“Belonging” Book Circle

A Circle to Help Remember Ourselves Home

“There are many different kinds of belonging. The first kind that comes to mind is the feeling of belonging in a community, or to a geography. But for many of us, longing to belong begins in our own families. Then there is the longing we feel to belong with an intimate other in the sanctuary of relationship, and the belonging we yearn to feel in a purpose or vocation. There is also spiritual longing to belong to a set of ways or traditions, the longing to know and participate in ancestral knowledge. And, though we may not even notice how its severance influences us, the ache to belong in our own bodies. 

There are also subtler forms of belonging, like the one we must eventually create with our own story, and the gifts that have been forged from it. And, if we take a broader view, there is a belonging with the earth itself, which is felt (or not felt) at the heart of us all. Finally, there is the great belonging, which may be the most nebulous and persistent of all, the longing to belong to that “something greater” which gives our lives meaning.”

~Toko-pa Turner, Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home

For far too long, far too many of us have felt that ache of loneliness, of being an outsider in our own lives, bodies, families, communities, or even careers. Where does this feeling come from and how do we address it? How do we, as author Toko-pa Turner,  “remember ourselves home?” 

In this transcendent work-of-art-masquerading-as-a-book, we will use Turner’s brilliant words to guide us back to ourselves, our communities, our bodies, our families, our vocations, and back to the greatest yearning of our lives—that sense of deep belonging.

Together we will…

• Explore where and how we first began to experience feeling a false sense of belonging or a sense of not belonging at all.
• Dive into how separation from our creative and symbolic lives drives a sense of alienation from ourselves, our ancestors, and from others. 
• Understand how bypassing our emotional, spiritual, and ancestral expressions leads to feelings of emptiness and longing.
• Look at different practical and mythical ways we build connection and belonging.
• And begin to make our way back towards nature, our creativity, our stories, and our world-at-large to reignite a sense of belonging to ourselves and with others.

Circle Details

• Our circle will meet weekly for 8 weeks via Zoom.
• We begin February 3, 2022 and meet on:
• Thursdays 2/3, 2/10, 2/17, 2/24, 3/3, 3/10, 3/17, 3/24
  • At 4:30pm Pacific / 7:30pm Eastern
  • Each session will be 90 minutes long.
• Every week, we will have a facilitated group discussion + exercise to deepen our understanding and experience with the book.
• In between circles, we will encourage sharing and connection via a private group in The House of Belonging online community.
• Each circle will be lovingly facilitated by Jessica Steward and Jen Trulson using the Circle Sanctum model. (Shared prior to our first class)
• This circle will be recorded for circle participants only. Live attendance is strongly encouraged.

How to Prepare for Circle

• We encourage you to set up a private space from where you can join the circle uninterrupted. Light a candle. Grab your cozy blanket. Get comfortable.
• Each session, you will be invited to place an offering at the center of our circle. Because this is a virtual circle, you can place your physical offering on your own altar or keep nearby and will be asked to share with the group what your offering is if you so choose. 
  • Offerings can be anything! Notice what you are drawn to for the circle that day.

What to Bring

• You will need to purchase a copy of “Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home” by Toko-pa Turner for this Book Circle.
  • Bookshop.org (affiliate link)
  • Thriftbooks.com – {may offer affordable options)
  • Amazon (affiliate link)
• We suggest you bring your favorite pen and notebook or journal for in-circle exercises.
• Bring a talking piece. A talking piece is a small totem or item that you hold when you are sharing in circle. We will explain how to use it.

Join The Circle

• $85 (Beneficiary)
• $125 (Maintainer)
• $165 (Contributor)

Registration Closed

An offering from A Mighty Kindness, coming soon. Until then, find us on Instagram or Facebook.