SisterSpirit's 20th Year: Now More than Ever

© Frodo Okulam 2005

On December 8, 1985, SisterSpirit, a new women's spirituality group, held their first ritual at Echo Theater in Portland, Oregon. The theme at that celebration was "In Light through Winter's Darkness." Now in 2005, we are approaching our 20th Festival of Lights! I am thinking in this new dreamtime of the dream before that first celebration, and what keeps coming to mind is that we are in a time of darkness on our planet much deeper than the winter of 1985. Now more than ever, SisterSpirit's light may contribute to the hearthfire that drives back the dark and fills the long nights with hope rekindled.

"Lady spin your circle bright, Weave a web of golden light

Earth and Air and Fire and Water, Bind us in one."

With that chant SisterSpirit circled into reality, bringing a dream vision to life. For each woman there, there was probably a different dream, an inner prompting that led her to this first circle. My dream, the one that led me to gather friends together to create this circle, was a dream at night, deep in sleep. The date of that dream is May 17, 1983.

"I was in a hotel room. Some people were there who were leaving. They had made a circle outside in a sandy area by a river and they wanted me to guard the circle until their return. So we continued to use the circle while they were gone.

Then some women came to the room. They were looking for a place to stay and to worship. They asked if they could use the circle. I asked them if they were Dianics. They said, no, they were 'Davidics.' So I said they must not use the circle. Then I think I went with them. They searched for a spot to worship, following the river southwards. Finally we returned North to the Dianic circle and I said that I believed that we were to worship together. When the Dianics came back we joined together in the circle."

That is the dream, verbatim from my dream journal. At the time, I interpreted it in this way: "I think it seems clear that "Davidics" are Christians and Jews. I have gone with them, and now must return and unite them with the Dianics. The sense of searching and also of being hunted was very strong in this dream."

From that time on, as the meaning of the dream continued to unfold, I felt moved to start a circle that would be eclectic. It would be Goddess-centered, a women's circle, one with the Dianic circles (in which the Goddess is primary) that I had been part of since the early 1970s. But this one would be welcoming to women from different backgrounds, women who wanted to reclaim woman-positive elements from many traditions. In this circle we would not only be "reclaiming our traditions from patriarchal guilt and fear," we would be creating a new tradition, building on the common ground of feminine imagery, empowering ourselves, opening to the fullness of our creativity.

"In the beginning was the Sun, who was perfection.

She created day, who wrapped herself with night.

While the moon, the Sun's reflection, watched it all, to her delight."

In those beautiful words by Hawk Madrone, SisterSpirit's light came into being. That first circle was 46 women, Dianic Wiccans, Pagan women of other traditions, Jews, Christians, spiritual seekers. We could feel the newness of what we were doing. In words from many traditions, in imagery of the Goddess in many forms, we reached out in a new way to one another and into our own spiritual center.

"Listen, listen, listen to my heart's song,

I will never forget you, I will never forsake you."

Yogananda's words rang out between us, and meant something new in that night. To the Goddess in each of us, to her presence in Mother Earth, to our deepening awareness of her in ourselves, we sang. Through all the years from that night onward SisterSpirit has kept the vision in that first dream: bringing diverse women together in a welcoming community, celebrating the Goddess, being a place of healing for ourselves and one another and for the larger society.

Over the years we have celebrated Her in many ways: in the rituals of the Wiccan Wheel of the Year, in Passover Seders, in small group discussions and classes, and in the Croning celebrations. Several years after our beginning, we felt called to give back to the larger community, and began PaganFaire in 1990 as an all-community Spring Equinox Festival. We have marched for peace, over and over again, and led circles at International Women's Day and LGBT Pride. We have published Spirited Women and inspired women to write and publish their work. We've been on the internet and maintained a public office and lending library. Michelle's Heart, our emergency fund, has helped many in the community.

Now as global warming heats the atmosphere and storms rage, as more and more people realize we need to connect with Mother Earth, we are here, with twenty years of experience reconnecting. In a society that becomes more and more polarized, we have been a place of bridge building. As people become more isolated from one another, we have learned to create and sustain community long term. Now openness to those of other traditions is of great importance as we join together in action for justice and peace.

And today, as always, women need to come together with one another, celebrating women's mysteries and that great women's mystery of the Goddess within. As more and more men and women are saying it is women who give them hope for the world, we embody that hope. May we always bring this blessing into this community.

"Deep peace of the running wave to you, deep peace of the flowing air to you,

Deep peace of the quiet earth to you, deep peace of the shining stars to you."

--Words traditional Celtic, music by Chris Carol

May the stars shine upon you all!

Please come and celebrate with us:

All-community potluck: Sat. Dec. 10, 2 pm, Musicians' Union Hall, 325 NE 20th

20th Annual Festival of Lights celebration for women: Sun. Dec. 11, 6 pm, same place

--Frodo Okulam, SisterSpirit Coordinator