Wisdom Circle - Teaching Each Other

“Let me see the world through your eyes, hear the world as you hear it.

Let us teach each other, support each other, inspire each other, and heal each other.

Let us make visible to ourselves, and then to the world, how much we care.”

Charles Garfield

Cindy Spring

Sedonia Cahil

One of my favorite books on Wisdom Circles was written by Charles Garfield,

Cindy Spring, and Sedonna Cahil.

They have captured the heart of 'how to' create and maintain a Circle.

Their vision seems to have been to write a book that serves as a guide to anyone interested in learning how to develop a Wisdom Circle of their own.

They speak about 'teaching each other' by sharing how we each see the world, hear the world and feel the world.

It is by sharing our unique experiences that we broaden our world view.

By opening ourselves to the way others view life, work, fun, adventure, we come to a larger sense of what is possible.

We may also sense a deeper meaning to life, an alternate pathway of thinking, a new approach to dealing with challenges.

We can increase our learning from others' experiences rather than having to experience everything ourselves.

There are some real advantages to this.

Inspiring each other is another natural outgrowth of a Wisdom Circle.

It is our experience that you cannot share a Circle with other folk week after week, month after month, year after year, without finding great inspiration from other lives well lived.

When someone goes through a traumatic event and shares their story, all are blessed from the experience of sensing and learning from the events second hand.

When someone shares their joy, fear, 'leaps of faith', we can 'live it' through them.

We can capture the emotion of joy or peace or hope.

We can remember what it 'feels' like and then make the transfer into our own lives.

We have also found that the lessons we each learn within the Wisdom Circle we are able to 'bridge' into our daily lives.

We can carry forward wisdom from the Circle, and make applications to our work, to our families, to our personal spiritual journeys.

The Circle serves as a microcosm of the world.

As we learn to love more deeply within the Circle, we can love more deeply anywhere.

As we learn to live more fully within the Circle, we can live more fully anywhere.

As we learn to trust more completely within the Circle, we can trust more completely anywhere.

As we learn to surrender the total essence of who we are within the Circle, we can experience the freedom of full surrender anywhere.

Wisdom Circle - Ruffle Your Feathers and Take Flight

Feathers are considered sacred in many religious traditions.
In the Native American tradition, the feather can be a gift from Spirit.
A feather can be used to clear the aura, the energy body surrounding a person.
Feathers are used in ceremony and in honoring the 'wing-ed ones' that fly in the sky.
Meditating on the inherent beauty of a feather can bring deep appreciation for the wonders of Mother Nature and also the miracle of flight.

This morning on my walk in the hills, I came upon a beautiful hawk.
I was reminded that in Native American tradition, the hawk is considered the 'messenger'.
It is recommended that when the hawk appears to you, it is a good idea to pay attention because a special message is on the way.
As I stood watching the hawk, I opened to the Creator to hear the 'message'.
I saw the hawk 'ruffle her feathers' and then leap boldly in the air and launch herself into flight.
At the same moment, I heard overhead the sound of a helicopter on the way to a nearby trauma center.
It was a 'LifeFlight' helicopter and I found myself remembering watching many of them fly overhead over the years as they brought patients to the medical center for care.

After a bit I continued walking up the trail.
I continued to remember the hawk take flight and move forward into the mystery of where she would land next.
It brought be back to remembering the initial 'launch' of our Wisdom Circle.
At the beginning, several years ago, we had a desire to create a community of 'heart-based' souls that could share their stories and support each other's spiritual growth.
We did not know exactly how to create this, or what it would eventually look like, but our hearts told us that it was time and it would become clear as we took a 'leap of faith'.
As time moved on, we had wonderful resources come to us that led us in the creation of the Wisdom Circle of Grace.
These resources came as a direct result of our hearts' desire to build this community.
The answers to our prayers came in many different forms and shapes, all rich in wisdom and grace.

But our first step was truly 'ruffling our feathers', so that we could 'spread our wings'.
By surrendering to Spirit and Divine Wisdom, all that was needed was provided to us just at the perfect moment.
Also surrendering our need to know exactly how to 'do it' and choosing to trust that we would be led and guided were the ingredients we needed to 'allow' it into creation.

The Hawk reminds us that we can 'know' that the abundance of all that we need will be provided for us at just the moment it is required.

Wisdom Circle - Take Time to Smell the Roses

This phrase, 'take time to smell the roses', has been around a long time.
And for a good reason...
As our lives appear to quicken and our 'to do' lists get longer, taking time to be quiet within becomes even more critical.

In our Wisdom Circle, that is just what we do...we take time to smell the roses, lillies, petunias, honeysuckle and allow space to quiet down.
Within the Circle is created a container to experience true stillness.
It is that stillness that exists in nature so often...a quiet pond, an open meadow...
This stillness has the capacity to support our healing.
This stillness is a 'sabbath' for our souls.
This stillness holds our Spirits and cradles our hearts.
The Spirit within us craves this stillness, so why is it that we so rarely visit this space?

When our Wisdom Circle pondered that question, some of the responses centered around our need to be 'doing' all the time.
We have lists upon lists of things that must be attended to.
We have appointments and schedules and all manner of agendas to address.
These are all part of living in the third dimensional space of our world.

But when our Circle considered the true richness of the experience of stillness, we agreed that when we do 'go there', 'it is well worth the price of admission'.
Some choose to find stillness in nature; some in the quiet of their own home.
Others have come to find stillness through meditation and prayer.
Stillness is a space that God creates for us when we show up with an open heart and 'no mind'.
We leave the lists and agendas behind and we surrender ourselves fully to the Creator.
It is in full surrender and openness that we find what has been there all along, waiting for us to remember 'it'.

Each week in our Wisdom Circle, we make room for stillness to enter.
We welcome the Divine to fill our hearts and be present among us.
We make a 'date' to honor the Spirit within and take time to dance with the mystery inside.
We smell a rose and deepen our appreciation of the beauty of the Earth we have been given to care for.
We cherish the rose and the strength that it holds.
We notice how each rosebud transforms into its full potential bursting forth in color and smell.
The rose knows that after it completes its gift-giving, it will surrender itself and again reconnect with the Earth that gave it life.
So it is with us.

Let us open ourselves and offer our gifts to the world.
Let us honor the service that we are here to give.
Let us fully express who we are and Whom we are here to serve.

Wisdom Circle - Creative Expression

Over the years, our Wisdom Circle has created lots of different kinds of programs.
Sometimes the focus is music, sometimes different religious traditions, sometimes spiritual laws.
But one of the things that we have committed to regularly incorporating into our Wisdom Circle is time and space for creative expression.
Most of the members of the Circle work in 'left - brained' professions and spend most of their days using logic and reason.
Much less frequently does the 'right - brain' get exercised and have an opportunity to express itself.
So our commitment has been to spend time with creative expression using the arts.
This may take the form of creating with clay, playing with playdo, coloring mandalas, making collages.

The pictures above are from a session we had using stones.
The content of our discussion was all about what gives us foundation, strength, courage, meaning, fortitude in our lives.
It was an opportunity for us to wonder about our Source.
We first chose stones that we felt connected to and 'grounded' us to the concept of 'Source'.
Stones are the great 'space holders' of the Earth.
They were a perfect element to use since we were exploring connection to the foundation of our lives.
Next, we did a guided imagery remembering those things in our lives that brought us these things or reminded us of these things.
At the conclusion of the meditation, in silence, we each began to draw an image that came to our awareness.

The drawings above represented some of the beautiful images of Source and foundation to our Circle members.
One shared that it was family that brought him a sense of foundation and wholeness.
Another had experienced the image of a spiral during the guided imagery meditation.
To her, the spiral represented the continuous, ever changing circle and spiral of life.
Another shared that the tree of life had always been a powerful image that connected the two worlds that we live in, Heaven and Earth, Above and Below.

We spent time with our images, individually and collectively.
We honored the wisdom of each member as they shared from their heart that which gave them hope, strength and support and meaning.
As each member shares their story, it becomes a blessing and a remembrance for all.
As each member acknowledged their own journey, we all were blessed by acknowledging our own journeys and the things that had carried us through.

Blessings come from simply witnessing the beauty in the story of another.
Being willing to show up, being vulnerable and sharing from the heart all came together to create a magical healing experience.

As Rainer Maria Rilke said many many years ago, 'the Circle heals'.

Wisdom Circle - Honoring the Earth

One of our favorite activities in the Wisdom Circle is honoring the Earth and her cyclical changes.
What we have found is that when we come into connection with the seasons, we find greater harmony with life.

In the Fall, we focus our attention on releasing and surrendering all those things that no longer serve us.
We imagine ourselves to be a great tree, ready to shed its leaves so that it can begin again in the Spring to bring forth more beauty.
The Fall is a great time to release our own 'leaves' that no longer have a needed place within our being.
We can freely detach from these conceptual 'leaves' and let them go to make room for the miracles and newness of what is to come.

As Winter approaches, our Circle focuses on 'going within'...it is a time of reflection and hibernation of ideas and seeds of what we are becoming.
It is a time of being quiet and listening to the whispers of Spirit.

In the Spring, we celebrate new beginnings and the glory of new life and rebirth.
We often do meditations on the beauty of the flowers that surround us and remember the miracle of life in all of its forms.

In the Summer, we remember to honor the 'fruits' of our labor.
We take time to harvest the abundance of all that we have created and nurtured during the previous seasons of the year.
The summer is a time of warmth and fullness.

Mother Nature has created a Circle of seasons for us to learn from.
As we connect with this Circle of natural life, we learn to understand the importance of the ebb and flow of our energy, our work, our own lives.
We learn to quiet our Spirits long enough to open to the wisdom that the seasons have to teach us.
We open to those lessons that are learned only from communing with all aspects of the natural world that surrounds us.
Our Garden of Eden is truly our classroom and holds great opportunities to learn from simply being present with a rose, a deer, a dolphin, a hawk...
The depth of the wisdom in any one of God's creations can reflect back to us the true nature of our Creator.

But we must take the time to show up and be taught.
We must take time to open to seeing, hearing, smelling, feeling the delights of the universe.
Abundance fills our world.
It is ours to cherish and to hold dear.
Who else will?

Wisdom Circle - Everyone Holds a Different Space

One of the most powerful forces in a Wisdom Circle is the energy of diversity.
The Circle members often come from many different 'walks' of life and because of this, each member brings very different life experiences.
The diversity can express itself in age, gender, profession, hobbies, gifts, personalities,
soul signatures, etc.
No two of us are carbon copies of each other...praise be!!!
The fun of this can also be seen as each member in the Wisdom Circle often comes to adopt a 'role' in the group.
Some may take on the 'role' of 'Truth Teller'.
That has certainly been one of the 'roles' of my husband, Stephen, who is in the
picture above.
When a discussion within the Circle is not connecting in with deep truth and honest feelings,
Stephen is always right there to share from his heart and speak his truth with clarity and conviction.
Others in the group have often shared how much they appreciate his 'baring of his soul' and sharing from the depths of his own pain, joy and challenges.

Others in the group take on other 'roles'.
There are those that are the ones that 'hold the space' of the 'scientists'.
These folk will press the group to look at the scientific basis of content and the reason behind the way things seem to be.
Others may take on the 'role' of the holder of 'compassionate presence'.
These individuals have an open heart and can heal simply by being present and deeply listening to the story of another.
Other members may be the 'fire starters'.
These members come up with exciting ideas of things to explore and wonder about
within the Circle.
Others hold the 'role' of those that 'ground' the Circle.
These individuals keep the group connected to original purpose, principles, practices that are the foundational elements of the Circle.
Still others may hold the function of gentle 'space holders'.
They are often quiet and soft in their energy and create a supportive structure within the Circle. Thelp everyone feel accepted, ok, and important to the whole.

Everyone who shows up in the Circle plays a unique 'role' in creating this sacred space.
No 'role' or space is more important or significant than another.
It is the beauty, wisdom, love and light that each member brings that creates the space of healing for all.

Weaving the web of wholeness is a work that requires forgiveness, letting go, reaching out, leaping forward, dancing with mystery and so much more.
Through the community of the Circle, we can experience what these mean to each of us as souls on a wonderful journey back home.

Wisdom Circle - Everyone Can Be a Leader

The beauty of the Circle is that there is no defined absolute leader.
Within the Circle, everyone can be the leader. It is a shared experience.
There is a person that 'Calls the Circle' and initiates a gathering, defines the general format and content, and opens and closes the Circle.
Other than that, the Circle flows from person to person just as water flows in a river bed.
There is no need to have someone in 'control', dictating agendas, etc.
The Circle takes on its own flow and manages to ensure that all voices are heard, even the silent ones.

In our Wisdom Circle, we have a process that has developed of shared responsibility for who 'calls the Circle'.
The pictures above are of three of our members who have led our Circle many times.
One of them is a Sister that comes from a community that is committed to supporting the underserved in the Hispanic culture.
The other person in the picture is a woman who works in Organizational and Leadership Development and is committed to making more room for Spirituality in the workplace.
The other is my brother who is an Internal Medicine physician with a passion for re-creating meaning in medicine.
They have each led our Circle in sacred ceremony, expressive arts and honoring of other faith traditions.
Our Circle has been blessed to have a very diverse nature.
We have midwives, doctors, lawyers, dentists, nurses, pastors, social workers and many others.
We have Catholics, Protestants, Seventh-day Adventists, Mormons, and many others.
It is the diversity of the group that adds wisdom and dimension.
Different perspectives on where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going are shared all the time.
We learn through the experience and wisdom of each other.
Through the stories that are shared, we gain insights that make our own journeys richer.
As we share joy, pain, fear, bliss, we come to a deeper understanding of that which is of greatest importance in our Earthly travels.

It is so often easier to learn through the experience of another rather than having to experience everything in the first person.

The Wisdom Circle creates a safe container to explore, learn, experience, venture, voyage...
Whether you are 'calling the Circle' or you are 'holding space' within the Circle, you play an important role.
Sometimes just 'showing up' is all that is necessary for deep connection with the Divine.
It is through this Spiritual connection with our Creator that we come alive into a true 'knowing' of ourselves and the world we live in and love.