The Power of the Circle of Nine
Back in the 1980s, I was part of a group of women seeking a new way forward for women’s spirituality. We had found genuine pathways for meditation and personal development, but nothing that really addressed the question of the divine feminine. And then came a moment of inspiration–a visit was made to the Nine Ladies stone circle in Derbyshire and there, in the middle, a bunch of nine golden daffodils had been placed by an unknown hand. The nine archetypes began to reveal themselves; we welcomed them into our lives and began to name and decipher their individual qualities. Over the years groups and creative practices with the Circle of Nine developed, and I wrote the first edition of my book, describing these archetypes.
The Circle of Nine comprises nine female archetypes that can illuminate a woman’s path, and offer guidance in our daily lives. They span the spectrum of the feminine soul, revealing the essence of a woman; both in her mythic and human form. The archetypes are interpreted for women living in today’s world, but they rest on foundations that are thousands of years old. They arise from an ancient source, a tradition of nine women who form a company of nine for sacred work.
Conducting new research I discovered a fuller account of the historical ‘Company of Nine’ dating back to pre-history. Briefly, the number nine has been embedded in women’s sacred work for thousands of years in many countries throughout the world. There are indeed many physical stone circles or megaliths named for Nine Maidens or Nine Ladies. The nine also appear widely in myth and history as dancers, witches, oracles, healers, or as handmaidens to a goddess or a saint. They are also found in legends such as those of the Nine Sisters of Avalon, who carried the dying King Arthur away across the waters, and the Nine Muses, who were said to inspire the arts in ancient Greece. Their role as seers is crucial too: nearly two thousand years ago, a Roman geographer described a group of nine priestesses who lived on a remote island off the coast of Brittany. Here they prophesied the future to travellers, charmed the winds and seas for sailors, and helped to cure the most serious of wounds and diseases.
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| The Nine Ladies stone circle in Belstone, Dartmoor is one of many around the world. |
The tradition clearly shows that nine has long been associated with women’s groups, and is a feminine template for sacred work. But the question arises: why nine? I believe that it comes from the deep-rooted concept of a ‘triple goddess,’ who is often linked to the three main phases of the moon: new, full and dark. This translates as the stages of the maiden, mother and crone in women’s lives. In the framework of the Circle of Nine used here, the triplicity is embedded as Three Queens, Three Mothers and Three Ladies. Each of the three branches opens into another three, so that we have, for instance, the Lady of Light, the Lady of the Hearth, and the Lady of the Dance. They all share ‘Lady’ qualities–a gracious, light and compassionate nature – but each has her own special individuality. Here’s a summary of how I describe the nine archetypes in their essential, mythic form. There are plenty of examples, too, as to how they may work in everyday life, and I’ll come to that a little later.
1. The Queen of the Earth
Innocence, passion, and wisdom co-exist as attributes of the Queen of the Earth. She must understand the barren phases as well as the fertile ones. She must pay due tribute to the underworld–to the silence and darkness that reign there–as well as to the flourishing of new life brought forth through her desires. With the art and skill that comes from her understanding, she can shape her magic garden after her own heart.
2. The Queen of the Night
The Queen of the Night is one of the most compelling of the nine feminine archetypes. She personifies forces that dwell outside the clear, rational light of day, and is unrestricted by convention. This queen rules over the life that stirs in the landscape of the night, and she harnesses the tides of darkness to awaken, attract, and love. She may take different forms: ugly, with leathern wings and a shriek that tears the air, or fleetingly beautiful, as a rare moth fluttering by on the night air.
