The Sisterhood Of Belonging
“A circle of women may be the most powerful force known to humanity. If you have one, embrace it. If you need one, seek it. If you find one, for the love of all that is good and holy, dive in. Hold on. Love it up. Get naked. Let them see you. Let them hold you. Let your reluctant tears fall. Let yourself rise fierce and love gentle. You will be changed. The very fabric of your being will be altered by this, if you allow it. Please, please allow it.” – Jeanette LeBlanc
On the weekend I went along to a local women’s circle event called She Temple – a beautiful safe and sacred space to be authentically free and feminine. Prior to this, I had been to one other women’s circle late last year. When I decided to go along the first time, I had no idea what to expect. I remember saying to a friend that I thought I would either really enjoy it, or I would find it all too ‘woo-woo’ making me feel very uncomfortable. Although there were definitely some practices that I had never engaged in before which made me feel quite vulnerable, it was a really beautiful night. We did some journaling, meditation, sharing and drawing amongst other things! Tears were shed and shared. I left feeling a great sense of calm and love and was excited for the next time it was on. Unfortunately that circle did not continue and since then I have been highly anticipating joining a new one.
When I discovered a new circle, or temple, was being created locally, I was so happy! I thought I knew what to expect and I couldn’t wait for it to come around. We arrived at about 6:30pm on Sunday evening, to a room filled with candles, cushions and flowers. What a gorgeous way to finish our weekend! We were greeted at the door with a blessing and encouraged to find a comfortable place to sit. We introduced ourselves and lit more candles before getting into the practices they had planned. While I was expecting journaling and meditation, they had other things in store for us!
Our night was heavily focussed on connection – with ourselves and each other. We did some dancing, free to be ourselves and move in whichever way felt good to us. We did a touch exercise where we took turns simply receiving the gift of touch and love from the sisters around us with no expectation to return it. How often do we do that as women? We did a gazing exercise where we simply poured love into our partner (whom we had never met before) through our gaze. This was quite confronting for some, but oh so powerful too! We dug deep inside and expressed what it meant to have the feminine alive within us. For me this included authenticity, freedom, being sensual, nurturing and empowerment among many, many others. We also held hands in our circle and sang a beautiful song together, which I think was one of my favourite parts of the night.
All in all, the night was not what I had expected it would be beforehand, and totally different to the previous women’s circle I attended. Although we did very different things, the vibe was the same. It was about a sisterhood of belonging – a beautiful non-judgemental, gentle and utterly gorgeous environment where we were free to be our true selves. A place where we could reconnect with our inner self and all she desires. A place where we could come together and connect with like-minded women who are willing to hold space for each other and support each other wholeheartedly despite all being on our own very personal journeys. It is a powerful thing. It is a beautifully emotional experience. It is healing, it is empowering, it is peaceful, it is love. If you are part of a women’s circle – embrace it. If you aren’t – seek one.
