connect with helping spirits in a circle of women
have magical adventures & belong in community
join us at the next circle orientation: thursday july 27, 2023
our community
ancient civilizations. the web of life. the goddess. star realms. folklore. sacred art. tarot. energy healing. myth and legend. dragons. cat deities. herblore. labyrinths. divination. the mystery. did your ears perk up?
…I hope so! these are the kinds of themes we explore together, in the magic circle.
the magic circle is based in 3 main ideas:
- everything is alive, has spirit, and wants to communicate
- everyone can learn how to talk with compassionate helping spirits
- regular spiritual practice in community brings hope, belonging, and healing
we are a community of magical, sensitive, and kind women who literally can’t get enough of connecting with our helping spirits and the wide and wonderful world of woo, delighting in the company of other kindred spirits, receiving and sharing healings, and delving into the joyful mysteries and intricacies of the spirit world…
we never stopped believing in magic and magical realms (and we don’t want to). welcome home!
there is a rich and hidden spirit world waiting to welcome you, and a sweet community of women. if your heart yearns to be living a deeply magical life in union with the spirit world, embracing and celebrating your sensitivities and unique personal magics to the utmost, nourishing and taking gentle care of yourself, and connecting with other loving, kind, well folks who also love magical realms and the mystery…
this circle is a simple and marvelous way to keep magic alive in your life, connect with spirit, and be in community over the course of a year.
intention
if your modern human life feels like it doesn’t leave room for magic, know this: magic is real, and it wants to support you. this sweet and alchemical circle roots magic in your life in a regular way, so you can let go of hustle and hurry, and feel carried and loved.
when we approach with open hearts and curiosity, receive healing, work with the loving spirit world, honor our heart’s call to connect with the mystery, and gather with kind community in a regular way…the mystery answers us back. and it’s amazing!
to ensure a smooth and strong experience in circle, we arrive with these things in common:
- THE CALL: you’re insatiably called to work with magical realms, spirit, and sacred play. you crave connecting with like-minded sisters in community who love the mystery as much as you do. as a sensitive, empathic, and gifted one (especially in our turbulent times), you can sense that bridging human and spirit worlds is vital for you and the web of life. you might have lost sight of your spirit practice a bit, or yearn to develop one.
- LOVINGKINDNESS: lovingkindness, compassion, and gentleness are the stars you steer by, and you’re willing to uphold strong agreements to honor everyone (including yourself) in circle at all times. agreements are in the FAQ below, and they allow us relax into community in a nourishing, gentle way. we are kind and tender, and we have good boundaries.
- JOURNEY SKILLS: you’re able to journey to the rhythmic beat of a drum and have direct, personal experiences with your helpers in the spirit world. if journeying is new to you, no problem. before circle, I’ll send you a beautiful home-study course that covers the basics of journeying, so you can arrive at circle well prepared. you can expect the course to take about a half hour.
simple & sweet
FIRST TUESDAYS, LIVE CIRCLES VIA ZOOM: participate from wherever you are planetside. we gather from 5:30pm-7:00pmPT., and meditate, call in loving spirit helpers, receive a teaching, and take a direct journey to our helping spirits with live drumming on the topics listed below. we share what we received directly from spirit together (so marvelous!), receive a blessing, and close. this is a lovely way to begin the month, and provides a regular touchstone for community and spirit in your life.
THIRD TUESDAYS, SELF-PACED ACTIVATIONS: we dip our toes back into cosmic waters two weeks after the live gathering, to maintain connection to our work in a self-paced, easy way. you’ll receive a channeled, recorded activation via email, about 10-15 minutes long. each activation is juicy and potent, takes you on magical adventures, delivers healing, and shifts energy around challenges or obstacles.
LIVING PRAYER BOWLS: a lovely part of our circle is the living prayer bowls – we each maintain one on our altars, and anyone in circle can offer short personal prayers (five words or less), which are tended and blessed by our helping spirits. these are really sweet and fun to tend. think: modern priestessing in a gentle way.
PRIVATE GOOGLE GROUP: the dreaming otter doesn’t engage social media (a form of quiet activism and self-care), so community members can connect via our private google group to build friendships, or practice working with spirit guides together.
the adventures
we explore a different theme at each circle, by working directly with the spirit world and sharing our experiences. we meet from 5:30pm-7pmPT on second tuesdays for each date below.
the circle opens to newcomers every 4 months, and everyone attends a required orientation to get a sense of the circle before committing for a year.
if you decide to join us at the next orientation, here are our intended upcoming themes – some may change depending on special guests, spirit guidance, or the energies of the moment:
- tues aug 1, 2023: goddess talismans
create a power object for healing and power, materials required, easy-to-follow PDF provided - tues sept 5, 2023: altar building
recalibrate (or create) your altar (or travel altar) as a hub for alchemical work, journey to it’s heart - tues oct 3, 2023: reiki for a day
whether attuned to reiki or not, receive a temporary or refresher attunement for circle, channel healing - tues nov 7, 2023: the goddess temple
visit the temple of the goddess, the Great Her, meet one of her many faces, receive a healing - tues dec 5, 2023: herblore
address a specific need in your life, meet a plant who can help you with it, walk together for a month - tues jan 2, 2024: ancient civilizations
visit lemuria, mu, atlantis, egypt, babylon, avalon, shangrila, bring back a helping technology - tues feb 6, 2024: overcoming obstacles
work with several deities to dismantle obstacles, by learning the lesson swiftly and receiving blessings - tues mar 5, 2024: the mystery of the labyrinth
journey to the keeper of the labyrinth, walk a finger labyrinth in circle, then go walk one in 3D - tues apr 2, 2024: for the love of bast
journey to the temple of the cat goddess in ancient egypt, receive the blessing of the felines - tues may 7, 2024: dragons, dragons, dragons
safe passage into the dragon realms, work with the dragon mother, meet your dragon helper - tues jun 4, 2024: making medicine keys
learn how to craft medicine keys. these are like ‘spiritual apps’ that launch specific support at need - tues jul 2, 2024: mending your energy field
work with spirit helpers to mend and tend your energetic body, repel what isn’t aligned with you
frequently asked questions
here’s are some frequently asked questions about the circle:
‘the light touch’
some women will come to the monthly zoom circle, feel nourished, have a touchstone for ongoing spiritual practice, and that will feel great. expect 1.5 hours a month
‘nourishment’
some women will come to the monthly zoom circle, listen to the mid-month channeled healing at their own pace (delivered via email), and that will feel lovely. expect 1.75 hours a month
‘the deep dive’
some women will come to the monthly zoom circle, listen to the mid-month channeled healing, tend prayers as they arrive, and schedule a call with a woman from circle for fun, 3 hours a month
it’s really up to you, and what feels nourishing for your heart. life being life, there is usually ebb and flow in circle. if your plate is full, this circle is a touchstone. if you have spaciousness, it becomes a hub in your life of goodness. welcome!
I’m a sensitive, empathic, shy, starseed myself, and totally get how zoom circles can feel flat or too long (ergo our biobreak), and feeling a little bit nervous about showing up is completely normal. after all, we’re sensitive and empathic, and it’s important that we feel safe (ergo our agreements). you might wonder, who will be there? will they like me? will I be able to ‘do it right?’ will I make friends?
big, warm hug to you. I get it. I’ve been leading circles, groups, retreats, and workshops since 2004, and my spaceholding style allows for a strong, safe container and also mutual gentleness and compassion. we’ll giggle, we’ll laugh, we’ll cry, we’ll share, we’ll sip tea, we’ll marvel at the mystery, and let the divine hold us. if you have any questions, please please let me know – I’m here for you.
that said, if you have a hard time accepting your own direct experience after successfully journeying with your helping spirits or feel like working with spirit is ‘too woo for you,’ another container is probably a better fit for you. there’s no need to believe in anything…but there is a need to trust your own experience, intuition, and the wisdom you receive from your helping spirits and the mystery. curiosity and an open heart are key here, as is a strong and real desire to show up in true kindness and generosity.
the journeying course is practical, efficient, and short – this is intended to give you skillful access to working directly with your helping spirits so you can engage in circle and let your world open to magic. the course itself is a really beautiful 15-page PDF, and includes drumming tracks for practice. you’ll be provided with several ‘seed journeys’ to begin exploring before circle (these are super fun!).
it can take a time or three to ‘get the hang of it’ – don’t worry if you need to practice at different times of day, or with different ‘journey seeds.’ I’d set aside about a half hour to receive the teachings and take a short practice journey, and maybe 15 minutes or so for a couple mini practice sessions here and there before the magic circle begins. essentially, you want to be able to take a successful journey, connect with your helping spirits directly, and bring back a beautiful story from your journeys.
journeying is wonderful, and so is sharing the wisdom we receive directly from the divine. I’m excited for you to begin!
in the unseen, magical realms, we can connect with goddesses or gods, elemental beings and nature devas, ascended healing masters, mythic or archetypal beings, bright and well ancestors, animal beings, or personal guides. the list is pretty endless – think, ‘everything is alive, has sentience, and wants to communicate.’ once you learn how to talk with your compassionate helping spirits (and you have lots of them, even if you haven’t met them yet), you can journey any time and ask for guidance, insight, counsel, and healing on any situation in your life.
the beauty of this approach is that you are having a direct experience with your concept of the divine, with no one to direct or interpret what you yourself experience. you are connecting with the sacred directly, in your own way.
if you’re new to journeying and working with helping spirits, the home-study course included in your materials for the welcome circle will lead you through with ease. I’ve been teaching folks how to journey with spirit since 2004, and make the process easy. as working with helping spirits and the unseen worlds is part of our collective human heritage, we’re not so much learning how to connect with the web of life, but are instead remembering.
I love this work, and have dedicated my life to it. if you have any questions, please reach out and let me know. I’m here!
if you’re feeling like your life is in pretty good flow, resources are available, and you have a curiosity or call to engage your spirit guides and the mystery with other women who truly value kindness and being gentle with each other, this is probably a superb fit for you. this circle is meant to be a regular touchstone for you in a relatively smooth chapter of your life, so you can give and receive lovingkindness.
if you’re in the middle of an intense time in your life, moving through immense grief, loss, or hardship, or feel like your life is falling apart, this circle is not an appropriate container. I say that with a lot of love, and understand how we can crave kindness when we’re hurting. that said, this space is for gentle exploration, and as with all group offerings at the dreaming otter, robust personal healing is best tended to in individual sessions where you can get the support you need.
that said, I honor that our needs change over time, life comes up, and resonances can evolve. if life arises, or your needs change and you can’t attend circle, you’re still responsible for paying for the circle in full for one year. if for some reason you can’t continue to attend circle, you can email me and I’ll put your monthly tuition into a scholarship fund to help folks who need healing and are experiencing financial challenge.
- embody a standard of highest integrity, rooted in lovingkindness, gentleness, and respect at all times
- embody patience and generosity with each other, with tech hiccups, and with individual and shared experiences that come up
- attend every scheduled live zoom circle meeting for one year, to the best of my ability, and log onto each zoom call 10 minutes early
- show up sober, well-groomed, prepared, and fully present to honor the circle, and stay present by never checking email, phone, or other media while we meet
- pay the entire circle tuition of $1,333, paid in monthly installments of $111, whether or not I attend circle
- purchase materials needed for circle (if any), and also have on hand what is needed for my physical comfort
- honor that anna may extend the circle if she is unable to lead on a scheduled date, or cancel the training if a significant life event occurs. in the case of cancellation, no further monthly payments will be collected
- work with peaceful, nonviolent conflict resolution in the unlikely event of that occurring, and honor that it may take time to set up a mediated support space outside of circle with anna
- honor that anna has zero tolerance for intentional violence, unkind words, or aggressive acts towards anyone in circle. should that occur, the aggressor will be removed immediately from circle, and pay tuition in full
- hold personal shares in circle as confidential information, also understanding that anna may consult colleagues about individual shares if needed
- use the google group only to share personal prayers (5 words or less), receive information from anna, post your contact information if you wish to, and never to promote outside agendas, events, advertise, etc. women who choose to share contact information in the google group are encouarged to connect with others in circle, to build friendships and be in practice.
- honor that anna does not offer refunds, and reserves the right to refuse service at any time, for any reason
- if I feel I need individual support outside of the circle container, I will book a paid session with anna to support myself
- honor that I am responsible for my own experience
everything we do in the magic circle is a small taste of some of the ingredients that go into the magical life offering, deep and ongoing one-on-one work that weaves healing, coaching, strong structure, and mentoring to root magic in your life.
this community circle is a good way to welcome ‘magical life’ ideas and practices into your life in a regular, nourishing way.
in the magic circle, we’ll anchor things like regular spiritual practice, support structures like altars and consistent nourishment exercises, engaging community through witnessing and sharing, energetic support via collective prayer, receiving at least two healings a month directly from your helping spirits, and adding beautiful magics like labyrinth walks, talisman creation, month-long support practices, and ceremony seeds you create directly with your own helping spirits to move energy in your world.
the result? like anything else you pour your time, love, effort, and tending to…sweetness will root, grow, and bear fruit. in this case, kindness, connection with spirit, and community.
joining circle
the year-long circle opens to newcomers every 4 months, and you can join us by attending the (required) orientation. this helps you meet me and some of the women in circle, journey with your helping spirits for healing, and gives you a taste of the magic. you’ll have a sense of how it feels to engage the mystery with other magical women who delight in play, wonder, community, and spirit. you can sign up for the welcome circle, below.
if you decide to join the magic circle, the card you use for the orientation will be charged $111 a month for one year starting at our first monthly circle gathering. when you join circle, you agree to purchase the entire year of circle, $1,333, paid in monthly installments. if life events arise that keep you from attending (blessings), you’re still responsible to complete payment in full, and your unused funds will contribute to the helping hand scholarship, which allows me to offer sessions to folks in financial need as my time and energy allow.
lived experience
‘the monthly circles were a lifesaver for me. I deepened in my own spiritual practice so much, and the women! we’re all so amazing in our own ways, and I never imagined being able to find a place where we all supported each other in being so gentle and kind, and explore in the spirit worlds. my world feels more full of magic now.’ ~ suzanne, ashland
‘I was accepted here. usually, I have to spend all this time explaining what I need to take care of myself, and people don’t ‘get me.’ in circle, I was embraced and loved just for being me, with other women who wanted nothing more than to be kind and connect with open hearts. this circle is magic, and I feel blessed.’ ~ deborah, austin
‘I’ve always been in love with myths and fairytales, and it’s been so cool to learn how to communicate with archetypes I spent my whole life reading about. I belong in community with other kindhearted people, and there’s a whole realm of magic and wonder that I can be part of now. this changed my life, and I like how I’m living these days.’ ~ joy, santa fe
‘circle is amazing. I know now who my spirit helpers are now, and they’re a really big part of my life. I made two wonderful friends, and feel such sisterhood with the other women. I’m so grateful. anna is a really kind, skilled guide (and she’s funny!) – I can’t recommend this circle enough.’ ~melody, san diego