Why Sister Circles Are Deep Medicine - Especially for Secret Witches
"The Alchemy available in gathering women to begin to heal wounds and own their power and magic is huge."
~Nicole Barton
There's a deep alchemy in the work we do in circle here at Team Secret Witch - especially in the unique space we are creating, which has a particularly rare flavour of all being welcome, along with an initiation into owning your power and magic. I know this because I am held myself in these sorts of rare spaces, and I feel the potency of this way of being, in comparison to other circles I've been part of before.
Traditionally, women's circles have been a space to be held in whilst you express yourself, which is much needed. And still, they often lack the shadow integration of our power, which is deeply, deeply important in the work of soul. The reason for that is because without this shadow integration, usually circles end up (innocently) going round and round in victim, sharing in a way that has women giving their power away without the deep reflection of where or why, or the love for the parts of themselves they reject in that way of being. It usually leaves them going round and round in hopelessness - missing the reclamation of their wholeness, and the cultivation of their hope and belief in possibility and their deep magic.
It leaves them expressing *shadow*, rather than *soul*.
Many of my women come to me from this previous experience of circling, expecting more of the same. Often at this point - usually a few weeks into our circles - they realise this type of circle is not quite the same - and they make a choice to do the deep work of soul (or not).
I had an immense feeling of deep appreciation for this work this morning when I received a message from one of my own Sovereign sisters, who helped me witness something for myself with her medicine of Truthful expression.
We had an exchange of deep truth, which wouldn't have been available *anywhere* outside of the work that we are in of walking the path of soul.
And during this exchange, she reflected something to me (after asking for my permission, which is the hallmark of Power and a way of honouring our Medicine) which was deep and illuminating.
Later, I received a message from another sister who I'd shared my wobbly Truth with yesterday, in which she loved me in my wobbliness, without making me a victim.
And I'm so appreciative that I chose this, and that I'm lucky enough to know these magnificent, magical women as my sisters, when before I'd never felt part of a sisterhood (cue Secret Witch's major Feminine wounding of lacking deep connection with other women).
I witness too, how Creatrix is offering the same thing - creating a circle of sisters that sets the foundations for power and magic in which there's pure love of everything that shows up, whilst also a witnessing of power being reclaimed. And these deep connections and bonds of sisters are so, so valuable.
Witches, in particular, have felt outcast, weird, shamed, scared of their magic being witnessed. And so, the alchemy on offer from gathering women together to begin to heal their wounds and own their power and magic is huge.
This is a deep medicine of its own in a world where we are used to hiding our power, feeling different, and avoiding intimacy.
And often, the very reason we struggle to create what we desire is because we have shielded and guarded ourselves from deeper intimacy. Magically, this is what my fellow Sovereign reflected to me, which opened my eyes to all the ways I was still unconsciously closing my heart to deeper intimacy based on old stories around when I lost my adopted sister when I was 4 and closed my heart to other women incase my heart broke again. Her loving reflection has opened me up today, beautifully, and my body has expressed some healing symptoms, too, so I know this is medicine.
I share this because often my women assume it's OK for me to talk about walking this path when "it's easy for me because my work is done." My work is not done - the work of Soul is a lifetime's work - and one of the ways my Queen Witch leans into creating intimacy with you is to share all the ways it *isn't* complete, so you know that it is possible for you to walk this path too.
You see, without the deep work of circling with others we simply don't have the same opportunity to illuminate the ways our resistance to the Feminine (love, openness, intimacy, connection) shows up. Without circling, we don't have a space in which we can show up fully expressed and be loved in order to love ourselves back to wholeness. And this leaves us feeling disconnected and isolated. Without circling, or having a soul guide, we can't hold up the mirror, by ourselves, to see where we resist intimacy and put up shields of protection, closing our hearts to deep connection to both ourselves and others.
It's for this very reason that I've created Invoke Your Feminine Mystery the way I have; as an intimate circle. The power in this for Feminine reclamation is huge.
So, if you long for a circle that helps you begin to create intimacy, and open your heart to receiving love, connection and begin to discover and express your true creative power and magic, then it might be for you.
And #ofcourse if you need this deepening into intimacy, it's likely you will feel some resistance to that - especially if that's something you struggle with (the irony is that makes it even more the medicine you need - I know that one well).
So, as ever, that requires making a loving choice for yourself; will you begin to love yourself enough to join us in circle for the alchemy?
(Bonus points if you choose to explore in an Alchemy call, through your resistance )
Much love
Nicole x
