memories of my earliest circles
i remember a time when a handful of us sisters would gather on the full moon, in sacred circle, illuminated by moonlight and candlelight.
sometimes we’d tell stories, other times we’d sing.
there were times when we would address the sexual exploitations of our sisters by men in our community. sometimes this happened in these sacred circles, and sometimes this happened in larger, mixed-gendered community circles.
you see, our tight-knit community distrusted the status quo and sought to create something beautiful, something sacred, amidst the toxicity of capitalism and patriarchy.
we sought to be the change—at least many of us did. we grew food, shared food, and broke bread.
we entered the sacred american indian sweat lodge together, and when the heat became too blistering to handle, we prayed harder and harder to mother earth, her heartbeat reverberating throughout the earthen floor and blanketed walls of her womb.
we reclaimed our tribe, a birthright long forgotten by western culture.
in 2002, i left our circle to travel to new lands and experience new things. i miss it dearly.
i miss the sacred, elemental connection i shared with my sisters.
i miss singing with these beautiful souls, but as the seasons changed i've continued to carry the spirit of our circle with me—by singing my favorite of our songs to my daughter every night for over a decade.
here’s that song, which needs no accompaniment, although adding a slow and steady drum beat—mama earth’s heartbeat—adds a hypnotic dimension to it. and if you have the opportunity to sing this in rounds with a handful of women circled around a fire pit?! that’s like a teleportal to spirit...
“mother i feel you under my feet.
mother i hear your heartbeat.
(x2)
heya heya heya...ya heya heya ho
heya heya heya heya heya ho
(x2)”
note that this song has multiple verses, but even just singing/chanting this first verse on repeat—or in a round if you have a small group of sisters—may be all that’s needed to ignite your spirit.
the songwriter's version is embedded below. despite my inability to carry a tune, my daughter would tell me that she loved it when i'd sing it to her.
thank you for reading! if you’d like to learn more about me (kristi amdahl), la que sabe (she who knows), and my offerings, please mosey on down to my about page. thanks!
