WHAT REALLY HAPPENS AT A SACRED WOMEN’S CIRCLE? LINDA MUSIC FINDS OUT
When I told my husband I would be participating in a sacred women’s circle, he half-jokingly asked if we would be dancing naked around a fire, sacrificial frogs in hand, chanting and summoning the spirits. Although I laughed at his feeble attempts at humour, a tiny part of me cringed. What if it did get too weird?
My curiosity about sacred women’s circles came about after numerous photos of such events kept appearing on my social media feeds. The images were of women sitting peacefully in, yes, a circle around a setting usually comprised of colourful flowers and candles which illuminated the surrounding darkness with long, flickering, golden shadows.
These images stirred something within me and I yearned to discover what such a peaceful and mystical evening might entail.
And surprisingly, once I made the decision to attend a women’s circle, not one but two, were advertised. I signed up for both.
Letting go of the masks we wear
My first women’s circle was in a rural setting – the perfect introduction to an evening designed to remove us from the stresses of everyday life.
I turned up to find the facilitator, Rita Panuccio, standing outside with sage stick in hand, cleansing the aura of each participant as they entered the sacred space. Alarm bells instantly rang in my mind. I knew that my sensitive nose would not appreciate inhaling the smoke and smell that accompanied this cleansing. However, I needn’t have worried. Rita was respectful of my preference not to participate and I was invited to enter the sacred spacewithout undertaking this particular ritual.
This story is from the June 2018 edition of Good Health Choices.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 2018 edition of Good Health Choices.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Strong On The Inside
OSTEOPOROSIS AFFECTS HALF OF KIWI WOMEN OVER 60. AFTER THE AGE OF 35, BONE LOSS INCREASES AS A NATURAL PART OF THE AGEING PROCESS, BUT DID YOU KNOW IT’S POSSIBLE TO BOOST YOUR BONE STRENGTH? DEBBIE DUNCAN EXPLAINS HOW...
The Joy Of Un-Dieting
NUTRITIONIST JESSICA SEPEL WANTS US TO SPEAK TO OURSELVES WITH MORE KINDNESS AND CHANGE OUR MIND-SET ABOUT HEALTHY EATING
Shifting Focus
DO YOU DREAD THOSE LAST FEW WEEKS AT WORK PRIOR TO THE SUMMER BREAK BECAUSE TIME SEEMS TO BE DRAGGING? WHAT YOU MIGHT BE IN NEED OF IS A VOORPRET MIND-SET
Only The Lonely
FOR SOME OF US CHRISTMAS ISN’T ALWAYS JOLLY AND, IF YOU’RE FEELING ISOLATED, YOU’RE NOT ON YOUR OWN. SARAH MARINOS LOOKS AT THE IMPACT OF A GROWING HEALTH EPIDEMIC AND HOW BEST TO COMBAT IT
Out Of Office... (Sort Of)
DO YOU STRUGGLE TO DISCONNECT FROM WORK WHILE ON HOLIDAY? LEARN HOW TO LET GO OF ‘VACATION SABOTAGE’ AND GET THE MOST FROM YOUR TIME OFF
Fountain Of Youth
IT TURNS OUT THE SECRET TO BEING YOUNGER, IS TO BELIEVE YOU ARE! WE LOOK AT HOW YOUR MIND-SET AND OUTLOOK ON LIFE ARE TWO OF THE MAIN DETERMINING FACTORS WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR HEALTH AND HAPPINESS IN YOUR LATER YEARS
Finding Strength
JENNY-MAY CLARKSON OPENS UP TO ERIN FISHER ABOUT HEALING AFTER LOSS, BODY CONFIDENCE, AND HOW HER CONNECTION TO THE COMMUNITY AND MĀORI CULTURE SHAPES EVERYTHING SHE DOES
Can You Think Yourself Slim?
‘A new mind-based technique is achieving radical results when it comes to quashing craving
TAKE A BREATH
CONTROLLING ASTHMA CAN BE CHALLENGING, BUT EMERGING RESEARCH COULD BE A GAME-CHANGER FOR THOSE LIVING WITH THIS CHRONIC DISEASE, SAYS TRUDIE MCCONNOCHIE
KEEPING ON TRACK
RADIO PERSONALITY JAY-JAY FEENEY OPENS UP TO ERIN FISHER ABOUT HER SOLO TRAVEL ADVENTURES, BODY IMAGE AND MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES, AND LEARNING TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH HER OWN COMPANY