart-shaped stone was there in the place where the headstone was laid.

She told me I was on the path now and forever connected, no matter where I was in the world. I have streams of photos of love-heart shapes that often appear to me since that day. I am looking to visit the lands soon, and I intend to continue to grow my connection to the pain that was felt. I feel like, despite the challenges that I have felt in my life, I can offer the gifts of growth, learning and love that much of my ancestry were never given the opportunity to experience in their lives.

My story and journey have allowed me to nurture and alchemise the pain that I feel with humility and honour. All of our stories will be different, but the strength that I am carrying forwards is the awareness and deep knowing that wherever there is anger, there is often great pain; compassion can be shaped from this place as we become more aware of theroots that we carry forwards

CopyRight Emma Kennedy 12/08/2026