“In the quiet, brown time of the year, these fall Triduum days are an invitation to do the profound inner work: to face our shadows and deep fears (death being for most people the scariest of all), to taste in ourselves that which already lies beyond death, drink at its fountain, then to move back into our lives again, both humbled and steadied in that which lies beyond both light and dark, beyond both life and death. What better tilling of the inner soil for the mystery of the Incarnation, which lies just ahead?” — Cynthia Bourgeault
We often turn to the Paschal Triduum in spring as a sacred time to enter the mystery of Christ’s passage through death into resurrection—and to recognize this same movement within ourselves, the Wisdom practice of dying before we die.
But there is another sacred Triduum in the fall: Halloween, All Saints, and All Souls. In these days of deepening darkness, we are invited to remember our mortality, honor those who have gone before us, and turn toward the mystery of a life deeper than death.
Together, through teaching, reflection, silence, and spiritual practice, we will explore welcoming our shadows, entering the mystical communion of saints and ancestors, acknowledging what has been lost, and discovering a deeper ground of strength and courage.
As autumn turns toward winter, we will allow these days to become a threshold—a time to let go, remember, and deepen our connection to the mystery that holds both life and death. We will enter this sacred work not only for ourselves, but as an offering to the world.
Facilitator
Heather Ruce: Contemplative Teacher, Retreat Leader, Wisdom Formation Facilitator, and aspiring writer within the Christian Contemplative Wisdom Tradition.
My work explores what it means to live with greater presence, embodiment, and conscious participation in the living mystery we call God. Through retreats, Wisdom schools, practice circles, and spiritual accompaniment, I support others in cultivating a deeper relationship with themselves, with others, and with the sacred reality that permeates all things.
Much of what has shaped me has come through direct experience: years spent working closely with animals, a lifelong love of the natural world, and a deepening recognition that we exist within an interconnected field of life rather than apart from it. These experiences have taught me that awakening is not an escape from the world but a more intimate participation in it.
My teaching is informed by graduate studies in Marriage and Family Therapy and depth psychology, the Wisdom teachings of Cynthia Bourgeault, the embodied practices of Gurdjieff Movements through Deborah Rose Longo, and Steve Hoskinson's work in trauma healing and Organic Intelligence. Yet beyond any particular tradition or framework, I remain interested in the simple and enduring questions of how we learn to become more present, more available to love, and more receptive to the transformative work of grace.
I believe the spiritual path invites us into an ever-deepening intimacy—with ourselves, with one another, with the living earth, and with the Divine presence that holds and sustains it all.