History held no interest for me at school. I remember sitting through ancient history classes thoroughly bored. We once went on a school trip to Sutton Hoo which did little to foster an interest in the Anglo Saxons (I rather regret that now; the visit was before the Visitor Centre was built, which like Stone Henge, changes the experience).
So it was unexpected that holding Circles would ignite in me a fascination with ancient British history. I had only been to one circle before holding my own but I knew that gathering in Circle was an ancient tradition, and there were living indigenous cultures that gathered in Circle. I was keen to learn and wary of appropriating from other cultures.
I then read If Women Rose Rooted by @sharonblackiemythmakings and it swung open a door for me. I realised that so much of what I had disliked and had been disengaged from in history lessons was exactly that - "his" story. Women and their contribution was almost completely missing. (As my dear friend @rewovenstories reminds me, they were never able to eradicate us completely because we are the ones that give birth).
And so began my journey with exploring the history of circles in my cultural lineage and also the wider “herstory". This in turn taught me how many stories are missing from the official tellings of the British Isles’ past.
This fascination fuelled my desire to return to Britain (after 12-years in Australia) to reconnect with this land, deepen my understanding of the cultural traditions and to learn the myths, folktales and herstories of my ancient ancestors.
As a Circle Holder in this modern, troubled world, I seek to ground my circle work in an understanding of this ancient tradition, in honouring all that has come before and to intentionally contribute to this modern movement and the future of Circles for our times.
This is why the first module in GATHER is an introduction and exploration in The History & Future of Circles. This is currently available as a self-study class under Extras.
Embracing our wild hearted magic and the medicine of Circle. Mitlé 🧡