Awakening the Divine Feminine Women's Circle

Samhain was an ancient Celtic festival celebrating the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. Starting at dusk on October 31st through November 1st, it marked the Celtic New Year and was considered a time when the veil between the world of the living and the dead was thinnest. People lit bonfires, wore costumes to ward off spirits, and left out offerings for the dead in an effort to prepare for the winter and transition into a new phase of the year.
A central belief of Samhain was that the barrier between the human and spirit worlds thinned, allowing spirits of the dead to cross over into the world of the living.
In our Samhain Circle, we’ll gather at the trailhead and walk the liminal path to the Sacred Grove, where we’ll cast a sacred circle beneath the veil of dusk. There, we’ll kindle a bonfire, tend a communal ancestral altar, and open the space between worlds.

The winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. It is a celebration of the rebirth of the sun and the promise of returning light as days grow longer from here, creating opportunity for deep internal reflection while the darkness persists. We are reminded of the cyclical nature of life. Even in the darkest times, light is present and growing. The Winter Solstice encourages us to embrace this moment of stillness and reflection and to honor the quiet and restorative energy of winter,

In our patriarchal and linear society, the rest and reflection innate to winter are not honored or even encouraged. Instead, western society has created a consumer driven holiday season with high-demands and intense scheduling that leaves many of us exhausted and depleted.

In our Winter Solstice Circle, we invite you to give yourself permission to step away from the holiday chaos and take time for yourself, immersed in nature and surrounded by the support of sistars.

We’ll gather at the trailhead and walk the liminal path to the Sacred Grove, where we’ll cast a sacred circle and kindle a bonfire in homage to the returning light. After tending a communal altar, adorned with symbols of the many blessings in our lives, we will nourish our bodies, minds and souls with a special cacao ceremony, restoring what has been depleted and honoring in circle this sacred time of stillness and peace.

Imbolc (pronounced IM-bolg) marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. Traditionally aligned with the first day of spring and the idea of rebirth, this ancient festival celebrates the return of the light and invites you to listen to the intentions waiting to be birthed in the coming spring season.

Imbolc is closely associated with Brigid, the pagan goddess of fertility, poetry, crafts, and prophecy. Considered one of the most powerful Celtic deities, Brigid embodies the triple goddess—maiden, mother, and crone—and represents the cycles of creation and renewal. Fire played a vital role in Imbolc rituals, as lamps and bonfires were lit in tribute to Brigid’s sacred flame, symbolizing purification, inspiration, and the return of sunlight after the long, dark winter.

The name “Imbolc” comes from the Old Irish phrase meaning “in the belly,” referring to the fertility of the earth, which is preparing to burst forth with new life. We are invited to connect with our womb, the seat of intuition, and listen to the intentions and manifestations waiting to be born from the deepest parts of ourselves.

In our Imbolc Circle, we will gather at the Sacred Grove to honor the quiet promise of renewal. Cradled by the support of our sistars, we will cast a sacred circle and kindle a bonfire in homage to Brigid and the returning light. After we tend a communal altar, we will connect with our inner wisdom, sharing and nurturing the manifestations that have been stirring in the deep winter's dream time. This is a celebration of the sacred transition between winter and spring, embracing the potent energy of the season's turning and the creative life force within each of us.

The earth hums with energy as daylight and darkness meet in perfect harmony. Budding flowers stretch toward the sun, animals stir from hibernation, and the air carries the promise of growth. All around, nature beckons us to awaken, just as the wheel of the year tips toward the season of light and abundance. This is Ostara, the spring equinox, celebrated on March 20—a festival of fertility, renewal, and new beginnings that bridge winter’s stillness with the full bloom of summer ahead.

At its core, Ostara teaches us the profound wisdom of cyclical renewal—that life is an eternal dance of birth, growth, decay, and regeneration. Ostara offers a profound opportunity for connection, reflection, and spiritual growth. By attuning ourselves to the natural cycles of the earth, we deepen our sense of belonging and come to recognize that we are not separate from nature, but rather an integral part of its intricate web of life.

Brighid, goddess of spring, embodies this radiant force of renewal. With her sacred flame she could wake the land from winter, calling forth flowers, songbirds, and flowing rivers. Other symbols of Ostara include fires lit to represent the sun’s reawakening as spring begins and eggs, symbolizing new life and growth, decorated and used as talismans for abundance and blessings. The March hare, traditionally nocturnal, was seen as a lunar creature, connected to moon cycles, magical energy, fertility and spring due to its heightened activity during mating season and its remarkable reproductive abilities to conceive a second litter while still carrying the first.

In our Ostara circle, we will gather at the Sacred Grove to honor the themes of balance and rebirth. After casting a sacred circle and tending a communal altar, we will connect with our inner wisdom to hone in on the seeds of possibility, potential and new beginnings that we are planting for the remainder of the cycle. Supported by the power of the circle and Sistars, we will kindle the flame of transformation within ourselves and awaken to the beauty and abundance of life that surrounds us.