Women’s Circle Newsletter

awomenscircle@yahoo.com

P.O. Box 110998  Aurora, CO. 80042
720-530-2834
Reaching out each month in joy and
sisterhood to keep us connected as we circle together as women

Andrea Lord
President, Alpha Institute
Women’s Circle Facilitator
Reiki Practitioner

Rachel Lord RN, CMT, MH
Women’s Circle Facilitator
Master Herbalist

OCTOBER 2010

Here we Share the Beauty of Storytelling through the
Sacred Giveaway!

Our Stories: These are gifts—the link between the oral tradition and giving.

STORYTELLING
ORAL TRADITION.

• Originated in all cultures before writing.
• Communication: A way to pass on knowledge, history and tradition.
• Personal level: We all have individual storied and a need to share it.
• Indigenous Story-Telling:  Rooted in the earth as a way to explain the Universe and Creation.
• Religions and  Story-Telling: Passes on stories about their sages, their life and teachings.
• Religious Ceremony and Ritual:  Came from the stories and evolved into such things as Holy Communion, the Sweat Lodge, the Passover.
  
  
  
  

  STORIES ARE POWERFUL

  • Stories have power: They last for eons, outlive repression of the truth
  • Stories Change and are Flexible: New ones created; old ones change to reflect modern day and evolving generations
  • Veiled: Often deep truths are hidden within a seemingly innocent story. Examples are Fairy Tales such  as Sleeping Beauty, Red Riding Hood. 

  

  • Forms of Communication Change based on Evolving Technologies. ie Facebook, Twitter, Texting
  • Communication: Both listening and talking.
    

  THE SACRED GIVEAWAY

  • Majority Culture: The  expectation is to receive gifts when being honored, recognized, or celebrated on special occasions, such as birthdays, graduations, retirements, political elections, or special appointments—no matter what. This is often based on economics and obligation.
  • Native American Tradition: Many nations/tribes have and still do conduct a Give-Away when being honored.
  • One Gives to Strangers:  Not simply hoping to make friends, but because it is the honorable thing to do.
  • One Gives to Honor a Relative:  This in turn recognizes that person in the eyes of the community. 
  • One gives Unconditionally:   When one seemingly has nothing to give.

  
  
  
  

  • Celebrate Yourself and Successes by Giving:  Sharing good energy.
  • Can be Ceremonial: Such as the Native American Giveaway, Christmas, Birthdays, Marriages
  • Gifts as Reminders:  A way to share, to remember.
    
    

  
  

  • Original Recycling Program: A way to share, to pass on things of value that you no longer need or have too much of.
  • Not charity: Giving with respect
  • Difference Between a Gift and a Present: one comes from the heart, the other from obligation
  • Potlatch: Pacific North West Indian tribes have Potlatch gatherings.  A family or leader hosts guests in their family's house and holds a feast. The main purpose of the Potlatch is the re-distribution and reciprocity of wealth.
  • Answer to Conflict: When one gives from the heart, we make a connection. We cover society’s needs, not wants.

  

  THE CHAKRAS RELATED THE THE SACRED GIVEAWAY
  

  IS GIVING A BIOLOGICAL NEED?

  DOES ONE NEED TO GIVE TO PROGRESS SPIRITUALLY?

  1. Root Chakra - Survival   
  Pro: Partners give to each other for their survival.
  Con: Compromising independence for physical survival.
           Giving to get.  Keeping accounts.
  
  2. Nurture Chakra -Instinctual
  Pro: Pick up dropped item, Open door. Manners.
  Con: Taking away independence, ie. Handicapped, children.

  3. Power Chakra – Community
  Pro: Help at work or volunteerism – team effort.
  Con: Giving to control relationships, get credit.
           Obligation.  Societal pressure.

  4. Heart Chakra – Unconditional love
  Pro: Mother & Child.
  Con:  Manipulation

  5. Throat Chakra – Communication
  Pro: Teaching – giving /sharing wisdom & power to transform someone for the better.
  Con: Giving down or withholding wisdom to control.

  6. Third Eye Chakra – Intuition
  Pro: Sensing what a person needs without being asked.
  Con: The need to be needed. Ego.

  7. Crown Chakra – Conscious giving
  Pro: Anonymous Giving and/or the gift of Self – no strings. No attachment.
  Con: Giving without any real connection.  Invested in outcome.

  
  
  
  

   

  Some of our References:
  http://www.crystalinks.com/labyrinths.html
  http://en.wikipedia.org/
  The Invisible Acts of Power Tapes by Caroline Myss Ph.D.,

  Image Resources:
  http://www.marilynkinsella.org/
  http://rakstagemom.wordpress.com/2010/06/23/the-big-bad-musical/
  http://www.folkstory.com/articles/cinderella.html
  http://www.zazzle.com/conch_shell_print-228188069089319647
  http://www.thewillowsstudio.co.uk/gifts.html
  http://www.totem-pole.net/photos.html
  

EVENTS CALENDAR:

Sunday October 24, 2010
1 pm - 4:30 pm $20

Connect With Other Wise Women

Join In Ceremony with Drums and Rattles!

• STORY TELLING The oral tradition has been a way of passing on wisdom and history since the beginning.
• THE GIVEAWAY was the first recycling program - a way of sharing  and passing along something of value that no longer serves.
• WE WILL COMBINE THE TWO: We will gift our sisters with an object that symbolizes something we treasure, a lesson learned or something useful we might have outgrown. We will then share its story.
• The circle has been a natural way for women to gather since the beginning.
• BRING: A wrapped gift that helps tell your story; a drum or rattle for sacred ceremony.  (We have extra instruments.)

Presenters:

Andrea Lord, Women’s Circle Facilitator, Reiki Practitioner
Rachel Lord, RN, CMT, Master Herbalist

Held At:
Old Hampden Holistic Center
3501 S. Corona St., #1
Englewood, CO 80113

To Sign Up:
Phone:  
A Women’s Circle at 720-530-2834
Email:
awomenscircle@yahoo.com
www.awomenscircle.net

There will be Women’s Activities and Circles throughout the year.  Stay posted.
If you have stories, information and would like to share bits of your journey with us, we want to hear from you. If you get an idea send it out to awomenscircle@yahoo.com