hosted by C. Sloane Swan and Janis Hall Introduction Circle Conversations is a teaching and discussion circle where we learn about the things we do in Circle and the reasons for them. This is different from Circle of Stones, which is a sharing and witnessing Circle. Circle of Stones is our "entry" Circle and is meant to be a safe and nurturing nest where women can find their voice, reclaim their power, and remember their self-worth. We recognize that this is an ongoing process for us all. We have a guiding set of Principles and Agreements that help our Circles maintain sacred safety, strengthen the rim of the Circle so all women feel safe and included, and support the integrity of the Circle. We use a sounding device to remind us of the power of the pause. Using role-play examples, we explored three specific uncomfortable moments that can arise in Circle and demonstrated how the Guardian's sounding device can serve as a gentle way to bring us back to center. 1st Uncomfortable Moment: Speaking Across the Center During the Presencing Round, one Sister interrupts and says: "K.! It's so good to see you!" A sounding device is then used to bring the Circle back to center. The Agreement broken in this example is: "I will focus my attention into the center of the Circle." Why is this important? Speaking across the center of the Circle to another Sister directly erodes the sacred center. We want the rim to be strong and hold the sacred center, which is where all our words should be directed. The center holds the energy of what we're creating in Circle so that we can all practice deep listening. In The Circle Way, Christina Baldwin writes: "Imagine that everyone on the rim has an arrow, not a weapon, but a pointed view. As people speak, they throw the arrow as far as their intention extends. So if they are energetically speaking to the center, their arrow lands there; if they are speaking to someone on the opposite rim, the arrow flies across the room. The goal is to fill the center with arrows, not to fill people's laps. In the center, arrows feed the fire and build like-heartedness, the sense that we can disagree yet still be respectful of one another." She also writes: "When the circle's energy is anchored to the center, we can trust each other to be passionate and respectful. This anchoring has a profound impact on people's experience of subtle and subjective elements, such as a sense of safety, inclusion, spaciousness for story, and the ability to respond appropriately to conflict. The energy of the arrows goes both ways: we need to honor the center, and we need to stay in our hoops. As we practice this, we can release lots of energy and not threaten the stability of the container." The sounding device offers a soft, gentle, and nonverbal way to bring the Circle back to center without placing anyone on the spot. 2nd Uncomfortable Moment: Offering Advice One Sister shares: "I'm struggling with my daughter right now, and she's causing me grief. I'm not quite sure what to do about it, but I'm upset... and I've spoken." Another Sister responds: "I know we're not supposed to do this, but I can really relate, and there's this book I just read that's really helpful. Maybe it'll help you, too. I'll send you the information after Circle. I have spoken." A sounding device is played. The Agreement broken in this example is: "I will not judge, fix, or offer advice to another woman in Circle." The Principle affected is: "We practice deep listening, refrain from side conversations and comments, and we do not offer advice." Circle of Stones is not a conversation circle. It is a witnessing and sharing circle. It is an opportunity to practice deep listening in a safe and brave space. Not only that, but the words, "I know we're not supposed to do this," followed by taking the action anyway, create not just a ripple but a tidal wave. For those new to Circle, it sets a precedent that it is acceptable to break the Principles or Agreements. Other women may follow suit, and this can erode the safety of the Circle. We all want to create a safe space where women can share their true selves. 3rd Uncomfortable Moment: Using a Sister's Name While Sharing A Sister has completed her share. Later, another Sister raises her talking piece and says: "I can relate to J.'s words..." and then continues sharing her own experience. The Agreement affected is: "I will focus my attention into the center of the Circle." Using a Sister's name in this way is not sharing into the center of the Circle. Instead, it shifts attention to a specific individual. A Sister may have just shared something vulnerable. She may have a great deal of emotion coming up and may need the silence that follows her share. Silence is a welcome participant in the Circle, but by using someone's name, that silence can be interrupted by what Christina Baldwin refers to metaphorically as a "flying arrow." How many women have experiences of hearing their name called unexpectedly by a parent, teacher, or another authority figure? Using a Sister's name during Circle time can unintentionally evoke those experiences and erode the safe and brave space we are trying to create. Instead of using a Sister's name, we can say: "I'm going to pick up the thread of daughters..." This keeps the focus on the shared thread rather than an individual. Returning to Center Using the sounding device as quickly as possible when we notice uncomfortable moments is a soft and gentle way to bring us all back to center. No explanation or correction is needed in the moment. The pause itself is often enough. Each Sister can be a leader from her chair, either by using her own sounding device or by asking the Host or Guardian to play it. We are all responsible for the health of the Circle. Questions for Discussion Was there an uncomfortable moment for you in Circle, either this evening or at another time? Was there a moment or experience when you felt the Host should have done something? What does being a leader in your chair mean to you?

written by Martha Llanos Zuloaga, GTW - Perú Continuing with this trilogy on social circus initiatives in conflict zones, I will share my 2019 experience in Beirut's Shatila, the oldest Palestinian refugee camp. Setting up circus tents there was not possible because the streets were extremely narrow. I visited only one school for young children, a seven-story building constructed on a footprint of just 50 square meters due to the severe limitations on available space. Social circus in Beirut serves as a tool for transformation and psychosocial support for vulnerable communities, particularly Syrian and Palestinian refugees and Lebanese children living in poverty. This methodology employs juggling, acrobatics, and clowning to foster self-esteem, resilience, confidence, and social cohesion in areas affected by socioeconomic crises and the trauma of war. To reach these communities, the social circus movement in Beirut operates through two geographical models: a central training hub and mobile outreach missions. Shatila is one of the primary locations where social circus trainers conduct these mobile workshops and community-based programs. 1. The Central Hub: Jisr El Wati The capital’s most significant and well-structured social circus school is Cirquenciel, part of the renowned Lebanese NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) Arcenciel. Its headquarters and training facilities are located in the Jisr El Wati neighborhood. There, they have a dedicated space for regular classes in acrobatics, trapeze, and juggling. 2. Mobile Missions: Shatila, Burj El Barajneh, and Mar Elias Because of overcrowding and extreme conditions within the camps on the outskirts of Beirut, permanent infrastructure is difficult to establish. As a result, social circus trainers travel to these locations to bring their programs to the communities they serve. Intermittent Workshops Local organizations, such as the Children and Youth Center in Shatila or the Women's Humanitarian Organization, partner with circus collectives or foundations like Les Enfants de la Méditerranée. Together, they organize traveling art and circus-theater workshops in community centers, on rooftops, and in the small courtyards of the camps. Visits by International Clowns When international brigades such as Clowns Without Borders or independent clowns visit Lebanon, Shatila is a key stop on their emergency performance tours. Excursions Outside the Camp Shatila serves as a key site for community-based interventions aimed at healing trauma among Palestinian and Syrian refugee populations. Given the cramped conditions within the camp, many NGOs take children to circus venues and festivals in the city center, allowing them to experience the freedom of open spaces. The power and impact of circus activities in confronting trauma and strengthening the human spirit reveal the unique character of each circus initiative. Ukraine (The Response to the All-Out War Emergency) Ukraine boasts one of the most rigorous academic circus schools in the world. With the outbreak of full-scale war, social circus initiatives took two urgent paths. On one hand, traditional companies and educational projects moved into metro stations and underground shelters to alleviate children's panic during bombings. On the other, collectives like Circus Cortex and solidarity foundations arranged humanitarian visas and tours abroad to protect artists from the dangers of the battlefront. Palestine (Art as a Cultural Trench) Unlike in Beirut, where the circus heals internal wounds within the urban fabric, the Palestine Circus School fuses contemporary circus with traditional folk dances like the *Dabke*. Its goal is not only psychological healing but also the preservation of national identity in the face of the challenges posed by occupation and territorial isolation. Beirut (The Bridge Between Nationalities) Beirut’s unique characteristic is the melting pot of identities that exist within its margins. Here, social circus serves as a tool for Syrian, Palestinian, and Lebanese children to momentarily forget the geopolitical borders that divide the capital's streets and to learn solidarity by supporting one another in a human pyramid. Social circus represents a balance between two disciplines: performing arts enriched by social sciences. These disciplines are organized into an engaging and innovative methodology that transforms a pedagogical and artistic process into socio-political action for peacebuilding and conflict resolution. The Body as the Primary Territory of Peace In contexts of chronic crisis, such as Beirut, Palestine, or Ukraine, violence is not merely a political concept; it is a reality that becomes embedded in the body, stiffens posture, and causes a child's heart to race. Fear paralyzes and isolates. The Concept: Social circus recognizes that the mind cannot be healed unless the body is first set free. The Power: By hanging from a trapeze, supporting a partner's weight, or mastering a unicycle, young people rediscover their bodies, not as targets for bombs or discrimination, but as sources of strength, beauty, and control. Circus disarms the physical effects of fear and transforms it into a sense of possibility. The Sovereignty of Play (The Sacred Right to Play) War and extreme poverty rob children of their most valuable possession: the right to play without consequences. The Concept: The element of play in circus acts as a zone where reality is temporarily suspended. The Power: Inside the tent or on the practice mat, play reclaims its sovereignty. Playing in the circus is not a waste of time; it is a rehearsal for life in a safe environment. When children play at being clowns or jugglers, they temporarily set aside the weight of the outside world. Play restores their freedom to be vulnerable, to laugh, and to fail without punishment. The Aesthetics of Wonder vs. The Narrative of Despair Armed conflicts and humanitarian crises saturate young people's identities with labels of pity, trauma, or threat. The world begins to view them solely as "victims" or "refugees." The Concept: Circus art operates through the poetics of the impossible. The Power: The circus breaks the narrative of despair and replaces it with wonder. Seeing a young person living in a refugee camp perform a backflip or balance on a tightrope can radically shift the collective perspective. The community no longer sees a helpless child; it sees a creator of visual miracles. Wonder restores community pride and grants young people a sense of dignity that no one can take away. Key Messages Social circus goes beyond international peace treaties and military budgets; it does something deeper: it heals the human fabric that must sustain that peace in the future. While geopolitics divides and erects walls, social circus trains bodies to leap over them and build bridges in the air. Participants fly as a reminder that gravity is not an unchangeable destiny. They support one another because solidarity is the only way to survive. They laugh and play because joy is the most powerful victory over despair, and dignity, rooted in profound creativity, is among the strongest tools for building hope and resilience.

written by Martha Llanos Zuloaga, GTW - Perú This significant journey began in Moscow in 2010 during the first UNESCO World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education. In my role as a rapporteur (reporter), I witnessed a moving presentation on the vulnerable situation of Palestinian children and volunteered to travel to Ramallah. Despite warnings about the dangers of the journey, I took the risk and traveled through Israel. On the way from Jerusalem to Ramallah, I encountered a harsh reality marked by dividing walls, military checkpoints, and olive groves and vineyards that had been burned or destroyed. In Ramallah, I participated in the World Social Forum on Education, where my presentation focused on the arts and their impact on peace processes and personal and social transformation. At the conclusion of my talk, I received the most meaningful gift: the opportunity to spend time with members of the Palestinian Social Circus. At the time, this community project was only four years old and was using art as a channel for peaceful resistance and dignified human development. I spent a week sharing in this unforgettable experience and observed how each circus discipline served as a perfect metaphor for the survival and identity of the Palestinian people: Tightrope walkers: They represent the wire of life, where balance is maintained through determination, courage, and a steady gaze fixed on the final goal, without letting oneself fall. Trapeze artists: They exemplify mutual care and the certainty that, during moments of vulnerability in mid-air, there will always be a "saving hand" ready to catch the other person. Jugglers: They demonstrate precision, sharpness, and the ability to remain calm while devising creative solutions to the most complex situations. Human pyramids: They symbolize the collective cooperation that empowers a united society to defend its rights and dreams. Musicians and clowns: Using instruments made from waste materials and employing comedy to transform the refugees' pain into laughter, they build collective resilience in the face of marginalization. My time in Palestine concluded with a Play Festival that brought together over a thousand children, shedding light amidst oppression. As I left the region, reflecting on the thoughts and ideas regarding human greatness that have occupied me for the past seven years, I discovered seeds of hope not only in the Palestinian spirit but also in a group of Israeli teachers who — quietly and in defiance of political interests — work to unite families from both sides. The Key Message The story’s central message is that art, creativity, and community solidarity possess a transformative power that transcends political and material oppression. Social Circus provides a non-verbal, body-centered approach to trauma recovery, bridging the gap where traditional talk therapy often fails. In active conflict zones like Gaza, Ukraine, or refugee hubs, children frequently suffer from "hyperarousal" — a constant fight-or-flight state triggered by bomb blasts, loss, and extreme displacement. While the grand spectacles of the modern world are defined by opulence and technical resources, social art initiatives demonstrate that a community’s spirit can be saved with minimal material means. Social circus aims neither for hollow applause nor for escapism, but rather to channel pain through discipline, self-esteem, and cooperation. It teaches us that true resilience is rooted not in hatred of the oppressor, but in the strengthening of one’s own human qualities. Ultimately, beneath the "circus tents" that offer shelter in times of adversity, a people's dignity prevails — sustained by the determination to protect their children's smiles and the shared hope of their community. As one of the founders of the Palestine Social Circus said… "Circus is not just about entertainment; it’s a tool for liberation. It gives young people who are trapped behind walls and checkpoints a physical space where they can defy gravity, build trust, and realize that their potential is limitless." ~ Shadi Zmorrod, Co-Founder of The Palestinian Circus School

a presentation by Sharon Riegie Maynard The purpose of Circle Conversations during 2026 is to get “back to basics.” I chose to visit GTW’s Vision and Who We Are statements in a conversation about Agreements. Have you thought about the difference between assumptions and agreements? When problems arise within mutual agreements, returning to those points is the first step toward finding solutions. Agreements give us a place to work things out and assumptions offer no such ground. In assumptions, we end up spinning in Chaos. We are certainly seeing many “problems” emerging in our lives and in the world today. What better time than now to consider the agreements contained in Gather the Women's vision statement, the place where our shared values are held. I chose to speak of the Gather the Women visions as if they are agreements. They are not agreements in the regular sense. Each of you did not set your name to paper or raise your hand. The fact you joined GTW indicates these values match your own. Within that platform of understanding, my hope is to stimulate you to consider your own personal relationship to obedience, assumptions, and agreements. Gather the Women Global Matrix (GTW): Is a grassroots organization focused on evolving feminine leadership Is a worldwide sisterhood Connects women through Circles Creates safe and brave spaces for women to share our true selves Encourages women to find their voices, reclaim their power, and remember their self-worth Celebrates individuality and diversity Acknowledges the rising of the Divine Feminine leading to personal and planetary transformation Believes every woman is a leader Upholds Circle Principles and Practices that empower and transform female leadership Trusts that every woman safeguards the energy of the circle Within my religious community when I was young, agreements were never discussed. Instead, the governing rule for girls and women was simply obedience — obedience to assumptions the community held. Men, in the image of God, speak for God Men lead Women follow and nurture Women nurture and serve the man and his ideas Women have no need of education or vision or voice Women birth and nurture children for the system Women do not question the system Women are so precious that God wants men to keep troublesome thinking away from them These were unspoken, assumed within a system that works in a top-down, toxic Patriarchal culture. Agreements come from each individual sharing ideas. From conversations, listening, and consideration for a desired outcome, collaboration brings multiple ideas into a woven form and agreement. When a problem arises within such a system, you can go back to the agreements. Revisit them with new possibilities, new skills, and new creations to be considered. Agreements are changeable and can evolve, and when they do, growth happens. Obedience to one person or a group of individuals and their ideas does not allow expansion. In the early 1980’s I was given a tap on the third eye when I attended a lecture by an Indigenous filmmaker. He spoke of a tribe in Borneo that had been annihilated by a neighboring tribe. A few of the children were taken to be assimilated. Fifteen years later, three of those young boys, now attending a university as young men, realized they were of that tribe destroyed years before. They made a commitment to go back to the place of that annihilation, set up camp in the nearby caves, and stay on the land to “dream awake the bones of their ancestors.” The wisdom, dreams, commitments, love… I was touched, and after the lecture spoke to the presenter. He looked me in the eyes and asked, “When are you going to dream awake the bones of your ancestors?” What? He could see my confusion… “The women, the mothers and grandmothers?” And so, it began. Those who know me, know I will always add Insights I have been given over 40 plus years, including from “dreaming awake the bones of our mothers.” To me, the true basics of women are hidden in the shadows of the distant past. They leak through to us in small dribbles unless we set intentions to dream them awake. In the times I questioned my own inner assumptions, I would sit to hear from those I have come to call the Ancient Ones. Names you may know, Christ, Sananda, Ascended Masters, Quan-Yin, Mary Magdalene, Gaia, Archangels, and others. Some would call it channeling. I call it a telepathic gift. We each have them, information from the world of spirit and information from Gaia and her creations. Gather the Woman is a global Matrix of souls in female bodies. The most shocking information, for me, one that shattered my assumption of male and female contributions, came when I asked this question to my teacher Collective: “Is there a Divine assignment, or overall Purpose, connected to souls who birth into female bodies?” I assumed, of course, there could not be one assignment for all women. We are all so different and diverse. I realized my assumption was we birth children, mother, clean house, cook food, and make sure the men were supported in their hard work of being leaders. Perhaps you had similar assumptions. Women were to be soft, gentle, nurture, and serve. Even the personal growth Community at the time in 1980 and 1990 and even today said women are the nurturers. I was surprised when the answer came from Christ Sananda. It was very clear. “Souls in what is called female bodies came with an agreement/mission to vision greatest good, to hold a design for those values to emerge, to set policy as leaders. Setting and holding values, they are to birth worlds and then test the forms in order to maintain a culture of those values. They vision and birth and safeguard the world.” What? I asked the question in different ways. Then I asked: “Am I receiving it clearly? Are my answers coming from sources of Home or Light?” There was never any wavering. “Women are to design from values of Divine Home, set policy, birth worlds, and remove anything that would destroy their creations. They are to be clear, assertive, Leaders, life bringers, and safeguarders.” I was told in the original evolutionary system of the chakras, the female’s sensitive center of solar plexus was the center of authority to safeguard all Good in the world She designed and birthed. Females hold the ability to sense energy and know what does or does not resonate with the values. Her sensitivity could say with authority, “Yes, this form adds value. Expand and support it.” Or, “No, this form causes energy to fracture, to separate, to diminish. NOT Acceptable!” And our spiritual teams, assigned to remove codes of such energies, would act. Females were to discuss, set values, design space, set policy, birth the design, and then safeguard the manifested forms with an authority voice into the heavens. Her “NO” meant “NO!” and would be acted on from worlds beyond earth? Shocked! Back to basics of agreements, these agreements were basic. I sat with that plan, and possibly you would like to sit with that plan. We are intelligent, magnificent, loving souls of genius. I could imagine us making such a plan and agreeing. Then, I asked, “What was the purpose of souls birthing in male bodies?” “To create space for the women to have time to design, to birth, to determine what brings benefit, and to exert her ‘NO’ of authority. While the Good was created and tested, men were to hold and flow energy of love, support, respect, and encouragement into the female creation space.” “They are the nurturers.” So now, look at the values held by Gather the Women Global Matrix. See how, even unconsciously, they reflect women’s original intention. We: Are grassroots, no exclusion Are evolving female leadership Form supportive circles with a sacred center Consider EVERY woman a leader Empower transformation leadership Hold heartfelt connections Create safe and brave spaces Heal, empower, and honor the Divine Feminine Welcome diversity Practice deep listening Hold that everyone is responsible for the circle’s health As I shifted my assumptions and applied the new information, my life changed, and so did the lives of my clients. My intention here was to get back to the basic GTW vision in the form of agreements, and to weave in the insight held in the “bones of our ancestors, our ancestral mothers.” In doing so, it confirms for me the deep value of this Community, Gather the Women. Sharon Riegie Maynard https://sharonriegie.substack.com/ www.wakingwomenmovemountains.weebly.com/

written by Martha Llanos Zuloaga, GTW - Perú Circus tents can be seen all over the world during July and August; indeed, Lima is currently hosting the Great National Circus of Ukraine for the third time. When I visited Kyiv, I saw a massive building with a grand dome capable of seating over two thousand spectators. The circus arts are a source of pride in Ukrainian culture. The venue now utilizes its underground shelters to protect the audience and performers during air‑raid alerts, upholding the motto that “the show must go on.” Furthermore, amidst the ongoing conflict, the circus and the country’s entire circus community have taken on a strategic social, psychological, and humanitarian role for the population. Rigorous physical training — in juggling, acrobatics, and balancing — serves as a vital outlet; children traumatized by bombings or the loss of family members, as well as minors displaced from occupied zones, are able to interact, play, and process the crisis through art. Given this context — and with the Ukrainian circus back in Lima this year — I will share the moment that moved me the most: a mother and daughter from the troupe, two acrobats defying both gravity and the pain of their reality in an aerial hoop act high beneath the big top. This performance is not merely a display of great technique; it reflects a generational bond forged in adversity and a shared need to preserve beauty in times of profound darkness. It becomes a perfect metaphor for family survival and the identity of people living under warfare. The hanging hoops: They represent the circles of life and home suspended amidst the uncertainty of conflict, where every turn in the air defies the instability of the ground left behind. The mother (the pillar): She embodies strength, experience, and absolute protection. High above, her body serves as the solid foundation that supports, guides, and secures her child’s flight, demonstrating that maternal love is the strongest anchor. The daughter (the future): She symbolizes continuity, purity, and the hope of a new generation that refuses to be defined by fear. As she rises, she inherits not only the technique but also the courage and pride of her identity. The shared flight: This evokes the perfect synchrony of mutual support. Every handhold and every steady gaze shared in midair reminds us that, when the outside world crumbles, family unity and blind trust are the only forces capable of keeping a human being afloat. This circus performance shows us how musical notes and fluid movements can silence — if only for a few minutes — the echo of sirens and destruction. Art becomes their peaceful trench, a light shining through the fog of a devastating geopolitical conflict. The Main Message The story’s message is that art and family bonds serve as the ultimate refuge for the human spirit in the face of conflicts of war. While conflict seeks to fragment society and steal the future from the young, this performance demonstrates that a people’s identity and dignity cannot be destroyed. The mother and daughter on the aerial hoops teach us that true resilience is fueled not by resentment, but by beauty, discipline, and the courage to keep creating life high above the ground. They represent the circus tents that offer shelter once again in times of crisis. Humanity prevails by protecting children’s sense of wonder and the promise that, even in the most hostile air, a familiar hand will always be ready to hold us. Epilogue: The Tent as a Sanctuary for the Soul In the face of the brutality of war and destruction — where history cruelly repeats itself and women and children are always the ones bearing the deepest scars of such outrages in their bodies and minds — art, and the circus in particular, rises up as an act of sacred resistance. When bombs destroy schools, when walls and borders tear apart homes, and when fear threatens to freeze childhood in its tracks, the circus tent becomes a sanctuary of dignity. While wars impose the law of brute force and the crushing weight of pain, the circus offers inner greatness and the laws of balance, flight, and beauty. Ultimately, the story of Ukrainian artists reminds us that art and culture are vital in times of war. Keeping the circus alive, creating art amidst the ruins, or applauding the talent of those who have lost everything is a deeply political act. It is proof that, even when destruction is around us, creativity, beauty, and human connection refuse to be destroyed. For children caught in the crossfire, the circus instantly restores their right to wonder, curiosity, and laughter, reminding them that their identity belongs not to tragedy, but to hope. For the mothers and women holding together the fragments of broken societies, the trapeze and aerial hoops are physical manifestations of their own invisible strength: the discipline not to fall, and the courage to protect life and the future, sustained by the certainty that their hands will be there to hold their children. This is the message I have shared since 2002: “Human greatness wears a woman’s face.”

by Martha Llanos Zuloaga To travel is my passion, and I remember my first camping trip as a student at the Catholic University — an unforgettable month of community living in Cañete with students of different careers. It was an extraordinary experience, but I discovered I had weak ankles; I was always twisting my feet. So, I bought some hiking boots that provided solid support and became my go‑to shoes for adventures and faithful travel companions. Oh, if my shoes could talk, what stories they would tell! Every night I thanked my shoes and fell asleep with their unique observations of the routes I had traveled and the people I had met. My shoes adored Mother Earth; she was their most tender mother, always caressing them as I walked and giving them supportive pats — and so they climbed hills, scaled trees, crossed rivers and suspension bridges in winter and summer — and there they were, faithful boots, proudly showing the signs of time. One day in the Rajasthan desert in India, the sands were scorching hot and the landscape breathtakingly silent and solitary. I took off my shoes to feel the sand on my feet, but the heat was so intense it was like walking on hot coals, so I put them back on. It was a full‑moon night, and I was sleeping under the open sky in the desert, listening to the sound of the wind. My shoes spoke to me. They said, “Martha, we’ve walked quite a bit. We’re old and worn out. We’ve seen much of the world. We like this place. Why don’t you leave us at a sacred temple? We’re sure you will come back and will see us.” My shoes chose the Taj Mahal, a magnificent Hindu palace, a temple to love. And since you have to leave your shoes outside to visit, I said goodbye to them there. Corollary: There’s an ancient belief in India that where you leave your shoes, a part of you remains. Part of me stayed in multifaceted India, and I have since returned many times, fulfilling a promise and remembering my first pilgrim shoes. It has been seven years since my last trip in 2019. Maybe it is now time to say again thank you to my beloved shoes and introduce them to my new travel companion — my cane.

by Martha Llanos Zuloaga, Perú I describe myself as a Peace Ambassador. My life mission is of global service to children, women, and families. Thanks to the understanding, compassion, appreciation, and courage that I have experienced in Circle with other women, I have been able to fulfill that mission. This support enabled me to advocate and take action for women’s rights in a world that shows violence towards women and girl children, especially when they are indigenous, poor, and illiterate. Circles focus on the principles of Inclusion, Wholeness, Unity, Nurturing, Centering, Sharing, Deep listening, and Completion. To Indigenous peoples, the Circle illustrates “the way the world works.” Since my childhood, Circles have been very meaningful. I recall myself seated on the floor listening to stories told by my teachers. Mythology, gods, and goddesses fascinated me. In my adulthood, I have continued in Circles with Indian communities sitting around the fire and sharing stories of their everyday life. This time, the gods and goddesses are real human beings. In Peru in the 80s I was working in the Andean area of Cuzco, Puno, and Apurimac. There, with many teachers and mothers, we created Tarpuy Circles. “Tarpuy” is a Quechua word meaning to sow and our lema (motto) was “The seed that you sow today will be tomorrow’s harvest.” Around 2000, I was happy to connect with Peace x Peace and share my reflections about the ripple effect we get in Circles. It is produced from the self to the Circle, first ripple, then to the community context, second ripple, and finally to global consciousness. 2002 was an exceptional year. I received an invitation to participate in a Circle of women from around the world in Iona, Scotland. Jean Shinoda Bolen, Elinor Detinger, Kate Collins, and others were also included. In Iona, I discovered the power within us women to share the joy, the pain, and the dreams of many generations and to work collectively for equity, peace, solidarity, and the fulfillment of rights. I came to realize that the sacred is always there in the Circle and that we can call on it in any different situation On Iona, every morning I would go alone to meditate in the XIII century abbey. There in the silence of this sacred place, I would dance and dance. The room seemed to be filled with the inner music of ancestors buried there. The inner music, the joy and my breathing were tributes to life. At the end, when I closed my eyes, I would see myself with many children, girls and women in a circle. In Deep Silence a great message “La grandeza humana tiene rostro de mujer,” “Human greatness has a woman’s face,” came to me. My mission in life was then reassured. I was encouraged to facilitate people to discover and unfold their many potentials and share their lives. After all these years, I am reflecting on the power of Circles, on the value of feminine principles with the internal drive to “love, nourish, care, and connect.” These qualities are essential for global peace and environmental sustainability. They help us shift away from patriarchal power structures toward collaborative, empathetic, and inclusive, humane leadership. In 2022, I started to contribute to University Women Observatory. This is a division of the Women’s University of the Sacred Heart (UNIFÉ) in Lima, Peru. I was writing about worldwide resilient women’s lives under the lema (motto) “Human greatness has a woman’s face”. Stories for 80 women have been completed. As a synchronicity, while preparing the exhibition for inauguration of the 2024 academic year, Gather the Women appeared. Dawn Gandalf invited me to participate. Now here I am in a circle with the central fire that comes from the elders whose lives are such an inspiration. Every day testimony reinforces the strength of the collective and us “Women as Weavers of Peace”. We are woven together to create a tapestry strong enough to fulfill Jean Shinoda Bolen’s vision, Gather the Women and Save the World.

by Martha Llanos Zuloaga – GTW Perú I have just returned from the UN Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. One session that was very significant for me was the one with the presence of Indigenous midwives from Latin America. Each representative shared her testimony about the current situation; of special interest were Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and others. The Continental Alliance of Traditional and Indigenous Midwives of the Americas bring together midwives, birth companions, and guardians of knowledge from Indigenous peoples across the continent to defend and strengthen traditional midwifery as a unique, living, and autonomous health system. Indigenous midwives are guardians of life, birth, and territory—bearers of knowledge that existed before nation‑states and continues to sustain the lives of their peoples. Their practice is not complementary, but an integral system of knowledge, science, and spirituality based on self‑determination. The Declaration that will be presented at the Permanent Forum affirms that birth is not only a medical act, but also a spiritual, territorial, and political act. In the 1970s, I met and shared experiences with Indigenous communities in the Peruvian highlands and rainforest. In the rainforest communities, when childbirth approaches, friends and family accompany the woman in labor to the river. There, standing with her legs firmly planted on the ground and bathed by the cool water, the new human being arrives in the world—refreshed by the waters and by the songs of a loving community welcoming them! If you are born in the highlands, like our ancestors, the birthing tradition remains vertical, with feet on the ground and squatting. I observed that a tall log is placed in front of the woman in labor so she can hold on tightly. And so, with her family, and especially her husband, the child arrives into the world. The place given to placentas in these communities is very important; they are considered living beings. Therefore, they should not be left behind or thrown away but buried in a special place—under the bed or in the forest. After the 1990s, I lived for a long time in Asia, and in India I witnessed the most beautiful births, in the land of Ayurvedic philosophy and medicine. Ayurveda, over five thousand years old, offers not only health, but also joy, well‑being, serenity, and secrets of eternal youth. For Ayurveda, life is the most wondrous event that nature has created, and woman is its main protagonist. Since it is a unique and unrepeatable moment, the couple prepares and, depending on their financial means, may even have a doula or a friend to assist them during pregnancy and childbirth. The most beautiful moment is the babies’ arrival, as they are massaged with rose or jasmine oils and welcomed with loving celebration. If we put ourselves in the children’s place in the so‑called “developed” countries, for nine months they moved peacefully in a paradise of water and silence, feeling protected, loved, and able—like dolphins—to express themselves freely in that space. Their state was brimming with possibilities, their needs met by that liquid, timeless, maternal, and boundless world. Let us visualize the birth scene… The child feels that the time has come to leave and look toward new horizons. He or she prepares for the entrance into the world. How curious—what will be there? What awaits them at the end of the tunnel? They are in a hospital room or an operating room. And oh… bright lights appear. The arrival almost blinds them. Hands take the newborn and—wham!—the flow connected to the warm water is gone. They are lifted by the feet and slapped on the bottom, which makes the newborn cry. The result: a frightening welcome. Where have I ended up, surrounded by masked figures? After the initial shock, soft skin appears, a gentle energy, and the newborn finds the mother there—sometimes the father—who joins in welcoming. This scene seems to reflect the first fears and feelings of abandonment that take root in our subconscious. Corollary In line with my life’s mission, I work for the rights of human beings to celebrate life, the biocentric principle, and bioethics. One of the first rights of a child should be to have a birth that is a celebration of their arrival into the world. How wise were the so‑called primitive cultures, where birth is a natural event; the child is bathed, sung to, caressed with oils, and all of nature joins in the celebration. Reflect on this in our developed world, where birth is a surgical procedure. So much knowledge and wisdom exist in this welcoming to the world. However, strong medical approaches are still prioritized over the sacred act of bringing a child into this world. Lots of praise to the wisdom and loving approach of the traditional midwives. So I ask: what memories do you hold of your own birth?

by Oshi Coming from the heart — whether in speaking or in listening — is at the center of our GTW practice. It invites us into a way of being where our presence softens, our words become more authentic, and our connections deepen. When we come from the heart, we touch a place within us that is already full of unconditional love, a place that doesn’t need to be earned or proven, only remembered. Mary Magdalene’s teachings, especially as shared in Mary Magdalene Revealed: The First Apostle, Her Feminist Gospel, and the Christianity We Haven’t Tried Yet by Meggan Watterson, remind us that love and divine connection arise from within. They come as grace — freely given, not achieved — and they remain available even in times of uncertainty. This inner connection creates a sense of unity and belonging with the divine, awakening an inner awareness that speaks to the soul rather than the ego. It reassures, supports, and gently guides us back to ourselves. In this understanding, love is the natural state of the soul when it is no longer ruled by fear, judgment, or illusion. Jeshua’s words in 1 Corinthians 13 echo this same truth. Love is patient and kind, offering tolerance and compassion. It does not envy or boast, choosing humility over pride. It is not rude or self‑seeking but honors the needs of others. Love is not easily angered and keeps no record of wrongs. It rejoices in truth, supporting honesty and integrity. It protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres, remaining constant through all circumstances. These qualities are not distant ideals; they are invitations to practice love in the small, ordinary moments of our lives. The HeartMath Institute offers a similar reminder: a more compassionate world begins within each of us. The shift is an inner one — moving from worry to calm, from stress to coherence, from judging others to compassion, and from disconnection to genuine connection. This inner shift is the pathway back to the heart, the place where we remember who we truly are. As we reflect on this theme together, we might gently consider what “coming from the heart” means in our own lived experience. We might notice the moments when it has felt difficult to stay in that place, and the practices or inner movements that help us return when we feel separated from it. These reflections open the doorway to deeper listening — both to ourselves and to one another — as we continue exploring what it means to live and speak from the heart.

written by Heather Plett and presented by Judith Hurley Prosser The talking piece isn’t magic, but “what IS magic is the way that it invites us to listen in ways we don’t normally listen and speak in ways we don’t normally speak.” When a talking piece goes around the circle, the person who holds it is invited to “speak with intention”. Everyone else is invited to “listen with attention” and not interrupt or ask questions. Everyone in the conversation is invited to “tend the well-being of the circle”. (Those are the three practices of The Circle Way.) A talking piece conversation has a unique quality to it. There is more listening, less interrupting, more pausing, and, almost always, more vulnerability than ordinary conversations. Yes, some people get nervous about the talking piece (because it puts them on the spot and feels like pressure to say something important), but when they get used to it, (and when they realize that anyone is welcome to pass the talking piece without speaking) almost everyone acknowledges that the talking piece brought something special into the space that they’ve rarely experienced before. The talking piece is not meant for every conversation, but I believe it should play a more significant role in many of our conversations. Here’s why: The talking piece invites us to listen much more than we talk. When in a circle with a dozen people, I have to listen twelve times as much as I talk. That’s a very good practice. Listening opens our hearts to other people’s stories. It invites our over-active minds and mouths to pause and be present for people who need to be witnessed. And when it’s our turn to talk, we know that we are being listened to just as intently. The talking piece encourages us to get out of “fix-it” mode. When a friend shares a problem with us, it usually feels more comfortable to jump in with a solution than to sit and really listen. But unless that friend has asked for advice, what she/he probably needs more than anything is a listening ear. The talking piece doesn’t allow us to interrupt with our version of “the truth”. Often, simply because they’ve been heard in a deeper way than they’re used to, people walk away from the circle having figured out their OWN solutions for their problems. The talking piece makes every voice equal. Nobody has the podium in a circle. Nobody stands on a stage. Each voice makes a valuable contribution to the conversation, and none is more important than the others. With so many race issues happening recently (especially in the U.S. and Canada), I like to imagine what might happen if more people were to sit in circle with people of different races. What if we mandated interracial circle conversations for every high school student? What if students couldn’t graduate unless they’d spent time learning to listen to stories told by people who are different from them? What if Dylan Roof, for example, had sat in a weekly circle listening to stories from the black community? Might that have changed the outcome of his attack on the Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in 2015, where 9 people died? The talking piece invites us more physically into the conversation. There’s something special about holding an object in your hand that has been passed there from hand to hand around the circle. It invites us to be present in not just our heads but in our bodies. It invites us to sink physically into the conversation, engaging in a deeper way because our hands are engaged along with our hearts. The talking pieces creates the silence into which open hearts dare to speak. There’s a level of vulnerability that shows up in the circle that is rarely present in other conversations. Because the talking piece invites us to slow down and be more intentional, we don’t just talk about the weather or yesterday’s shopping trip. We talk about things that are real and we show up authentically for each other. The talking piece can be used in all areas of your life. If you haven’t experienced it yet, don’t be afraid to try. Yes, you might get some funny looks from your family or friends when you pull out a stone, a stick, or even a pen and invite them to pass it around the circle, but there’s a very good chance – if they’re openhearted and authentic – that they will be surprised at what it brings to the conversation.