Reflections on circles and a new invitation
small brave thing #234
I’ve placed payments on hold as I reconfigure this Space, but if you feel gratitude for this post and want to support me, you can always buy me a delicious beverage.)
Hello beautiful human,
A few days ago I facilitated a circle for Substack star
‘s Twelve Chapters Club. The Club, for writers who want to make progress on their books, is a few hundred strong, and from that pool, a self-selected group of women writers took an hour from their days to gather and share their projects, visions, and progress toward their goals via a Zoom circle. Now, I’ve facilitated hundreds of circles, classes and workshops but not in a while, and it felt so good to hold that space once again. I’m grateful to Claire for the opportunity and invitation.And as happens, the experience got me to reflecting and my reflections rippled outward…
A circle is a specific shape. It isn’t random or amorphous. To be in circle with others is to believe, and put into practice, the idea that we are on equal ground. We each have something of value to share. It’s by listening around and across the circle to all voices that we learn, grow, and find the nurturance we need to get to the next step on our journey. Circles flatten hierarchy and simultaneously insist on the inherent worth of all participants. The circle expands our notions of expertise to include the wisdom of experience, the sagacity of question, the potentialities of silence and consideration.
Imagine if we could remember as we all go through our ordinary days that we, we puny, silly humans, drop gems of learning, experience, thought and vulnerability right in front of each other--every day. Any of these moments and interactions could be expanded into books, movies, gardens, or whole new architectures and governments. Even the least satisfying exchange teaches something (don’t discount the wisdom of I won’t do that again!)
When we circle and listen, whether we’re two, ten, or fifty, we help those new stories emerge in ways big or small (we never know). It’s a privilege to hold that space.
The predominant culture of the United States has a way to go in remembering and putting into practice the power of circles as vehicles of transformation and emergence, restoration and right relation. And that said, let me acknowledge: nothing new is happening here as our institutions slowly learn these practices. Indigenous cultures have held this wisdom for generations. If some of us are working to recover it now, in a moment of global shift and potential, let me share and express my gratitude to those who have held and held on to these traditions across the centuries. We are in your debt.
Claire’s writing circle was made up of women spanning across two continents sharing their stories, dreams, experiences, and goals. Women writing to dream new worlds, answer interesting questions, share stories of trauma and resilience. How powerful that is, in this moment, as I sit in 2025 in the United States and my own government, currently carrying out so many dangerous and cruel acts, also attempts to erase the words “woman” and “female” from the conversation.
I mean, it’s ridiculous—but they’re doing their best.
Women writing, women sharing, women supporting each other…this continues to be crucial, important work. We need as much as ever to pour our voices into the world. We need to hear each other, help each other, boost the signals and credit the ones who came before: the thinkers, the visionaries, the artists and authors and creators of all flavors. Let us honor and acknowledge the tremendous amount of work women have shouldered and continue to shoulder, each and every day. And within this honoring, please let’s also remember that class, race and ethnicity, educational and geographic and religious privileges exist. As hard as it has been there are and have always been women for whom the work is harder, and they are no less visionary, no less driven, their voices no less crucial to the work.
Can we consider that the people least attended to might have the most of value to share?
(If you feel, reading this, like you need to remind me that it isn’t just women doing the work or needing to express and resist right now…please take a moment. Breathe and expand and ground. I know that. You know that. We aren’t in scarcity here. Okay? Okay.)
You know I like to sprinkle invitations through my writings, so here is one for us to ask ourselves: How can we embody the lessons of the circle? How might we reach out in some small way to lift each other, to listen to each other, starting right where we are, as we are, today?
I’m not pretending that I have the answers. I think the answers come—if they come at all—through the collective, when we gather. I believe we need to dream new and different. We need—not to try to go back to something that maybe never was as halcyon as we remember, but to move forward, through crucible and transformation, into new possibilities. We need new stories. We learn by listening, to ourselves, to each other, and to the larger community of human and more-than-human voices, where to go next, and how we might get there.
Here’s what I know: to uncover and remember ourselves into those new stories, we need space, rest, silence and encouragement. This is and will continue to be An Inviting Space where you can find just those things.
For those of you who feel moved to take a next step, to gather and invite the energy of the collective, I’ll hold two listening circles on Wednesday, June 18, at 9 am Central time and 5 PM Central time. You’re encouraged to come and to bring a friend or friends along. Bring your circles, if you like. Let’s be in practice together.
xo
S
Mark your calendars. More details to come.
Listening for New Stories
a listening circle held by Sarah Sadie of An Inviting Space
Wednesday, June 18
3 PM UK/10 AM Eastern/9 AM Central/7 AM Pacific
or
11 PM UK/ 6 PM Eastern/5 PM Central/3 PM Pacific
Come to one or both, bring a friend, a sister, your whole circle. We’ll have opportunity to listen to each other, to the more-than-human natural world, and to ourselves as we lean in to the possibility of recovering and remembering new stories and potential next steps. This is a free offering.
I believe our world needs new stories. what if those stories lie curled within us like seeds? This is An Inviting Space to experience where and how we might discover, recover and nurture the secret, magical gardens of soul day by day. Starting where we are, as we are.
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and love his musings and peaceful voice. Try this one.
Your support is welcome, and your attention and time are true gifts. Thank you.
