From our perspective, everyone deep inside has access to her/his natural wisdom that knows what to do in every breath, to live in balance with the living system on Earth and with one another. Our intention is to support that capacity in ourselves, in the community and encourage people to perceive and use their own natural wisdom for the benefit of the whole through themselves.
Our role is to:
Inspire listening inwardly on how to respect the foundations of life
Grow the fundament and oxygen for care/trust/peace
Create and hold spaces where this wisdom can be remembered
Encourage people to trust and act from it
What we do as a Council
We meet every nine months in a different European country, and you are also welcome to our Council Meetings. Each gathering is intentional and focused. The host Grandmothers choose a specific theme one year before the meeting, relevant to the time, our intentional vision and to the European country that we visit.
At each meeting we:
Gather – all delegates from different countries – in circle days
We share experiences and good practice
We visit places, meet people, visit initiatives/projects connected to the topic
We listen to the children and young people, who always have a lot to teach us through their clear eyes
We prepare the Official Open Days
After official days, we reflect and give our attention to the next council
Official open days
We invite local visitors, people of the community and from other countries to participate. We hold a Council Dialogue on the topic, activities, ceremonies and shared presence; facilitated both from local women and the European Grandmothers. We focus our trust on the now and the future and on all our human and solution oriented abilities.
We go home to serve and do our work in our countries in different ways filled with joy, confidence, determination, and energy to give from our best to the good to growth.
Both women, men and youngsters participate in our Council Meetings.
Through listening, reflecting, holding dialogue, ceremonies and activities, we cultivate a field of peace, respect, and acceptance. In this field, inner wisdom – both individual and collective – can emerge and guide future steps and make vibrations.
Why this work is needed
In today’s world, the deeper meaning of life is often replaced by myths that drive hasty actions that harm rather than nurture, create and build.
Many people – young and old – feel the urgency to restore balance, build human relationships, community cohesion and an Earth system to sustain all life. But they lack spaces of trust and guidance where this can be explored and supported. We respond to this need by standing visibly as Elders and as Women, offering continuity, perspective, grounded wisdom and hope.
Our roots and origins
Since 2004, the The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers from around the world have worked internationally to preserve and share traditional wisdom rooted in:
Respect for the Earth
Responsibility for future generations
Rights and relationship with all living beings
Some of our Council members were guests at their gatherings and recognized that Europe had no representation or a comparable council of Elders. Instead of including another continent in the 13th Indigenous Grandmothers Council, It was decided, for many good reasons together with The 13th Grandmothers, to start a European Council in a European context.
Guided by intuition, Swami Nitya invited women from several European countries to gather in 2015 in Merano, South Tyrol. There, a shared platform and commitment were formed, giving birth to The Council of European Grandmothers.
Blessing and continuity
At that initial gathering for the European Council 2015, Grandmother Agnes Baker Pilgrim, the founder and the eldest of the Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers, and her daughter Nadine, honored us with their presence. Agnes made a speech and gave The European Council their blessing and the words of wisdom:
“Follow your hearts. Do what you feel you should do.”
Firs Gathering – MERANO/ITALY 2015
We are
Since then, we continue to meet every nine months, going from country to country. Nurturing and expanding the vision of the Council through presence, relationship, and service for the now and the coming generations. We call ourselvesThe Council of European Grandmothers. We are not an organisation, we are an organismof nurturing power, natural wisdom and willingness to do our part to support, achieve and maintain a healthy living environment – in our time, for the children, grandchildren and future generations.
Report on our Council in Ireland September 4th – 8th, 2025. Public Council meeting: Dundalk, Ireland, 6 – 7 September 2025 Topic: ONENESS
Venue: The open public Council meeting will be in Credit Union Premises4/5 Clanbrassil Street,Dundalk, A91 V6W3
Host: Grandmother MaryAnne Gosling – Ireland
Present : Aldona, Elisabeth, Erika, Irene, Helga, Isabel, MaryAnne, Madeleine, Sophia, Toni, Wenche, and Monika (only on September 4)
Text from the Invitation to the 11th Council Meeting
“All people and age groups from all countries are invited to come together in Ireland, to share, inspire and strengthen a field of peace and acceptance where inner wisdom arises. This altogether supports the living system where we all belong.In 2025 we are creating the Council Meeting together with women in Ireland. The power and wisdom of the young people is particularly invited,In a Council Meeting we hold a trustful space for dialogue, reconciliation, music, activities, rituals, ceremonies and contemplation. We wish to explore together how we can support change in this difficult time. During the Council Meeting we also like to spotlight local activities related to the topic.
During this Council Meeting in Ireland we intend to help us all to experience Oneness and so increase peace, improve the climate in social life and on the planet we share.“
Greetings from The Council of European Grandmothers
PROGRAMPublic Days 6-7th September
Saturday
We met at 10.30 pm on Saturday in the Dundalk Credit Union premises in the town centre of Dundalk. The team of MaryAnne’s “Friends of the European Grandmothers” from Dundalk Women’s Shed sat at a desk at the entrance and welcomed each person warmly.
Grandmother MaryAnne welcomed all the Grandmothers to Irland and 130+ guests and explained that following the topics of Life, Death, Light and Sisterhood at the most recent council meetings, the topic ONENESS, especially in Dundalk, close to the border to Northern Ireland, seemed to her to be a fitting theme for this meeting. After the Grandmothers had introduced themselves and given a brief overview of the her-story (his-story) of the council, they sang their song. Grandmother Sophia got everyone in the mood with a meditation on the topic Oneness and then led a Peace Dance in the form of a mandala around the four elements while she beat the drum. Afterwards, Grandmother Erika led a meditation that focused on the wholeness of the body and the energetic field that had been created by the drumming and dancing they had just experienced.
During lunch, the participants had the opportunity to choose to sit at a table assigned to the country of a Grandmother by the corresponding flag in order to talk to her. Lively conversations could be observed everywhere.
After lunch Grandmother Helga shared a prayer to Mother God, which she had received during deep meditation. Monika accompanied her on the harp.
Council Dialogue: With all participants sitting in a big circle, Erika facilitated a sharing about their experiences with the topic ONENESS and the day. Each person was asked to let a contribution sink into her heart and wait a while until she had the clear impulse to share something by herself. In this way we experienced deep touching sharings embedded in silence.
Grandmother MaryAnne closed the day and invited those, who had booked to travel, to visit sacred places connected to Brigid, the Goddess of Water and Fire, which were Faughart Cemetery, Faughart Shrine and the sacred site of Kill Mhuire.
Sunday MaryAnne welcomed the new guests and presented our topic ONENESS. We presented ourselves and sang our song together with the visitors. Grandmother Sophia spoke about the Kogi people as an example of people living in a continuous consciousness of ONENESS and showed a video of « Mother Speaking » (a Message from Mother Earth). This was followed by a ritual led by Grandmother Erika about ONENESS. It guided participants through breath, sound, movement and conscious connection into an experience of quiet, heart-centered unity. LUNCH (again with the public). Meditation by Isabel. Grandmother Madeleine facilitated a Council Dialogue between public and Grandmothers in the way we did on Saturday.
Announcement of the upcoming councils. Denmark: probably May 27th to June 2 nd 2026 France: March 2027
Closing Ceremony with our song together with the visitors.
From 4th to 5th and on 8th of September the Grandmothers were involved with internal dialogue and meetings in Carlingford and Dundalk. We stayed in Nucella Lodge, a stately, spacious house on a hill with breathtaking sea views, over Carlingford Lough to Northern Ireland.
PHOTO GALLERY
The Grandmothers at NEWGRANGE – Boyne Valley World Heritage of IrelandGrandmother MaryAnne together with – The Lout Women Organizer TeamSilent Walk to the Water Ceremony
We go east and open in a way a new chapter in Poland for our Council. At our last meeting in Switzerland, we shared the vision to go east and a wish to hold our next Council meeting in Poland.
Through the mediation of Notburga Fischer – psychotherapist from Switzerland – who works closely with the Gestalt therapists Monika Kalinowska-Cisao and Agata Westfal in Poland/ Łódź, this wish came true. They invited us and and cocreated the 10th Council Meeting there.
In March 2024 Monika and Agata had the first of a series of online meetings with Grandmothers Aldona (Lithuania), Erika (Germany), Wenche (Denmark), Madeleine (Sweden) and Co-created the Conference, program, practical parts and ceremonies together as a team, in a genuine sisterly way. The Council does not have a delegate in Poland so we shaped and prepared this 10th Council meeting in a completely new way with the women from Poland. Monika and Agata took care of the organization at home in Poland: They looked for the venue, spread the information and invitations in Poland and collected proposals of contributions from Polish women and men for the local part of the workshops. They also contacted the authorities of Zelow, the town close to our venue in the woods; Patyki, who took patronage.
Internal Grandmothers Meeting
Friday, 27th September
As part of the Internal Meeting, the Grandmothers were taken on a Tour – Horse Carriage – to See the Sites and Learn the History of Zelow.
After lunch in Zelow, the Grandmothers were invited to the Cultural Centre to meet Senior women who meet regularly to create beautiful handicrafts and paintings, take part in Drama and provide activities for children and youngsters. We got to know each other, shared wisdom and experiences about how to support a city’s safe development as a community in different ways and at the same time the sisterhood of joy and we had warm and intimate exchanges.
Official Days
Saturday 28th
Morning meditation and yoga – Breakfast
Grandmother Erika welcomed everybody to the 10th Council Meeting, with the topic „Sisterhood“. She briefly introduced our history from the beginning in 2015 up to now, and talked about the planning for this special meeting, which started with the invitation from Poland. She thanked the planning team, and presented flowers as a special thank you to Agata Westfal and Monika Kalinowska-Cisao for their great co-creation together with the organizing team of Grandmothers Aldona, Erika,Madeleine and Wenche.
We opened the Council Meeting with a short Ceremony: The candle was lit, the Grandmothers formed a center and a circle and sang their traditional council song.
A short presentation by each Grandmother in her native tongue and in English followed.
Photo: Ariane Elshof
Council Dialogue
Grandmother Madeleine introduced the topic for the Council dialogue and the steps in which it was to be explored.
Then the big group of 80 participants was divided into two groups, one for English speaking and one for Polish speaking participants. Pavel Lasomil and Martha Konfederak from Poland conducted the polish speaking group around a fire in a big tipi. The English speaking group was facilitated by Grandmother Madeleine from Sweden as an outdoor dialogue in the midst of pine trees. Women and some men aged between 15 to 80 shared and reflected openly and trustfully their thoughts and experiences about what makes Sisterhood genuine for them personally and for society in general.
These 2 groups met 50 minutes later in a big tent for a joint circle dialogue. This exchange had a “Fishbowl“ format: 4+1 chairs for conversation in the middle, surrounded by a big circle of all the other participants on the outside. All participants were invited to take part in the dialogue to Explore what Sisterhood is about..
Grandmothers Madeleine and Aldona facilitated the “Fishbowl” process and suggested the subjects/theme/questions:
Photo: Rita Paulina Klysik
Exploration of what Sisterhood are – Questions as dialogue starters
How do we amplify and identify a genuine Sisterhood and make it visible?
– Grandmother Wenche was inspired to make a piece of art in order to express her understanding of sisterhood: Two women arm in arm swinging on a branch.
– Grandmother Monika from Iceland compared the quality of sisterhood to the interbeing of trees in a forest: Sisterhood as a support and signaling system that communicates beyond words as Mycelium does under the trees as through this interconnected network of roots and fungal threads, where stronger trees send nutrients to weaker trees. Mycelium is part of Mycorrhiza which is a vast web, an invisible network of support and communication that gives the forest high resilience in case of hazards or damage. Reference was also made to the invisible spiritual web which connects all life on an energy level.Therefore „Mycelium“ and „Mycorrhiza“ became metaphors for sisterhood, which were with us through the days.
– An issue which popped up several times was that Sisterhood creates a safe environment where friends, children, colleagues can grow and be themselves. You know it when you feel it.
– It is not about gender, it is a way of living life and caring, being careful with all living species
– For many women being a sister means speaking the same “language“, women share a common story (her-story) of living thousands of years in masculine dominated (his-story) societies and the common experience of taking care of children and support for families and communities. This creates a genuine language.
– Sisterhood doesn´t judge, but backs another friend/sister in her/his development. She knows that growing takes time. Sometimes slow growing is the fastest path forward and supports the living system for several and seven generations.
– Sisterhood is care and concern for all living beings, all the time, everywhere.
– By exploring and living sisterly values we are able to serve as role models for others.
– Martha and Pawel from Poland told about the “sister/brother groups” they hold in Łódź once a month that make it possible to support sisterhood in both genders.
Parallel workshops
After lunch there was an opportunity to participate in Parallel workshops hosted by women from Poland
Crocheting and handcrafting, led by Monika Kostrzewska
Supporting medicine for women’s health, led by; Marzena Uchman
Slovenian exercise for women, led by Joanna Bak
Nurturing our roots, led by; Katarzyna Madej
Photo: Rita Paulina Klysik
Inspirational good practices – Europe
Following a Coffee break there was a short sharing of good practice and inspiring initiatives currently happening in Europe
– Grandmother Elisabeth, Switzerland, gave a report about the Klimaseniorinnen (Women +67 years) in Switzerland and the success the had in The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg ruled on Tuesday, April 9 2024: “The states have a responsibility to protect their citizens against climate change”. This historic ruling means that 2,000 women in the climate group KlimaSeniorinnen have won their case against the Swiss state.The ruling by the European Court of Human Rights found that Switzerland had violated certain human rights by not doing enough to meet its emission targets. The court ruled that EU member states are obliged to protect their citizens from the consequences of climate change. A milestone in the protection of individual human rights. For those who wish to know more please READ MORE
– Grandmother Madeleine, Sweden, spoke about the Aurora initiative where some 600 Young people in Sweden are in “a group lawsuit” suing the state for not do enough to protect their citizens from the consequences of climate change, and not treating the climate crisis as a crisis.Because of the success of the Klimaseniorinnen in Switzerland, they feel more hopeful that Sweden can follow that judgement. READ MORE
– Grandmother Madeleine, Sweden, reported about Ecocide Law that is an important legal protection for Mother Earth. A major step towards a yes to an international protection/law has been taken on the 9th of September, 2024: 3 states parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court consider the new proposal from three Pacific Island States Vanuatu, Fiji and Samoa – to make mass destruction of nature #ecocide an international crime. A fifth crime alongside a) genocide b) crimes against humanity c) war crimes d) crimes of aggression. More and more countries have now taken decisions to have an ecocide law on at national level. The next step is to create a common law for all United Nation countries. It is now considered that the time is ripe for the ICC to finally assess that there are possibilities for the law to break through. The initiative taken by these three countries is a major breakthrough in bringing about one of several important legal protections for Mother Earth that govern the actions and economic flows of businesses and states. READ MORE . In Europa/EU has also agreed to create new offence that aims to punish the most serious crimes against the environment for the EU Counties. New law aimed at preventing and punishing “cases comparable to ecocide”. READ MORE
– Helga shared another example of sisterhood, which she views as so important in these times of war: She is involved in an international support group (WWP) of Isrealian „Women Peace Wage“ and Palestinian „Women of the Sun“. They bring Israelis and Palestinians together to spread a call of peace and a strong message of hope. The movement unifies women from different communities and backgrounds, empowers them and promotes a non- violent resolution of the conflict.
– Eliot Livingston read a letter about sisterhood from his mother, Isabel Livingston, who had travelled from the US to attend several previous grandmother gatherings: Two women in the family tree, one black, one white, without knowing each other, were both engaged in fighting against slavery and racism.
Water Ceremony
This was followed by a Water ceremony at the riverside led by Grandmother Sophia. We saw a rainbow while walking to the beach. During the ceremony fishes jumped out of the water and birds added their sound. Sophia walked into the water and sang a holy watersong. We felt how the water brought us closer.- we felt the spirit of sisterhood.
Peace Fire
After Dinner, there was a Peace Fire, led by Grandmothers Monika, Helga, Irene and Sophia. It was a special night made even more magical by the sounds of Monica playing her harp.
Official day
Sunday 29th
Morning meditation and yoga – Breakfast
Sisterhood Human Mandela – 7th generations
Notburga Fischer, Gestalt therapist from Switzerland, led a 3 stage process for a Human system mandala. We started by moving with music. Then we chose a partner to gently dance with taking each other’s movements, mirroring and continuing them. Then in Groups of three, each individual allowed their spirit to express freely in a sheltered space supported by the other two following the movements. This powerfull and gentle exercise became for many an experienced (second) metaphor of sisterhood. This was followed by a silent meditation in the beautiful pine forest, after which we went inside and made a big human mandala, working with the seven generations of ancestors.The grandmothers were aked to form an outer circle. Their presence provided an additional layer of trust and protection to the process as each person gave back a burden and received a resource from the generation line.
Sisterhood with the Earth and all her beings
Lecture by Grandmother Isabel, Spain: How can we make the best choices, for the good of Mother Earth.
“We women are the guardians of life and that implies that we have to do everything possible so that Mother Earth and all the beings that live on her and from her, begin to have a relationship of sisterhood.” LINK
Earth Ritual – Closing Ceremony
The Closing Ceremony was an Earth Ritual in the forest led by Grandmother Monika. Some children who came along with their parents joined. We then planted 20 young trees on the Patiky parklands, while Grandmother Monika was playing the harp.
End of the Official Council program
Thank You
Thank you to Agata Szlęk, who was the Polish-English voice and helped us understand each other.
Thank you to Marta Konfederak and Pavel Lasomil Przybylski for holding the circle with such great care and professionalism.
Thank you to Notburga Fischer, for a beautiful workshop – Human Sisterhood Mandela.
Thank You Pyszny Zakatek Restaurant in Zelow, for all the good food and inspiration for all the guests from other European countries to genuine Polish food tradition, in the event at Patyki.
Thank You Rita Paulina Klysik for documenting the entire event and special moments ( Ceremonies are not dokumented. (Ceremonies are conducted with the focused presence of all participants including the photographer, hence are conducted without photography during the event.)
We thank Natalia Zuk- Michalowska, who finalized our efforts to get the word Sisterhood into the Polish dictionary of neologisms. And we thank Mrs. Prof. Katarzyna Klosinska for putting it right there.
Thank you to Marika and Karina, the stick sisters and head of the Patyki resort center, who took care of the space, enabled us to plant and root sisterhood qualities, by replanting trees on their land and supported us throughout the process
Summary and report: Grandmother Wenche, Madeleine, Erika and Maryanne
Photo Gallery: Fotographer: Rita Paulina Klysik, and Ariane Elshof
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