‘Create a circle around you’ she said

see what it looks like,

feel it,

know its shape its color,

its texture and all it is made of,

See what it contains and invite in more.

The creatures with their wisdom,

the poetry that has inspired you,

the essence of each of those teachers

that recognise your gold.

Know this circle as your protector,

keeping you safe as you explore your self,

your work and all that needs to be danced,

Know this circle as your support and guidance

‘For it is you’, she said,

And the more you connect to it the stronger it will become,

hunt those thoughts and feelings and set your intention, 

Step boldly into its Center and feel its energy surround you,

feel your feet on the ground as you call to the elements!

Open your heart and breath deeply,

begin the dance that is inside you

and know that your circle is there,

My own circle has become that cauldron of my own medicine, a container for the healing work I have undertaken and for the healing work I now undertake to do. It is from where my writing unfolds and where I dream and create the visions of my future. The same future I dream up for the world around me.

My circle has held me in times of deep trauma release. Something I write about in my book ‘Reclaimed Innocence.’ It is always necessary to do this work if we are to become whole and complete in our lives. Where there is loss there is great opportunity. Where there has been trauma and suffering there is the possibility of transformation and a deeper connection to love and to spirit.

My life has been far from perfect and I would not have wished it any other way. In that respect it has been perfect. We can gain so much by living through the challenges that life presents to us, the greater the challenge the stronger our spirit will be. Show me a wounded child in an adult body and I will show you where true power lies, where the vulnerable meet with the ‘ego of destruction’ and in the making of friends, unfold a meeting of the highest potential in a human being. What we may have considered in the world of adulthood as ‘power’ before, is both fake and without depth of soul and authenticity.

True power resides in the circle of our own strength, in the ability to be both vulnerable and strong simultaneously, to trust in the wisdom of the  innocent being that we all are.

So when I am faced with a potential situation that needs healing, the first thing I do is remind myself of my circle. I draw all I need to me and  acknowledge what might be the most supportive of my ‘team’ of allies for this particular journey. I’m aware I cannot know fully what will be needed so I ensure it is all in place in case there is anything I need to call on that may serve me along the way.

I need to be very present, aware and awake. I can help myself with this by completely slowing down. Not so that there is no movement at all, but so that I am fully conscious of every movement that my body makes.

If I move too fast I may easily miss a moment or a vibration that takes a mere second to work its way through one of my muscles, or a sensation that tells me a cell has awakened and wants to be part of this dance.

Once the whole body is in motion I know that the process of healing is beginning and I am ready within this circle to address the wounds and the original trauma that has remained in my body. I may have a full memory of its origin, I may not. This really does not matter. What does matter is that I give attention to the energy that has been locked away.

We can only come to this place when we are ready. No amount of healing work will ever begin until we can step fully into a place of surrender and make a commitment to its process. Building a strong circle will help us to prepare for this, it will help us to become ready, knowing that we can handle any outcomes from it. The circle and our dance will hold us through the process.