Standing up to hold space

WHGHB: Interview with Lauren Barber

This is the latest installment of We Have Gathered Here Before, a “book” exploring the history and future of women’s gatherings that I am serialising here on Substack. You can catch up on previous posts here.

This is a short clip from my conversation with Lauren Barber - you can watch the full video below (which is fully subtitled if you want to watch without sound), or read the transcript beneath the video if you prefer written words.

We Have Gathered Here Before is a story about women - all women, from our ancestors to our daughters, and their daughters to come. So, as part of this journey, I’m eager to include the voices of as many different women as possible.

I’m so thrilled that the wonderful

Lauren Barber

agreed to talk to me about her experience holding space for women, and the importance of women being willing to step forward to lead these spaces. Lauren is a circle facilitator, a business mentor, a yoga nidra and meditation practitioner, and an incredible writer - do check out her Substack,

Held. By Lauren Barber

.

Women’s circles hold a special magic for Lauren. Having not had a menstrual bleed for four years due to health issues, Lauren began a journey to connect with her feminine power. This led her to attend her first women’s circle, and, a week later, her bleed returned.

Lauren and I talked about why women’s circles have power, how to use them most effectively (including the importance of being able to stay silent sometimes - something I struggle with a lot), how to make women’s spaces inclusive, and how to navigate the complexities of holding space within a capitalist system and wanting to challenge the existing structures whilst also being able to survive within them.

You can watch the full interview below (or read the transcript if you’re not a fan of video), and here’s a little taste of what Lauren had to say:

“Why is [interest in women’s circles] coming up now? I think because it's essential. I don't know exactly why and where it's leading to, but I feel like the world needs women to be nurtured and nourished and come into their power a little more. And circle does give you this sense of remembering that. I leave feeling, wow, women are so incredible, all women are so powerful, and it spurs me along. So I feel like it's essential medicine that we need, because if we don't come into those kinds of spaces we'll just get swept up in the world as it is and not remember that actually we can have an impact, we have a voice and it's really important to share. And I think probably the separation and disconnection that has occurred over the last few decades beyond that really is showing cracks.”

Lauren Barber

Interview with Lauren Barber