What is Sacred Sister?
Not a WHAT but a WHO
SHE is ME, SHE is YOU, SHE is WE
Where it all began
Sacred Sister was created in the lockdown of 2020 — a time when women needed community, support, and healing. In this historic chapter of chaos, uncertainty, and stress in every household, we as women needed a safe space to gather and to just BE.
Created by Laura Ireland, inspired by her own journey with the sister wound, and the work it takes to learn how to feel safe and connect with women when we’ve been conditioned to mistrust each other.
It took bravery to stand up in this time of world change, but we put ourselves out there, we shared our vision, and 144 sisters gathered at our first event, the magic number, and we knew that there were countless others in this world, needing community too.
Our Sacred Mission
Sacred Sister brings women from all walks of life together to connect through their hearts, to learn how to speak and love openly, to heal deeply, and to embody their full potential.
When we engage with each other in safe and vulnerable spaces, we allow our true selves to be seen. The details of our day job, our home town, our education, our relationship status, our families, fall away and we are reminded that we are simply humans, women, who have a desire to be loved and understood, just as we are.
We believe that holding an unconditionally loving space for an individual in their process can be a completely transformative experience. When we are surrounded by unwavering love, support, genuine care, getting through our darkest moments feels possible.
We believe that each sister knows best how to walk her own path and we trust in the choices she makes for herself, through radical acceptance.
Our Vision For The World
We envision a world where the feminine and masculine, that exists separately and in all of us, can come together in vulnerability to witness, connect, and heal the divide.
Where people feel free to be themselves, to share what is in their open hearts, and to trust that they are supported and loved for it.
A world where gathering in circle is as commonplace as going to the gym. Where we feel safe to open our homes to those in need in our local areas, and share deep conversation, allowing the wounds of sisterhood to slowly heal.
Our Sacred Agreement
Our Sacred Agreement is more than just a set of guidelines; it is the foundation of the trust, respect, and love that bind us together. We have created this agreement to ensure that our space is safer, supportive, and nurturing for every sister who walks through our virtual doors or into a physical space with us.
Our Commitment to Inclusivity
At Sacred Sister, inclusivity, welcoming, non-judgment, and non-discrimination are at the heart of everything we do. We are dedicated to continually deepening our understanding and efforts around cultural diversity and inclusivity.
“I used to think it was enough that I hold everyone in the same respect and love, but I know now that this is not the case.”
Laura, Founder of Sacred Sister
We recognize that the cultural landscape is ever-changing, and we welcome any suggestions to make our community and the spaces we create more inclusive and diverse.
We assure you that every event we hold at Sacred Sister will always be inclusive of all women, honoring the spectrum of identities within womanhood. We welcome all women born female, socialized as female, and residing within a female body, including:
Maids, mothers, wise women, and crones
Cis women, gay women, straight women, bi women, and queer women
Women of colour and women who couldn’t care less
Sisters who identify as gay, bi, non-binary, and beyond, as long as they share in the physical experience of womanhood
Women who have had their wombs surgically removed or who do not have a menstrual cycle for medical reasons, as they are still biologically women
While we extend our inclusivity to our trans sisters, we acknowledge the need to prioritize safer spaces for all, and this includes those who share in the physical embodiment of womanhood. Therefore, for now, we have chosen to create a space tailored to serve this experience.
We invite open dialogue and feedback as we evolve and grow together. Thank you for being a vital part of Our Sacred Sister Community, where we celebrate the beauty of our diversity and the strength of our sisterhood.
Accessibility
We will try wherever possible to accommodate women with additional needs, if the spaces we are in allows. We will always look to make sure that this is the case.
Please reach out to talk through your requirements, and to support our growth in this area. And please be KIND. We are always doing our best and learning along the way. If we get it wrong, (which we will sometimes) then please do bring it to us. There’s nothing worse than hearing we got it wrong from someone else. Our door is always open.
What We’ve Achieved so far…..
Summer Gathering 2020 — our first women’s wild camp at the end of lockdown!
The creation of Shine, our 12 month program launched in Spring 2021
Numerous circles, Facebook Lives, sharing in the Sacred Sister Community Group.
Summer Gathering 2021, another beautiful gathering in a field.
Two large gatherings in 2022 & 2023 with over 120 women at each.
Connecting women for deep listening and support.
Gathering a beautiful crew of women who truly know how to create safe space after many years of event holding.
Our Circle facilitator training for those who wish to hold circle for their own communities.
Numerous Retreats, including our luxurious Flourish 5 day gathering, 3 days on Dartmoor, and many more.
Creating safer spaces for women’s wellbeing at other festivals including Heart of the Rose, Burning Woman Festival.
“If women remember that once upon a time we sang with the tongues of seals and flew with the wings of swans, that we forged our own paths through the dark forest while creating a community of its many inhabitants, then we will rise rooted, like the trees.”
