Reflecting

 

For twenty-four years, I have laid out this sacred cloth and placed a candle in the center of our circle. Next, I burn sage and sweetgrass. That clears the energy and invites Great Mysterious. The rattle, our talking stick, finds its spot in the south. This is the direction of trust on the medicine wheel. Trust is the foundation of every relationship.

 

Looking back can be a deep spiritual practice. It allows us to honor the sacred threads that have been woven through our lives. Circle gatherings have fastened us to each other through a willingness to speak our truth. Reflecting, we can see the deeper meaning that ran through these shared experiences.

 

Now I sit in quiet anticipation before the first footsteps cross the threshold. Tonight, I am also preparing to move in a new direction. A bittersweet tenderness washes over me. I pause, letting my hands linger on the wax-stained cloth. So much has spilled forth here, much more than candle wax. Each woman brought her own light, wounds, and wisdom. Together, we wove a tapestry of connection that has sustained and transformed us.

 

Circles have become our teacher, sanctuary, and mirror. They are vessels that hold our stories, grief, joy, and dreams. It is a container for the raw, truth of our lives.

Through them, we have learned to listen deeply, to hold space for others, and to trust the power of community. We have witnessed healing that defies explanation. Women of courage and vulnerability have gathered here.

 

I am in awe of their journey of claiming their voice.

 

Now there is an inner stirring, a quiet knowing that says it is time to move in another direction. A call that is strong and insistent invites me to step into the unknown. It is time to honor the cycles of life, the necessity of endings to make way for beginnings.

 

I am filled with gratitude for every woman who has ever sat with me. My heart is overflowing with their sharing. Some stories left us in tears; others filled us with laughter. Many memories are sewn into the fabric of who we have been for each other.

 

We stand at a threshold moment of deep reflection. Our shared journey, even now, is shaping us in ways we can only begin to understand. What comes next? I am not sure. But it will arise from our shared presence, compassion, and connection.

 

Reflection is a spiritual practice that…

Clarifies the deeper meaning of our lives.

Reminds me that the circle’s journey has always been holy.