Megha Venketasamy, Women Circle Facilitator, The She Stands Tall Project
This World shivers when women gather; This World retaliates when women gather; This world mocks when women gather; This World curses when women gather; This World discomforts at the gathering of women.
Women discomfort at the gathering of women.
What is about women gathering that creates so much fuss?
Any act of bringing people together in a moment in time grounded in intentions, carries the potentials to break through. Such acts serve the path of any individual on his/her way to grow a touch more aware of his/her beliefs, stories, discomforts, patterns and selves. This is what we term as CONSCIOUS AWARENESS. When one BECOMES CONSCIOUSLY AWARE, then one STARTS LIVING CONSCIOUSLY and CONSCIOUS LIVING IS CONNECTED TO CONSCIOUS CHOICES. This act SHATTERS the TENTACLES of our PATRIARCHAL SYSTEM. We FRAME these instances as SHIFTING and TRANSFORMING.
WOMEN WITHIN WOMEN CIRCLES
At the core of bringing women in circles lies the intention of activating the innate connectedness that women have shared from the beginning of time. There is nothing new to women journeying in circles – our great grandmothers did it and ancient communities knew it. The patriarchal system that we live in has invested energy, time and fears in building women against one another – shaming, naming, slutting, belittling – you name it.
Women Circles create safe spaces to allow women to move inwards to see, feel, hear and listen to their stories, beliefs, values, wounds, woundedness, connectedness, disconnectedness, relationships, life and world. Women Circles teach women to embrace both their light and shadow selves.
Women Circles teach women to ask this one vital question “Where is the soul?”
This World shivers when women gather; This World retaliates when women gather; This World mocks when women gather; This World curses when women gather; This World discomforts at the gathering of women.
So Be it!
Women gathering moves women in spaces to reclaim their stories and cast spells unto their selves so that they rise to reconciliate with this world. This is the power of circles, this is the power of words, this is the power of consciously crafting and sealing agreements with and within our selves and the external world.
Our world carries undermining, harmful and belittling agreements for and against women, colored people, indigenous people and minority groups.
Women have a key role to play in reclaiming, reconciling and peacebuilding. Yet this process cannot happen unless women stand within and through their stories and start their inner reclaiming, reconciliation and peace building. The activist that I am, have chosen to invest of my self, my time and my resources in bringing women in circles.
When women come together, the space will by default align itself to make shifts and transformations possible. Intention matters and so does the one who facilitates.
We need structures, strategists, scientists, economists, politicians, healers, mid-wives, artists, creators, rainmakers and peacemakers to shift this world. But we also need women who will vulnerably show up and by so doing hold the mirror for other women to start their inward descend.