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Saturday, October 17, 2015

Is there the need for Community Sacred Circles for Women

Not being able to work over the last few months due to health reasons (a situation that will continue into the new year) has not prevented my mind from churning over an array of possibilities of what I would like to put into motion in the future.  When I was diagnosed with cancer, my doctor did say to me that my current perception on life and what is important to me will change, and whilst not necessarily a surprising change, one of the things that has been in the forefront of my mind over the last couple of weeks is the ongoing need for Goddess or women's circles in our modern times.
 
It was this deep need for such a circle myself that resulted in me establishing The Goddess House in 2007 where I set about to create a venue where women could gather to experience for themselves that the divine feminine is all about.  After all, whilst we are familiar with the divine masculine the God, still today many women do not realise that there is indeed also a Goddess, and in fact she was the first deity ever honoured by out ancestors - and in some cultures, still is very much alive even today.


Since 2007 the Goddess Circles that I have run have also included some of my other interests, in particular metaphysics (that focuses on the evolution of the soul), mythology (exploring the various Goddess myths), and even the use of esoteric teachings in a way that reflects and enhances the information being shared.   For the last couple of years, the circles were open to anybody with a focus being on meditation and the use of mantras which I personally enjoyed.
 
The Goddess does work in mysterious ways and this week the idea of possibly re-establishing these circles has been coming through stronger but this time at a more community based level in order to (re)introduce the concept of the divine feminine to women within my local community who may not have even considered that there is in fact an aspect of deity of whom they are a true reflection of.
 
Upon approaching my local community centre, the initial idea appeared to have been received relatively favourably, depending the receipt of a formal proposal, and I still have time to submit my proposal for the first term of 2016.  Now I sit and contemplate whether, firstly, I will be well enough (not to mention have the energy) to host a Sacred Circle in February should my proposal be successful, and more importantly, is there actually a need for such a circle.  Maybe I am the only woman in my community who longs for a sacred space to be created where women can gather.
 
If you are not speaking your truth, whose are you speaking?
If you are not honouring your Goddess soul, who will birth it into being?
  
 
As I see it, there could be a number of ways to address the first concern - from running the Sacred Circles for Women on a fortnightly basis (as opposed to weekly) or structuring them to last only a couple of hours as opposed to a whole morning or even day long event.  I could also see if I could find another at least another woman who would like to co-host some of the Sacred Circles with me, especially on days when I am not well enough to attend.  As to whether there is a need for such a gathering space for women within my community, the only way to ascertain this is to put the word out there and to get women to contact me should they be interested in attending such a venture.  So I guess that is what this posting is about - to ascertain whether there is need to establish a Sacred Circle for women within my local community?
 
What is a Sacred Circle?
A quick search on the internet will result in an assortment of ideas about what a Goddess or women's circle is - however at a basic level, it is simply a gathering of women to explore and share various aspects of life and to experience the nurturing (and often deep soul nourishing) power of the feminine energy depending upon the focus of the circle. 
 
Coming from a spiritual background, the Sacred Circles that I have hosted in the past have focused around a spiritual theme (whether a metaphysical direction or a particular Goddess myth) that leads into a combination of ceremonial aspects (ie, the creating and blessing of the room in order to establish a sacred space), the sharing of information on the chosen theme or myth, a meditation/relaxation exercise, discussion and personal sharing, and possibly a craft, divination or some other activity. 
 
Regardless of how a Goddess Circle is run, the ultimate underlying theme is for it to be a place where a woman can allow herself to be herself within the company of other likeminded women, to develop the ability to empower herself as well as experiencing the strength of another much missing aspect of our modern society - that of sisterhood.
 
Venue, Dates and Cost
Both of these vitally important issues have yet to be determined but at the moment I am hoping that at least one of a number of Community Centres in the Salisbury area will be interested in at least trialling Sacred Circles for Women for a term.  Naturally this would depend upon whether there is a demand.  If you (and any friends) reside in Salisbury area or would be interested in attending such as Sacred Circle next year, then please contact your local centre, details of which can be found here.
 
As mentioned above, the community centres tend to coincide with school terms.  Term 1 for 2016 runs from 1 February until 15 April.  At this stage I would be considering holding Sacred Circles during certain mornings depending upon interest and room availability.  At some centres there may also be the opportunity to hold a Sacred Circle on a Saturday morning.  A number of community centres do require courses to run for the entire term so Term 1 consists of some 11 weeks. 
 
As I am wishing to offer my services at a more community level, the cost of each Sacred Circle will naturally need to be set whereby the costs of room hire as well as other expenses (including craft materials and the production of handouts) are covered, but also which is assessable for women.  At this early stage, and based on the average cost of courses at my community centre, the proposed cost at attend a Sacred Circle would be around $5 per week.  There may be a small additional charge to cover any craft materials, with the possibility of a discount should the entire term be paid in full.  It may be a case however of the community centre setting the rate.
 
So at this stage I am merely "putting it out there" this thought that I have had as to whether there is a need for a Goddess or women's circle to be established at a community level within my local area.  If this is something you would like to attend, then please let your local community centre know and you may even like to suggest that they contact me
 
If there is the interest yet a community centre is not interested in taking this proposal on board, then Sacred Circles for Women can be run at The Goddess House (located in Parafield Gardens).

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