The Gathering Place in West Linn, OR

06/06/2023

Natalie from The House of Artemis brings you monthly moon musings, meditation, and ritual for a special in-person gathering.
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05/28/2023

05/25/2023

“My greatest joy in life is working with and supporting people from many different life experiences. I love seeing and finding common ground when we thought it wasn’t possible. We are similar and unique! The Gathering Place is an opportunity to discover a workshop, class, or event that supports our community! Plus a place for all of us to Celebrate Life! This is a vision I have held in my heart for many years. I am grateful for new beginnings.”

-Victoria Etchemendy Director of The Gathering Place

03/19/2023

Welcome to week three of Season of Peace and Non-Violence 25th anniversary!

Below is a favorite teaching of Mahatma Gandhi, a story he loved to share with his audiences:

“There was a king who struggled with the question: How do you find peace?

He asked all his historians and no one had an answer.

At last, someone suggested the king consult a sage, who lived in the mountains, just outside the borders of his country.

The king went to the sage and posed the eternal question. Without a word, the sage went into the kitchen and brought to the king, a grain of wheat. “In this you will find your answer” the sage said, as he placed the grain of wheat in the kings hand.

Puzzled, the king did not want to admit his ignorance, so he took it and hid the wheat in a small golden box. Every day he would open the box and stare at it. What was the meaning of a grain of wheat?

A few weeks later, another Sage came through his country and wanted to meet the king, who eagerly invited him to solve his dilemma. The Sage explained it is quite simple. “Just as this grain represents nourishment for the body, peace represents nourishment for the soul. If you keep this grain locked up in a gold box, it will eventually perish without providing nourishment to you and many others. This is the meaning of peace. It must nourish your soul and the souls of others, and it must multiply by interacting with others.”

Here, a few questions to ask yourself:

1. Am I the king or the Sage in the story?
2. Am I always searching for peace?
3. Do I listen to my inner guidance?
4. What can I do today to interact in peaceful ways? On the highway, at work, and at home.

Here is a practice of peace you can do this week:

Light a candle and state, the following affirmation:
“I am at peace in all situations in my life!”

Repeat this affirmation, anytime you feel uneasy throughout the day or in any stressful situation.


03/10/2023

Season of Peace, week two!

Very early in his life, Mohandas K. Gandhi began to appreciate the universality of religion. He described religions as highways leading to the same destination. As a mark of his respect for all religions and for all human beings, he incorporated the prayers and hymns of different faiths into his daily prayers. Not only did he observe this respect for all religions, but he influenced millions in India to do the same.

This week, we invite you to take some time out of your day to say a prayer of peace to yourself, others, and the world. You may light a candle, place your hands over your heart, or sit in a quiet place to pray.

Here are two prayers that have underlying themes of Peace:

"Be generous in prosperity and thankful in adversity. Be fair in thy judgment and guarded in thy speech. Be a lamp unto those who walk in darkness and a home to the stranger. Be eyes to the blind and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be a breath of life to the body of humankind, a dew to the soil of the human heart, and a fruit upon the tree of humility."
-Bahai Peace Prayer

"May all beings everywhere plagued with sufferings of the body and mind quickly be freed from their illnesses. May those frightened cease to be afraid, and may those bound be free. May the powerless find power, and may people think of befriending one another. May those who find themselves in a trackless, fearful wilderness - the children, the aged, the unprotected - be guarded by beneficent celestials, and may they swiftly attain Buddhahood."
-Buddhist Peace Prayer

Peace to you all.

03/03/2023

The Gathering Place is participating in the international observance of the Season for Peace & Nonviolence. The Season for Peace takes place from January 30 – April 4, the dates of the assassinations of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., respectively.

Every week this month, we will practice a new principle of peace and non-violence followed by an affirmation you can say to integrate the principle.

This week we will focus on the principle of Acceptance.

STORY:

Gandhi loved to use the example of a room with many open windows...
letting the breezes blow in from all directions but refusing to be blown away by any of them.

Imagine a room that is airtight-there soon will be no oxygen, and the room will become unlivable. This is what happens to a mind that is closed!

When we open the windows of our room, our mind, we let in a lot of lifesaving oxygen! Where do we-you have a closed mind?

We live in a diverse world: food, clothing, climate, heritage, religion, and politics. These are Personal Preferences! There are no rights or wrongs.

How can you be more accepting of other people's differences?

Affirmation of the week:
"I choose to open my mind and accept our differences and similarities."

We invite you to sit in meditation, whether its for 30 minutes or 3 minutes a day, and allow yourself to really feel the principle of Acceptance in your body. Light a candle, and then say the affirmation.

Peaceful blessings to you all!

03/03/2023

“Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve from the overflow. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.”
-Eleanor Brown

Come join us for a mini retreat to learn new ways to nourish your spirit this spring!

For more information and how to purchase tickets, click the link below:

https://www.thegatheringplacewl.org/events/spring-mini-wellness-retreat

02/02/2023

This year, our 10th Annual Toy Day served 60 children with a Christmas they will remember! Coats, pajamas, shoes and other clothing items were at the top of the list from parents this year. Plus, every kind of toy, game, and art supplies you can imagine!

🌟 Here's what one of our community partner organizations said...

"Your team brought so much joy over the holidays and we wanted you all to know how much of an impact your efforts made!" -- Clackamas Education Service District

🌟 And here's what some parents of children who received gifts said:

"My wife is the sole breadwinner and she got Covid and was unable to work last December and we are still not caught up on our bills. If it had not been for this program the kids would not have received anything for Christmas. We are very grateful."

"I am a single mother and dad is in jail, so I get no support financially from him. I cried because I am so thankful for the gifts and how kind everyone was to me. I did not feel judged at all. Thank you!”

"Muchas gracias por todo. Les dije a mis mijos que no iban a tener regalos este año. Gracias a Uds. si tuvieron una navidad en familia y con regalos." (Translation: Thank you for everything. I had told my children that they were not going to get gifts this year. Thanks to you, they did have a family Christmas with gifts.)

“Thank you to the gathering place for the many toys that my kids received for Christmas. Times were tough for our family and were able to still make it special with your help. Thank you so much for your program from our Family!”
.. The Gathering Place in West Linn, OR thanks EVERYBODY who contributed to enhancing the lives of our community this past holiday. Those who donated, volunteered, and connected us with families in need. All of the love to our community!

01/24/2023

The Soulful Holiday Concert with LaRhonda Steele Band was Fabulous!

The Band, the Interfaith Choir and the Singers gave a stunning performance. Our organization has worked with The Steele Family for more than twenty years, and we have watched their beautiful daughters turn into beautiful musicians in their own right! It is a great honor to host Award Winning LaRhonda with her blend of Jazz, Rock, and Gospel to West Linn!

We are looking forward to hosting LaRhonda and Friends for an outdoor concert in our beautiful garden this summer. Stay Tuned!

11/10/2022

"Thank you for the lovely space to hold our Soul Collage Retreat! It was a perfect space to practice Yoga and Guided meditation in the garden and lots of sunny, warm space to do Soul Collage and have a lovely lunch outside. Everything went smoothly, and we had all that we needed to hold a successful retreat! Thank you."

Elizabeth Hartshorn, LPC, MAC
Owner, www.fullcirclecounseling.com

If you are in the West Linn area and looking for space for your celebration, meeting, class, multiple day workshop, retreat, or wedding - consider our beautiful historic estate and garden.

Learn more at https://www.thegatheringplacewl.org/host-your-event

10/24/2022

Have you met MegO'Keeffe? She's sharing a new and different way to view parenting and your child!

This Wednesday October 26th at The Gathering Place in West Linn. Join us in-person or online via Zoom.

Learn more and register here: https://www.thegatheringplacewl.org/events/a-new-parenting-paradigm-class-october-2022

09/22/2022

Our Monthly Meditation Circle at The Gathering Place is taking a break until January 2023. Stay tuned for a new and improved opportunity to practice meditation in the coming year 🌟

08/31/2022

Follow Weddings On The Hill to see photos of the exquisite, intercultural weddings that have taken place among our two acres of mature trees and tended gardens! 🌺

https://www.facebook.com/WeddingsOnTheHill

Built in 1937, Weddings on the Hill was formerly a private estate that offers an intimate ambiance w

08/31/2022

Have you been to our historic estate recently? We put a lot of tender love and care into the interior over the past year, and we LOVE being able to share the space with our community and beyond!

If you are hosting an upcoming celebration, meeting, class, workshop, retreat, or wedding—we invite you to consider The Gathering Place as your event venue in West Linn, OR.

With spaces up to 1000 sqft, access to the gardens, and large windows that connect visitors to the natural world... We offer an inviting, peaceful environment that can accommodate a variety of needs and preferences.

Submit an inquiry for your next event on our website:
https://www.thegatheringplacewl.org/host-your-event

08/29/2022

Welcome to The Gathering Place! (formerly "The UNITY Center - West Linn, OR")

For those of you who don't yet know, we are starting a new chapter in the life of the World Healing Institute. Our work with the Portland community and beyond for over 25 years has been an amazing journey. You can read more about our history and meet our Board of Directors here: https://www.thegatheringplacewl.org/about

Now we are moving forward with The Gathering Place, offering new events such as our Fall Circulation Day, Monthly Meditation Circle, and much more! We invite you to visit our website to see what we're up to and how you can connect. May we all remember how important it is to stay connected to the world and community we live in: https://www.thegatheringplacewl.org/events

Here's a quote that I’ve had for many years...

“It really boils down to this: All life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one destiny affects all directly or indirectly."

From my heart to yours,

Victoria Etchemendy
[email protected]
www.thegatheringplacewl.org

Community gathering place and event venue located on 2.5 beautiful acres in West Linn, OR. We are part of an educational nonprofit organization committed to creating respect and understanding on our planet.

03/02/2021

Thu, Mar 4, 2021, 6:00 PM: The description of the event, The Art of Abundance Online 4 week Series, is available only to members.