AW: SACRED CIRCLES

[Peter or Esther]

Dear Catherine,

Much appreciation for your taking time to respond.

Love,
Peter and Esther Fisher
Asheville, NC

Catherine Pfaehler wrote:

> Dear Peter and Esther
>
>
>
> I'm terribly behind with my readings in the list, but I love your
> essay on Sacred Circles. I forward it to Christine, a church woman in
> my town, to see if something is meant to happen, as well as to her
> predecessor Helen, who left her job to start development work in
> Guatemala. Open Space is a sacred circle in itself to me... Thank you
> for sharing this with us!
>
>
>
> Liebe Christine und Helen, wenn Ihr mehr wissen möchtet über Open
> Space, bitte zurückmailen - ich erkläre Euch die Regeln gerne und kann
> Euch auch mehr Quellen nennen.
>
>
>
> Much love and good developmends with your and many more sacred
> circle(s)... Catherine
>
>
>
> Catherine Pfaehler
>
> Kellersriedweg 8
>
> CH - 2503 Biel
>
> T/F/B ++41 - (0)32 - 365 68 41
>
>
>
> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]Im Auftrag von
> Peter or Esther
> Gesendet: Mittwoch, 31. Dezember 2003 17:23
> An: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Betreff: SACRED CIRCLES
>
>
>
> To the OS list:
>
> Here is an in-process draft of a write-up on "Sacred Circles" that
> came out of Open Space. Any comments and/or changes to improve it
> would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Happy 2004!
>
> Peter & Esther Fisher
> Asheville, NC
>
> SACRED CIRCLES
>
> The Asheville, North Carolina Sacred Circle came together in October
> 2003 out of an Open Space event. We consider ourselves "spiritual
> pioneers" as we explore spirit together and continue to evolve our
> Sacred Circle. But as we note below, it is not for everyone.
>
> Our Sacred Circle is a process of deep expression, listening and
> hearing by every member of the Circle, as we consider each other's
> responses. We are open to quiet, to song, to toning, to talking, to
> acting and to expressing and just to be or do "whatever". We are
> respectful of each other's expression and there is a goodly amount of
> "space" between our participations so that no one feels hurried,
> pushed or cut off. We watch and listen closely for threads of
> commonality and diversity. Both are desirable. We evolve and spiral --
> in usually about two hours -- through layers of our personal and group
> spiritual awakening and reawakening. We often come to an "ideal"
> vision or situation -- for the moment -- and are then always quite
> ready for the next outworking -- to yet another ever more new reality.
> It is an exciting and deeply satisfying process of love outworking.
>
> We believe that Sacred Circles inform the next step in humanity's
> conscious evolution. It just might be incumbent on some pioneering
> wise, spiritual and thinking people to experience these new ways of
> being, of participation and of self-organization. It can jump start
> our conscious evolution toward more profound understandings of our new
> world -- that seem quite necessary in our world today, for the New
> Millennium.
> Some say we are similar to the Friends (Quaker) religion, and we do
> not mind that comparison, however we have absolutely no creed, no
> hierarchy, no history, no expectations, no fixed beliefs  -- and we
> are simply not part of any official religious connection nor
> denomination. We do not have ministers, assistants or hierarchy of any
> sort.
> We all participate and it is heart warming to feel the Circle come
> alive each time with that participation. (As John Stewart, of The
> Daily Show said on the Larry King program recently: "we don't need
> anyone to interpret God for us!") Those of us who participate in the
> Circle have a direct connection to whatever we each sense God to be.
> We consider ourselves wise, spiritual God beings having a human
> experience. We know we have absolute CHOICE in our lives! Something
> beautiful and sustaining happens as we "do whatever we do."
> Sacred Circles are creative, self-organizing, non-hierarchal and
> participative. In our Sacred Circle we assume that all participants
> are both learners and teachers, both students and ministers, and that
> each and all bring valuable wisdom, knowledge and life perspective to
> the Sacred Circle. Our Sacred Circle is collaborative and
> transformative, resulting in many altered states of being,
> individually and collectively. Sometimes we go beyond BEING to DOING
> -- with personal or collective action -- spiritual, social, cultural
> or otherwise. We endeavor to always be in the NOW!
>
> Sacred Circles have several precursors. Open Space, developed by
> Harrison Owen, is primary. Open Space is a group dialogue "technology"
> and more importantly a way of life --much as Sacred Circles. Except
> Open Space events are usually held for hundreds, even thousands of
> people at the same time (over 1 to 3 days) with techniques to break
> into smaller groups. As we implied above, our Sacred Circle was
> sparked by and evolved out of an Open Space event.
>
> The Open Space phenomenon is an organic approach to facilitation of
> groups of people and a style of living. It enables a very natural
> process of self-organization found everywhere in nature. Open space
> works by creating a simple structure through the application of a few
> simple rules and allows for a free flow of communication between all
> its parts. Inside this process, groups unfold in a seemingly random
> fashion, but in truth, its participants interact guided by their
> passions and natural attractions. Thus was our Sacred Circle created.
>
> We also found the Sacred Circle approach written about by James
> Redfield in his "Celestine Prophecy" where he said: "Part of the
> Eighth Insight is learning to interact consciously." This entire
> approach, however,  also harks back to the 60's when George Leonard,
> then a Look magazine editor and a New Age proponent, wrote a small
> book entitled "Education and Ecstasy" that was about a possible new
> state of being. It was about all of us having been brought up to sit
> quietly in rows in school as small children, about having been
> required to be attentive to the pronouncements of others as youths and
> about sitting in audiences, churches and seminars as adults even today
> -- listening to others talk AT US. The old idea was that others knew
> more than we did.
>
> We are changing that! Some of us have discovered that we have a very
> strong passion to explore our spiritual wisdom together in Sacred
> Circles.
>
> Sacred Circles are not for everyone, however. One almost has to feel
> restlessness with his or her current spiritual practices. Those who
> seem to take to the Circles most have that passion to express their
> wisdom in interaction and participation with others. These Circles
> require a profound level of presence and awareness.
>
> If one is still very comfortable and content with others taking the
> primary responsibility for one's religious or spiritual sustenance and
> consideration, then the Circle is probably not right yet. If one can
> accept a temporarily greater degree of uncertainty and looseness they
> may wish to meditate on their motives for attendance at their current
> religious or spiritual practices.
>
> If one has any degree of passion or restlessness toward greater
> participation, they may wish to attend a Sacred Circle. If you do
> decide to attend a Circle, please give it a good try, and participate
> fully three or four times until it "feels" comfortable. There is
> always a time of angst in "leaving" old familiar friends, practices
> and expectations. At any rate one can soon find a new community of
> friends and caring fellow seekers in a Spiritual Circle that will be
> most supportive, loving and caring -- if you simply give it a chance.
>
> We would love to have you join with us or help you get started where
> you are! Please call or contact us if you are interested in any way.
>
> With love,
> The Asheville Sacred Circle
> Asheville, North Carolina
> 828-298-5800
>
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