December 10, 2020

The Institute for Spiritual Development
Oneonta Chapter
A Metaphysical Church and School for Spiritual Development
“It is worth remembering that the time of greatest gain in terms of wisdom and inner strength is often that of greatest difficulty.” - Dalai Lama




Our next Metaphysical service will be Sunday December 20 at 10am on Zoom.
Keep an eye out for next week's newsletter with full details and plan on joining us for prayer, healing, contemplation, and music!

Moving Day! We Need You
We are bidding a fond farewell to our first HOME of ISD Oneonta- Bye bye 41-45 Dietz St., Suite 1, after almost 4 busy, happy and productive years. 
We have been sorting, packing, selling or donating what we don’t need in preparation for our Moving truck on Saturday.

Those of you in our near the Oneonta Area...your help is needed to load the moving van starting at 9:30 am, Saturday Dec. 12th.
Call or email Diana at 607-433-2089; isdoneonta@gmail.com. if you are able & willing to volunteer a couple of hours on Saturday! 

Our new temporary headquarters will be at 124 Co. Hwy. 58, Oneonta, until we either buy or rent a new space (when the COVID cloud has passed us by!). The ISD main office will be there, and there is room for distanced meetings, and fun meet-ups as needed and as restrictions allow.

Meanwhile, we will continue to see you on ZOOM, and on Facebook at all of our wonderful gatherings coming up. Dream with us over the winter- what will be our next location? How exciting!

Many thanks to our ringleader, and incoming board President, Kimberly Winsor, for organizing the move.

Special thanks to Julie Smith, Tom Landon, Kimberly Winsor, Monica Calzolari, Story Ducey, and Sali Dellysse for helping us with the packing on Tuesday.

Thank you to the wonderful crew that volunteered on the last day the Mystic’s Nook was open, November 21st. Loretta Holdredge, Maggie Kilbride, Nancy Okker, Amanda Hoover, Sali Dellysse, Kristen Niles, Emily Rozelle, and especially Russ Friedell, my son, the technical wizard, who sold many items by listing them on Facebook Marketplace! Everyone snagged some awesome metaphysical Christmas gifts at 50% off- it was so great to catch up with y’all, and see your pretty smiles, whenever we could take our masks off.


All of us at ISD Oneonta would like to send out a ton of thanks to two very special ladies. Both of whom have been instrumental in our success as an organization. But more important than that, they have brought such love and light to us as a family!

Special, special, special love and thanks to our own Rev. Kristen Niles and Loretta Holdredge!
Loretta is stepping down as Vice President of our Board of Directors and Kristen is completing her term as our President.

Both Loretta and Kristen, are not going away- we look forward to their love, light and laughter wherever they decide to put their time and talent in the future.

Passing on the Baton........
As Rev. Kristen completes her term as President of the Board, Kimberly Winsor is picking up the gavel and will be our new Board President. Thanks to Kimberly for agreeing to step into this challenging role!

Thanks to our ray of sunshine, Loretta Holdredge
Super big thanks to Loretta Holdredge who is stepping down from her role as Vice President of the ISD Board.

Kudos, seems too small a word, for filing the position as our Vice President and for the outstanding job she has done managing the Mystic’s Nook for 3 years- ordering, buying, selling and making quite a bit of money for ISD Oneonta, under her leadership. 
The store will close down for now, as we are moving out of our rental space. 
Acknowledging her wonderful team for their huge accomplishments- Lisa Fisher, Sara Andros and John Wargo, and a few others whose volunteer work helped to further the mission of ISD.

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."
-Marcel Proust



And our unending Gratitude to the fearless general of the ISD Board...the wonderful Rev. Kristen Niles

Thank you Kristen, for being the visionary, and the powerful person who helped Rev. Sue Landon and her sister Diana Friedell set up the foundation of ISD Oneonta- establishing the essential policies and protocols required of a non-profit organization. 
Kristen joined us from our very first organizational meeting in December of 2016; helping to establish a Board, and ruled with an iron foot with a velvet sock! We would not be where we are today, a blossoming metaphysical center with 38 members and over 500 friends, financially sound, without Kristen’s expertise. 

"We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives."
-John F. Kennedy
Please help us to keep offering quality classes, beautiful metaphysical services, and engaging development circles by clicking on the donate button below to make a donation to ISD Oneonta.
No amount is too small! If you are a member making a pledge, please mention that in the comments
On Sunday, December 13 at 6:45 PM, the Oneonta Region Chapter of The Compassionate Friends will join other chapters worldwide to observe The Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the ceremony will be held online this year via Zoom. The annual event is a time to remember our departed children and to openly acknowledge the special place they have in our hearts. Anyone who has lost a child of any age is invited to attend. Close relatives and friends are also welcome. All participants should register in advance by going to www.tcfoneonta.org and clicking on the registration link found on the home page.
Participants are encouraged to join the meeting at 6:45 pm and please have on hand a photo of your child, a small candle and a lighter. During the ceremony, each family will be given an opportunity to say a few words about their child, share the photo and light the candle in memory of their loved one. The program includes a variety of music, poetry and personal stories. However, the focal point of the evening will be the candle lighting. For more information, please call Diana Friedell at 607-433-2089 or Kathryn Davino at 607-746-7396, or visit www.tcfoneonta.org.
Adult Education

We have open Online Development circles for anyone looking to further their spiritual and intuitive growth!!!!
Join one/two/or join them all!!
Take your pick. We have meditation and messaging or 'dream weaving'....please join us and tap into your own spiritual connection

 Suggested Donation for these circles is $10
We understand that many are suffering with financial stress during this time.
No amount is too small and no amount is required!! Please click below to make a donation to ISD and note what circle the donation is for ISD Donation PayPal
ISD Development Circles:


Monday Evenings 7-8:30 pm....
The Art and Science of Intuitive Development
Intuitive Development Circle under the leadership of Story L. Ducey, "the Ivy League Psychic".
Story connects Scientific Research into consciousness studies, and the human energy field. Helping us to understand how our bodies are wired for telepathy and intuition. Lots of practice with intuitive techniques, and more. .
This is a healing/meditation Zoom circle every Monday night
RSVP to Story storyducey@gmail.com

Tuesday Afternoons 2:30pm-4pm....
Learning and Psychic Development Circle
These experiential intuitive development circles are designed to be a place to step away from the weight of the everyday world. Our own little spiritual oasis where everyone, regardless of their experience level, feels comfortable learning, discussing, and unfolding their connection to their own psychic and mediumistic gifts. Let’s join together in the spirit of Love to explore, communicate and develop!!
Each of the circles, facilitated by ISD ministerial cleric Renee Ranke, will begin with a discussion and learning segment that changes weekly. Renee will then lead us in a healing guided meditation directed at receiving your own personal message from Spirit. And we will finish up the session with group messaging work.
Click below for additional information and the Zoom link
email interest or questions to Renee at mysticalmomentsremembered@gmail.com

Wednesday Evenings 5:30-6:30 pm....
Wise Wednesday Meditation and Intuitive Development Circle
Zoom meditation and intuitive development circle with our own pastor and co-director, Rev. Diana Friedell
Return to a sense of Body, Mind, Soul balance and connection with your Spirit helpers. Refresh and renew with a unique guided meditation. Diana, an Intuitive Development Teacher and Psychic Medium for the past 20 years, will lead us in different practices and exercises to allow our own abilities to unfold and continue to develop in a like-minded group. Open to anyone, at all levels of development. We have a lot of fun, and discover the best way to approach our sessions is by saying "I don't know what I don't know!" and "I am open and ready to receive."
Click below for additional information:
RSVP with interest in attending this circle to Diana at info@dianafriedell.com
More Info about Diana:

Thursday Mornings 10-11:30am....
Dream Message Circle
Join a Meditation and Intuitive Development Circle with Rev. Story Lucile Ducey. This circle is dedicated to receiving, recording and discussing the messages many of us are receiving ( and trying to recall!) in our ‘night school journeys.’
Click below for additional details
 RSVP to Story storyducey@gmail.com


Monthly on the 3rd Thursday of the month 7-8 pm....
Path of the Magdalene Meditation Sessions
Next circle is Thursday December 17th
Path of the Magdalene Meditation sessions are an opportunity to join together monthly to activate the healing frequencies of Mary Magdalene in your own life. Mary Magdalene embodied the highest qualities of the Divine, unshakeable faith, unwavering courage, love in action. Each month a quality of Mary Magdalene; faith, tenderness, intelligence, and more is explored and activated. Deepen your experience of Divine Feminine energies and connect with like hearted souls to share your experience.
Join us to create an energetic field for a personal encounter of the Magdalena Energies within.
Click below for additional information and the Zoom link

Monthly on the last Tuesday of the month 6pm-7:30 pm....
Allowing Abundance
No Circle in December...
This circle, facilitated by Elke Saal, will meet monthly on the fourth Tuesday of the month.
Based on the Abraham Hicks teachings and using principles of intention we will deepen our understanding of allowing abundance into our lives. As “Like attracts Like” we need to feel what we desire emotionally before it can manifest into the reality that we prefer. We will strengthen our intentions for abundance with the support of the group energy field.
Check out our December 2020 events calendar on ISDOneonta.org for more upcoming events and remember to like and follow us on Facebook to see our events posted there.


















The Women's Litany
by Margaret Widdemer

Let us in through the guarded gate,
Let us in for our pain’s sake!
Lips set smiling and face made fair
Still for you through the pain we bare,
We have hid till our hearts were sore
Blacker things than you ever bore:
Let us in through the guarded gate,
Let us in for our pain’s sake!

Let us in through the guarded gate,
Let us in for our strength’s sake!
Light held high in a strife ne’er through
We have fought for our sons and you,
We have conquered a million years’
Pain and evil and doubt and tears—
Let us in through the guarded gate,
Let us in for our strength’s sake!

Let us in through the guarded gate,
Let us in for your own sake!
We have held you within our hand,
Marred or made as we broke or planned,
We have given you life or killed
King or brute as we taught or willed—
Let us in through the guarded gate,
Let us in for your own sake!

Let us in through the guarded gate,
Let us in for the world’s sake!
We are blind who must guide your eyes,
We are weak who must help you rise,
All untaught who must teach and mold
Souls of men till the world is old—
Let us in through the guarded gate,
Let us in for the world’s sake!
And the Good News Is!!!!!

  • Okay, so maybe 2020 hasn’t been the greatest of years; but check out This My Modern Met article showcasing some of the best good news from 2020. From recovery of the Great Barrier Reef to wild goats taking over a Welsh town and making residents smile, there were many feel good stories this year. Oneonta’s own resident hero, the owl from the Rockefeller Christmas Tree, even made the article!


  • Okay, this one is pretty cool! Bioo, an Eco Friendly Spanish Company, has created the first ‘piano’ that uses living plants as biological antennas capable of perceiving changes in frequency when they are touched. This article, from the Good News Network even has a video of the beautiful music that was generated…be sure to give it a listen!


  • And one last article to make you smile! This Sunny Skyz article has pictures of the world’s smallest possums. These delightful tiny creatures were found on an island off of South Australia’s mainland for the first time since the Australian bushfires.



The below links will remain here so that you will easily be able to find them if you have a need:

  • Do you or someone you know need some assistance with mental health issues or coping during this pandemic period. Here is a link to the US Department of Health & Human Services that will provide you with resources and tools to help deal with the stress of this time.

  • Do you have coronavirus questions? Here is an interesting article from CNN that may answer some of them. Questions like, "When are people with coronavirus most contagious?" and "How safe are public restrooms?"
Got Bottles & Cans to return?

ISD has a CLYNK account at Hannaford in Oneonta. 

How can I help? 
Go to the Lotus Center, 41-45 Dietz St., and even if the door is locked, you will see stickers in the plastic flyer display holder on the wall to the LEFT of the Door, under the prayer flags.
Take one to put on each bag that you are bringing to Hannaford- Ask someone there where the bags go. With that correct tag on it, the bottle deposit money goes directly into the ISD Oneonta Account.

Thank you to all who have brought in your 5 cent returnables for us to return, and to Connie Lull for delivering to Hannaford.
We have built up about $160 for ISD just from returning our cans!
Thank you!
Just a reminder that we are continuing our Prayer Warriors group, every day at 5pm we pause to pray and send our healing energies where they are most needed right now

Each day at 5 PM EST, we will pause for about 10 minutes and meditate and pray with the intention of sending healing energy to all.
You do not have to be present each day. Requests for healing or suggestions should be submitted to our Healing Program director, Jo Ann Wormuth at the below ISD website link:


Rev. Diana Friedell, Pastor & Co-Director A popular area medium and psychic for 17 years, graduate of Fellowships of the Spirit, Lily Dale, NY & SUNY Oneonta, Rev. Diana is astounding in her commitment to bring the Institute to Oneonta as a gathering place for all who want to explore their own Divine nature & expand intuitive gifts. I look forward to chatting with you! 607-433-2089
See my brand new website! Thank you Dan Afriacano: www.dianafriedell.com
Also available for private phone readings/consultations during these changing times.









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Our ISD Leadership
Shown Amanda Hoover, Co-Director

Amanda Hoover - Co-Director w/Diana
Story Lucile Ducey,
Adult Education/Programming Chair
Ministry Training Program
Renee Ranke – Adult Education/Programming Co-Chair
& Newsletter Editor
Jo Ann Wormuth – Developing Healing Certification Program to start in September!
Many more new leaders are stepping up. . . more to come
Founding Pastor, Rev. Sue has retired to concentrate on her healing right now. If there is anything we can do she will let us know. But meanwhile, the strong leadership at ISD continues to build on 3 years of groundwork for this amazing institution. We could use your help. If you can volunteer to help with the Bookstore, hospitality, ushering, building maintenance, website, office tasks, shopping- Just call or email! Diana!
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Your gift helps to sustain Oneonta's first Metaphysical Church and learning center. . .