A women’s circle is a sacred space created intentionally for women* to gather. It is a space where women come together and sit in a sacred circle created with the intention of making women feel seen, safe, heard, held and witnessed on their journeys through life. It’s a sacred space free of judgement, competition, expectation, pressure or noise, void of the demands from the outside world; a space just for us, to go inwards, to reconnect, to return home. A refuge for the spirit of the feminine.
A circle with a sacred centre is the oldest known form of social interaction. This is how communities would have gathered to interact, eat, commune and pass down wisdom and stories. The women’s circle can be seen to have emerged from this; a realisation of the need to separate the energy of the feminine and masculine in order for them to come into balance. We each hold a sacred thread that runs through our female lineage; a thread that, if we go deep enough, will lead us back to the time when our ancestors sat in a sacred circle.
What normally happens in a women’s circle?
One woman is typically the space holder in a circle; her responsibility is to prepare, create and hold the space. The space holder participates in the circle as well – however, she will have more to do, so keep that in mind, and take it in turns to hold circles for each other. Remember, the nature of the circle means there is no hierarchy. Once in the circle you will soon see how you each bring a different thread to the space, a thread of equal power and importance.
These threads create the tapestry of the circle. There is a certain flow to a women’s circle – where beginning meets end, and end meets beginning. Generally, the flow of a women’s circle will guide you to go on a journey, spiralling deeper and deeper into it until something within you shifts, and you are ready to re-emerge on the other side.
All over the world, women are returning, gathering under the moon in small city apartments, bathing together in wild streams, holding ceremonies under ancient trees, and creating sacred spaces in local parks, yoga centres, living rooms and gardens. Across the globe, women are remembering how to hold space for each other. Women are beginning to gather in this way. If you are hearing the call, but you’re wondering, ‘Where do I begin?’, read on to find out how to host your own women’s circle.
Preparing the circle
The truth is, the main work of the circle happens in the preparation. You are creating the space through which the magic, the healing, the wisdom and the power of the circle can come through. Aim to leave one whole moon cycle to prepare before a women’s circle.
If you’re feeling the calling to hold it sooner, trust your intuition.
Set your intention
Your circle must stand firmly on the earth of an intention. Without a solid reason behind why you are holding the circle, the circle cannot bloom. Tune into why you want to hold your circle, what you are seeking to receive from it, what you would like others to feel from it, and decide how to bring it into life.
Choose a date consciously. So often, we make decisions without realising that there could be a more intentional way of doing so, and that making decisions more consciously has the power to greatly impact the end result. When selecting a date for your circle, know that you can work with the universe to support you, as different times of the day, month and year hold different energies.
The choice of space is very important. You want your circle to feel like a safe and sacred space – a space where you won’t be disturbed, a space that’s easy for people to get to, a space that can hold you all. Ideas for spaces include: your home or a friend’s, a safe space in nature or an empty café or shop.
Planning and preparation
It’s important to have a plan for your circle. It calms the mind, taking you out of your head and into your heart. However, there is a balance between having a plan that creates space for fluidity, and having a plan that is so specific that it leaves no room for magic. A basic template for structure includes:
• Preparing and setting up the altarscapes : Lay a ritual cloth (any type of tablecloth, lace or fabric that you have) down in the middle of the circle, and use it as the intentional space on which to build the altar. You may create a flower circle. In the middle, place candles, crystals and anything else you feel called to.
• Opening the space: Introduce yourself, the practice of the women’s circle and the intention for gathering.
• Energy talk: Tune into the energy you are creating in the space. Depending on why you are gathering, you may want to share the reasons in more detail.
• Meditation: This creates the perfect opportunity to go inwards and connect within.
• Sharing circle: This creates the space to be seen by one another; without judgement and without trying to fix or change anything.
• Oracle card pulling: A tool you can use to receive messages from the universe.
• Ritual: Now that you have received your messages from the circle, it is time to seal these messages in through ritual. For example, a summer solstice circle ritual could involve making a flower crown.
• Closing the circle: This circle creates a moment to acknowledge and honour all that has been, all that is and all that’s to come.
Spend some time creating a rough plan. Carve out the journey you would like to take these women on. Prepare in all the ways you need to. But, most importantly, trust that it will all flow and be exactly what it needs to be by the time you step into the space.
