Priestesses of the Spiral Path

Join our Priestesses of the Spiral Path Women’s Circles here in Austin TX or online via zoom, for soulful sisterhood and a safe and sacred space to share your heart and speak your truth. Our circles are anchored in indigenous Irish spirituality, following the cyclic rhythm of the seasons in alignment with the Celtic Wheel of the Year. Under the guidance of the Irish Goddesses and attuned to the ancient sacred sites, we gather on the Wednesdays closest to the Celtic festivals – the holy days of the solstices, equinoxes and the cross-quarter days in between – to embody the transformational gifts of each season as we journey through them together on this ancient spiral path.

Our women’s circles are provided as a service to our community and run on a not-for-profit basis. All funds received cover the cost of venue rental, materials (e.g. ceremonial cacao, treats, fresh flowers etc.), and scholarship places for women who can’t afford the attendee fee. 10% of all our ticket sales are donated to Hometree, a native tree-planting charity in Co. Clare, dedicated to restoring our Irish temperate rainforests.

Brenda is a Moon Mná Celtic Women’s Circle Facilitator, a Shamanic Reiki Master, and a Journey of Young Women Mentor. She works with her own indigenous Irish tradition, guided by her Tuath Dé Danann (pronounced Too-ah Day Dan-ann) preCeltic mythic ancestors.

Autumn Equinox Circle

Wise Women Celebration with An Cailleach

The Autumn Equinox marks the halfway point between the Summer and Winter Solstices, and is a time of balanced light and dark. From this point onwards, we are entering a time of increased darkness and returning inward once more. This time of year is the domain of Irish Crone Goddess, An Cailleach. In circle, we’ll be gathering together to honor the wise women in our circle community, celebrating those who have passed through the Rite of Passage of Menopause, under the guidance of An Cailleach. I’ll be co-facilitating this special circle with wise woman, Heather Gatlin, who is writing a book centered on the ancient wisdom of An Cailleach, Herself.

We have the wonderful good fortune of having Brigid’s Cloak with us in circle this month, all the way from Ireland, to assist us in honoring those in our circle community who have passed through the Rite of Passage of Menopause. Brigid’s Cloak, pictured here, is part of a Kilkenny-based feminist themed community arts project called the Brat Bríde Project, where over 130 women contributed art and goddess energy to the creation of this powerful community cloak. Follow the cloak’s journey on IG @brat_bride and be part of its story by joining us in circle this September!

And we are super excited to announce our new Priestesses of the Spiral Path women’s circle venue at the Whole Life Learning Center. WLLC is an independent school, permaculture site and community hub located on 1.6 acres of beautiful land in South Austin. Caroline Riley has kindly agreed for us to use her amazing 700 sq/ft geodesic dome for our gatherings, and we couldn’t be happier. Hopefully this is the start of a beautiful new phase for our cherished women’s circles. Come experience this sacred womb-like space for yourself this Autumn Equinox!

So come join us for this wise woman celebration, whether you have passed through the powerful portal of menopause already or not. Together we’ll sip ceremonial cacao, beat our drums, and honor the wild willful wise woman within us all!

Date: Wednesday, September 18th
Time: 6:45pm – 10pm (doors close at 7pm)
Location: Whole Life Learning Center, 10801 Old San Antonio Road, Austin TX 78748

We have 13 spaces available for this intimate circle, with an energy exchange of $30
Make sure and reserve your space today as this will be a popular circle!

Reserve Your Space

Items to bring: A cushion or blanket to sit on and comfortable clothing (as we’ll be sitting on the floor in circle); Journal and pen; Water.

Optional Extras: Drum, rattle or sacred noise-maker if you have one; Special items to place on our altar, especially those related to embracing your wise woman; Simple treat to share.

I have been trying to find the words of the experience of being in circle, and the word that keeps coming to mind is simply “magical.” Of course, now that I’ve written that, there is a flood of other words: empowering, connected, free, comforting, beautiful… It was truly wonderful, and I am so grateful to you for all that you have invested in your own spiritual path and expansion to be able to hold such a welcoming and transformative space for others. Thank you

Heather – Austin, March 2023

Our circles have allowed me to stay connected in a powerful way here in Austin. Having and then leaving a strong spiritual community in Maui was very difficult for me; having these circles has enabled me to continue to dive deep with others and myself. I truly appreciate this space and honor the land, the people and the entire process. So much gratitude!
Rebekah – Austin, October 2022

I feel so free and happy today. I have such deep gratitude for the courage that came out of our circle and for Brenda for bringing us together and giving me the opportunity to release my fear. You have literally changed my life. With deep gratitude.
Corinne – Austin, August 2022

Last night’s circle was a beautiful experience. It was deeply needed and showed me the path back to myself. You are truly gifted at holding space.
Tanzi – Austin, February 2022

Join Our Priestess FB Community

You are invited to join our Priestesses of the Spiral Path online community, as we traverse this sacred spiral path together, and share how working with our menstrual cycle, the cycle of the seasons, and the cycles of our lives, including the powerful female archetypes, can transform our relationship with ourselves and the world around us.

*Photo by Amy-Michele Meyers at TreeGarden, Austin Texas*

Join Priestess FB Group

for the latest circle updates plus some of my favorite women’s empowerment resources

I publish my Heart Space Newsletter every 6 weeks, in line with the Irish Celtic Wheel of the Year!

*5000 Year Old Sacred Site of Newgrange, Co. Meath, Ireland*

The Celtic Wheel of the Year

Our Priestesses of the Spiral Path circles follow the cyclic rhythm of the seasons in alignment with the Celtic Wheel of the Year. Here’s an illustration of the Irish Celtic Wheel of the Year – the second rung in from the outside with Celtic festivals highlighted – nestled within the broader context of my Celtic Wheel of Life.

Celtic Wheel of Life 2.0 (Priestess Web) by Brenda Ryan

Each circle theme throughout the year is aligned directly with the Celtic seasonal festival, under the guidance of the powerful Irish Goddesses, and anchored in a sense of place within the ancient Irish landscape. Here’s a glimpse at our spiral path for the year ahead …

Spring Priestess Circles: The Renewing Waters of Rebirth & Growth

Imbolg (pronounced Im-bullug), at the beginning of February, translated from Irish as the “in my belly”, marks the start of the Spring season, ushered in by powerful preCeltic Goddess Brigid. Together we will gather in the energy of Brigid’s Fire Temple as she awakens us from our Winter slumber and sets us blazing forth on the path of rebirth and new growth. As Goddess too of the holy wells, we’ll co-create, under Brigid’s guidance, sacred water which we’ll use to bless our dream seeds for the coming year, as we boldly step forward into the emerging season of Spring and all of its wild possibilities.

The Spring Equinox, between March 20th – 22nd, is the midway point between the Winter and Summer Solstice, with days of equal light and dark. It is a time of growth, exploration, and playfulness represented by the archetype of the Maiden and the element of water. This is an ideal time to tend to the wisdom wells and emotional rivers of our inner child / maiden selves, working with themes such as sovereignty, self-compassion, and reclaiming our first blood rite of passage.

Summer Priestess Circles: The Fertile Fields of Creativity & Expression

Bealtaine (pronounced Be-owl-tin-eh), at the start of May, translated from Irish as the “Mouth of Fire”, marks the start of the Summer season. Similar to its opposite festival, Samhain, the veil between this world and the other are thin, making it an auspicious time to connect with our own magic. Traditionally Bealtaine is a time of great merriment, with celebration centred on fertility and sexuality. As we prepare to enter the full blossoming of this fiery season, this is an ideal time to work with the faerie realm (including Síle na Gig) on themes such as sacred embodiment and reclaiming our yoni power.

With the longest day and the shortest night, the Summer Solstice, between June 20th – 22nd, marks the peak of light in our year. It is our time to shine, like solar and lunar Goddess Áine. She is associated with the magnificent Grange Circle in Co. Limerick: ancient stones aligned to the rising sun of the Summer Solstice. Under Áine’s radiant guidance, we will gather in circle too, embodying the light of our own inner goddess and voicing our truth, power and what we are bringing into creation at this time of peak fertility.

Autumn Priestess Circles: The Wild Lands of Reflection & Release

Lughnasa (pronounced Lu-na-sa), at the start of August, marks the start of the harvest and our entrance into the Autumn season. This is a time of reflection and thanksgiving, where we reflect on the fruits of our own internal and external harvest so far this year, and give thanks for our journey so far along the Celtic Wheel of the Year and the Celtic Wheel of Life. Together we’ll co-create a beautiful nature mandala to offer back to the land in gratitude and reverence.

The Autumn Equinox, between September 20th – 22nd, marks the halfway point between both Solstices, and a time of balanced light and dark. From this point, we are entering a time of increased darkness and returning inward once more. The trees are shedding their leaves, and the wild winds of release are shaking loose anything that doesn’t serve us. In circle we’ll gather under the wise Crone energy of An Cailleach and co-create a Burla Ghuí – a prayer bundle of items we wish to release, so we’re ready to journey forth unencumbered, into the dark shamanic womb of the Winter season.

Winter Priestess Circles: The Shamanic Cave of Surrender & Dreaming

Samhain (pronounced Sah-win), on October 31st, marks the death of the old Celtic year and the beginning of the Winter season. It is a mystical time of transition, when the veils are thinnest between the worlds, making it a powerful window to connect with our ancestors and seek guidance from the Otherworld. Samhain heralds a period of descent into the darkness to shed, surrender and rest into the fertile void. In circle we will go on a shamanic drum journey to meet the Dark Mother, The Mórrígan, or crow Goddess, in her cave at Oweynagat, Co. Roscommon. What message does the Dark Mother hold for you during this liminal time of shadow?

In the depths of mid-Winter, on the shortest day of the year, the rays of the rising sun shine into the 5200 year old passage chamber of Newgrange in Co. Meath. The Winter Solstice, between December 20th – 22nd, is a time of shamanic dreaming, visioning and receiving inner guidance for the year ahead. Being held by the energy of the ancient womb of Newgrange, we will journey to the energetic cauldron of our own sacred womb space and receive insight for our onward journey.

Circle Love

The woman’s circle and the TreeGarden are one of the precious jewels I have found since moving to Austin. I am so grateful to be able to spend sacred time in circle in such a beautiful location. These gatherings have helped keep me grounded, helped me work through craziness, helped me say hard things out loud. Beyond grateful.
Katie – Austin, October 2022

Thanks Brenda for a very warm, honest and healing circle experience.
Michelle – Ireland, June 2022

This was such an incredible gathering of goddess energy. Thank you for holding space for all of it.
Soul Sister – Austin, April 2022

Agreements

When we gather in circle together, we agree to the following:

We honor this Heart Space Circle as being a sacred space
We agree that everything shared in this space is confidential
We hold a space of non-judgement, unconditional love + acceptance for each other
We do not interrupt when a sister is sharing + there is no fixing, feedback or commenting
We speak from our heart when it is our time to share + listen from our heart while another is sharing
We allow everyone to be exactly where they are, knowing they are the best person to help themselves
We hold each other as being fully whole + understand that each sister is where she needs to be
We acknowledge that we bring whatever we carry into the circle + we alone have responsibility for it

Inclusivity

Our circle rituals and themes are based on Irish Celtic and preCeltic wisdom, but you do not need to have any Irish or Celtic ancestry in order to connect with these circles. I work within my own lineage so as to hold sacred space in full integrity. The themes we work with are universal, and all wisdom teachings of the world are honored in this sacred space. Our events are for cis and trans women, as well as non-binary people who are comfortable in a space that centers on the experiences of women.

Format & Ritual

Sacred Space

We sit in a circle surrounding a beautiful central altar space. Offerings from the sacred elements of Earth, Water, Fire and Air are laid out to represent the wheel of the year (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall), the cycle of the moon (New Moon, Waxing Moon, Full Moon, Waning Moon), the rhythm of our menstrual cycle (Menstruation, Pre-ovulation, Ovulation, Pre-menstruation), and the cycle of life (Death, Birth, Maturity, Old Age). Our altar offers us an inspiring and sacred space to gather around, knowing we are held by all that is beyond us and within us, allowing us to rest and just be ourselves.

We sit to be heard. To speak without being judged. To share our stories without having to make an articulate point.

We sit to listen. To rekindle the ancient art of listening with open hearts. To know other women on a heart to heart level.

We sit to spill tears and laughter, and to hold on to a strong thread of silent solidarity.
Lucy Aitkenread, Moon Circle

Ceremonial Cacao

After opening our sacred circle, we take a few moments to anchor into our heart space. With our eyes closed we drop deep into our heart, allowing the healing vibrations of the crystal singing bowl to wash over us. Together we’ll practice heart space breathing, to bring us back to a state of inner balance, calm and clarity. After our meditation we’ll share some warm ceremonial cacao together before starting our talking circle. Our cacao, Ruk’u’x Ulew (meaning “Heart of the Earth”) is sourced from a 100% Mayan-owned women’s collective in Guatemala.

Talking Circle

Using the tradition of the talking stick, we move sunwise around the circle, each sister sharing one at a time. When holding our Spiral Goddess talking piece, it is a time to look within and share from the heart, while everyone else gives their full attention. There are no interruptions, no advice, and no commenting or fixing. It’s a time for sharing and being heard deeply. In a women’s Irish Celtic circle, traditionally we say “Is éa” (pronounced “Ish Ahh”) when we are finished speaking. This is Irish for “Yes” or “It is”, meaning “Yes, it is so. I have spoken.” Then the group echo back “Is éa” meaning “Yes, it is so. We have heard you.”

Solidarity is identifying with one another without feeling like you have to agree on every issue. It’s unity, not uniformity. It’s listening without rushing in to fix the problem. It’s going deeper than typical ways of talking and sharing – going down to the place where souls meet and love comes, where separateness drops away and you know these women because you are these women.
Sue Monk Kidd

A little more about our talking piece: “This Spiral Goddess was designed by sculptor Abby Willowroot in conjunction with the Goddess 2000 Project. From deepest Prehistory onwards, the spiral has symbolized dynamism, fertility and the vital magic of life. Here the Goddess raises her arms, invoking the spiral-power within Her. On the reverse, her arms are joined in the “drawing down the moon” gesture. A leafless tree represents the Goddess rooted in the Earth, swelling toward regeneration while bathed in the glow of waxing, full, and waning moons.” – Abby Willowroot, Sacred Source

Ceremonies

Throughout the year we’ll co-create various rituals and ceremonies depending on the Celtic festival we are celebrating and the themes involved. At TreeGarden we love to gather around our fire pit and dance, sing, drum, or release what doesn’t serve us into the flames (sacred wolf howls to the moon optional and encouraged!).

We do spiritual ceremonies as human beings in order to create a safe resting place for our most complicated feelings of joy or trauma, so that we don’t have to haul those feelings around with us forever, weighing us down. We all need such places of ritual safekeeping.
Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

Drum Journeys

Journeying or ‘Imramma’ is a traditional Celtic and preCeltic way to connect with your spiritual guidance. With eyes closed, following spoken guidance and a primal rhythmic drum beat, we will travel to our own inner world to receive messages and gain personal insight. As Priestesses of the Spiral Path, we’ll journey mostly during the Winter months, when we’re called to go inwards meet our shadow and source wisdom from the depths of our being.

There comes a point in each of our lives when we face a choice. Will we stay as we are, embracing the pale shadow of womanhood permitted us by the patriarchy? Or will we sink deep into the heart of the bog, and find out what it is to reclaim our creative power as women?
Sharon Blackie, If Women Rose Rooted

Oracle Card Shares

In many ways, oracle cards were my first introduction to the world of spirituality, providing a beautiful and inspiring way to look deeper inside myself. I will have my own collection of card decks available to share (see “Further Resources” section below), and you are welcome to bring your own too. We’ll set aside time towards the end of our circle to receive some oracle card guidance while we enjoy some treats!

Circle Love

Thank you Brenda for holding such a container, to allow the magic of our spirits to manifest, and for our voices to be heard and held. I feel Light, and delight today, after an evening well, well, spent.
Oriane – Austin, May 2022

I loved this so much. I felt like it breathed new life into me, and cleared away the cobwebs. Your clearing and fire blessing have worked wonders and I definitely feel like I gained the clarity I was seeking. It was wonderful meeting true soul sisters too.
Ruth – Ireland, February 2022

Thank you, Brenda! Last night was beautiful and just what my heart needed. You put together such a meaningful experience with thought and intention into each detail.
Tanzi – Austin, October 2021

Sisterhood

Hi! My name is Brenda. If you don’t know me, I’m an Irish girl living in Austin, Texas since 2012. I feel so lucky that my life has been one of sweet sisterhood. I am one of 3 sisters (I’m on the left in the photo), and have many more beautiful soul sisters all around the world. Being surrounded by girls and women has deeply enriched my life. This sisterhood is a profound gift I wish to share with others.

I have gathered with women in many spiritual circles since living in the US, including the Women’s Shamanic Wisdom Circle and Shamanic Reiki circles here in Austin. Wishing to have the same experience of gathering in sacred space with my 2 sisters in Ireland, we started our own private online new moon circle in December 2020. During that first circle, we realized that we were each eager to learn more about our own Irish Celtic wisdom tradition, and what it can offer us in our modern lives. Within weeks we’d found the community of Moon Mná (“Mná”, pronounced ‘men-aww’, is Irish for women), and I started their online Women’s Celtic Circles facilitator course. As sisters, we gathered in virtual circle under the guidance of these beautiful Moon Mná themes, working with the Divine Feminine in the form of the powerful Irish Goddesses, and sharing ceremonies and rites of passage together.

After receiving the Moon Mná Mother Rites of Danu in June of 2021, I knew it was time to offer these circles to the wider world. Under the powerful guidance of Irish Earth Mother Danu, I have been facilitating women’s circles in the enchanting land of TreeGarden in east Austin since the Summer of 2021, and publicly online since the beginning of 2022.

Part of my life’s mission is the calling forth of my own Divine Feminine into this world, and to facilitate the greater birthing and flourishing of this divine principle on the planet. If I am an ancestor of the future, then I wish to leave behind a world of sacred circles where there was before just unmet lines; a world where the feminine principle in us all is deeply honored and reverently celebrated; and a world where people live more deeply and fully from their heart space – at one with nature and all life.
Brenda Ryan

Visit my About page for more information about me and my mission!

Revolution

Women’s circles are an act of revolution! In the words of Lauren and Shaina from The Global Sisterhood, “In a woman’s circle, we move from the paradigm of “Power Over” (which leads to dominance, greed, oppression, desperation, and manipulation) to the “Power With” paradigm. The “Power With” paradigm is all about consent, integrity, collaboration, and respect. In a circle, we heal from the belief that one person is better or less than another. We move away from hierarchical structures and create cultures of consent and creative collaboration.”

When women come together and make a commitment to each other to be in a circle with a spiritual center, they are creating a vessel of healing and transformation for themselves, and a vehicle for change in their world.
Jean Shinoda Bolen, The Millionth Circle

Circle Love

This place has healed me and I know I will have further healing with my Soul Sisters.
Amy-Michele – Austin, October 2022

I had such a wonderful evening with you and fellow sisters. It felt so incredibly special and magical.
Kelsey – Austin, April 2022

Thank you very much for a beautiful circle. Sitting in circle with women from all around the world and different ages was so inspiring. I can’t wait for the next one.
Nikky – Canada, February 2022

Reading & Resources

Divine Feminine Library

Awakening Shakti: The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga, Sally Kempton (Sounds True, 2013)

Code Red: Know Your Flow, Unlock Your Monthly Superpowers, and Create a Bloody Amazing Life, Lisa Lister (Hay House UK, 2020)

Fierce Self-Compassion: How Woman Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power, and Thrive, Kristin Neff, PH.D (Harper Wave, 2021)

Gaia Codex: A Novel and Ancient Wisdom Text Revealed, Sarah Drew (Metamuse Media, 2014)

Goddesses of Ireland: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Women, Dr. Karen Ward and Bernie Sexton (Acrobat Design & Publishing, Dublin, 2021)

Hagitude: Reimagining the Second Half of Life, Sharon Blackie (New World Library, 2022)

Her Blood is Gold: Awakening to the Wisdom of Menstruation, Lara Owen (Archive Publishing UK, 2008)

If Women Rose Rooted: A Journey to Authenticity and Belonging, Sharon Blackie (September Publishing, 2016)

Love Warrior: A Memoir, Glennon Doyle (Flatiron Books, 2016)

Mary Magdalene Revealed: The First Apostle, Her Feminist Gospel & the Christianity We Haven’t Tried Yet, Meggan Watterson (Hay House Inc., 2019)

Moon Circle: Rediscover Wildness, Intuition and Sisterhood, Lucy Aitkenread (Independently published, 2018)

Outrageous Openness: Letting the Divine Take the Lead, Tosha Silver (Simon & Schuster, 2011)

Rise Sister Rise: A Guide to Unleashing the Wise, Wild Woman Within, Rebecca Campbell (Hay House Inc., 2016)

The Dance of the Dissident Daughter: A Woman’s Journey from Christian Tradition to the Sacred Feminine, Sue Monk Kidd (HarperOne, 1996)

The Dream of the Cosmos: A Quest for the Soul, Anne Baring (Archive Publishing UK, 2019)

The Gospel of the Beloved Companion: The Complete Gospel of Mary Magdalene, Jehanne De Quillan (Editions Athara, 2010)

The Great Cosmic Mother: Rediscovering the Religion of the Earth, Barbara Mor and Monica Sjoo (Harper One, 1987)

The Heroine’s Journey: Woman’s Quest for Wholeness, Maureen Murdock (Shambhala, 1990)

The Millionth Circle: How to Change Ourselves and The World, Jean Shinoda Bolen (Conari Press, 1999)

The Multi-Orgasmic Woman: Sexual Secrets Every Woman Should Know, Mantak Chia and Rachel Carlton Abrams (Harper Collins, 2010)

The Red Tent, Anita Diamant (Wyatt Books for St. Martin’s Press, 1997)

The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Goddess, Starhawk (HarperOne, 1979)

The Wisdom of Menopause: Creating Physical and Emotional Health During the Change, Christiane Northrup, M.D. (Bantam, 2012)

Warrior Goddess Training: Become the Woman You Are Meant to Be, HeatherAsh Amara (Hierophant Publishing, 2014)

When God was a Woman: The Landmark Exploration of the Ancient Worship of the Great Goddess and the Eventual Suppression of Women’s Rites, Merlin Stone (Mariner Books, 1976)

Wild Power: Discover the Magic of Your Menstrual Cycle and Awaken the Feminine Path to Power, Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer (Hay House UK, 2017)

Wise Power: Discover the Liberating Power of Menopause to Awaken Authority, Purpose and Belonging, Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer (Hay House UK, 2022)

Womb Awakening: Initiatory Wisdom from the Creatrix of All Life, Azra Bertrand and Seren Bertrand (Bear & Company, 2017)

Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing, Christiane Northrup, M.D. (Bantam 2020)

Women Who Run With The Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype, Clarissa Pinkola Estes (Ballantine Books, 1996)