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Create a Circle
Form a circle, or gathering, of people who come together for a specific purpose on a regular basis. It could be women only, or men only or both sexes. Many years ago, in Seattle, I joined a shaman circle. At that time, I really didn't have a clue what a sacred circle was, let alone a shaman circle, but circumstances conspired for me to meet Christine, who would become my shaman teacher. Christine, an amazing person, brought a diverse group of women into her circle with the intention of teaching us about the shaman world. Our shaman circle met every two weeks on Wednesday evenings. Friendships were formed and a lot of healing occurred as we learned to trust our instincts and be open to the way nature communicates with us.
It didn't happen overnight, but I did create my own shaman circle, with the help of my friends Michaela and Lauren, after moving to San Francisco. Now, there are five of us: Michaela invited two of her friends she met working at the Reiki clinic. We spend time connecting, telling stories about our lives, sharing about specific issues confronting us and then doing a "journey." A journey in the shaman tradition is similar to doing a meditation. Entering an altered state of mind, one communicates and interacts with the spiritual realms. I feel so honored and blessed to have found a very supportive group of women to be witness to my process in life. That's what a circle can do for you: provide friendship, support, advice and encouragement for your journey through the trials and tribulations of life.
You can create a circle with any group that gets together on a regular basis. Whether the focus is on food (gourmet club), reading (book club), connecting (networking groups) or crafting (quilters' guilds, knitting groups), a circle allows you to form bonds and share life, creativity, interests and enjoyment. As a bonus, you'll develop a whole new circle of friends, as well!
