In today’s episode, I am joined by my friend Gemma Brady of ‘Sister Stories’ to explore our mutual passion of sharing circle work. One of Gemma’s mission is to make going to circle as common as going to yoga class and in this conversation, she shares how she approaches circle as a living, breathing art form. She shares vulnerably about how she experienced her second pregnancy and how circle, both as a participant and a facilitator, sustained her most through that time. Above all, this conversation is an invitation to everyone who feels the call to do circle work to explore their own unique expression and what it means to them to devote themselves to the heart of the practice.

Tune in to hear more from us on:

• How to find your own unique style of circle work
• Challenging assumptions about the aesthetic, scale and framework of circle
• How circle can foster meaningful connections and compassion
• How circle is medicine, and an opportunity for personal growth, for the facilitator too
• Preserving integrity in circle work while allowing it to evolve
• Releasing the idea of hierarchy and competition within this work

Resources + Links

• Lead unforgettable circles that satisfy your soul — so you can unleash your magic in the world: join my free workshop ‘High Lady’ on May 22nd.
• Find Gemma Brady’s work on her website sisterstories.co & Instagram @sisterstoriesuk. Her Women’s Circle Facilitation Training starts again in May.
• My book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the Self
• Connect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelli

Timestamps

[0:00] Introduction and The High Lady Workshop on Facilitating the Circle of your Dreams
[5:39] Introducing Gemma Brady and our Personal Connection
[11:40] Gemma’s Background in Spaceholding and the Creation of ‘Sister Stories’
[17:23] The Power of Deep Speaking and Listening
[19:03] The Essence of Circle Beyond the Aesthetic + Unbranding Circle
[23:04] Circle as a Philosophy
[24:49] Spreading the Word of Circle
[27:44] Marketing Circle Work and Claiming your Unique Expression
[33:41] Shifted Assumptions around Circle
[37:57] Preserving Integrity and Allowing Evolution and Creativity in our Offerings
[40:49] Humanity and Imperfection in Circle
[42:39] Circle as Medicine for the Facilitator too
[51:33] Offering Circle Facilitation

In today’s episode, I am joined by Johannah Reimer to talk about holding circle for our girls and the female-bodied youth that are in our lives. Johannah is a soulcentric educator, ceremonialist, teen mentor, and an artist of many trades. Trained as a Waldorf teacher, Johannah has been working with children of all ages for over 20 years and holds a particular passion for tweens/teens striving to meet their developmental needs for mentorship and initiation in a culture that has forgotten how to do so. Johannah founded Wakeful Nature & Girls Group as a means to fill the initiatory void for girls crossing the threshold of childhood into adolescence with guidance, ceremony, and community.

Johannah and I share our passion for the healing that can happen through circling and ceremony and in this conversation I get the change to get nosey about her incredible work facilitating girls groups, the impact this work has on her as a space holder and so much more. Above all, Johannah calls for the ‘village aunties’ to step up, cultivating more awareness around what today’s generation of girls is moving through and weaving together multi-generational embodied wisdom.

Tune in to hear more from us on:

• Remembering how to be village aunties and engage in re-villaging work
• Creating a safe space for younger girls
• The challenges faced by girls in today’s society
• Working with the elements and ancestral remembrance
• Ritualizing the first bleed and normalizing menstrual cycle awareness through storytelling and archetypes
• Modeling imperfection and the human experience as a facilitator
• Allowing the girls to grow capacity within circle
• Experiencing grief as a facilitator whilst also carving the new path for ritual and ceremony
• Stepping into our role as matriarchal leaders and how we can move into a post-patriarchal society

Resources + Links

• Find Johannah’s work on wakefulnature.com and Instagram @wakeful.nature
• Find out more about Johannah’s Girls Group Facilitator training
• Learn how to craft a meaningful rite of passage for your daughter’s menstrual cycle with Johannah
• Book: ‘The Anxious Generation’ by Jonathan Haidt
• My book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the Self
• Connect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelli

Timestamps

[0:00] Introduction

[09:43] Remembering How to be Village Aunties

[12:17] Challenges Faced by Girls in Today's Society

[18:00] Creating Safe Spaces for Girls through Long-Term and Ongoing Support

[26:48] Social Media Use by Teens and Navigating Belonging and Connection

[34:32] Ritualising & Normalising the First Bleed through Ceremony + Ritual

[40:22] Being a Girls Group Facilitator

[43:47] Moving into a Post-Patriarchal Society

In today’s episode, I am answering listener questions. Topics range from sharing my personal viewpoint on religion and spirituality, navigating different roles and jobs during my day and in my life and dive deep into circle-related questions too.

Tune in to hear more from me on:

• The role religion and spirituality played during my upbringing and today
• The journey from my old-school DIY blogging days to my online work now, and how working with my hands was the pathway to exploring community and belonging
• Navigating different jobs and roles as a human being and practicing flexibility
• Knowing when it’s time to let go and honoring the power of an ending when it comes to friendships - and also knowing when you’re witholding and taking responsibility
• Claiming the term ‘circle’ and holding space for all peoples
• How circle needs to offer the opportunity for equality and the space for consent, also in the context of sharing

Resources + Links

• Episode #125: Turning Circle Conflict into Deeper Intimacy With Ginny Muir
• Episode #123: The Meaning of Time With Becca Rich
• My book, Root and Ritual: Timeless Ways to Connect to Land, Lineage, Community, and the Self
• Connect with me on Instagram @beccapiastrelli

Timestamps

[01:00] Do you practice any religions or spirituality?

[06:23] Your work used to be more focused on hands on elements and literal making. How do you still integrate that into your day to day life?

[11:24] How do you juggle/hold all of your different jobs and roles? Both big picture and like a “day in the life” type thing.

[14:55] How to know when to let a friendship go or how do you do it?

[18:23] Is it possible to start a successful circle with non-circley friends?

[22:05] Does it always have to be everyone shares? Other prompts for shyer or younger?