A phrase I use a lot is “Putting It on The Altar of Uncertainty”

Whenever I say this, working with clients, or conversations with friends, or in a ceremony, a constellation…whenever I use this turn of phrase, I have seen it land for people.

It gives them an AHA!

It says it all, without having to explicate.

Uncertainty is the very existential fabric of our existence.

Yes, yes, we hear gurus, IG talking heads, spiritual teachers, wise friends say this, all the time.

And when we hear it, we go

“yeah, yeah, I know this”

or

“of course”

it’s like

“Yes, the sun sets and the moon rises.”

“Yes, the leaves sing their brittle fall song in the wind.”

“Yes, people we love die”

“Yes, everything has an end.”

Yes, yes, yes…

And then a circumstance in our life brings it to immediate potency.

And the platitude we accept, take for granted as being obvious

Reaches out and grabs our ankle, like a demon at the gate, the threshold.

“NOW IT’S THIS! HA HA!”

Suddenly our next step is arrested, gripped tightly.

We find ourselves engaging in every spiritual practice, prayer, modality, ANYTHING we have in our tool kit is put to use.

Uncertainty is no longer a meal we imagine in the future, but rather breakfast, lunch and dinner, all day long.

Putting it on the altar, whatever “it” is that evokes the feeling of a tectonic shift of ground under our feet,

When we put “it” on the altar, we’re doing a number things:

We’re taking an action which supports, allows us to feel at least, we are doing something (for me, this is a great anxiety antidote).

We are giving the thing of uncertainty a life separate from our own essence. We are, and it is. This enables perspective, by relieving our somatic experience of feeling possessed by IT.
We are giving “it” reverence. We honor the depth of the opportunity for us to acknowledge that “it” as a teacher for us in the present moment. Separate from the emotions it evokes.
In effect, we are ritualizing the uncertainty. We are putting “it” on an altar: a sacred table of offering, sacrifice, thanksgiving. And, by so doing, we invite the Divine to be at work in our lives.

We Teach Best That Which We Need To Learn The Most

As it happens, I currently have a new invitation in my life to be evermore in the practice of surrendering to The Altar of Uncertainty. A circumstance inviting deep reflection and unpredictable opportunity.

It is not lost on me that the tagline of my Outer Edge coaching practice is “Learning To Love The Unknown.”

So yes, this recurring theme in the symphony of life invites the humility of gratitude, for myself and others, the recognition that we are all just messy humans.

And when in a storm it’s not about what I will into being.

It is about dwelling within the divine unrest of life.

Falling in love with the Unknown

Ritual is this…

Marking a moment where we begin to

Kiss the edge of self doubt

Underneath our biochemical cocktail

Bringing the tinny taste of anxiety to our lips

We can not pull the future into our laps

Like a furry animal

To stroke into being.

We have to wait for it to come

Knowing our fingers apprehend

Its absence

The pace of its presence just fills in its form

Who cares if we never had a pet

Or were loved or even fed enough food

Hunger is its own dis-ease

We have to learn to love what we don’t like

Ritual of spitting in the wind

I mean a good full on blow

Tells us we still have mouths

And my will is useless in a hurricane

( poem from my a-poem-a-day Covid project)

**Gateway House** **Day of the Dead Ceremony 2026**
***Sunday, November 1 | 5 PM – late***
***Gate of Ancestors***
😎 Conch & Death Song w/ **Elana Bell**
😎 Protection Talisman Magic w/ **Marann Langlois**
😎 Ancestor Meditation & Fire
😎 Ancestor Visitations:
• **Dolly Parton** with **Bridget Moynihan**
• **Gloria Steinem** with **Amy Little**
😎 Dance of the Bones with **Mike Dwyer**
*POTLUCK & Fire 🔥
*Performance @ 7pm ish
• **Barley Lace**
**🌀 Donation $20**
**IMPORTANT: NEW Parking Limits & Options**
**🌀 Please NO PARKING on Fairview Ave. above the white Grandmother Sycamore Tree:** we need to avoid issues with the neighbors and ensure an emergency vehicle can get through
🌀 We have permission for a number of cars to park at **18 and 11 Mountain Road**
**🌀 Otherwise**, please park at bottom of **Keator Ave (1016) opposite St. Peter’s Church** & walk up hill OR
🌀 Park at **Trestle Rail Trail parking lot (750 Binnewater Rd)** & walk across the Trestle.

What is Family Constellations?

CONTACT ME RE: PRIVATE SESSIONS

Monthly In-Person Group

at Gateway House | 12 Fairview Ave | Rosendale

NEXT: Saturday November 21 | 2 PM – 5 PM*

*during Fall & Winter we start an hour earlier

Space is limited; Advance registration is now required. $50

REGISTRATION FOR GROUP EVENT

* A New Offering at Gateway House *

We’Moon’s QiGong with Dancing Leaf

a 5 session series, which began on the last Full Moon

Remaining Dates & Times:

Monday, October 19 | 8:30 PM - Waxing Half Moon

Monday, October 26 | 8:30 PM - Full Moon

QiGong is the practice of remembering that healing begins from within. Through gentle movement, conscious breathing, meditation, and the cultivation of life-force energy, we awaken the body’s natural intelligence and restore harmony to the mind, body, and spirit. Each session offers a peaceful space to slow down, quiet the nervous system, release stagnant energy, and reconnect with the wisdom that already lives within you.

Rooted in the timeless principles of Chinese medicine, this practice supports greater vitality, resilience, emotional balance, and ease. More than exercise, QiGong is a moving meditation—a way of cultivating presence and learning to live in relationship with your own energy.

QiGong currently tends to be taught from a masculine perspective. However, there are specific movement practices, exercises, and meditation practices that support feminine health. Come gather outside at Gateway House and on the Trestle to commune with the Moon and each other, cycling lunar energy through your body.

Whether you are in your flow, peri- or post-menopausal, these practices will help you balance your hormones, your nervous system, and boost your immune system. Those who choose to practice together, will grow together. Anyone who identifies with their feminine aspect is welcome, whether you are new to QiGong or have practiced for years.

We will follow the Moon’s cycle, meeting weekly for 5 weeks. Drop-ins welcome.

Suggested Donation $20/session or $80 for all 5