The importance of the Circle Practice

[Ria Baeck]

One of the first documents that I read when I joined the Art of Hosting emaillist was a report made from the first Stewards Gathering, held in 2005 at The Shire, Nova Scotia, Canada. And I remember there was one paragraph that touched me deeply, which said that the circle is the mother of all other social technologies. I initiated an ongoing circle years before, and am in circles still (Women Moving the Edge). It gave me learnings so deep and wide!

Recently, Sept.'11, I organised a Circle Intensive with Christina Baldwin and Ann Linnea from PeerSpirit, which gave rise to some email exchanges on the emaillist that I found worthwhile to copy here.

[Mara Senese]

Thank you for sharing your passion with us, Franziska!  It seems to me that you are speaking out of the Mystical Tradition of the Church as did Hildegard of Bingen, Pierre Theilhard de Chardin and Meister Eckart.  You are in good company!  If you don't know them, I think you would appreciate their work. I love the light you shine on Circle work, may we carry it with such a clear intention.

 

[gina cenciose]

introducing myself,

 

Hi' I am a new member, GIna Cenciose from Québec Canada. My website is www.embodyingempathy.com I am a Nonviolent communication facilitator and circles facilitator certified in Scott peck's community building model and Restorative Circles. I have participated in Peacemaker circles, inquiry circles and Native circles for years..I have been a deep lover of circles for 20 years, and sit in circles each week, in the framework of my ongoing learning programs and of offering NVC and Restorative systems to different clients such as families, work groups, faith communities. I am starting the AOH journey, having come from a circle background for all of these years. I look forward to learning from you all, and wish I could attend a peer spirit with Christine and Ann, maybe I will organize one in the MOntreal area? If you have any contacts of people doing circles in Québec or Ontario please let me know. I will be attending the 5 days of AOH in Ontario in November, bye for now, GIna

[Katharine Weinmann]

Hello Gina

I am co-calling Christina and Ann for an intensive circle practicuum next September 20-24, 2012 in Edmonton, AB.  You can register through their website by contacting their manager, Debbie, if the event is not yet posted.  it would be lovely to have you with your rich and varied experiences and contexts for practicing cirlce.  Blessings...Katharine (www.katharineweinmann.com)

 

[gina cenciose]

thanks Katharine,

 

I am joyful to hear from you directly. I am so happy you are organizing that, and will send it out to my NVC community in Canada. I will be in Italy during that time, so unable to make that happen, unless something else gets cancelled. Hope to be able to see you at another event with them, let me know if there is anything else you hear about in Canada. blessings, Gina

[Veronica Vivanco]

Thank you Ria for this... in talking about the Art of hosting people are asking me questions on where this came from, how did it start. This is exactly the story is was secretly looking for.

[Katharine Weinmann]

I appreciate you spreading word of this event, Gina, and regret you can't join us, though would love to be in Italy again, after visiting three times during my three months abroad last spring.  Best....

gina cenciose said:

thanks Katharine,

 

I am joyful to hear from you directly. I am so happy you are organizing that, and will send it out to my NVC community in Canada. I will be in Italy during that time, so unable to make that happen, unless something else gets cancelled. Hope to be able to see you at another event with them, let me know if there is anything else you hear about in Canada. blessings, Gina