Women's Drumming and Goddess Chanting Circle (WDGCC)

Since 2001, I have facilitated a monthly, public, self-care Circle for women which focuses on the Divine Feminine. Every month we celebrate a different Goddess, a statue of whom is placed at the centre of our Circle. I speak briefly about this Goddess's myths, attributes and significance to our lives as women. Then we have a blessing and purification ritual for ourselves and our instruments (drums of all kinds, shakers, rainsticks, tambourines and other percussive noise makers). The blessing ritual involves one of the four elements and is tailored to honour whichever Goddess is being celebrated that month.

We drum three times during the course of the Circle, thereby honouring the Maiden, Mother and Crone. Between these drumming sessions, we sing songs and chants celebrating the Divine Feminine and other subjects like the moon, Nature, the spiritual journey and ourselves as women. We do not drum or sing in order to reach any performance standard of musicality but rather, to express our soul spirit and our connection with the Goddess, ourselves and each other. Therefore, there is no "wrong" or "bad" way to sing or drum. The Circle is a safe space for expressing who we truly are.

The Circle closes with another simple ritual. All the women stand at the centre of the Circle. We link our arms and sway together with a gentle rhythm, singing:

By the Air that is Her breath,

By the Fire of Her bright spirit,

By the Waters of Her womb,

By the Earth that is Her body:

The Circle is open, but unbroken.

May the (peace, love, joy) of the Goddess

be ever in our hearts!

Merry meet, and merry part,

And merry meet again!

Tomorrow -- who are the women of the Circle?