You feel disconnected from other women but want to fix that – an online women’s circle might be right for you!
If you have left the church of your youth and are looking for connection but in a more inclusive space, an online women’s circle might be right for you.
If you want to learn about spirituality while being free to create your own combination of practices that works for your lifestyle, a circle might be just what you’re looking for.
Have you been looking for a group of women to connect with, and a safe space to share your feelings?
Online women’s circles are sort of like a book club, but without the gossip and the long reading assignments. Women get together online on Zoom or other platforms on a regular basis to connect and help recover from the blah-ness and disconnection of everyday life.
Benefits of an Online Women’s Circle
- Attend in your pajamas if you want, with a blanket and a pup or kitty
- Less expensive than individual coaching sessions, learning natural healing modalities
- Learn from women of different ages and backgrounds
- Online meetings are convenient to fit into your schedule
- Make deeper connections in a warm and accepting environment
- Understand your feminine wounds and work to heal together
How an Online Women’s Circle Works
Women’s circles are generally run by guides who help steer the conversation, provide reflection prompts, and sometimes assign self-care homework between meetings. Circle facilitators can be trained coaches, such as myself, or social workers, counselors, or anyone who is skilled at facilitation. Some women’s circles are based in a particular religion, but many are non-religious, non-denominational, or grounded in the divine feminine, such as moon circles.
What are the meetings like?
Many women’s circles start the first meeting with each person agreeing to the circle expectations. These may include showing respect for each individual, giving each woman your full attention when she speaks, equal turns to speak, and maintaining confidentiality. While in-person circles may utilize a talking stick, virtual circles rely on other ways to guide the flow of conversation.
Circles may have different themes which focus on balance, spiritual wholeness, or study of specific books or practices. They may focus on learning certain creative arts or dance or yoga. Some are timed to coincide with the moon cycle or solstices.
Sample Meeting Flow
- Check-In – Each woman present will give a short update on how her week has been
- Mindfulness – A short meditation or poem will help ease participants and ground them to set the tone, perhaps accompanied by lighting a candle
- Discussion Prompts – Women take turns answering discussion questions or telling the group how their self-care homework went
- Breakout Sessions – Sometimes the group may break into groups of two or three to discuss a topic and bring ideas back to the larger group
- Final words – Each member offered the chance to add anything else before the circle is complete
- Homework or reflections assigned for the next meeting
What do Women’s Circles Cost?
What were once only gatherings that could be held in person and may have been difficult to find and join, women’s circles are now much easier to find and range in price. Typically individual sessions vary from $15-$40 per session and many are offered on a pay-what-you-will basis. Some more intensive programs can last a year and cost $1,000 or more.
Where to Find an Online Women’s Circle
I am based in North Carolina, USA and offer Divine Within women’s circles and events on my event page. Make sure to join the newsletter to get notice of upcoming events.
You can also find circles through gatherthewomen.org and wildwomanproject. The women behind the Goddess Project also host Sisterhood Circles but they have not yet reopened their online circle directory post-COVID.
How to Pick a Circle to Join
When selecting a circle to join, you should check out a few details, like the cost and number of women joining. Some women’s online events are larger gatherings and are not personal like a small group.
Details to consider:
- Number of women in the circle
- Broadcast-style or participatory with sharing
- Themes for the circle
- Spiritual beliefs and philosophies of the circle
- Cost per meeting
- Closed (once the circle starts, no new members are allowed to protect the privacy of the members) or Open
- Security to prevent non-circle members from Zoom-bombing
- Qualifications and experience of the leader
- Cost