The Gate of Letting Go with an Open Heart
The soundscape of late summer/early fall...
The low drone of the crickets
The higher timbre of the katydids’ last song
We observe the incremental shift as
The gaudiness of summer
Distills into coming simplicity
of Fall's release
An Open Heart
Over the past weeks a very close friend of mine, well beloved by many, had open heart surgery . It was sucessful…thankfully. He's come through the literal physicality of having his heart opened. I watched him surrender to the inevitability of going under the knife with extraordinary serenity. Now his spirit is exultant, He is holding a model, a witness for us of what it means to have our hearts be open and receive the great Mystery of being alive. Confronting fear and hospitalization is it’s own kind of descent; anesthesia is like a journey to the underworld. Now we as beloveds share his radiant ability to give and receive love as we inhale together the precious breath of life.
Begin Again
As we approach the Autumn Equinox, we step through the Gate of Letting Go. It is an opportunity to confront that death is part of life. The leaves let go, so casually one by one. Delicate in their simplicity of surrender, complete in their knowing that decay is how we find humility. We become the humus, (the same root as humility) the literal earth again.
In numerous religious traditions, it is no accident this season is celebrated as the beginning of the New Year. In Judaism, Rosh Hashanah literally means the ‘head of the year.’ We begin again. In the Celtic Turn of the Wheel, we approach Samhain/ Day of the Dead, also the beginning of the yearly cycle again. Oh and by the way, we are in the eclipse cycle at this very moment. The celestial world, too, invites us to see into the shadows of what is ready to be shed.
May we come to know evermore the great cycle of death and resurrection, the dying that allows the fertility of the new to live again.
In our Gateway House Autumn Equinox celebration on Tuesday, September 23, we will commence with the Heart-Opening Ceremony as well as an honoring of Rosh Hashanah and more. May we journey during this next season in the embrace of community, together.
Click HERE to listen to the O+ Radio Hour on Radio Kingston, where host Jesse Scherer interviews Kathleen Mandeville about her work in the region. We feature music by Tin Horn Uprising & Liana Gabel as well as wisdom from both Jesse and Kathleen.
Upcoming Events in September
and Beyond...
Autumn Nature Mandala by Felicia Flanagan
Kaleidoscopic Constellations & The Sacred Language of Object Altars
Saturday, September 27th, 10AM - NOON
The Rail Trail Cafe Stone Mountain Farm 310 River Road Ext. New Paltz, NY
We return to the Rail Trail Cafe for an Autumn session of this workshop in healing, ritual, and ancestral alignment.
There is a language beyond words—spoken in symbols, shadows, and the silent presence of what came before us. In this immersive workshop, we enter that liminal space through the art of object altars and the healing field of Kaleidoscopic Constellations.
Many of us know the Rail Trail Cafe as a beloved site that welcomes all, providing a meaningful context as we gather community in its landscape. Together in this space we will call in the wisdom of our lineages, illuminating inherited stories and soul entanglements. Through intentional placement of meaningful objects we create altars that speak the unspeakable, and honor what longs to be seen, released, or embraced.
In this sacred circle, we will:
Experience the subtle field of Family Constellations in an intimate, symbolic way
Learn to create personal object altars as portals of remembrance and resonance
Participate in ritual, guided constellations, and deep intuitive listening
Reconnect with ancestral gifts, patterns, and inner alignments ready to unfold
Suggested Donation: $20
Facebook Event to Invite Friends
GATHERINGS AT GATEWAY HOUSE:
Autumnal Equinox Ceremony
Tuesday, September 23rd | 5 pm–late (note date change)
Gateway House, 12 Fairview Ave, Rosendale
GATE OF LETTING GO: CEREMONY at 5:00pm
• Mandala Gate with Felicia Flanagan
• Pokeweed Initiation
• Heart-Opening Ceremony with David Budd
• Goddess of the Hunt with Meryn Oakwood
• Taschlich off the Trestle
PERFORMANCES at 7pm(ish)
• Raphael Garritano
• Seriously Silly Circus
• Sacred Activism Song Share
$15 Donation | Potluck (please byo utensils) & Fire
Please RSVP to 845-417-5430 for parking info.
We are profoundly grateful that Gateway House has received an offer from an anonymous donor to match all contributions up to $10,000 through the Autumn Equinox.
So far during this matching campaign, we have raised $3000
Gratitude for this generous support.
We welcome your offerings. Together may we amplify the Field of Plenty as we honor and celebrate the harvest of community.
I am honored to share a testimonial from our current matching donor fund raiser:
"I have known and worked with Kathleen for more than 30 years. Kathleen has been creating amazing, inspirational community building events which deepen spirituality and grow goodwill and global connectivity as long as I have known her. Please support the Gateway House and Kathleen's important and always timely work. ~ Judith Ginzberg" (love you, Judith!)
The way you look at things changes the things you look at.
Learn more about this work here.
Monthly In-Person Group
Saturday, September 20 from 2 – 5PM | $50
Gateway House | 12 Fairview Ave, Rosendale
Upcoming Groups: *usually every 3rd Saturday
• Saturday, October 18
• Saturday, November 16
Space is limited; Advance registration is now required.
Please fill out this Registration Form below at least 4 days prior.
One-On-One Sessions
The opportunity to go deeper within an intimate container.
Available in-person or online.