The History of Women's Circles
From the beginning of time to today women’s circles have provided a sense of community. Women’s gatherings and circles have a rich history that spans centuries, cultures and continents. They have always been communal spaces that allowed women to find their voices, be empowered through connection with one another and discover a deep strength and resilience within themselves.
Circles made up of women have been an integral part of many ancient cultures and traditions. Throughout history women have gathered for healing ceremonies, to share knowledge about caring for children, self, and one another.
Women have gathered to honor feminine gifts and observe religious practices. Women’s circles have provided intentional spaces for women to form deep connections and friendships. Discovering how sistership creates a collective strength where women are powerful because they are part of a connected tribe or group; they are included and safe. In many circle settings, through guided activities and creatively led discussions, women have been inspired to enjoy inner reflection and experience healing of emotional wounds.
In some indigenous cultures women met together to pass on wisdom, share traditional values and cultural practices. During these meetings women would often discuss their concerns and specific issues that were relevant to the communities in which they lived. Sometimes they would focus on preserving the customs of their tribe, engage in storytelling, share herbal knowledge and medicines.
In some cultures, like ancient Greece, women gathered for spiritual and educational purposes. They would hold a three-day symposium known as the Thesmophoria, where women’s issues would be discussed. Women would share knowledge about children, fertility, farming and agriculture. They would also discuss cultural or social issues that they might be going through.
During the Middle Ages, in Medieval Europe, women’s circles or gatherings were often connected to religious beliefs and held in monasteries or convents, giving women an opportunity to dedicate their lives to God, prayer or spiritual and religious vocations. As these women banded together, they found common purposes such as providing assistance to the poor or impoverished, healthcare, or helping to educate children or care for the less fortunate.
Some women’s circles through the ages have supported women’s love for politics, the arts, and intellectual pursuits. Many female poets and political figures were products of women’s circles especial during the Italian Renaissance. And who can forget how Women’s Suffrage movement in the late 19thand 20th Century was sparked as women gathered with a common concern for women’s rights and access to equal opportunity.
To this day, women gather in communities and circles in order to focus on issues such as gender equality and addressing changing attitudes towards women. As long as there is discrimination in the workplace, inequality, a need to raise awareness about reproductive rights or many other issues that impact women, women’s gatherings and circles will remain an important part of society and cultures.
Women who are part of a women’s circle or gathering, enjoy a sense of sisterhood where bonds are formed. They learn how resilient, gifted, creative and resourceful they are. Women who are part of women’s circles are stronger—partly because they can draw strength from the positive and collective energy knowing they are not alone on their journeys.
The gathering of women in circle is a sacred concept and force that has transcended time, culture, ages, ethnicity, and geography, and women who have found the right circle that aligns with their core values, values have found support and friendships to last a lifetime.