Wisdom Circles ~ Voices From The Circle Archives


A Wisdom Circles Quarterly Newsletter: The Archives Archives 1 2 3 4 5


	~Voices from the Circle~ From Cindy Spring/Director: Greetings to the thousands of people who visit our website every month. I hope you are able to begin your circles as the following people have done: ~~~ From JB/Taipei: We have tweaked and developed our meetings to include several other aspects besides the standard Wisdom Circle format, but because what you do is closer to what we do than any other format we decided to call ourselves a wisdom circle. Since then I have been helping a large number of Wisdom Circles get started in Taiwan. Recently I have been invited to host several "Wisdom Circle Facilitator Trainings" in which our modified Wisdom Circle format is introduced. Our largest training will be held on Nov. 28th from 10am to 6pm in Taipei, Taiwan. Our training flyer is being hosted on a homepage by the Hong Kong Director of the Institute of Cultural Affairs. You can see the training information at this website address: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Palace/ 7176/WCwksp1199.html ~~~ From Ash Rothlein/Univ. of Miami: Rest assured that in one small corner of the planet your creation of Wisdom Circles is flourishing. My core group is alive and growing inside out and my new all women's group is incredibly exciting. Can you imagine a pre circle for 45 minutes and a post circle for 90 minutes after a 75 minute in circle session and they are all distinct in output and input from the in circle experience. What I am learning is that the in circle experience is truly unique. I have attended several spiritual-holistic conferences these past few months and [I've noticed] none of the visionaries who form workshops for healing and growing are willing to relinquish their power. That is a pity because all my wisdom circles grab the reins from me after 2 sessions with my support initially and then they are leaders providing their personal stamp on the sessions. I am getting calls from all over to create wisdom circles not only locally but as far as W.Virginia and beyond. My questions are long and elaborate with many options for members to respond in their own way and this almost guarantees a lively open in circle experience. For example: Tell us something about one of your experiences this summer that had a lasting positive heartfelt effect. For example; you were on a plane, a train or driving home or to a vacation destination and you were filled with anticipation about your destination. Maybe you passed a scene from the air or on the ground that brought back a happy childhood memory. Maybe a friend or a relative acted in a way that brought you closer than ever before. Maybe you worked in a garden or played ball with friends that was exhilarating or broke an unwanted tension. Perhaps being distanced from campus life or a significant other gave you a new insight during a reflecting moment while away. Did a new or revisited area bring a new happiness or excitement? Take your time and see what comes up from the heart. My goal as you know is to bring at least one of these circles into a commitment to provide a valuable service to the community or indeed humanity in some small way. My members are so with it, intelligent and already individually doing great service to their respective professions that I am convinced that we could harness our combined energy into making a major change for the better in some way. ~~~ From LSF/Massachusetts: For nearly two years, 10 women in a very uptight, affluent, suburban community found sanctuary in a weekly circle. From 8-11pm each Thursday, we gathered on a rotating basis to celebrate in ritual and respectful silence and unhurried speech the fullness of our lives. The group was diverse and began with 2 women who bravely shared who they were and extended that bold step (self-revelation) until there were 10 of us. We had a leaderless circle with each woman taking responsibility for leading the meetings. ...The group had problems - punctuality, lack of preparation, diverse interests, etc. The group seems to have lived out its purpose, but from the fall of '96 to Jan '99 a miraculous synergy was moving among us. I learned to trust women and have hope. We are rich and [wisdom circles] is the reason. [Note from CS: I admire a circle that can sense its fulfillment and disband well. Each person can become the seed for a new circle.]