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4. Calling the Circle

Ritual Groups

“Whether women realize it [consciously] or not,” explained Sharon Bishop, “they are trying to reconnect with the natural environment. … We pretend we’re not connected with nature but we always recognize [for instance] the passing of the seasons.”

Increasingly, the trend has been for “younger,” non-retired women to seek intimate fellowship with other women through circle groups that offer earth-based rituals. The regularity of ritual groups require that members “stay awake” to the changes going on around them. Rituals infuse ordinary actions with symbolism. A ritual group may, for instance, choose to light a candle at the beginning of each meeting. In doing this at the start of each meeting, members who have come feeling frenzied, are coaxed into a more reflective mood. Rituals can include anything the group wants; common rituals involve lighting candles, chants, singing, drumming, and responsive readings.

In some congregations, such as Michael Servetus Fellowship in Fridley, Minnesota, the Ritual Group is the women’s group; in others, it is a subgroup or a parallel group. At First Universalist, the Ritual Group holds two to four open meetings in the fall when new members are welcome. After that, the group becomes a “closed” group so that members can develop a high level of trust with each other and so that all are familiar with the rituals used by the group. The group meets on the full moon and the new moon each month and has about twenty-five members ages twenty to sixty-something. Two or three women sign up ahead of time for planning one of the rituals that include the following options:

• Open Ritual
  Example: calling the four directions
   
• Community Ritual
  Example: having each person add a piece of ribbon to a “growing” braid that is brought to the group
   
• Centering Ritual (remembering ritual)
  Examples: putting names into the sacred space (including names of those who are absent); chanting or meditation
   
• Activity
  Example: a hands-on activity such as an art project
   
• Closing
  Examples: closing the directions, opening the circle, eating and a short fellowship period
   

Note: In most ritual groups there is no single leader. Rather, all group members share responsibility for the group.