My first women's circle

I have been raised around women’s circles. My mother is Sister MorningStar, and she travels around the world leading and getting local village prenatals and women’s circles started, among other things. But it wasn’t until I had my own children did I grasp the joy and fulfillment of groups of women getting together, not just to be together and talk about life (which can often get stuck in conversations of complaint) but with the purpose to be on creating a safe space and to talk about relevant things in our life as we go through the journey of living a more instinctual, powerful and fulfilling life.

I became MorningStar’s media manager in the fall of 2017 and started building her new website. It was busy and exciting! As we started filling in pages and the info came pouring in, I asked many clarifying details. One was, with all of the info about how you started your first and continued women’s circles, how do you advise people to start? What is an anchor for new women’s circles? So, with the four page handout MorningStar made and my own style added, I began MY first women’s circle in the spring of 2018.

It has been fun and easy and I want to share the recipe I used after reading MorningStar’s Womyn’s Circle Guidelines on her website.

I contacted just the women who I had exchanges with that made me feel that they liked thinking about themselves or their children in deep and reflective ways. I sent out a text and I asked if they knew about the book, Women who run with the wolves by Dr. Estes. I let them know I was starting a women’s circle with that book as our anchor or jumping off place for meaningful conversations about our own lives. I had it three days out. My first communication back was so energetic and exciting! She said “YES, I actually bought that book already and haven’t read it yet!” Maybe this was why! I knew from that communication this was going to be great! MorningStar had told me, “you only need one other women holding hands to make a circle”. From there it just rolled along like the wind on a lovely spring day. That first meeting we sat in circle in my back yard around my fire pit and a total of 7 women were there, and 12 children! The kids were ranging in age from 2 years old to 10 and we let them run around the house and outside and reminded them to be respectful and quiet when asking something to someone in the circle. It felt so good, so natural.

We have the circle at the same time and place every week. We are now up to 13 women! Not everyone comes every time. Right people, right places, right things for the right reasons. It took us four meetings to get through the introduction – the intro is a wealth! Ritual is not my easy place but I always bring something pretty to set on an alter table and usually my wooden center piece. I decided on two soul enhancing things I’ve heard that resonates with me for our opening and closing. We spend some time getting our kids settled and saying hello and when we come together we first go around the circle and say the state of our Soul. I start on time and end on time. We read the book together. One women reads a page or two and then it moves around the circle. Anyone can pause to say something that stands out to them and we often then have a conversation about ourselves, our children or the world from there. Every time we end the circle with one round of the Queens Jewel (Grateful, Undermining, Visioning). Most people’s favorite part is the beginning and the end!

After, I sweep and bring in cups. I spend a few minutes where we had the circle and reflect and soak in the good energy made there.

The day I decided to be brave and speak the invitations out, has been a turning point for my belief in the strength and desire in women to get together and help turn the tides to what we live with internally and what we want and don’t want to pass along to our kids, our partners, ourselves. It has given me inspiration, encouragement and such a sense of contentment to have this circle at my home every week.

For anyone who wants to be in, have or otherwise start a women’s circle, yes you can!