You are Cordially Invited to Join Us
Women’s Wisdom and Scholarship Circle
It is with honor and pleasure that I invite you into a forum where we will explore together the works, perspectives, and lives of contemporary women who have made significant contributions in literature, the sciences, spirituality, and historical context. Much of their work has never made it into mainstream dialogues, or into history books. In fact, many of these women have been intentionally smeared or excluded from professional, academic, and political circles. Inherent in all of this material is that women have unique and powerful ways of seeing, sensing, learning, communicating, and participating in the world – ways that have been persecuted and shamed as superfluous, inefficient, or “irrational.”
I have been affected deeply by learning about each of the works I have proposed to include in this series. I hope you will be too! This is, of course, not an exhaustive list of material by and about exceptional women. We could spend several lifetimes reading, gathering, and dialoguing about significant feminine perspectives that have been held out of sight and mind.
It will not be necessary to purchase all of the books listed (unless you want to). I will provide links to articles, interviews, and/or documentaries on each topic, and offer a few articles I have written on related topics as well.
This is a NO STRESS invitation: The intention is to get a “taste” of each author and topic. Perhaps through our conversations you will identify some themes and women that touch you specifically, that you will feel curious to learn more about on your own! You are welcome to listen and contribute to the discussion, whether or not you wish to do in-depth reading, and even if English is not your first language and you find the reading and discussion challenging to follow. We will endeavor to shape our conversations in a way that includes everyone, nonetheless. The circle will be ongoing, adding new authors and topics as we go.
Participation in this group is free of charge to all women. You may offer a donation toward coordination time and expenses, if you feel moved to. Offering your space for one of our gatherings is also a lovely way to contribute!
Gatherings will be minimally facilitated, and our dialogue format will be fluid. Each session begins with a short ritual to arrive and open sacred space. Generally speaking, each woman is allowed several minutes to share her perspectives. We may later proceed into more open and free-wheeling conversation, allowing ideas, stories, and feelings to flow. There will be a “talking stick” in the room in case it is needed or desired by the group. I envision that as we grow in our knowledge and respect for one another, we will ever-more- skillfully co-conceive and co-create productive structure for our time together.
In preparation, please be thoughtful about how you would like to see us navigate potentially controversial topics and passionate varying opinions. What will you bring to the group? What would you like to receive and take away from this experience? What do we need to know about you so that we can hold you in a way that allows you to feel relaxed, open-hearted, seen, heard, and cherished?
The Sacred Agreement: In this forum, we will share the responsibility of holding space for respectful, curious, and productive conversation. We will maintain a commitment to confidentiality for each woman’s sharing, as well as a deep knowing that each woman is developing her own perspective and gifts through this experience. Each woman is asked to share from her heart, while tenderly holding attentive and heartfelt space for everyone in the group to do the same. Our shared vision is that each woman feels welcome to learn and imagine openly and in her own way. We arrive in this space with deep respect for diversity of experience, opinion, communication style, and perspective.
Contact me with questions and your RSVP, and I will send you our current Resource List.
I look forward to engaging with you in deep conversations about history, lineage, imaginings and possibilities…
With appreciation and blessings,