Guiding Principles
Each Circle is unique and takes shape in its own way, but we are always guided by a set of underlying principles that create the safety and character of the Circle. Based on these principles, we create the Circle through the agreements we make that ensure we each understand the commitments required of us to keep the Circle safe and magical for everyone.
Before participating in a Circle, please familiarise yourself with these principles and agreements.
Inclusion
Female identifying folk of all beliefs, backgrounds and abilities are welcome in Circle.
Authenticity
The safety we create in Circle allows us to put aside our masks and show up fully as ourselves. Your most honest self is welcome in all her glory.
Healing
As we mutually participate in the co-creation of a Circle, we take part in the healing of not only our own wounds but also those of the greater collective.
Growth
Circle is a safe place to dig deep, experience healing, and ultimately allow ourselves to grow and support the growth of others.
Acceptance
In Circle we practice radical acceptance of ourselves and others – all experiences and emotions are valid and welcome.
Empowerment
We honour the sovereignty of each individual and acknowledge that within each woman lie the wisdom and medicine she seeks.
Spirituality
Women’s Circle is a spiritual practice at its core, in the sense that we gather with the intention of opening our hearts to access and share our own deep wounds and wisdom, as well as extending our hearts towards the other women in the circle. Whether your belief system is atheistic and you understand that we are tapping into unconscious dimensions of Self, or you believe in something more mysterious and universal, your unique worldview and spirituality is important and valued in Circle.
Circle Agreements
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is foundational to the safety of our Circles. We agree to uphold the trust our Sisters place in us, and maintain complete confidentiality outside the sacred space of the Circle.
What is said in the sanctity of the Circle will remain within the sanctity of the Circle.
All emotions are welcome
We welcome all ranges of emotions including sadness, anger, joy, fear, shame and happiness. As women, we are often shamed for having ‘big’ emotions, which sadly means many of us carry unexpressed feelings in our bodies. The Circle we create is a safe space to express our emotions, and all shades of emotions will be welcome and honoured by our presence and support.
The Talking Stick
We are committed to deep sharing and deep listening. These deeper levels require time and space to reflect without interruption. Therefore we take turns to speak using the Talking Stick, and when it is your turn to speak, everyone else will remain silent.
Honouring the sacred pauses
At times there will be a natural pause between sharing. Many of us will feel the urge to fill the silence, however silence and stillness create sacred spaces for us to return and attend to our inner world and reflect on what might be transpiring within us. In Circle, we honour these silences and sacred pauses.
Releasing judgment
We are all hardwired to spot and assess our differences as part of our brain’s natural processes. Circle is an opportunity to notice when judgment comes up for us and be internally curious about what that is telling us about ourselves. There is no shame in this. We can simply, consciously, choose to release judgment and move towards acceptance.
Circle is an advice-free zone
We offer personal experience rather than advice. We acknowledge that each woman already has the answers within her heart, and by holding silent, supportive space for her while she shares her process, we allow her to find her way to her own inner wisdom. This is the essence of empowerment.
We ask for what we need
We take personal responsibility for our own process and ask for what we need. As women, sometimes it is difficult to say what we need. Circle provides an opportunity to practice identifying what we need and asking for it without shame – whether we need a hug, a tissue, or a moment.
Staying present
Consciousness altering substances (including alcohol) change our level of awareness and authenticity, and can disrupt the sanctity of Circle. We agree to come to Circle as our whole selves, sober and fully present.
Respecting Circle time
Circle will always start and end on time, out of respect for each woman in attendance. We also commit to sharing the time as equally as possible, as a practice of self-awareness and self-mastery.
Physical contact
We recognise that not everyone is comfortable with being touched, and that we can inadvertently interrupt someone’s process by reaching out to hug them before they are finished the full expression of their emotion or share. We respect each person’s boundaries and always ask in advance if it is ok for us to give someone a hug, AFTER they have finished their share.
Circle is a place of healing
We agree to mutually share in the co-creation of the Circle, with the understanding that we are showing up to heal our own wounds and the wounds of the collective. We are the medicine, and this is our opportunity to let that medicine emerge from within us.