What are Women's Circles?
Let's share the magic of
gathering together as women.
Magic happens when women gather with intention and love to:
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listen and be heard
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encourage and support
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feel safe and held
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be seen and accepted
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empower the feminine
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connect to the cycles of our bodies
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heal our own Red Threads (female ancestral lineage)
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connect lovingly with ourselves, and other women
Together we create a safe space.
When we gather this way, in circle, magic happens.
Our ancestors gathered together incidentally in their tribes and communities. This does not happen so easily now… with many women living in small family units, or perhaps even alone. Women can even feel unsafe around other women, often believing that they are in direct competition.
If she is succeeding, then I am not.
For many of us these beliefs were passed down by women in our family; our sisters, mothers, aunties or grandmothers. Then this was evidenced further in the advertising and other media we were exposed to… then in friendships at school, etc. There is literally a list a mile long of the evidence of this competition.
For more information you can download Jane Hardwicke Collings' "HERSTORY" for free. A head's up; this is not a pretty story, but it is factual.
One of my intentions is to be part of the positive empowerment of the feminine, so desperately needed in our world right now.
A Privilege to Gather
It is such a privilege to have the time and space to be able to gather in this way, to gift ourselves with this time to give and receive nourishment for our souls.
Sitting together in circle may not always be fun… or even comfortable. There will be times when we are triggered by something that is said, or not said, done, or not done, by another woman in the circle.
But that woman, our sister, is our teacher! Giving us an opportunity to understand ourselves better because it is through relationships with others (the human and more-than-human relationships – e.g. with animals, insects, plants, etc.) that we can truly ‘see’ ourselves.
This ‘seeing’, or self-reflection, allows us to then consciously choose to be who we truly are, rather than living in reaction to the world, via our patterning (family, social etc.).
One thing that resonates so strongly with me from these last two years of sitting in circle with women is the following concept;
My sister speaks for me.
You will find that you resonate strongly with what is spoken by the other women in our circle. There will be times when this resonance feels magical, as though your soul is synching with another. Other times it may feel painful, and ‘too close to home’ yet somehow this also feels magical. Evidence - that we are all in this together.
Self Care and Responsibility
One of the most important aspects of gathering in this way is the agreements we make with ourselves and each other.
The keeping of these agreements ensures that we are all safe. Feeling safe allows us to go deeper; to allow ourselves to be vulnerable, to witness other women in vulnerability, all with our loving presence; to make heart-full connections; and to experience something exquisite with our sisters.
Circle Agreements
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Confidentiality – no story or details of another woman is to be spoken outside of the circle. You may of course share your own experiences and stories.
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Personal responsibility – if we need something (emotional support, physical movement, the toilet, a drink, to share something, etc.) then we must take responsibility for meeting that need, whether through asking someone else, or taking care of it ourselves.
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Only one woman speaks at once – we will be using a talking bowl which will be passed around the circle. Quite simply, if we don’t have the bowl, we are not talking, we are listening.
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Listening with the ears of our hearts – when we listen in this way we are ‘active listening’, not thinking of what we want to say next, or day dreaming about our experiences, or judging what is being said.
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Consent – we all have different comfort levels around closeness and touching for various reasons that may not always be clear to others, so it is important that we respect this and ‘check-in’ before hugging etc. and not take it personally if the other woman needs some space.
Acknowledgements
I give great thanks to those who have been my teachers in this work: Jane Hardwicke Collings, Nymh Fox, Grace Funk, Sarah Miller, Katherine Cunningham and Tracy Marcuzzi for everything that they have taught me. I also give great thanks to my partner Paul, for his support.
Women's Circles in 2020
Unfortunately due to COVID-19 and the related (constantly changing) social distancing recommendations these in-person gatherings have been put on hold. If you are interested for future events, please get in touch via my contact form. I'd love to hear from you, and hope to share this work with you in the future!
I look forward to hearing from you soul sister! x
