After receiving a set of Joanna Powell Colbert’s Gaian Tarot I’ve enjoyed her occasional newsletters that arrive in my inbox. Today’s led me to a post of her’s from last year about hosting a winter solstice story circle.
In it she has one of my favourite quotes about the power of story from Christina Baldwin:
Story is a map.
The map that gets one person through gets the next person through.
We depend on story to learn from each other, to inspire values based action, to imagine the new ways forward.
As Joanne writes, “Storytelling is part of the solution to the world’s ills. It’s a way that we connect to each other, learn to care about each other, and support each other.”
She invites us to call a winter solstice story circle:
Yuletide is a wonderful time for sharing memories and stories. One of my favorite things to do is to gather a small group together — friends or family — make sure everyone has a hot drink (spiced cider, anyone? peppermint schnapps in your cocoa?) and maybe some knitting in their laps. We light a candle to hold the center of the circle, then I start by saying:
“Tell me a story about your favorite Christmas / Hanukkah / holiday memory from childhood.”
“What is your favorite Christmas cookie?”
“Who do you miss the most at Yuletide?” (We often lift a glass to those who are gone.)Each person has a chance to share a memory or a story. Soon everyone will have a question to ask the circle. It’s a lovely way to spend an evening, and you’ll know your friends and family a bit more deeply at the end of it, too.
Read more about this lovely invitation here.
