Sacred Circles [Paperback]

From Jewish to Christian, Mormon and Pagan, women's sacred circles are sprouting up everywhere, in astonishing variety providing a haven where essential female values can be discussed and embraced.This much-needed guide celebrates the rich diversity of women's spiritual lives and offers practical, step-by-step advice for those who want to create and sustain a spirituality group of their own.

Sacred Circle  shows us how we can use a group to explore our relationship to the sacred, and honor the divine in everyday life.The authors, drawing from their own group experiences as well as those of many diverse groups around the country, share the model they've developed, while offering wise advise on how and why groups work.They propose circle basics, such as listening without an agenda and rotating leadership, and also offer reflections on the power of personal storytelling and thoughts on reclaiming and reinventing ritual.Women longing for a powerful and supportive feminine community in which to thrive spiritually will find vital wisdom here.

Women's spirituality groups are sprouting up everywhere, in astonishing variety, providing a haven where essential female values can be discussed and embraced. From Jewish to Christian, Mormon, and pagan, sacred circles have become safe places, free spaces, environments that foster the development of women's individual gifts. This much-needed guide celebrates the rich diversity of women's spiritual lives and offers practical, step-by-step advice for those who want to create and sustain a spirituality group of their own.

Sacred Circles shows us how we can use a group to explore our relationship to the sacred, and honor the divine in everyday life. The authors, drawing from their own group experience as well as those many diverse groups around the country, share the model they've developed, while offering wise advice on how and why groups work. They propose circle basics, such as listening without an agenda, rotating leadership, maintaining confidentiality, and keeping the focus on spiritual growth. They also offer guidelines for running the first and subsequent meetings, reflections on the power of personal storytelling, thoughts on reclaiming and reinventing ritual, themes for creating a more intimate group, and suggestions for dealing with conflict.

Sacred Circles provides all the tools needed to start and nurture a healthy group. Women longing for a powerful and supportive feminine community in which to thrive spiritually will find vital wisdom here.

"Sacred Circles will gladden and deepen the lives of countless women, bringing them home to the rich, feisty community they deserve. True self-discovery and spiritual growth arise, like flame, in the simple radiance of shared experience--and Sacred Circles shows us how."--Joanna Macy, Ph.D., author of World as Lover World as Self

"Hurray for Robin and Sally! We need this book . . . to guide us ever upward in the spiral dance of our women's circles, which lead to empowerment for each of us and All Our Relations."--Brooke Medicine Eagle, author of Buffalo Women Comes Singing

"A wonderful and much-needed tool."--Jennifer Louden, author of The Woman's Comfort Book and The Woman's Retreat Book