The circular wisdom of the Maasai
With the Maasai, everything begins and returns in a circle.
The land is round, the jewelry is round, villages are round the dances spiral, and even happiness moves in loops, flowing between the self, the clan, the land, and the ancestors. Like our cells, which are linked to a nucleus, like the Earth revolves around the sun. Quietly, but with deep reverence, some call it: the circular philosophy of happiness.
The 4 circles of happiness
1st circle:
Tidying up the interior of your home, seeking order, putting an end to inner chaos
2nd circle:
Cultivate joy (Encipaï), the impetus of the heart,
3rd circle:
Live difficulties as a gift. If you encounter them, it's because you have the means to overcome them. They are opportunities, evolution, a path.
4th circle:
Plant in the centre of your inner garden. Building and finding our life goal, the meaning of our life.
A way of life rooted in balance
In Maasai culture, nothing belongs to just one person. Cattle are shared, responsibilities rotate, and children are raised collectively. Happiness isn’t a straight path to a personal goal. It’s found in the ebb and flow of the seasons, the rituals, and the strength of community.
Rituals: portals of transformation
Life among the Maasai is marked by profound rituals. From the Emorata (coming-of-age ceremony), to warrior dances and blessing songs, each ritual is both a passage and a mirror, reflecting one’s role in the grand cycle of life.
They are not about locking you into identity. They are about transformation. About remembering who you are through movement, song, and sacred symbols.
Dressing as storytelling
Their iconic red shúkà (cloth) isn’t just for beauty. Red is sacred, a symbol of life, strength, and protection. Their beaded jewelry tells stories: of age, of family, of status, and emotion. It’s visual poetry, passed from mother to daughter, generation to generation.
Living in harmony with nature
The Maasai live in deep, respectful relationship with the land. Their round cattle are sacred. The soil they walk on is not only ground but a living temple. No stone altars are needed when every tree, every breeze, every river holds spirit.
Their spirituality is fluid. It doesn’t shout. It listens. It speaks through the silence of the savannah, the rhythm of hooves, the stillness of dusk.
Go deeper: books & films we love
"The Worlds of a Maasai Warrior" by Tepilit Ole Saitoti (a rare autobiography from a Maasai writer and photographer)
"Maasai Women" by Melissa Llewelyn-Davies (a beautiful ethnographic journey)
All books written by Xavier Péron.
🎥 "The White Maasai" – a fascinating film based on a true story
🎥 "Maasai: The Rain Warriors" – a Kenyan film blending myth, drought, and ritual
Why are we telling you about the Maasai?
Because at Brescia Bercane, we believe in circles. In creativity as something that moves, returns, and connects. The Maasai remind us that happiness isn’t something you chase. It’s something you share.
Their philosophy whispers what we sometimes forget in our busy world: that harmony, joy, and meaning are not goals. They are rhythms.
And maybe, just maybe, we’re all walking each other home in circles.
With love,
Brescia
