GLOSSARY

Agreements Guidelines or rules for respectful engagement that provide an interpersonal safety net for participating in conversations. Agreements remain constant as leadership rotates—they are the circle’s self-governance.

Archetype A collectively inherited idea, pattern, thought, or image universally present; a prototype or model.

Center The middle of the circle, where a visual representation of the group’s intention resides. The center serves as a stabilizing reference point in circle process and is the hub of the wheel of group energetics.

Check-in An opportunity for everyone to introduce himself or herself and respond to an opening question. Usually the first conversation that occurs in a circle meeting.

Check-out Just as a circle meeting is carefully begun, so it is carefully concluded by inviting a brief statement from each individual about what the person learned, heard, appreciated, or is committed to doing. Usually the closing conversation in a circle meeting.

Circle A group process that calls on an infrastructure of collaborative leadership functions where people establish a social safety and take time to make authentic, thoughtful contributions toward fulfilling their intention for gathering. As a universal archetype, the circle symbolizes wholeness, inclusion, openness, and boundary.

Collaborative conversation Any of the conversations that happen in circle, World Café, Open Space, or other formats that encourage the wisdom of each voice to be heard and respected.

Collective shadow (collective unconscious) Unconscious behavior, projection, and transference that occur on the societal or macro level. The consequence of seeing the world divided into “us” and “them.” See also Individual shadow.

Consensus The willingness of a group to move forward on a decision or action. This process occurs when all participants have come to agreement before a decision goes forward or action is taken. It does not require the same degree of enthusiasm from all participants, but it does require that each person approve the group’s action.

Conversation council A form of dialogue practiced in circle process when participants desire a more informal structure or a quickened pace of contribution and response. Conversation flows freely through open dialogue that is guided by the host and guardian and a group that continues to observe the infrastructure of circle process they have set in place. See also Talking piece council and Silence as council.

Energetics The study of nonverbal interactions that occur between people, individually and collectively, and the attention given to various circle practices that stabilize people’s nonverbal experience during circle meetings.

Guardian A circle member responsible for keeping the circle centered and focused on its intent. The guardian holds a bell and rings it to signal a pause. After ten to fift een seconds of silence, the bell is run again, and the guardian states the reason for the pause. Anyone may ask the guardian to ring the bell at any time. The guardian role usually rotates among group members from one session to the next.

Hierarchy A system of organization that follows well-defined patterns of priority that allows the carrying out of clearly delineated tasks with little or no debate.

Host The person who prepares the space where a circle conversation will be held, often helps define the scope of that conversation, and then participates in it from a position of peer leadership.

Individual shadow A concept originated by the Swiss psychiatrists Carl Gustav Jung and Marie-Louise van Franz referring to aspects of ourselves we have been unable to know. Shadow theory states that people have both an accepted self and a hidden or forbidden self of which they are unaware. Shadow work is a way to talk about the confusing issues that arise whenever people get together. See also Collective shadow, Interior shadow, Projected shadow, and Transference shadow.

Intention The understanding of why people are present, what they expect to happen, and what they commit to doing and experiencing together.

Interior shadow Personal behaviors we don’t perceive in the same way that others tend to perceive them, such as speaking in a loud voice that we consider jovial but others interpret as aggressive.

Interpersonal space The space in which verbal and nonverbal interactions between two or more people occur.

Invitation A verbal or written statement explaining why a group is coming together, who will be or needs to be present, and what contributions are expected of the recipient.

Neutral language The ability to talk about what’s happening without instigating shame or blame. Neutral language is often self-referencing (“This is what I am experiencing at this moment …”) or invitational (“I suggest that we …”) rather than commanding, accusatory, or directive.

Personal hoop A First Nations term to describe a personal energy field, the assumed psychosocial space surrounding each person. The term implies a sense of boundary that is maintained by the individual and respected by others.

Personal preparation Whatever individuals do to shift from the fast pace of modern culture to the slower pace of circle. It may consist of simple centering activities, such as quiet breathing, listening to music, or a walk in nature.

Practices The three skills of circle participation: attentive listening, intentional speaking, and attending to the well-being of the group.

Principles Three fundamental tenets of circle process: rotating leadership, shared responsibility, and reliance on the wholeness of the group.

Projected shadow Qualities we ascribe to other people that we don’t know how to deal with inside ourselves. These can be positive or negative—for example, assuming that someone is more or less capable and then behaving as if that assumption were true without evaluating the person objectively.

Rim The outside edge of the circle, where each person sits as a circle participant.

Scribe The circle member who volunteers to record group process by gathering insights and essence statements and noting decisions. Recording can be done using a journal, a laptop computer, a flip chart, or any other convenient means.

Silence council Employing silence in the usually verbal processes of circle. Silence may be offered in a few seconds after the ringing of the bell by the guardian or for a few minutes at the opening or closing of a circle. Silent council may also be offered during times of conflict as a way for the group to stay calmly together while seeking a way forward.

Singing bowl A metal or crystal bowl that resonates when struck with a wooden stick or other implement chosen to produce pleasing chimelike sound by the guardian.

Social container The interactive space in a circle conversation in which all exchanges, be they challenging or easy, are received and considered with respect by everyone participating in the dialogue.

Spiritual practice Any ritualized gesture that helps us tune in or stay attuned to an intuitive sense of guidance in the course of a day. It can coincide with religious observances or be performed on its own.

Start-point A small event at the beginning of circle process that signals a shift from social space to circle space—often a reading, a song, or a moment of silence.

Story Narrative; a way of talking or writing about human experience that combines chronology, character, scene, and insight.

Synergy The phenomenon whereby combined interaction among people produces a total effect greater than the sum of the individual parts; an experience of harmony established between intention and action.

Talking piece Any object designated to grant the person holding it the right to speak without interruption. Objects are selected that reflect the setting and personality of the group and the purpose of the circle process.

Talking piece council A formal pattern for conducting a meeting that involves passing permission to speak from person to person through the use of a talking piece. The purpose is to hear each voice, garner insights, and seek collective wisdom. Talking piece council slows down dialogue and interaction. See also Conversation council and Silence council.

Thumbs vote A system of signals for checking for consensus: thumb up = “I’m in favor”; thumb sideways = “I still have a question”; thumb down = “I don’t think this is the right way to go.” Clarifying conversations occur when a sideways or downward thumb is shown.

Tingsha A set of brass cymbals, originally from Tibetan Buddhist practice, often used by the guardian, valued for their pleasant tone and reverberating quality.

Transference shadow Projecting onto a person in the present unfinished business from a person in the past. For example, reacting to a current colleague on the basis of unresolved issues in your relationship with a parent when you were younger.

Transpersonal space Interactions that belong to the collective and not just individuals. In circle, this space is usually referenced as being located in the center. Transpersonal space creates a sense of “third presence” and implies that a zone of neutrality is available to each individual in the conversation.

Triangle The typical arrangement of hierarchical leadership, with decision makers at the top and followers at the bottom. As a universal archetype, the triangle symbolizes triad relationships (mother/father/child, body/mind/spirit), chain of command, or hierarchies of consciousness, status, or complexity.