Gather: A Celebration of Women's Circles

Gather traces the history and contemporary practice of women’s circles. Over sixty contributors share their wisdom through poetry, prose, and artwork to reflect on what women’s circles are and why they matter. This diverse and inclusive compendium of contemporary women’s wisdom is bound to become a much-loved handbook, providing inspiration, wisdom, and practical guidance. Women’s circles have played an important part in women’s cultural history—from sewing circles to the consciousness raising groups of the 1970s and ancient and modern red tents for menstruating women.

Opening with an introduction by Womancraft Publishing founder Lucy H. Pearce, who compiled the anthology, Gather traces the history and contemporary practice of women’s circles. Over sixty contributors—authors, activists, artists, community builders, priestesses, mothers, and grandmothers—ranging in age from fourteen to over seventy share their wisdom on what women’s circles are and why they matter, sharing reflections on best practice and inspiration on how to create your own. Includes contributions from elders in the women’s circle movement: ALisa Starkweather, founder of the Red Tent Temple movement; Jane Hardwicke Collings, School of Shamanic Womancraft; founders of the Red Tent Directory, Mary Ann Clements and Aisha Hannibal; and bestselling Womancraft authors Amy Wilding, Lucy H. Pearce, Carly Mountain, and Molly Remer, as well as the wider Womancraft community. Topics include: The importance of women’s circles for support, healing, and transformation Cultural appropriation and land recognition Leading and running sustainable circles Inclusion of women of color, neurodivergent women, and trans women Special circles, including those focused on girls (peer-led and mother-daughter circles), menopause, creativity, and more This diverse and inclusive compendium of contemporary women’s wisdom is bound to become a much-loved handbook for women starting and running their own circles, providing inspiration, wisdom, and practical guidance from the Womancraft community. Contributors include ALisa Starkweather, Jane Hardwicke Collings, Mary Ann Clements, Aisha Hannibal, Amy Wilding, Carly Mountain, and Molly Remer

Author Biography

Womancraft Publishing was founded on the revolutionary vision that women and words can change the world. We act as midwife to transformational women’s words that have the power to challenge, inspire, heal, and speak to the silenced aspects of ourselves.

We share powerful new voices with new visionary ideas, empowering our readers to actively cocreate cultures that value and support the female and feminine. Womancraft Publishing was founded in 2014 by bestselling author Lucy H. Pearce. Some of our bestselling and award-winning titles include Burning Woman, Yoga for Witches, Kitchen Witch, Home to Her, and Descent & Rising.