The circle is a principle as well as a shape.
It goes counter to the social order, pecking order,
superior/inferior, ranking order
that compares each individual woman to others.
Sitting in a circle, each woman has a physical position
that is equal
to every other woman in the circle.
She takes her turn and the circle turns,
she speaks up and is heard.
Still old habits prevail, until the practice of equality
makes equality the expected norm.

Copyright 1999
Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D.
From The Millionth Circle