Circle of Women – Women’s Circles | What types exist?

In recent years, terms like "circle," "women's circle," "circle workshops," and "men's circle" have become very popular and trendy, much like the trends of mindfulness, yoga, meditation, and spiritual development.

First, it's worth emphasizing that when something becomes fashionable, most people get into it out of curiosity, or due to a bandwagon effect. However, let's not generalize and lump everything together as "bad." This, unfortunately, is a common situation in the world of spirituality where many things are treated in a binary manner.

This does not mean, of course, that all groups under the aforementioned names should be dismissed and avoided. Absolutely not! Circles are very beneficial, positive, and energetic places/meetings from which one can gain a lot of good. However, it's important to know that, unfortunately, in the realm of spirituality—where we expect goodness, honesty, and wisdom—there is a lot of negativity, exploitation, and other negative phenomena. I want to help you separate the wheat from the chaff and guide you towards the path of truth. Below, I will try to explain and show you how to accurately recognize the good groups.

By being attentive, approaching the topic with a bit of distance and a pure heart, one can observe how in many (pseudo)spiritual groups, there is a significant amount of fanaticism among "teachers" and "students." The fanaticism of teachers often manifests in strong criticism of what is foreign—that is, the practices of other teachers—often judging them as "bad" without having any knowledge of how the other group operates, while simultaneously binding their own students/adepts to themselves.

Observing these behaviors can clearly show how "spiritual" values are often trampled by words, thoughts, unconstructive criticism, and hatred toward the "other." For minds not yet attached to a particular leader, these behaviors are easy to understand. However, for people who are already fans of a given toxic teacher, these things are often justified by a good heart, good intentions, or the teacher's many years of practice. To claim otherwise—that the student has been learning and has spent a lot of energy and money in a toxic group—would cause a strong cognitive dissonance, leading to rapid and catastrophic changes in the student's mental health. Therefore, a student attached to a teacher, no matter what toxic behaviors the teacher exhibits, will always justify and protect that teacher.

So, is it difficult to distinguish a "good" teacher from a "bad" one? It depends on the level of knowledge the student possesses. The ideal situation would be if every teacher were a good one. Unfortunately, this is not the case. If we want to benefit from such a circle, we need to spend some time and at least familiarize ourselves with the principles that should prevail in such a place. Then, we have the chance to gain goodness, wisdom, and a feeling of happiness from such a circle.

You can read more about toxic groups and how to recognize them in the book The Power of Spiritual Development.

Just as there are different types of cacao preparation ceremonies, and just as most cacao ceremonies have nothing to do with the actual ceremony, similarly, the situation is very similar when it comes to "circles."

Most Circles Are Not True Circles

What types of circles might we encounter?

1) Circles that have nothing to do with true circles

This is the most common type of circle. As circles of people became more popular and the number of events titled "circle" or "women's circle" started appearing more frequently on workshop center websites and Facebook, the term began to be used without knowledge... and without skill.

These "circles" that have nothing to do with true circles are usually gatherings where people sit in a circle. During these meetings, they talk. Sometimes the conversation is guided, sometimes everyone speaks about whatever they want or feel. It's like a pleasant gathering around a campfire. Is this bad? Not in itself. A meeting of friends or strangers around a campfire can be a beautiful experience, especially if these are supportive friends. Such circles can even provide additional help for those trying to overcome depression.

But problems begin to arise when participants in the circle open up emotionally, believing that the person leading the circle knows how to work in these areas, how to create the appropriate space, and has the proper capacity for what may happen. In such moments, the inability to properly hold the circle can have serious consequences for the mental health of some participants. It can easily lead to some participants engaging in judgment, giving unwanted/unasked-for advice, interrupting, and causing a big mess. For the most sensitive individuals, this event can lower their self-esteem and diminish their basic human need for safety, which can be the beginning or deepening of various illnesses, not just mental ones.

2) Support Circles/Groups led by psychologists and psychotherapists

This method of working with people follows specific rules and principles. Every psychotherapist or psychologist conducting meetings respects ethical codes. There are ethical codes of various societies, such as the Ethical Code of the Polish Psychological Association, among others. While the ethical code is one aspect, the way of working with people comes from many years of learning at universities (where there is a lot of theory—very important—but no practical experience), years of psychotherapy schools, and various courses.

Key to such groups is professional knowledge, including psychological diagnosis and psychopathology. This knowledge aids in working with individuals, answering questions like "What should be done in this case?" or "How to best respond to this person?" Professionals have the knowledge to choose the right words.

A simple (but serious) example is a person with schizophrenia. If such a person attends a circle led by a "spiritual" person, they might be advised to practice a particular meditation with visualization, or later participate in a group meditation with visualization.

A trained professional knows that for someone with schizophrenia, visualization practices are harmful and destructive. Unfortunately, just "following your heart" is not enough. Besides intuition, heart, and faith, one needs the necessary knowledge to avoid harming others.

Such circles are more "sterile." The facilitators might be knowledgeable in spiritual aspects, but they don't have to be. Generally, spiritual topics are not raised during these circles, but if a participant initiates them, it is respected and accepted. If these topics are dismissed outright, it might indicate prejudice on the part of the "professionals," which is also not a good sign.

In such a situation, it might be worth looking for another group, even for your own well-being. If the topics important to you are not being discussed, this group might not be the right fit for you. Consider why you are attending the meetings and ask yourself if this group will fulfill that purpose. If you have doubts, it is worth attending another meeting and comparing your feelings.

3) Spiritual Circles, Women's Circle / Women's Circles and More

These are often circles where the facilitator aims to maintain a spiritual aspect. They are usually led by teachers from various spiritual development traditions. Very often, you can observe that circles, especially women's circles, are led by yoga teachers.

Most of these groups believe that circles came to Poland in the 20th century thanks to Joan Halifax, Mattie Davis-Wolfe, and Danuta Ogaoeno Mette, who came from the USA to Poland and taught this "new" form of working with people. This is partially incorrect because circles existed in Poland many years earlier... but I will describe that in the next section.

In this women's circle, as in the previously mentioned types, participants sit in a circle. However, here certain additional rules are observed, which are not always emphasized in the other types of circles:

• Each person speaks in turn—usually, the person speaking holds a "talking object."
• Do not interrupt the person who is speaking.
• One can choose not to speak if they wish.
• Everyone who is not speaking listens.
• Participants feel safe.
• No judging.
• No giving advice.
• No criticizing others.
• Everyone speaks honestly, without lies or hiding, or they don't speak if they don't feel ready.

Each of these facilitators is also a human with their own strengths and weaknesses. Here, it is very important to pay attention to the level of their ego and how the groups behave. Observe how they relate to what is foreign, for example, to other groups, especially other groups that hold "circles" but are not part of their acquaintances or sisterhood organizations.

Spiritual circles can be divided into two groups:

• Held by people with a high and destructive ego—therefore, clinging to the ego.
• Held by people who are not attached to the ego.

What are women's circles held by people clinging to their ego?

Clinging to the ego is a dangerous trait. It is one of the fundamental characteristics found in toxic groups and cults. The leader/Facilitator/Person holding the circle/women's circle exhibits toxic behaviors. Often, the leader of such a group also has a narcissistic personality. There is a high chance that we are dealing with a toxic group or a cult. To check if a group is toxic or cult-like, take the test from the book The Power of Spiritual Development.

What behaviors can be observed in such a leader?

• Describes themselves as a person free from ego, with ego set aside, or with a regulated ego.
• Speaks or writes about themselves in superlatives, directly or indirectly—indirectly describing the personality of the circle leader (meaning themselves, but not saying it explicitly) as a person of particular sensitivity, distinguished by great wisdom, extensive experience, immense compassion, and radiating goodness and maturity.

Therefore, it is enough to pay attention to the leader and check if the behaviors indicated above are recognizable in them. If so, it might be worth looking for another group. Trust me, it is worth focusing on this before entrusting your spirituality to someone else. Let's check if we can trust those hands.

4) Temple Arts Circles

As with the previous types of circles, whether a particular circle or women's circle is safe depends on the facilitators. If these individuals know what they are doing, have the appropriate knowledge and experience, participants will gain nothing but good from such meetings.

Circles and women's circles date back thousands of years. There is no specific evidence confirming whether it is 5,000 years or more. Today's knowledge, based on anthropological and historical research, shows us that circles have existed for at least 2,000 years before the construction of the pyramids. These included both the first type of circles on this list and the third—spiritual circles with similar rules and structures to those that exist today. However, most details of these circles have been lost because they were not written down but passed on verbally.

Developmental circles were also frequently practiced in the territory of Poland. In Jasna Góra, which is now a religious symbol, there was a temple of Laila. So, before Poles began to worship Mary there, people worshiped Laila. Of course, this happened before Christianity "arrived" in Poland. Before Częstochowa became Catholicized, there were places of worship for the goddess, ceremonies with rituals, and circles to celebrate new circumstances in life, as well as to gain more group power. Although we do not have evidence of circles during the matriarchy in the territory of Poland, we do know that Temple Practices existed near Warsaw 1,000 years ago, well before the 1990s.

Characteristics of Temple Arts Circles

Temple Arts Circles are practices of the Temple Arts. The practices that are the main components of the ritual or supporting acts are celebrated as sacred, regardless of whether they involve periodic rituals or ceremonies important to the people. These rituals have a structure within which one can experience them.

Temple Arts Circles have a specific structure that the facilitator and participants agree to respect. Similarly, in a Mosque, Church, or Orthodox Church, everyone present tries to respect the silence and prayers of others. They do not shout, behave loudly, or dance to music.

• The women's circle/circle always begins with a ceremonial opening of the space and closing of the circle (yes, the circle/women's circle is closed at the beginning), during which there is an invocation and dedication to all sentient beings or another purpose previously agreed upon by the group.
• When opening the circle, the circle is marked with an object in deosil (clockwise) direction.
• Each person is invited to formulate their own intention.
• The facilitator must hold the circle/women's circle in passive masculine energy (e.g., according to the Rose of Energy), and cannot allow themselves to be controlled by emotions. Emotions are welcome but must be balanced with passive masculine energy and active feminine energy.
• There must be an altar with at least two candles in specific colors, placed left and right in a specific pattern. The altar should also have objects representing the five elements.
• At the end of the circle, there must be a ceremonial opening of the circle and closing of the space (due to the lack of knowledge, facilitators often say "we close the circle/women's circle and open the space"—it should be the opposite for the safety of participants—everyone should be FREE after the circle, not still "in a closed circle").
• The cardinal directions must be respected—different practices need to be performed in specific directions.During the circle, no casual conversation is allowed (just as in a church, one should not talk about daily life). Conversations can happen during breaks. However, communication is present. If someone wants to say something, even if it's not directly related to the topic, they can do so. They can speak to the circle about what they feel and want to share. If it's something that doesn't fit, the person should mention it. So, no gossip or small talk, but communication. It's incredibly important for this rule to be respected by everyone.
• There must be an awareness of the purpose of the ritual within a single ceremony.
• The facilitator must be aware that the circle/women's circle is a manifestation of cyclical energy in the form of a vortex. It is sacred time and space—the circle/women's circle is separated from the world and yet connected to all other circles. The circle/women's circle is a universe between worlds, empowered through mutual agreement and the purpose of the circle.
• During the circle, we do not stand up or leave. We only leave during breaks. However, this should not be treated fanatically—if there is an urgent physiological need, it should be met.Rituals that may be part of the circle, such as group meditation by candlelight:
  • Are not a sport. If you do not want to participate, do not participate, but do not interfere with the experiences of those who do.
  • Regardless of the good or bad happening in daily life, try to participate with a mind full of love for yourself and others.
  • During the circle, and especially during rituals (e.g., meditation), feel love for yourself and others, even if before the meeting, a person did not resonate with you. Remember that we were all partners, and another person was once our ancestor. Treat everyone with respect, tact, and love.
• Silence is maintained in the circle unless there is communication; then speak your truth. Temple Circles have great power. When we are true, evil transforms into good through the vortex of all.
• If you play an instrument, e.g., during a temple "Jam," do not seek rhythms you like. The best and most transformative rhythms are those that arise spontaneously, even if they are not in rhythm. The rhythm will align itself in the energy vortex, but do not force it.
• During the Circle, objects are filled with powerful energy, treat them with respect. This is not about materialism—everything material is energy. If something breaks accidentally, it is also energy, and we accept it with joy. But with active masculine energy, we strive to care for objects and space.
• At the end, there must also be gratitude, the release of elements, and finally the opening of the circle.

The above list is only a part of what the facilitator must know and apply in Temple Arts rituals. These are the most important elements of the circles we conduct as part of our mission.

As you can see, it is not that complicated or difficult. It is enough to follow certain rules and have knowledge about circles to lead them well. I have written them down for you to take care of your spirituality and your inner self. Unfortunately, it is easy to trust the wrong person. The consequences of such trust can be catastrophic for you. And it's not that I want to discourage you from participating in such events. On the contrary!

I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to participate in a circle to feel firsthand the great power these meetings have. However, as you have read, it is also easy to lose a lot instead of gaining. If we trust a person who, despite lacking knowledge, leads the circle, instead of good, we may experience negative feelings, mental problems, and many other issues. It is worth knowing! Because as someone once said, knowledge is the key to power! And here, that power will be locked within our bodies, hearts, and minds through a properly conducted circle.

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