Wisdom Circle: Celebrating the Seasons, the Gifts of Mother Earth, and Matriarchal Magic
In our gathering this month we will co-create a seasonal ceremony informed by matriarchal spirituality. The matriarchal worldview is a sacred worldview, intimately attuned with the natural world—the ever-regenerative seasons and cycles modern life has caused us to forget and disrespect in myriad and disastrous ways. To adopt a matriarchal worldview and embrace matriarchal behaviors as a new way of life, remembering and re-aligning with the ways of our Great Mother is crucial.
Festivals and celebrations are foundational to a matriarchal way of living. In joyful, ritual gatherings matriarchal peoples enact what is dear to them. A celebratory atmosphere is created where they play and delight in the gifts and mysteries of nature. An ambiance of beauty, love, and appreciation is organized by the community in which they merrily remind themselves, several times a year, of the importance of practicing the values they hold dear.
According to Dr. Heide Goettner-Abendroth, founder of the field of Modern Matriarchal Studies, the meaning of matriarchal rituals and their symbolism
“is always directed towards healing and sanctification. This has made it clear that matriarchal spirituality and magic cannot be separated. Magic in ritual, in ceremony, in song and in dance is the practical exercise of this practice of spirituality, and this is what constitutes the magical worldview. The magical worldview is based on the reciprocal relationships between all forces, phenomena, and beings in the intimate interconnectedness of the entire world. Moreover, this interconnectedness is consciously and actively reinforced by human actions.” (translated from German)
Thus, the magical ethos should not be mistakenly understood as a delusion of simple-minded or ignorant peoples. Matriarchal magic is rather an affirmation of our agency as co-creators of our social reality and our world. Behavior in matriarchal societies is “respectful and careful in order to always maintain the balance: the balance of forces within the individual people, between people, in society as a whole, and between society and nature.”
As novice agents of a matriarchal worldview, we will come together in celebration to align with the seasonal ethos, and to cast ourselves as weavers of a wholesome, abundant, regenerative world that future generations will also have the opportunity to enjoy the bounty of.
At this early spring festival, or Spring Equinox, the presiding Goddess is the Great Huntress, Artemis in Greece and Diana in Rome—the wild and independent Amazon—who also protects birthing mothers and children. This is an opportunity to remember and celebrate the original meaning of “virgin”: wild, independent, strong young woman! Kore also returns from the underworld at this time, bringing joy and sprouts of vegetation. The temperament of this festive season is cheerful, pure, and wildly alive.
Source: Goettner-Abendroth, Heide, 2023. Symbolik von Erde und Kosmos: Matriarchale Mysterienfeste, Tarotkarten, Astrologie. Rüsselsheim: Christel Göttert Verlag. (unpublished translated copy for Goettner-Abendroth’s English-speaking students of the Matriarchal Mystery Festivals)
Preparations (your to-do list)
Immerse yourself
- What magic are you observing in the natural world at this time?
- What colors, shapes, sounds, scents, tastes, and sensations is Mother Earth revealing to us?
- What does She need from us in this season? In what ways is she beckoning us to behave?
Also,
- What magic are you experiencing in your life?
- How is the ever-giving regenerative force of Mother Nature a resource and inspiration for you at this time of the year?
- How do you practice the art of birthing, regenerating, and tending life?
- How do you give thanks to Mother Earth, symbolically or practically?
Your offering:
Please prepare a short ritual, song, dance, poem, story, gift, or something else to share with the circle (5-7 minutes max) that invokes the blessings and the ethos of early spring. (Don’t stress about it – be you, be creative, delight in nature and the Goddess, and have fun!!)
What to bring:
Items from nature (sticks, shells, branches, flowers, stones, etc.) to contribute to a central mandala that we will create together upon arrival. White flowers to represent the purity of new life, and yellow ribbons to adorn the space, symbolic of the rising sun, if you have them. All colors and expressions of spring’s budding abundance are welcome! Other items you may like to offer for our altar/mandala are a symbolic bow and arrow (carried by the huntress), crocuses, symbols of the waxing crescent moon, colored easter eggs, and depictions of the huntress and/or strong young girls.
What to wear:
Something white.
Agreements: Please review the Wisdom Circle Agreements before we gather. There will be an opportunity at the beginning of the circle to comment, ask questions, recommend changes or additions, or ask for anything you need to feel welcome in the circle.
Logistics:
Date: Saturday, March 21, 2026
Time: 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Place: Paleloni
Cost: Free/Donations Only
Food: Please bring a light and healthy dish to share.
Hostesses: Jennifer and Michelle
Please RSVP to councilformatriarchalarts@gmail.com
Welcome to the Women’s Wisdom Circle!