| Greetings One & All ! The Sacred Circle has served hundreds of woman for over 25 years now because restoring the Divine Feminine & our unique mysteries as women is vital to our complete recovery and healing of body, mind & spirit. The Circle actually came together in the summer of 1987 as the result of a profound mystical experience that revealed my divinity and oneness with Spirit and Mother Nature. This extraordinary epiphany occurred on a Nature walk in the Spring of 1985 and changed my life in ways I never dreamed possible. At the time I was in my 3rd year of recovery. This experience was so powerful, so mind altering, that I was inspired to reclaim my pagan roots, work toward ordination in the ministry, embrace Women's Mystery Traditions and practice a way of life that honors Earth and Spirit. Since many women I sponsored in recovery were not comfortable with the patriarchal god of the program, I began sharing about the Divine Feminine, about Women's Spirituality, about how I was weaving women's mystery traditions into my recovery... and before I knew it, a small group of interested women started coming together. This little group eventually became The Sacred Circle of Maidens, Mothers & Crones... and I remained founding mother and overseer as it grew into the Sisterhood it is today. I finally came to see that awakening to our oneness with Mother Earth & reclaiming our unique mysteries as women is vital to healing our lives. This awareness is being shared by literally thousands in the world today but is still a vital & crucial element missing in our recovery programs. Over the years many sisters have come to the Circle because they have a void inside they can't seem to fill even if they've been in a recovery program for a long time. This is very understandable, because there is a huge gap in Recovery Programs when it comes to women's healing. 12 Step Recovery Programs were originally created BY MEN, FOR MEN, using a Patriarchal Theology and belief system .... and Patriarchy is what a woman needs to recover from if she wants to be happy, joyous & free! Nothing has done more damage to women than Patriarchal Religion, and since recovery programs continue enforcing patriarchal concepts of religion, it becomes necessary to create sacred places outside the program where we can remember who we are and express our true feelings & experiences as women, a safe space that provides freedom to be ourselves & honors our true nature. In all my years of recovery there doesn't seem to be any other way around it! It is important for some women in recovery to have this option. Through the years I have met hundreds of women in recovery who have struggled in recovery programs that don't completely fill our needs or support our values. I've also met numerous sisters who relapse time and time again because they feel there is something vitally missing in their recovery programs without being able to discern or put a finger on what that "something" is. No matter what our symptoms are... Codependency, internalized oppression, depression, alcoholism, various addictions, compulsive or biochemical disorders... we can only address this core problem by detaching ourselves from patriarchal mindsets long enough to embrace a more empowering path...one that honors the sacred feminine...one that makes sense, one that speaks to our heart & soul, one that mirrors our experience as women, one that helps us reclaim who we really are in the world and in the greater scheme of the universe. Women have been spiritually starving for millenniums & recovering women are certainly no exception. Some of us have lived in quiet desperation for a very long time. Some of us tried various religions, philosophies or therapies looking for inner peace while many of us thought marriage, career, education, money, property, prestige, sex, security, people, places or things would do the trick only to discover that these too were not sufficient enough to fill the lingering void deep within our souls, and sad to say, many women in recovery are still looking to the futility of the Patriarchal world for happiness or satisfaction when all we really need to magically transform our lives is a change of perception and a spiritual path that mirrors the bountiful and creative powers of the female! Women have been living a lying story for a very long time, so long that our very souls have gotten lost or fragmented in the process, leaving us with a hunger only we can remedy with the support of other women. Some of us have glimpses of the truth at times but our denial quickly resumes when we step back into the drama of the male-dominated world around us making it very difficult to differentiate true from false in our lives. Many of us, like myself, still attend 12 Step meetings on a regular basis, but the Circle allows us to step out of our patriarchal reality long enough to look into a different mirror, one that reveals our true identity, one that awakens us to a deeper truth, beauty, rapture and ecstasy that we have carried in our souls for eternity. The Circle also provides education, new points of view & new ways of celebrating life to release us from the fear, pain, futility & self bondage of the past so we can walk freely with a deeper gratitude & meaning of life on Earth. To me, the Circle and my Recovery Program go hand in hand. Joseph Campbell once said that the Earth should be viewed as one living organism, with us as its connected parts, that it should become the religious symbol of a new global mythology. I agree with him. We must awaken to the fact that we are one with Nature & Spirit.. one with the great web of life, that our source of life is here, not in some distant place, and the quicker we come to realize it the better! Sisters in the Sacred Circle share this vital truth, and as we continue dancing through the seasons we are bringing this awareness to others because Earth Magic is Woman Magic, and our greatest desire is to be part of the planetary solution rather than the problem. What problem? Patriarchy! Humanity suffers from various diseases, compulsive disorders & addictions of every type brought about by obsessions of the mind, allergies of the body and dysfunctional living, but the underlying cause of any one of these symptoms is always the same: Estrangement from our Divine Spirit within, from the Earth, from ourselves, and from each other. The SOLUTION is the same too: A psychic change or shift in perception sufficient enough to deflate our false sense-of-self and restore our true state of consciousness as divine spirits, happy, joyous, free, beautiful, lovable, capable & prosperous, because what we're looking for, we are looking with! So feel free to join us as we dance through the seasons! When we work together to reclaim our unique feminine mysteries, we carry a real message of hope, change & transformation to every sister seeking true liberation and freedom from the bondage of self. Blessing to All! Mama J |
| In Gratitude... For many years I searched in vain to fill a void... to ease the pain I learned my roles, I played the game but happiness was not sustained... I struggled long with guilt & shame with endless fears I could not name I did my best but nothing changed 'til only thoughts of death remained... When all was lost I came to pray inviting Fate to lead the way And through the grace of humble pleas I came to find recovery... So from the world I did resign surrendering all for peace of mind, with kindred spirits I made a home & claimed a path like none I'd known... I took 12 Steps to set me free uncovering, discovering, discarding all the twisted lies that I had come to recognize... Then one fine day, I took a stroll to contemplate, to fill my soul my urge was strong to claim the Earth in gratitude for my rebirth... Near quiet ponds in wooded trees I heard Her voice come through the breeze and waking from a long, deep sleep the Goddess came alive in me... So now I live with gratitude and bless those years of fortitude for if I hadn't known such pain I could not share how much I gained! Mama Silverwitch |
| Rev. JoAnna Medina Founding Mother of The Sacred Circle Mama J is High Priestess, Minister, Theologian, Writer, Poet, Musician, Mother, Grandmother, Earth-keeper & Teacher, and continues sharing her experience, strength & hope with recovering women who are reclaiming the Goddess and ancient ways of Nature & Spirit to heal from the fragmentation of the soul & dysfunctions of Patriarchy. She resides in the High Sierra's with her mate Thomas, & spends time teaching, writing & leading Women's Circles, Rituals & Retreats in the So. Bay Area & Northern Nevada. She's been Recovering & Reclaiming for almost 30 years. |
A Call for Sisterhood We call to the spirits of the East... Powers of the Air... We ask you to fill our mind with sacred knowledge & vision so we can soar with a greater understanding of all things. Home of the Maiden & silver crescent moon of beginnings, place of the winged ones & sword that cuts through illusions, Come, bless us with truth, inspiration & deep communication & by the air that is our breath... Be with us now! We call to the spirits of the South... Powers of Fire... We ask you to fuel our lives with vitality, enthusiasm & zest, to kindle our desire and charge us with creative expression, for you are home to the fruitful Mother & glowing full moon, place of noon day sun & the wand of will, intent & action! Come, spark our dance with courage, passion & power, & by the light of our bright spirits... Be with us now! We call to the Spirits of the West... Powers of Water... Fill our hearts with joy, our souls with ecstasy & rapture, Bathe us in pools of tranquility, release all that does not serve us, for you are home to the Wise Crone and waning crescent moon... Place of setting sun, purple twilight & cup of emotional fulfillment... Come, bless us with deeper reflection, intuition & healing & by the waters of our blood, sweat & tears... Be with us now! We call to the Spirits of the North... Powers of the Earth... Grace our bodies with strength, comfort and ancient wisdom as we walk with beauty, repose & gratitude in your sacred ways, for you are home to the ancient dreamer & dark midnight skies, the sacred cauldron of birth, death & regeneration, Come, bless us all with remembrance, peace & purpose... & by the earth that is our body... Be with us now! We call to the Spirit of the Center, powers of great mystery... We ask that you awaken our consciousness as living spirits & weave us together in perfect love and perfect trust... For you are the eternal presence of everlasting life, place of timeless magic, non-judgement & deepest love, Come, bless us with change, transformation & freedom & by the gift of your divine essence, Be with us now... So, by the Air that is her breath... Fire of her bright spirit... Water of her living womb... & Earth that is her body... Bless us all as divine spirits and children of the universe, in the name of the Maiden, Mother & Crone So Mote it Be! |
| Let's Remember... When the Women Heal... Families Heal When families heal... Community heals, When Communities Heal... Earth Heals! Blessed Be |
