Dear Wom(b)an of Gaia,
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At Root to Rise Women, our vision is to create a community which is held by the principles of connection, collaboration and empowerment. In nature’s biodiverse eco-system - every part is intrinsically connected to each other, and holds great value.
We feel that our community reflects this eco-system and that every woman has deep value in their contribution to the whole.
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We stand for women knowing that they are ENOUGH, that they embody sacred purpose and that true sisterhood is rooted in collaboration.
We stand rooted for women reclaiming their worth, their voices, and restoring their faith in belonging.
We hold ourselves to the Root to Rise sisterhood manifesto, a set of agreements we practice with ourselves and with one another.
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Our sisterhood manifesto is the foundation for they way we participate in our circles and we invite our community to practice these agreements. We treat each other with respect, love and kindness.
As we root in values which uplift each other in sisterhood, we create a women’s culture which is aligned with our true authentic nature.
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The root cause of sisterhood wounding is the shadow behaviours of the core feminine wound, which plays out through competition, judgement, comparison, mistrust, gossip and envy. Together we can consciously realign with our innate way of being which is authentic connection and collaboration.
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Our relationship to other women is a direct reflection of our relation to our own feminine aspect within, and the feminine principle in life.
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As we heal this feminine core wound within through relation to outer women in our circles, we cultivate a culture of authentic sisterhood, together, for a better, kinder, braver, more connected and compassionate world for all.
Together, we are planting a forest of fempowerment.
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Our name, "Root to Rise" means that on the collective level, we are rooting for each other's Rise; and on the individual level it means that when you are rooted in your personal truth and values you can rise in clarity!
Our invitation to the
Root to Rise Sisterhood Circle:
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I honour the process of my personal growth journey and respect yours too
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I commit to being honest with myself and with you
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I will ask for support and also give support when you ask for it
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I will practice active listening & listen with my whole heart
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I commit to confidentiality by holding your story sacred
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I will celebrate your unique expression of the feminine
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I commit to staying accountable for my stuff
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I commit to creating a safe space through non-judgement & compassion
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I will practice holding space for my sister and not try to fix or rescue her
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I shall forgive myself for buying into the illusion that you and I are not good enough
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I will keep a curious mind and open heart
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I choose to root for your rise and mine
Maintaining the Health of the Circle
From Jean Shinoda Bolen's book The Millionth Circle
In principle, each member attends to her own psyche and to the circle.
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Each keeps the intention and image of the circle with a center in mind, especially when there are difficulties.
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Each seeks her center, in meditation and silence, prays for wisdom, compassion, discernment, and courage for herself, and for the circle.
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Each examines the state of her own psyche whenever she feels off-center, or the circle is, and considers possibilities that she is part of the problem: Am I projecting my shadow into someone? Is this a familiar polarized state I get into—is it my complex?
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When the energy in the circle feels "off," anyone can ask for silence for each participant to do an inner check in with herself: How am I? And about the state of the circle: How does the circle feel? When it's a minor misalignment, the check-in time usually reconnects the circle to the center. When there is a major problem still to be resolved, this may be the time for each person to speak up and check in about how the circle feels and how s/he is and what the circle might do next.
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If what was said in the circle was not held in confidence, it is a boundary problem for the circle (and not only a problem between two of its members). If it is not brought up and resolved the circle is not safe for anyone.
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If one person dominates the circle the circle must remember that the intent is to be a circle of equals. Each needs to go to the center for wisdom and discernment, for compassion and courage. Each needs to speak up and name the problem that it is, for herself. When there is a problem in the circle if one participant speaks her truth there is a strong possibility that she speaks for others who are silent or speaks for a silenced part in others.
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Once we see how our actions appear and affect others, the problem we may be to others, may be solved. A circle is a multifaceted mirror in which each sees herself reflected. What she sees of herself in the words and faces around her depends upon the capacity of each participant as mirror to be clear and compassionate. What we see depends upon the quality of the mirrors and the lighting, which can be kind to us or not, however true the image. What we see in ourselves, we can work on changing.
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When the problem is letting a participant go when she is ready to leave the circle, the solution begins with acknowledging the feelings that arise, and by doing so, perhaps see the connection to a past personal loss, and know the difference. A leave-taking deserves a ritual to mark its significance for the participant and for the circle.
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When a participant has a problem that is too much for the circle, the separation from the circle is harder. Not just for the person who goes under such circumstances, but on the circle as well. Both need to "bite the bullet" as the excision is done, and work on healing after. Maybe something will help, maybe nothing will but time.
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Remember that a circle is not perfect. In the circle, as in life, the most valuable lessons often come through having done the best we could do with the most difficult circumstances. The circle and its members grow in depth through its hardest times.
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