What is the Divine Feminine?

A circle has no beginning or no end. It is eternal, beyond space and time, and it is here, in sacred space, that we may connect with the divine feminine.

The divine feminine is an energy prevalent in all of us that connects us to the earth. She reveals herself in the cool waters of intuitive knowing, through a gentle touch, and the cyclical rhythms of the seasons and moon. She is mother nature who speaks to us in the whisper of the wind, the scent of a flower, the musicality of bird song, through the powerful eruption of the volcano, a raging tempest, she dances with the majesty of the trees. She is boundless and free, a warrior and healer, in constant fluctuation as the ebb and flow of the ocean.

“In celebrating the Divine feminine, you will know the true beauty of life.”

Sadhguru

In ancient cultures she has been given many names such as the Egyptian goddess Isis or Shakti in Hinduism, goddesses that embody the fecundity of creation and hold the mysteries of the celestial realms. In Welsh folklore Cerridwen, the goddess of poetry and inspiration, archetypal mother, magician, enchantress, and crone is an emblem of wisdom, inspiration, and truth. She embodies the light and dark of the divine feminine and is a powerful force symbolising rebirth, change, and potential.

In the modern world the cyclical energetic force of the divine feminine has been stifled and it is time to expand our awareness and bring the world into balance. In drawing upon the divine feminine, and holding sacred spaces to listen, learn, and receive her once again, women are valued in mind, body, and soul, and in becoming embodied with the divine feminine may merge with masculine energies to restore equilibrium.

The circle as a unifying portal

Many ancient cultures all over the world were built on the premise of a circle, and still are today in some smaller social groups. Gathering around a fire together, the keepers of knowledge share stories of their culture brought to life in their telling. Rituals and ceremony were and still are a way to articulate profound experience, support the narrative of their heritage, or act as portals to connect with esoteric mysteries.

“In the red tent, the truth is known. In the red tent, where days pass like a gentle stream, women give thanks — for repose and restoration." Anita Diamant, The Red Tent

A Red Tent women’s circle acknowledges women’s connection to menstruation and the moon cycle. In some cultures, such as the indigenous native Americans, or the nomadic peoples in the middle east from biblical times, tents were erected for the community of women to bleed together, restore energy, and learn from each other in the sharing of stories and crafting skills. From the time of menarche, young women would be introduced to the tent with women elders upholding the wisdom of the feminine mysteries. Red Tents or huts are still used by women during menstruation in some parts of the world yet are not necessarily the sacred spaces as from days of old.

The modern Red Tent phenomenon, inspired by our ancestors, was reinitiated in California in the 1990s with a return to ancient practices embedded with ritual and ceremony built on the premise of a circle. Guided by hosts or elders experienced in holding space for women, there is no hierarchy. These women are the wisdom keepers who weave the subtle intricacies and sacred crafting of a circle where all beings are equal with the depth of awareness she has absorbed through the tapestry of her life experience.

In The Fire and the Feminine circle we call in the women who have come before us in our bloodline, and who we collectively hold in our hearts, giving space in quiet contemplation to reveal her wisdom. Women express the truth of their experience through the spoken word or in silence, and that which she chooses to share or not to share is accepted and respected as her truthful expression. The circle is upheld with four key codes of conduct, which when applied invite opportunity for a woman to heal or become enlightened.

The Fire and the Feminine Codes of Conduct

• We respect confidentiality. What is said in circle stays in circle. This is very important as we consider trust a continuing developmental practice.
• We speak authentically from our own experience and never refer to another woman’s story of her experience unless she requests advice or support.
• We actively listen without judgement or interruption, and in this open-minded space respecting her truth, we may find a universal connection beyond the stories that influence our perception and limited understanding.
• We take full responsibility for ourselves and how we show up, with pause for mindful, expansive, and authentic communication of the divine feminine.

Inspired by the modern and ancient Red Tents, The Fire and the Feminine is a seasonal gathering in North Wales for those women called to join a community whose hearts and minds, with respect for the earth as for herself, is at the core of this practice. A space where you will be safely held and gently guided to connect with the divine feminine and discover your own empowering feminine energy to forge and embody a return to wholeness.

About the author of this guest blog

Ceri Lee is the owner of the Yoga Light Centre, an independent holistic studio in North Wales. She has taught yoga professionally and run global retreats as her main profession for over twenty years and facilitated women’s circles since 2013. You can find out more about her here: yoga-light.com.