Talofa lava sisters,
I am honored and inspired to share this blog with you all as I have noticed a lot of women feeling the call to host their own women's circle. It is such a beautiful time we are in, 'The great awakening". Apart of this collective awakening involves the rise of the Divine feminine and women's wisdom.
Women have been gathering in circle for millennia. This ancient practice of coming together is vital for our spiritual, emotional and mental well-being. We as Sacred Women of the Earth are the embodiment of the divine feminine. Our essence and nature is to care, nurture and sustain life. With this responsibility comes deep sensitivity, intuition and empathic gifts.
Gathering in circle is an opportunity to open our hearts to one another. To share in a vulnerable way, being seen, witnessed and held in unconditional love by our fellow sisters. There could be laughter, tears, different traumas, emotions or celebrations that arise in circle. This offers us insight, inspiration and empowerment in our life as we are all but reflections of each other.
Another reason why we are being called to gather in circle is to reclaim and restore the village. We have been living in a culture and society of separation and isolation. Now we are remembering the importance of community and deep human connection.
We are healing the sisterhood wound. The belief that we need to compete with each other and not trust each other. We are uplifting, empowering & supporting each other on our path in reclaiming our full power and divinity. We each have a unique mission and purpose that only we can accomplish. There is no space to keep judging externally, we must go within ourselves and dedicate ourselves fully to our own life & purpose.
I have been holding my own women's circles for the last year as my work. It has been the most beautiful, fulfilling, humbling, amazing journey connecting with so many different women from all walks of life.
I will share a step-by-step process on how you can start and run your own womens circle from my own experience & what has worked for me.
STEP 1- Set your intention. Write down the reasons why you want to start a women's circle. Writing down the reasons you want to start a circle gives you your 'why'. It's important to have this clear & remember your 'why' throughout your journey. It takes courage to hold space and put yourself out there & sometimes it can be easy for doubt to creep in. As long as you can come back to your 'why' you will always be inspired and encouraged to keep going! Trust that this desire has been planted in your heart for a reason.
Step 2- Knowing your role as a circle keeper. There are some qualities and attributes that are important to have when holding space and inviting others into this space-being warm, welcoming & able to create a safe vibe for others.
It will require you to cultivate a deep trust in yourself and the guidance you receive.
Although you are organizing and putting together the circle, it's not your job to feel like you need to 'fix' anyone.
A women's circle is a sacred & healing space. It is a place for stories, unexpressed feelings, and emotions to be heard and released.
Your role is to offer deep listening, presence, understanding, non-judgment & compassion. It's also not necessary to offer any type of solution or advice unless of course it is asked for.
When a woman shares whatever is arising for her sometimes just having that safe space to be heard and witnessed is healing in itself.
It is important to create safety by making sure that everyone understands it is a confidential space. So, everyone feels assured whatever is shared in circle, stays in circle.
Your job is to drop into deep presence. Allowing yourself to remove all identities, expectations & pre-conceived ideas, so you can deeply connect with the other women and be centered in your own wisdom.
Out of the head and into the heart!
STEP 3-Preparing your circle. Now is the time to be thinking about 'What, Where & Who?'
WHAT- What type of gathering are you wanting to hold? Will it be an intimate circle or larger? Is there a specific theme to your circle? Maybe you will consider the moon cycles, full moon and new moon? Or even an equinox or solstice? Maybe it will just be any day that works for you and your community.
You can also consider if there will be a specific topic that will be discussed, different activities (crafts, journalling, yoga, meditation, movement etc.) or even a special guest to teach about a certain thing. The possibilities are endless and there are no rules! It can also be a very simple gathering, don't get caught up in trying to pack too many things in.
WHO- Who are you wanting to be a part of your circle? Is it open to the public? Or just a small group of friends? Is there a specific audience like mums, or a certain age groups? Think about the people you are wanting to bring together and make it clear who it is for.
Personally, my circles are open to all women that feel the call to join.
Also consider thinking about another person that can help you with organizing your circle. I highly recommend this if you have someone that is willing to help. I have my twin sister help me with setting up and packing down the space, welcoming the women and she also makes the best food and snacks for the circles! Remember you don't have to do everything on your own. Call in and ask for support when you need it.
WHERE- Where will your circle be held, will you need to hire a venue? Will it be at your home or a friend's home? Maybe you want to hold a circle outside in nature? If you are going to hire a space, be sure to organize this 3 weeks before your circle. Some spaces require you to do a safety induction run-through before you hire.
Selling tickets. If you choose to sell tickets to your event, I would make sure to set up somewhere where people can buy them. You can set up a Facebook event and put your bank details there or you could set up a link through Humanitix events, Eventbrite or Eventfinder, these are all online ticket selling services here in Aotearoa.
I personally sell tickets through my own website (Wix).
The price of tickets will be up to you once you have considered the costs etc. Honour your sacred work and the time and energy that it takes to organize and hold a circle
STEP 4-Preparing for your circle. So now that you know where your circle will be, who it is for and what it will be based around, now we can flesh out what you will need and how to structure your circle.
I have a women's circle kit packed away, mine is quite extensive because I love to decorate and sprinkle beauty everywhere! So just pick a few things or the whole lot, whatever resonates. P.s, Opshops are great for finding decorative things for a women's circle.
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Cushions, for the women to sit on, you can always invite the women to bring one themselves or a yoga mat.
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Pretty blankets and sheets to decorate tables and walls in the space.
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Incense sticks and/or sage.
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Essential oils & diamantes (I have this on the table when the women arrive to play with)
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For the center piece I will have flower petals, crystals and different ornaments
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Himalayan salt lamp
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Essential oil steamer
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Speaker for music
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Food and snacks for afterwards (you could always invite the women to bring a plate as well)
I like to plan a schedule for my circle so that there is structure to it. Here is what my circles usually look like (keeping in mind this is just an idea, and you can really do whatever works for you)
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Greet women, welcome them in. I will have a table of diamantes, essential oils and pretty things for the women to play with as they enter. Then I will invite them to choose a spot in the circle wherever they feel called. I will have an oracle card facing down in front of each cushion as a little message for the women (Its always perfectly aligned to her journey! Thanks, divine intelligence!)
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Once we are all seated in circle, I will guide the women through a landing and grounding process. It can be as simple as just taking a few deep breaths and guiding awareness into the body. You can do a prayer, call in guidance, ancestors, spirit- whatever works for you!
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I will then speak about the intention about why we gather and outline the guidelines. Really important to speak about confidentiality and creating that safe space. You could also outline the structure for the evening, so people know what to expect.
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We will go around the circle and each woman will introduce themselves and maybe their intention for the evening. You could have a couple things ready for the women to say, like their name, where they're from or what their star sign is.
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After everyone has introduced themselves now you could introduce some type of activity e.g. journalling (what you want to let go of, listing what your grateful for) meditation or breathwork.
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Sharing Circle. This is an opportunity for everyone to have space for deep sharing, you could have a topic or subject or you can leave it open. I like to re affirm the intention and that it is a safe space for whatever needs to be heard and expressed. Depending on how many women you have at your circle it could take some time to get through everyone so remind the women to get comfortable before you start.
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After the sharing circle I love to incorporate some fun movement. I think this is important after sitting down for a while to shift and move the energy. You could do some dancing, yoga, stretching or sensual womb movement. I love to put on some fun uplifting music and affirmation songs.
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Next, I like to pair the sisters up and do eye gazing for a couple of minutes. Afterwards I get them to share with each other any feelings or words they want to say. Eye gazing is such a beautiful practice to encourage vulnerability, allowing ourselves to be seen & also being fully present to one another.
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Closing circle where we all gather back together and share any last words.
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Time for a shared meal and tea.
The circles that I hold usually go for 2.5-3hours. You can decide what a good time is for you and play around with the ideas shared here.
Step 5- Calling in the sisters.
Now you can focus on advertising your event and calling in the sisters to attend. Here are some ideas for marketing your event
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Social Media. You can create a Facebook event with all the details and invite the women on your friends list. You can also make a digital flyer on Canva and share on Instagram. Sharing in local FB groups is a great option to.
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Print off flyers and hang on notice boards within your community.
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Put an AD in your local newspaper or radio station.
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Word of mouth. Talk about your circle and vision with friends and encourage them to invite others that may be interested.
An important thing to remember when you're in this stage of marketing and getting your circle out into the public is how important this is! There are women out there really needing this space. If you feel any resistance coming up when putting yourself out there, come back to your 'why'. Remember you are in service to the divine, allow yourself to be seen and share your magic with the world sis!
Along with all the practical steps of marketing and advertising another powerful practice is to energetically call in the sisters.
Create a sacred space around you, allow yourself to drop into deep presence within your body temple. Visualize your circle and the intention you have to create a beautiful healing space. Drop into the powerful portal of your womb, knowing that your womb is a cauldron of creative power and nurturing energy that brings your visions to life!
Imagine the energy of your circle and send this frequency out like a beam of love into the hearts and wombs of the sisters that are aligned with this intention. Everything is energy!
Don't underestimate the power of your intention and imagination. Trust that whoever comes is perfect.
That's a wrap sister! I hope this blog helps you. I remember when I first had a vision to start
a women's circle, I researched a lot, watched youtube videos, read other blogs and just jumped with a leap of faith! After a year of many magical circles, I'm honored to offer you my own experience and knowledge.
If you need any support or guidance on your journey, I offer 1;1 sessions as a certified Sacred Feminine Way mentor, please reach out if it calls.
Fa'afetai lava,
Thanks for reading!
Alofa & Fa'amanuiaga
Love & blessings
Taleta
xx