Free Gaia Women's Circles Community Gathering - A Beltane Celebration

Come celebrate Beltane with us!

This is a special one-off community gathering from the Gaia Circles - a longer, more expansive afternoon for anyone identifying as women to come together in celebration, creativity, and connection. You don't need to have been to the Gaia circles before. Bring a friend, bring someone who's been a bit isolated lately, bring anyone you think might need an afternoon of warmth and belonging.

What's happening

1.00 - 1.30pm - Arrival - Settle in, pour a tea, nibble something nourishing. Time to arrive slowly and meet one another before we begin.

1.30 - 3.00pm - Creative Jam with Anna Herber - Anna is a Creative Guide, Poet, and Improv Facilitator who guides seekers and dreamers to align with their purpose through self-expression. For this Beltane gathering, expect a soothing, inviting atmosphere - gently lulling you into a playful state with guided meditation and breath. From the depths of soulful spontaneity to the downright silly, it's all welcome here.

3.00 - 4.30pm - Around the Fire -We gather around the fire to commune, share, and simply be together. Unstructured, unhurried, held by the warmth of the season and each other.

4.30 - 5.00pm - Closing - We close the afternoon around the fire with a simple Beltane ritual

Who we welcome

We welcome anyone who has been socialised or currently identify as women, as well as female-bodied non-binary people and trans women who feel drawn to this space. We honour the diverse lived experiences of women, and those socialised as women, and warmly welcome all who carry those identities. We especially invite women who are new to circles, who may feel a bit isolated, or who are simply looking for a gentle, supportive place to belong.

What to bring

Bring your instruments and your voices! Your own cup would also be useful, something warm to wear, and an open heart. Snacks and tea provided.

Venue & Accessibility

Our circles are held at Plot 9 Maze Hill. We sit in circle outdoors in a covered space, gathered around the fire. Please dress warmly and comfortably. The venue is not (yet) step-free, so if you have accessibility needs, let us know in advance so we can advise and support you.

Supporting the circles

While places are fully funded, we welcome voluntary donations from those who feel called to give. Every contribution helps us sustain our vision, keep the circles thriving, and create more projects that benefit the wider community.

WHAT IS BELTANE? 

In case you're not familiar, Beltane is one of the four great Celtic fire festivals, falling on 1st May (or celebrated on the nearest weekend). It marks the midpoint between the spring equinox and summer solstice - the moment the year tips fully into life. Traditionally it was celebrated with bonfires, dancing, flower crowns, and rituals around fertility, desire, and abundance - not just in the reproductive sense but in the broader sense of vitality, creativity, and what you want to call into your life.

In the old agrarian calendar it was when cattle were driven between two fires for blessing before being taken to summer pastures. The hawthorn - which blooms almost exactly on Beltane - was considered sacred to the festival. You weren't supposed to bring it indoors except on this one day of the year.

It sits opposite Samhain on the wheel of the year, which is the thinning-of-the-veil, death-and-ancestors festival most people know as Halloween. If Samhain is about descent and letting go, Beltane is its mirror - ascent, emergence, desire, and aliveness.

The  circle is open. Beltane is here. Come as you are!