Circle Connections: Brings Peace and Justice for All

Circle Connections Mission is to bring the gift of women’s sacred circles and Circle Leadership worldwide; caring for ourselves, one another and Mother Earth.

We know that Circle is the most empowering setting for women and girls to heal and grow their leadership.

We know that in Circle our differences are respected and we are united through Spirit.

We believe that Circle is the new guru, the collective wisdom that leads to responsible actions for the greater good.

We believe Circle Leadership will bring about a new way of being with one another and the natural world that will enhance the quality of life on our planet.

We believe that Circles and Connections transform the feelings of isolation and powerlessness and helps create local and global communities centered in love and compassion.

We know Circle and Connections bring trusting collaborative relationships with individuals and organizations where creativity, power-with and love reign.

We believe that together we will co-create a “New Economy” that supports and sustains our fragile eco-systems and allows for every person on earth to have a quality of life.

Circle is life-giving and Connecting Circles brings peace and justice for all

We Invite You To:

• Say Yes to Circle Leadership
• Become co-creators of Circle Gatherings, TeleCircles, WomanFesting Circles, Action Circles
• Start a Circle, Become a Circle Facilitator, Form Action Circles
• Connect Women to Women, locally and globally, form sister relationships
• Circle the United Nations & UN 5th World Conference on Women

Bring Circle worldwide.  Membership is free, Connections priceless

Circle Connections New Directions for the New Year, 2012

For five years I have tried to live in the confines of being in a for-profit corporation for Circle Connections. This was a decision based on one of our earlier partners not wanting to work with a board of directors and the paper work required by the IRS. Since I had only worked in the non-profit world I was hesitant but ready to give it a try. My tax man every year would shake his head at our zero income. Rhonda and I have worked very hard to be financially sustainable not only for ourselves but as a model for others involved in Circle work. For the last several months we have held very inspiring and informative TeleCircles on this subject that have given us many wonderful new insights related to co-creating a “new economy”. We collectively believe that circle is one of the most important services for a better world and hosting a circle needs to be compensated. We believe that money is just one of the means for the exchange of energy/ services. I would be most appreciative to receive other means such as someone cleaning my house, cutting my hair, a manicure and pedicure, massage and homemade desserts especially those made with chocolate. If money is one of the main exchanges for services then asking for money for services should not be so difficult to do, but for me it has been. I can easily ask for money for programs and for those in need. So instead of trying to swim upstream in being an entrepreneur I am delighted to do what I do best and swim down steam in the non-profit world continuing to stretch myself in gaining entrepreneurial skills especially in marketing.

I am eager to work with other circle organizations to see how we can consolidate services, collaborate on projects, share resources, illuminate our work and unite efforts.
Circle Connections will no longer be a for-profit corporation and is blessed to have Earth Child Institute IECI) as our fiscal agent, www.earthchildinstitute.org  This allows us to receive tax-deductible donations and grants. I sit on the board of ECI so this is a natural fit and one we have used in the past in writing a grant for a Circle Connections program. ECI is an international organization in alignment with Circle Connections foundational beliefs and values. Donna Goodman, founder and director of Earth Child Institute (ECI) is a good friend and circle colleague. We both serve as Millionth Circle Conveners. The genesis of Earth Child came from a young Japanese intern who worked with me at Global Education Institute. When this organization went through a major transition, Donna took Earth Child, formed a 5013c and has developed it into a global institution well known and respected at the United Nations and other international organizations.
ECI mission:
…when you’ve finished washing and dressing each morning, you must tend to your planet. -The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery
In the quote above, the Little Prince explains to his ‘grown-up’ friend that caring for our planet should be an integral part of life. Our mission is based upon the simple truth that all children carry this knowledge in their hearts, yet for so many of us, this knowing is abandoned by the time we reach adolescence due to pressures and priorities of society and many educational systems. Caring for the environment, and caring for one’s own self are essential life skills which keep us healthy, empowered and productive citizens later in life cannot be understated!

Circle Connections Mission is to bring the gift of women’s sacred circles and Circle Leadership worldwide, caring for ourselves, one another and our planet. 

We know that Circle is the most empowering setting for women and girls to heal and grow their leadership.

We believe that Circle is the new guru, the collective wisdom that leads to responsible actions for the greater good.

We believe Circle Leadership will bring about a new way of being with one another and the natural world that will enhance the quality of life on our planet.

We believe that Circles and Connections transform the feelings of isolation and powerlessness and helps create local and global communities centered in love and compassion.

We believe that Circle and Connections bring about trusting collaborative relationships with other organizations and individuals with unlimited creativity and power to make a difference for the greater good.

We know that Circle is life-giving and Connecting Circles brings peace and justice for all.

We are committed to co-creating a “new economy” that supports and sustains our fragile eco-systems and allows for every person on earth to have a quality of life. We believe in the “Happiness Factor” as the measure of economic growth based on the value systems created by Bhutan and the Indian Women’s Parliament in India.

We are committed to hosting healing circles for women and girls to transform all that holds us back as women and girls in becoming our best selves.

We are committed to hosting WomanFesting Circles that allows for each woman to find their passion and gain Online marketing skills that will lead to bringing a new source of income for themselves and their families.

We are committed to helping North American circles and organizations wanting to work in developing countries to connect with local women who have the passion and accountability to make a difference in their communities.

We are dedicated to work closely with the United Nations UN Women and as many partners as possible locally and globally.   Namaste!!!  Ann

Divine Feminine

Let’s re-imagine God, expanding our images, language and experiences
of a male God, Father and He
and sing, pray, dance, draw Mother, Her, She.

We can be bold to say Our Father in Heaven, our Mother in Earth
Hallowed be your name.

We can call on Sophia, Divine Wisdom, Divine Feminine, She who is.
Let’s bless her holy name.

We can sing and dance to the song by Gordon Light, She Comes Sailing on the Wind.

“She comes sailing on the wind,
her wings flashing in the sun;
on a journey just begun, she flies on.
And in the passage of her flight,
her song rings throughout the night,
full of laughter, full of light, she flies on.”

And by experiencing the Divine Feminine we honor our own Divine Feminine and the Divine Feminine in others. We re-image new images, sing new songs, write new stories, pray new words and dance Her into our very being. She is closer to us than our own breath. She is in our heartbeat. And by experiencing Her notice how She speaks to us in ways never felt before. Our own feminine honored and blessed. Our own Divine Feminine embodied by each one of us who knows deep within that the Divine Feminine dwells in each one of us and all creation. She is Us, We are Her, We are One. We are full of laughter, full of light, full of love.

From the New Zealand Prayer Book:

Eternal Spirit,
Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all.
Loving God, in whom is heaven:

The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
Sustain our hope and come on earth….

For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever.

Circle Connections is dedicated to connect to our Source energy and work together in a spirit of shared-leadership and collaboration for the greater good.  We will host TeleCircle gatherings to explore how to bring the balance of the feminine and masculine and the power of love to our lives and the lives of others.  We will consciously respond to the power and wisdom revealed in our Circle conversations as guidance for our action steps.

Namaste!!!
Ann

The Norwegian Nobel Committee <http://www.nobelprize.org/redirect/links_out/prizeawarder.php?

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2011 is to be divided in three equal parts between Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work.  We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women obtain the same opportunities as men to influence developments at all levels of society.
In October 2000, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1325.  The resolution for the first time made violence against women in armed conflict an international security issue.  It underlined the need for women to become participants on an equal footing with men in peace processes and in peace work in general.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is Africa’s first democratically elected female president.  Since her inauguration in 2006, she has contributed to securing peace in Liberia, to promoting economic and social development, and to strengthening the position of women.  Leymah Gbowee mobilized and organized women across ethnic and religious dividing lines to bring an end to the long war in Liberia, and to ensure women’s participation in elections.  She has since worked to enhance the influence of women in West Africa during and after war.  In the most trying circumstances, both before and during the “Arab spring”, Tawakkul Karman has played a leading part in the struggle for women’s rights and for democracy and peace in Yemen.
It is the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s hope that the prize to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman will help to bring an end to the suppression of women that still occurs in many countries, and to realize the great potential for democracy and peace that women can represent.
Oslo, October 7, 2011             Namaste!!!  Ann

Sign up now and join us for two outstanding TeleCircle events; Jean Shinoda Bolen, October 3rd and Jean Houston, October 5th.  Both are 9:00 to 10:30 Pacific Time, Noon to 1:30 Eastern Time.
Go to Circle Connections website, www.circleconnections.com Click on TeleCircles for more information and registration. And if not a member of Circle Connections Join Now so we can continue the conversations as circles of women and girls dedicated to Make a Difference and Thrive. Membership is free; Connections priceless. Please spread the good news.

TeleCircle with Jean Shinoda Bolen
The Power and Significance of Circles
Monday, October 3rd
9:00-10:30 A.M. Pacific; 12:00 Noon-1:30 P.M. Eastern
Although we all are experiencing accelerated change, we need not travel alone. Through the power of the circle process and the empowerment that comes when women connect on common ground, the whole becomes greater and stronger than the sum of the parts. Collective wisdom will emerge that will guide us on a journey of expanded connection and collaboration toward peace and sustainability as spiritual activists dedicated to making a difference and thrive.

Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D., Jungian analyst, activist, and ‘messenger carrier’, will share her poignant insights about the significance of Circles, the Power of Connections, and the ‘new’ path ahead. She will also share her passion about the importance of The Millionth Circle and the United Nations 5th World Conference on Women, 5WWC. Jean’s comments will prime is for a Circle Conversation that will include Ann Smith, Rhonda Hull and Caroline Ravelo about the power of circle to transform ourselves and the world. This Circle Conversation will be followed by breaking participants into Mini-Circles with time to reflect and share, then ending the TeleCircle as on large Circle, gathering the wisdom and encouraging action steps for the greater good.

TeleCircle with Jean Houston
What Does It Mean to Lead?
Wednesday, October 5th
9:00-10:30 A.M. Pacific; 12:00-1:30 P.M. Eastern
‘Power-over’ leadership of command, control and the ranking of diversity is the ‘Old Story.’ Collaborative shared leadership is where diversity is appreciated and all who participate are leaders and learners in the ‘New Story.’ Together we will release the ‘old’ and fully embrace our contribution to the ‘New Leadership.’

According to Jean Houston, “It doesn’t matter if you’ve gotten stuck… if you feel alone in your desire to make a difference… if every force in the universe seems to be acting against you… or if truly living a life of meaning and purpose is just “unrealistic.” Jean is an American scholar, lecturer, author, philosopher and pioneer of the human potential movement. She joins us to share her insights and to spark our enthusiasm about how best to access our personal confidence and clarity. She will share her perspective on why Feminine Principles of Leadership are so necessary now for living into the ‘New Story’. Jean’s comments will guide us into a Circle Conversation that will include Ann Smith, Rhonda Hull and Caroline Ravelo to further the conversation about why the contribution of women is so essential during this tremendous time of shift and explore where, how and why we are being called to lead. This Circle Conversation will be followed by breaking participants into Mini-Circles with time to reflect and share, then ending the TeleCircle as on large Circle, gathering the wisdom and encouraging action steps for the greater good.

You don’t want to miss this.

Connecting Episcopal Women is hosting an all day event for women and girls to join together in co-creating local and global actions that will make a difference.

Saturday, August 6^th,  8:45 a.m – 4 p.m.

The Episcopal Church of St. Matthew/San Mateo  123 “L” Street Northeast, Auburn, WA

Speakers on sex-trafficking, home schooling, cross-cultural education and much more will tell about important issues that impact the Northwest.

Ann Smith, Co-director of Circle Connections and Former Director of Women in Mission and Ministry, The Episcopal Church, USA is bringing the good news about the global women’s movement and United Nations Fifth World Conference on Women.  Together we will match passions to local and global actions.

Lunch will be served so please RSVP to: Elsie Dennis, 253-833-0890 (to leave a message); Kathleen Wright Nyhuis, kathnyhuis@yahoo.com, 206.295.1801

Donations appreciated from $5 to $50 to support this event and national organizing efforts.

Saturday, August 6, 2011
8:45 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Featured Speaker: Ann Smith, Co-founder & Director of Circle Connections and
Former Director of Women in Ministry and Mission, The Episcopal Church

The Episcopal Church of St. Matthew/San Mateo
123 “L” Street Northeast
Auburn, WA
Connect with others in co-creating your passions into actions.
Connect with Episcopal women and learn about Episcopal women’s organizations as well as other organizations that are making a positive difference.
Visit the Connecting Episcopal Women (CEW) website at www.connectingepiscopalwomen.org

Donations appreciated from $5 to $50 to support this event and national organizing efforts.

For more information: Elsie Dennis, 253-833-0890 (to leave a message);
Kathleen Wright Nyhuis, kathnyhuis@yahoo.com, 206.295.1801

Sharon Mehdi is a writer, teacher, healer, mother and grandmother. She has lived and worked in Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Guatemala, Mexico, Spain, France, and Canada. She knows peace is possible.

The Great Silent Grandmother Gathering, Sharon Mehdi’s inspirational story of two grandmothers standing silently in the local park as their way to help “save the world,” has become a regional phenomenon in the Pacific Northwest, galvanizing its many readers over its hopeful message of small actions that can make the world a better place.

In our upcoming July Circle Connections newsletter I will share more about my story of this incredible Circle experience.

Deborah Koppel Mitchell, of Spheres Circles Magazine sent me this exquisite video meditation, “The Divinity Movie” by Anita Pathik Law, well worth passing on to you. Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH

The Royal Wedding audience numbered 2 billion people from around the world.   As an Anglican who has spent time in England with leaders of the Church of England, I felt as though I was present in the London crowds of thousands.

Liturgically it was done perfectly according to traditions and it was beautiful.  I loved the trees in the church.  It would have been perfect if there had been women church leaders such as bishops and deans presiding with the male clergy, and if the prayers and hymns had Mother God as well as Father.  The Church of England is behind the US Episcopal Church who has a woman serving as archbishop, called Presiding Bishop, and women bishops and deans.  Women’s equality and inclusive language used in religious services is a long ways way.  However I loved the wedding.

I loved the feeling of happiness, hope and love generated from this public event and pray that these feelings shared by 2 billion people continue to be sent to these two young people and to all of humanity.

We are One.

Namaste!!!  Ann