Heart & Hearth
Women’s Story Circle
Monday 30 March 2026
19:30-20:30 (GMT)
Virtual Fireside
Before there was electricity, there was fire
Women gathered around it at the end of the working day. They shared stories that spread experience. Knowledge moved from one generation to the next. Caution, humour, grief and courage were carried forward.
When one woman spoke, the others listened. In that listening, the bonds of empathy and understanding bloomed. A listener might recognise herself in the story, or learn something new about herself.
Storytelling has always been a powerful way of connecting and remembering. It is one of the ways human beings build and maintain neural pathways. Recalling lived experience activates the brain. Listening carefully does the same.
When we hear another woman sharing her stories, we momentarily inhabit her point of view. That capacity to step outside ourselves is part of how our brains stay supple and how communities connect.
Heart & Hearth stands in that lineage.
Heart and Hearth is the fireside experience for the modern woman
It is an hour set aside to sit together, across distance, and continue an old and steady wisdom. Stories are shared with attention and care. Memory is given space. The natural rhythm of life is allowed to breathe.
This circle honours what has shaped us by carrying it consciously. Rather than letting experience quietly fade into the background of busy lives.
It is a place where stories are given air and presence, because every life is a story lived.
This circle honours the intelligence of remembering
As women move into a more reflective season of life, memory takes on a different meaning. Earlier chapters return with fresh understanding. Details that once felt mundane, now reveal themselves as extraordinary. We recognise our stories are not just anecdotes, but threads weaving through our lives.
Giving voice to these stories focuses the mind, revitalises neural pathways, sharpens attention, and strengthens connection.
Listening with care does the same. Across the ages, we have safeguarded both culture and cognition through spoken story.
Heart and Hearth continues that tradition in a form that suits our time.
This space is held with love and intention
We begin with breath
A short guided practice centred around fire and flame invites each woman to arrive fully. We acknowledge ourselves as flamebearers for one another, steadying our nervous systems and marking the shift from everyday life into sacred community.
We listen with intention
Four women, invited in advance, will each share a story of up to ten minutes. Stories may be written beforehand and read, or spoken freely as they arise. There is no preferred style. What matters is that the story belongs to the woman who tells it.
After each story, the circle rests in quiet presence for a few moments. The act of storytelling itself remains the focus.
We offer our stories to the collective
We close with a brief meditative offering, a small prayerful practice that honours what has been shared and gently releases it back into the wider world.
The structure is simple and contained, intimate and precious.
If you feel the quiet pull toward this circle, you are welcome.
Reserve your place at the hearth.
There is no fee to attend. This story circle is offered freely and held with care.
Places are limited to sixteen women to protect the intimacy of the space. If you choose to join us, please register with the intention of being present.
Heart & Hearth FAQs
1
What is my role if I attend?
2
Stories are shared and witnessed in attentive silence. The focus remains on participating as a speaker or a listener.
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You may attend as a storyteller or as a listener for this one. Both roles are key. Let me know what you would like to do when you register.
Some women will feel drawn to share, depending on our story prompt. Equally, listening is essential to the carrying of stories. They both build strong brains.
4
I’m afraid not. The circle remains private and is not recorded.
If you are attending as a listener, nothing at all.
If you are invited to share a story, you may write your story in advance or speak freely.
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How will the stories be received?
How do I know what to speak about?
Each story circle gathering will be given a prompt to use as inspiration. You can use this prompt, or you may be called to share a story around a different theme. All stories are welcome.
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If I miss it, will the session be recorded?
Yes. Each storyteller has a maximum of ten minutes. If your story takes less time, that is fine. A gentle sound will signal thirty seconds before the end of your time so that every woman is equally held within the circle.
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What do I need to prepare?
Is there a time limit?
Does my story need to have a moral?
This circle is not about business or performance. You may share any aspect of your life that feels true to speak. Meaning is something each listener gathers for herself.
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How many people are taking part?
There will be up to 16 women at the virtual fireside, four of whom will be sharing their stories.
Where does it take place?
Online via Zoom. Details will be sent after you’ve registered your attendance.
Is this therapy?
Every story told across time has carried a reflective edge. They bring us to laughter and tears (sometimes simultaneously). They can leave us angry or sad, or with profound feelings we can’t quite name.
This circle is not therapy. If you feel you need therapeutic support, please speak with a licensed professional who is equipped to help you.