We practice deep care and regard for everyone. Our circle is an inclusive space welcoming to all folks, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, gender diverse, people with disabilities, and folks of various backgrounds. Discriminatory language is not welcome in the space. We may opt to use Trigger Warnings for sensitive topics. We refrain from sermons and rants. We address conflicts with NonViolent Communication.

Sacred witnessing is core to our purpose. We hold space for the person speaking. We offer our focused presence free from critique, analysis, or judgment. We offer the reader the opportunity to be truly seen and heard. We arrive with clear heads, sober of intoxicants. We decrease distractions by silencing our phones, avoiding cross-talk, and stepping away quietly if need be.

We share our check-ins, poetry readings, and reflections from the heart. We feel into our souls and bodies when we speak. We read our own poetry, or if reading someone else’s poetry, we credit that writer. We never have to share more than we would like to, and we all have the choice not to share at all.

We get consent before sharing. We ask before passing along anything shared within the circle, including poems. We get permission before taking videos or photos. We seek consent, even if nonverbal, before touching.

We do not charge a fee so that we are inclusive of economic status, but we welcome donations for basic operations. We meet in a wheelchair accessible space. We do not wear or use fragrance so that sensitive folks can breathe freely. We do not attend if we don’t feel well so that we don’t risk spreading illness, particularly to immune-compromised folks. We are open to feedback on being more accessible.

We acknowledge the land was originally the unceded territories of the Cherokee people. We honor the land itself, taking care to connect and treat it well. We follow park rules so that we will continue to be welcome. Park rules include, but are not limited to: no smoking/vaping, no alcohol, no littering, no amplified music, etc.