Initially, our core Women of Wisdom share their inner wisdom, forming the core ripple of the circle. (This part only is recorded and live-streamed.) At the end of the speakers' sharing, we have 2-3 mins of quiet offerings from the audience in the chat-box, while we all keep silent deep listening.

Or,
when it’s a bigger, more interactive online WOP circle, after the speakers’ core-ripple circle, we go into Break Out Rooms. In each one, a core-ripple speaker will hold a Talking Circle with a handful of participants, like yourself and others from our community. There you will be invited to co-create the next ripple, as a Talking Circle. (This part is confidential, and won’t be on record.)

These Guidelines are based traditional Indigenous Talking Circles, which exist in different forms in Indigenous traditions. These guidelines were identified & gathered and then handed-down to us by our late Yupi'k Elder Rita Blumenstein.

* At the beginning of every such circle, the facilitator will read aloud these guidelines, (like setting the table for the meal, even if everyone knows where the forks are).

Talking: Let the Circle do the talking, while we all are doing the listening.

Innocence: Listen with the innocence of a child, without judgment or resistance. Let a story be offered alongside another story, truth by truth, like dishes at a potluck.

Respect: yourself, other-selves, time and attention. This is a potluck of offerings. Be respectful even if something doesn’t nourish you, for it may be nourishing for others.

Stay Clear: of agendas, titles and flags; listen without counseling, marketing, lecturing, advising, arguing, or planning a reply. Allow yourself to open to what your other-self is sharing. (No need to embrace everything, but we ask that you listen).

Speak: You'll be given a chance to share. You don’t have to. Even if you do-not speak you will be heard. & No cross-talking.

Truth: We only speak of what we know to be true in our own lived experience (not taught, or borrowed or maybe. Don’t speak on behalf of anyone, but yourself.)

Ripe: speak when the words and moment are ripe.

Expand: Make room for different truths that may be opposite to yours, but just as valid.

(For Talking Circles: Confidentiality!! What comes up in the circle is not to be shared of further discussed, unless explicit permission is given by the ones involved/mentioned.)

[This doesn’t apply to Sharing Circles, recorded / live-streamed.]

Changes: Suggested changes will be offered in writing now, and discussed when we meet, till consensus is reached, before the circle commences.