The circle
is a universal symbol for unity and wholeness and the form of meeting
in circle is ancient. Each of us has ancestors, no matter what
our ethnic or racial background, who sat around a fire together, drumming,
singing, playing, dancing, telling stories, praying, grieving together,
solving the problems of everyday life. The memory of this connection
to the circle is in our bodies, in our psyches.
The
political foundations of North America were shaped primarily by two
strong circle traditions.: the British and the Native American.
One of Britain's most enduring stories, originating in Celtic mythology,
is that of King Arthur and his Round Table. The knights took an
oath to serve not only the other table members, but the kingdom as a
whole. Their covenant promised a humane safety net for even the
most vulnerable members of society.
When we read
the history of the U.S. Constitution, we learn that this document was
based on the model of the Iroquois Confederacy, a system of separate
tribal councils that met as a Grand Council every five years with the
responsibility for the welfare of the whole. Members of the
tribal councils were chosen by the Council of Matrons, the oldest women
of the tribe, who met in circle.
Since the
times when people sat around the tribal fire, we have developed many
variations of the circle: support groups, dialogue groups, group
psychotherapy, Bible study groups, twelve-step groups,
consciousness-raising circles, men's and women's groups, to name a
few. According to a recent study funded by the Gallup Foundation,
40 percent of all adult Americans actively belong to small, voluntary
groups whose purpose is to explore what has meaning in their lives and
address urgent social concerns. Research sociologist Paul Ray
concludes that there are as many as 44 million adults in the United
States who share values consistent with wisdom circles and are actively
pursuing personal and social transformation. "However, these
people have been like an audience all facing the same direction, reading
the same stuff," Ray says, "sharing the same views, but not
facing one another."
 It
is time for us to come together in small groups that share the same
goal: the creation of a compassionate community that values the
wisdom and the welfare of all its members. A compassionate
community of people who are willing to sustain our gaze upon suffering,
upon the wounds that we inflict upon one another and upon the earth, and
who are willing to become accountable for our actions."
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