What Is a Red Thread Circle?

Red Thread has been used for millennia in cultures throughout the world to signify connection or protection. I often start my workshops with a Red Thread Circle as a way for participants to feel a sense of belonging and connection to the group. The circle creates a safe space to witness each other in kindness and confidentiality.

What Happens in a Red Thread Circle?

As we sit in the round, I open a Red Thread Circle by wrapping the red thread around my wrist and speaking to the context out of which I created the workshop. The red thread is then handed from one person to the next with each person invited to wrap the red thread around their wrist and to share what called them to the workshop.

When the red thread comes back round to me, we are all connected within the circle. Scissors are passed around the circle with each person cutting the red thread and sharing something they hope to receive from our time together. Each participant now has a piece of the red thread to tie around their wrist and bring home with them as a symbolic reminder of connection, support, witnessing, and belonging to the circle.