Whether we honour it or not, we are linked to the earth. Through holding circle I do not seek to turn back the clock or recreate rituals from the past, but to forge a new path that weaves a tapestry of threads important and relevant to us today. Sisterhood. Ceremony. Connection. Community. Deepening. And Seeing, really seeing clearly with open eyes who we are and what is around us. For me, my window to inner peace and connection is the natural world. Listening to a blackbird announcing themselves as the sun sets, watching the dappled patterns of sunlight on the forest floor, catching a glimpse of the fox as she steals across the open field; these simple things make me feel alive and bring the beauty of the world home.
At the end of July we will meet for the harvest celebration of Lammas to celebrate the abundance in our lives. to create a safe sacred space within which to look at our personal harvests of what we have sown. We will also be remembering our close relationship with the yearly harvest from the fields and that food is linked to seasons, despite the supermarkets ability to provide all year.
These are part of the ‘wheel of the year’ women’s circles that follow the natural growing cycle through the seasons each year, and with them the themes of passage through life and death. The ritualization of these circles, of which there are eight in the year, is to honour the continual movement and transformation in life and within ourselves. It is about becoming in-tune with the year’s cycle and the cycles within our bodies, minds and spirits. It is also about coming together, as women and creating a community where we celebrate these changes together and know that we are not alone. 
You are invited to create an altar for the harvest in your home during this time. Fill it with symbols of abundance: flowers, fruit, vegetables, images, photos, art & incense. Use it as a focal point to give gratitude for what you have in your life. Make a list of things you feel grateful for, and add something to the list every day. If you wish you could add some fabric of yellow or red in thanks to the sun whose warmth ripens the harvest. And do share a photo of your altar with me if you’d like – I’d love to see it!
Get in touch here if you are in Devon and wish to join our seasonal women’s circles
art credits:
Dancing Goddess, artist unknown. Used with gratitude.
Anne Nye – remembered spaces
Beth Budesheim – Katharine Kruege
Welcome to Full Circle 