Brenda Ryan

Brenda Ryan is a Priestess of the Spiral Path who leads women's circles and ceremony in Austin, Texas and online. Her practice is rooted in Irish spiritual tradition, built around the divine feminine, menstrual cycle awareness, and seasonal living.

Ryan describes her path as "earth-honouring" and anchored in what she calls her own indigenous Irish spirituality. That grounding shows up everywhere, from the Gaelic phrases scattered through her writing ("Is éa," "Le Grá") to how she times her gatherings. Her Spring Equinox Women's Circle, titled "Priestesses of the Spiral Path," is ceremony timed to the turning of the season, held in circle format with other women. This is not a casual wine-and-chat gathering. Ryan takes the ritual container seriously, and her language makes that clear.

The main offerings are women's circles, run both locally and online for people anywhere in the world. She also leads rites of passage events for women, though specifics on those are harder to find. The circles are ceremonial in nature. Ryan uses words like "honoured" and "sacred" without any hedging or irony, which tells you something about the space she holds. If you show up expecting a discussion group, you will find something closer to prayer.

Ryan co-hosts The Red Temple Podcast, which focuses on the menstrual cycle as a spiritual practice. The premise is that the phases of the menstrual cycle carry their own wisdom and that living in sync with them changes how you move through the world. This is a central thread in all of Ryan's work. She talks about "cyclic wisdom" and "embodying" the cycle, not just tracking it on an app. The podcast gives a good preview of her voice and philosophy for anyone who wants to get a feel for her before joining a circle.

She is also writing two books. One is a menstrual cycle ritual guidebook. The other is a spiritual travel memoir about her time in Nepal and India. Neither appears to be published yet, but both line up with what she already teaches.

What sets Ryan apart in Austin's large and varied wellness scene is the Irish lineage. Most ceremonial work in the area draws from Hindu, Buddhist, or Indigenous American traditions. Ryan pulls from a completely different source. Her Priestess of the Spiral Path practice, her Gaelic blessings, her connection to Irish land-based spirituality all give her circles a flavor you will not find elsewhere. She writes about "birthing the New Earth" through restored connection to nature and the body, and she clearly means it. This is earnest, devotional work with a specific cultural root, not a blended spiritual buffet.

Her website is brendaryan.com.