When women gather in circle

A few years ago now, I was visiting my in-law's with Evie, who was then perhaps nine or ten months old. I usually dropped in on them at some point during the week so they could see their Grandaughter.  I sat in the light-filled lounge room as Peter interacted with his granddaughter and Judyth arranged masses of tea cups and saucers on her extended dining table. She was expecting her bookclub within the hour. They had been meeting monthly for over 30 years. We chatted and Evie crawled about. Then the women started to arrive.

They began filling the room in a whirl of colour, warmth and grey hair. There was a buzz of chatter and laughter as old friends joined together yet again. Peter politely escaped to his study.

I witnessed the room fill with wisdom, lifetimes, stories, love and heartbreak.  I noticed a shift in energy that was extraordinary, it felt divine. Something about the pure female presence. There were perhaps 15 women, all in their 70's, coming together to share and chat.

It felt like home.

I realised I yearned for this, this supportive group of women. I was living interstate from my mother, my sisters, my aunty's and all my childhood friends.

Several months later I found a womens circle, it was being held almost an hours drive from my house, but I was happy to make the journey at the time. I got a baby-sitter, popped on an audio book and away I went for a couple of hours. The first freedom I'd had since becoming a mother.

I wasn't really sure what to expect at circle but was pleasantly surprised. All the beautiful women, of all ages, who gathered there had a turn at speaking about whatever we felt like that week. We were all heard and celebrated without judgement. The facilitator, the gorgeous Tracie McFie of Wyld Tribe, led us in meditations and a theme. Sometimes we danced, and at the end we'd all choose a card from a oracle deck that had been arranged around an altar in the centre.

It was healing. At the time I was in my third trimester of pregnancy with John John and notably I had this insight into childbirth through one of the meditation sessions there.

When women come together in support of one another, we begin to heal ourselves. And therefore, by healing ourselves, we begin to heal our families, our communities and the world.

I've had my eyes open but I've noticed a lack of circles available in my own home town. So I've hired a room at The Meeting Place South Freo and I'm running a womens circle starting Saturday September 8th.

My wish is to bring women together in community to support each other through discussing what nourishes us and what doesn't. The focus is to begin to heal negative behaviours and self sabotage.

, I'll be honoured to sit in circle with you.