The Truth Circle workshops held at Elderflower in August 2025 were born of one woman’s grief and wonderings of what might bring healing.

• What was needed from the community to allow space for personal healing?
• And what could one individual contribute to hold space for community healing?

Goddess responded to those wonderings (as she often does) with a vision and with guidance to call on other women for support in birthing that vision.  Five Elderflower women joined together to co-create a process intended to hold a safe container for listening deeply to our own and each other’s truths. Much thanks to those who joined the planning group!

We gratefully borrowed from the wisdom of indigenous peoples and 12 step recovery programs around the world who have joined in circle to speak and listen from the heart for many generations.

• Talking Stick – We used a talking stick. When holding the stick one spoke from their heart and experience and did not reply, comment on, or rebut another’s share. When not holding it one listened – fully, without rehearsing or preparing a reply. 
• Timekeeper – We had a timekeeper to allow equal sharing time for all, and
• Scribe – We had a scribe for each meeting who noted general thoughts, feelings, wounds, and dreams that emerged. These notes were shared and then these were given to the fire after the main ritual with the intention of releasing them to Goddess for transformation.

Participants agreed to share only their own Truth & experience after leaving the circle, and to show respect for the courage & vulnerability their sisters had shown by not repeating personal Truths others had shared.

Thursday’s workshop was held in the dining hall. Ten women joined together and spoke to 2 questions. The first was about remembering what draws us to Elderflower festival, what gifts we’ve received and what we would miss if Elderflower were gone. The second question held space for exploration of what has caused us pain and what is missing.

At Friday’s workshop ten women sat in circle at the foot of the Grandmother tree. We again answered two questions. The first asked what would bring us personal healing, to feeling peaceful and supported in community.  The second asked what our dreams are for Elderflower, and what each of us might bring to contribute to the truth, beauty and goodness of the community.

The Woodlands held us gently as we spoke from and listened with our hearts; the redwoods carrying our gratitude and grief, frustration and longing, dreams, love and laughter, grounding them deep into earth and water and ascending them into the warmth of sun and sky. Much gratitude to all who joined in!  Blessed Be.

–   Joy and Lou