Beginners Guide to Hacking Your Jewelry, The Story That Brings Forth Your Light, Concert in the Redwood Grove, Freestyle at Exploratorium After Dark, Medicinal and Magical Herbs, Hrafnar Oracular Seidh, Bardic Poetry Recital by Joe Plum, Fortunate Daughter, Gold Rush! The Un-Scripted Barbary Coast Musical, Downtown Benicia Ghost Walk, Quadrille, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), Martinez Peddlers Faire, Bottle Your Own!, The Pre-Raphaelite Artists' Picnic Dance, Beaver Festival, NROOGD Lughnasadh, Legendary Locals of Castro Valley Hayward and San Lorenzo, Community Seed Lughnasadh Ritual, The Trading Post, Peace Lantern Ceremony, Camp Fire Program, Fremont Festival of the Arts, San Jose Renaissance Faire, Time Travel Weekends, Conscious Goddess: Temple Service, The Witch's Garden, First Annual Fun and Festive Family-Friendly Fundraiser Concert , Art and Soul Festival, Carnival of Stars, NorCal Trans Partners Family and Friends Support Group, Basic VortexHealing Training, Wood Sprites Gnomes and Fairies Oh My!, Celtic Sands, Schoolhouse Rock Live!, WomenSpirit Elderflower Festival, The OM Conference
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Beginners Guide to Hacking Your Jewelry
with Holly Wach
Wednesday, July 31, 10:00AM-12:00PM
Mothership HackerMoms, 3288 Adeline Street, Berkeley
$10
“Come experiment and make new jewelry out of your stash of broken, missing, single pieces. Artist and painter Holly Wach introduces us to the basics of jewelry making by way of hacking your existing jewelry. Bring your busted, unworn jewelry, some ideas and some needle nose pliers and materials, if you got 'em. No experience necessary. (Yes, this is worth a trip to the bead store)
$5 for HackerMoms + optional $2.50/hour childcare, $10 for non-members + optional $5/hour childcare.”
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The Story That Brings Forth Your Light
Teleseminar with Luisah Teish
Wednesday, July 31, 5:30PM
Free, for access please register at the website below
“We all know the feeling of being spellbound by a story, hanging on every vivid detail, whether it’s in a movie or at the feet of a beloved grandmother.
The reason why is that we are myth-making creatures and story-telling animals. We weave disparate events into something that is whole and powerful and filled with meaning by seeing it through the lens of story.
Stories are far more than fiction. They enroll people in dreams. They birth companies. They keep families together. They make our life into art.
And they empower us into new possibilities. Or, if the stories are negative, they can impoverish us and keep us in stories of victimhood.
Luisah Teish is a master weaver of stories that empower us and help us shine our soul’s light far more brightly. And she’s offering a special free teleseminar event to show you how you can shift your story to one that brings back the full daylight in your life.
To some extent, we ALL eclipse our light with disempowering stories. We rehearse a story that is less than the glory of God within us. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Learning the skills of the storyteller helps you to create new guiding myths for your life. It helps you understand how to change the narration - and the destination - of your life path.
In this powerful, free event, one of our great teachers of storytellers, artists, and mythmakers Luisah Teish helps you to rescript your life story to one of empowerment and fulfillment.
She illuminates how you can mine the gold from your traumas and tragedies and understand the epic quality of what you’ve overcome. She helps you see the arc of your life in a wholly new way. She’ll show how to connect with your ancestors and lineage and bend the arc of your family towards a more hope-filled conclusion.
Join us an evening of storytelling and liberation!
Luisah Teish is a writer, performer and ritual priestess. She is the author of several books on African and African American Spiritual Culture and Feminist Myth. They include Jambalaya: The Natural Woman's Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals a women's spirituality classic, Carnival of the Spirit: Seasonal Celebrations and Rites of Passage, Jump Up: Good Times Throughout the Seasons with Celebrations from Around the World, and What Don't Kill Is Fattening Revisited: Twenty Years of Poetry, Prose, and Myth.
Other writing credits include contributions to thirteen anthologies and published articles in magazines such as Essence, Ms., Shaman's Drum, and the Yoga Journal.
Teish is an initiated elder (Iyanifa) in the Ifa/Orisha tradition of the West African Diaspora, and she holds a chieftaincy title (Yeye'woro) from the Fatunmise Compound in Ile Ife, Nigeria. Currently, she is the Chair of the World Orisha Congress Committee on Women's Issues. She is also a devotee of Damballah Hwedo, the Haitian Rainbow Serpent, under the guidance of Mama Lola.
She was awarded a Ph.D. in Spiritual Therapeutics from Open International University's School of Complementary Medicine in Colombo Sri Lanka in 1993.
She holds an Inter-Faith minister's license from the International Institute of Integral Human Sciences.
Teish designs and conducts weddings, naming ceremonies, memorials, and a host of seasonal celebrations. Teish designed a Rites of Passage program for the Institute of Noetic Sciences, and is the director of the Full Faze Passage Council, a multi-racial, multi-cultural network of artists, consultants, and spiritual advisors experienced in events design and production.”
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Concert in the Redwood Grove
featuring Redwood Tango Ensemble
and Trio Zincalo
Thursday, August 1, 5:30-7:30PM (and every Thursday through August 29)
“Doors” open at 5:00PM
UC Berkeley Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive, Berkeley
Adults $12, Youth 5-17 $5
Please register online at the website below
for more information, e-mail garden@berkeley.edu
“Join us this summer for a series of concerts in our beautiful Redwood Grove!
Golden Era Tango and Gypsy Jazz European
Redwood Tango Ensemble is an energetic tango quintet specializing in traditional tango music of the classic Golden Era orchestras of the 30s-50s.
Trio Zincalo play a diverse range of music from different parts of the world - Argentine Tangos, Brazilian Choros and Bossa Novas, French Gypsy Jazz, American Jazz, Italian Wedding Music, and Bulgarian Freilachs.
Ticket includes admission to the Garden before 5:00PM. BYO picnic and non-alcoholic drinks welcome.”
Thanks to Pixie for letting me know about this event!
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Freestyle
at Exploratorium After Dark
Thursday, August 1, 6:00-10:00PM
Exploratorium, Pier 15, San Francisco
$15, 18 and over
“Indulge Your Creative Spirit at After Dark: Freestyle
After Dark: Freestyle will be a freewheeling kind of night, with something for everyone. Get improvisational by creating your own cocktails with SeaGlass mixologists, or experience a hands-on, ears-on, full-body exploration of the world's musical cultures with music ethnologist, musician, instrument maker, and educator Michael Bradke.
Create an infinity of changing personas with Alex Andre's Metamorphosis kinetic sculpture, or watch artist Paul Nosa craft freehand embroidered patches using your words and ideas. Explore evolution and DNA with staff scientist Karen Kalumuck, scratch your own animation, or watch scratch animation classics presented by Cinema Arts. Join us and celebrate spontaneity!
Not a theater, cabaret, or gallery, Exploratorium's After Dark contains aspects of all three. Each evening showcases a different topic - from music to sex to electricity - but all include a cash bar and film screenings, plus an opportunity to play with our hundreds of hands-on exhibits.”
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Medicinal and Magical Herbs
with Jane Beckman
arranged by the San Jose Pagan/Magick Meetup Group
Thursday, August 1, 7:00PM
in the back room, Hobee's Restaurant, 4224 El Camino Real, Palo Alto
$2 suggested donation
Valerie Voigt, organizer of the San Jose Pagan/Magick Meetup Group, says:
“Hooray! I finally have been able to arrange this long-awaited event!
Jane Beckman will be giving an excellent presentation on herbs, with reference both to their current practical use and to their historical use in Witchcraft. She'll also have handouts available.
To entice her to carve out time from her busy schedule, I promised her that we'd feed her, so please come prepared to contribute to the kitty.
No one turned away for lack of funds, but please contribute if you can.
Blessed Be,
Valerie”
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Hrafnar Oracular Seidh
Thursday, August 1, 7:30PM
BFUU, 1924 Cedar Street, Berkeley
Donations accepted to pay for the space
"Now, as in the ancient North, seers and seeresses find answers to the pressing questions of folk in their communities.
Seidhjallr, the working seidhr group associated with Hrafnar, will be performing this rite at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists (BFUU), located at 1924 Cedar Street in Berkeley. This practice comes from the heathen (Germanic pagan) tradition, but all are welcome.
Questions appropriate to an oracular seidh presentation are any that one might consider appropriate to address to a tarot, rune, or other reader, as well as many questions that work best in the more open, oracular format, including contact with ancestors and gods.
Doors for the event will open at 7:00PM, with the ritual expected to start at 7:30PM. Once the ritual begins, the doors will be locked; please be prompt. While there is no admission fee, we will be taking a collection (suggested donation $5) to help defray expenses, especially hall rental.”
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Bardic Poetry Recital by Joe Plum
Thursday, August 1, 7:30-9:30PM
Moonfyre Metaphysical, 401 E Campbell Avenue, Campbell
Suggested donation of $35
Please call 408-370-0333 to reserve a place
“Joseph Samuel Plum is a direct descendant of Welsh bards and Native American spirit. He lives off the grid in South Central Iowa within a group of trees, where he composes and presents poetry of an original nature. Joe travels extensively to share his bardic gift with communities in the United States. He is a featured speaker at conferences and bookstores throughout the nation. His belief that life is an event, not a monument, creates magical moments for audiences small and large alike.”
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Fortunate Daughter
Written and performed by Thao P. Nguyen
Thursday-Saturday, August 1-3, 8:00PM,
playing through August 10
Impact Theatre at La Val's Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Avenue, Berkeley
$17 in advance, $20 at the door
“The secret to keeping your family happy is... keeping your other family secret. A one-dyke show about the difference between coming out and coming home.
Thao’s Vietnamese parents keep pushing her to marry - a man. Her other family - her Queer activist friends, coworkers, and community - wants her to come out. Thao doesn't want to do either! But the pressure builds from both sides and she is forced to make a decision.
Since 1996 Impact Theatre has spoken to a new generation of theatregoers and longtime enthusiasts alike who want to see something fresh and fearless on stage. Our audience ranges from students to professionals to seniors, all of whom share a taste for exciting, unpretentious theatre that doesn’t conform to traditional assumptions of what constitutes high culture.
Impact ensures the continued strength of American theatre by
featuring new plays by emerging playwrights
producing vital, contemporary spins on classic drama
engaging new audiences
fostering the development of Bay Area theatremakers
Impact shows compel, provoke, and inspire, at prices everyone can afford.”
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Gold Rush! The Un-Scripted Barbary Coast Musical
Thursday-Sunday, August 1-4, 8:00PM,
playing through August 24
Un-Scripted Theater Company, 2nd floor, 533 Sutter Street, San Francisco
$20
“Gambling. Prostitution. Crime. Sudden riches... nd sudden death. This summer, Un-Scripted Theater Company pays tribute to a ‘golden’ era in San Francisco: the (in)famous Barbary Coast. It was a time when extraordinarily colorful characters filled every corner of old Sydney-Town - an area that spanned a mere nine blocks but whose influence extends through the city even today. Each night, audience members will experience a never-before-seen musical journey, bringing back life as it might have existed during the earliest days of San Francisco’s history.”
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Downtown Benicia Ghost Walk
Friday, August 2, 8:00PM, and the first and third Friday of each month
meet at 90 First Street, Benicia
$25, reservations required.
Ages 10-16 must be accompanied by adult.
For more information, please call 707-745-9791
“Paranormal history of Downtown Benicia are revealed on this exciting, interactive and fun Ghost Walk led by paranormal investigator Devin Sisk. Each tour is limited to 20 people and lasts approximately 2 hours, depending on what entity you encounter along the way! Walking shoes and flashlight recommended. No children under ten years of age permitted on tours. Ages 10-16 must be accompanied by adult. $25 per person. Prepaid reservations required by calling 707-745-9791.”
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Quadrille
part of Butterfield 8 New Works Series
Friday-Sunday, August 2-4,
Friday-Saturday 8:00PM, Sunday 3:00PM
Cue Productions Live, 1835 Colfax Street, Concord
$18
“It's the return of the Butterfield 8 New Works Series! This showcase will present staged readings of new works by local playwrights, and has featured several plays which have gone on to receive full productions; Zelda's Mama's Cookin' by Harold Smith, Abigail Dreary by Michelle Ianiro, The Beekeeper by Jennifer Roberts, and Pride and Prejudice by Donald L. Hardy.
Week 5
Quadrille
A Romantic Play
Story and Script by Melynda Kiring
directed by Alan Cameron
August 2-4, 3013
“Ingredients:
1 Self-Sufficient Woman Baker
1 Nobleman in need of a Cook
1 Sweet Young Lady
1 Dashing Hero
Preheat the year 1835. Mix the Baker and the Nobleman together until romance blossoms. For a little confusion, gently add the Sweet Young Lady into the mix. Sprinkle in a pinch of frustrated love, and then add a dash of Hero rushing in to save the day. Bake at 350 degrees for the length of one duel, or until ready to admit the truth. Serves them all right.
Quadrille is a delicious tale featuring romance, secret plots, good food, more secret plots, bad food, heroic duels, and plenty of perfectly prepared corn muffins. Bon appetite!
Featuring: John Butterfield, Jeremy Tribe Gallardo, David Hardie, Melynda Kiring, and Nicole Thorsden.”
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The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
presented by Shady Shakespeare
Friday-Sunday, August 2-4, 7:00PM
playing through September 1
Sanborn-Skyline County Park, 16055 Sanborn Road, Saratoga
see website for ticket details
“Shady Shakespeare is proud to present the highly entertaining, highly irreverent, and slightly insane 97 minute comic tour de force that has captured the hearts of audiences around the world. Called ‘Pithier than Python’ and ‘Irresistible’ by the New York Times, ‘Stupendous, anchorless joy’ by the Times, and ‘Maybe the goofiest thing I've ever seen, you're telling me three grown men wrote this?’ by people like your mom. No one is safe and nothing is sacred as three intrepid actors attempt to condense the entire thirty-seven play Shakespearean canon into a single evening of cross-dressing, adolescent humor, audience participation, terrible wigs, and generally offensive hilarity. What could possibly go wrong?
Tickets range in price from $15-$20 including all ticketing and service fees - no hidden costs! Tickets are available online and will also be available at the park.
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, kids 17 and under will be admitted FREE with a paid adult. Kids must still obtain a physical ticket to gain entry.”
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Martinez Peddlers Faire
Saturday, August 3, 8:00AM-4:00PM
Downtown Martinez, Alhambra Avenue at Marina Vista, Martinez
free admission
“Join us for the 2013 Peddlers’ Faires
Voted East Bay's Best Source for Old Treasures!
Featuring Vintage, Antiques, Collectibles and Arts and Crafts
in Downtown Martinez, The Antique and Collectible Capital of Contra Costa County!
One of the largest outdoor antique and collectible shows in northern California. Held on the streets of historic downtown Martinez on Saturday, May 18th and Saturday, August 3rd, from 8:00AM-4:00PM. Get here early to get the first pick of that special item to add to your collection.
You will find plenty to choose from as dealers will be showing a huge variety of antiques and collectibles including glassware, porcelain, pottery, furniture, old advertising, toys, Native American wares, paper items and much more.
While at the Faire, be sure to visit the 12 downtown Martinez Antique and Collectible stores. The 50-plus dealers in the stores will be bringing in new inventory for the Faire in preparation for the thousands of visitors on Faire day. In addition to the antiques and collectibles, there are over 50 arts and crafts vendors so there will be something for everyone at the show.
John Humphries, radio and TV collectibles talk show host, and the author of several books on collectibles, will again be on hand during the day to give evaluations of one carry-in item for a $5 donation to the Martinez Historic Society. John will be located at the information booth on Ferry Street near Main Street from 8:00AM-4:00PM. John is always a popular feature at the Faire so be sure to get in line early and get a number. Bring in that old piece of pottery, glass, toy or other collectible but remember, no furniture, carry-in items only please.
Parking and admission are free. See you at the Faire!”
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Bottle Your Own!
at Guglielmo Winery
Saturday, August 3, 10:00AM-3:00PM
Guglielmo Winery, 1480 East Main Avenue, Morgan Hill
$5 per bottle
“Bottle your own red wine! Bring your clean bottles or purchase them at
the winery for $1.00, then fill them using our antique filler.
We cork them, you label them - only $5.00 per bottle!
This is one of our most popular events and is always a fun time!“
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The Pre-Raphaelite Artists' Picnic Dance
A Picnic in the Park with PEERS
Saturday, August 3,
Suggested Set-Up Time: 10:00AM, Picnic Luncheon: 11:00AM,
Formal Dancing: 1:00-4:00PM
Lincoln Park, 1450 High Street, Alameda
Free
“Please join us for a lovely afternoon of art, music, and dance in picturesque, shady Lincoln Park, where we shall be holding PEERS’ annual Free Picnic and Dance in the Park.
Our guests are invited to bring their own period-style picnic lunch and to make their picnic site look as period as possible (Please note that the event is not a potluck. Our hard-working catering staff will be taking a well-deserved holiday!). Those of an artistic bent are invited to bring their sketch pads to sketch either the beauties of the park or the beauties of our stunning pre-Raphaelite models.
Suggested costume for the event is fashionable Victorian summer afternoon dress (1850 - 1900) or aesthetic dress in the style of the romantic Pre-Raphaelites. Generic romantic attire is also welcome and, as usual, costumes are admired, not required. But, whatever you wear, be certain to wear sturdy shoes that you can dance in out-of-doors.
To protect your complexion, hats or bonnets, parasols, and sunscreen are highly recommended, and you may even want to bring a shawl to protect you against the changeable climate of beautiful Alameda, the Bay Area's most Victorian city. .
After the luncheon, the celebrated Dickens Fair band, Bangers and Mash, will play an afternoon of beautiful early to mid-Victorian dance music, including waltzes, polkas, schottisches, mazurka waltzes, country dances, and quadrilles (As usual, all set dances will be briefly taught or called). The enduringly popular Congress of Vienna, Bohemian National Polka, Lancers, and, of course, Sir Roger de Coverley will also be danced.
This event is a thank you to all of our devoted fans, and we will not be charging a fee for admission. Donations for our brilliant and hard-working musicians will be gratefully accepted, however, both before and during the event.“
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Beaver Festival
Saturday, August 3, 11:00AM-4:00PM
Beaver Park, 495 Alhambra Avenue, Martinez
Free
"Learn how the beavers in Martinez have improved the watershed and re-energized the community. Find out about simple tools that can manage beaver behavior, and see first hand how beaver-created wetlands improve populations of fish, birds and wildlife. Live music, children's activities, and guided beaver tours make this an event for the whole family, and one you definitely won't want to miss! Ride Amtrak directly to the festival. Have dinner in town and come back in the evening to see the beavers for yourself. We promise you'll have a 'dam' good time!"
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NROOGD Lughnasadh
Saturday, August 3, 1:00PM
Live Oak Park, 1301 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley
Free
“As the heat of our sun remains strong,
we gather our bounty.
Laugh, dance, and feast with NROOGD and Silver Salamander,
as we celebrate Lughnasadh.
A time of plenty
a time of birth
a time of thanks.”
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Legendary Locals of Castro Valley, Hayward, and San Lorenzo
Book signing with Doris Marciel
presented by the Hayward Area Historical Society
Saturday, August 3, 2:00PM
Castro Valley Library, 3600 Norbridge Avenue, Castro Valley
Free
“Join Doris Marciel as she discusses her newest publication on the lives and images of legendary locals of the Hayward Area. You will be able to purchase the books signed by the author.”
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Community Seed Lughnasadh Ritual
Saturday, August 3, gather at 2:00PM, Ritual begins at 3:00PM
Washington Picnic Area, De Laveaga Drive, 850 Branciforte Avenue, Santa Cruz
suggested donation of $7-$15, no one turned away for lack of funds
“A Harvest of Plenty
We will gather and celebrate the Harvest within and without.
Join us on the afternoon of August 3rd as we celebrate Lughanasadh! On this holy-day, we will call in the Powers of creativity and joy to witness and guide our blissful connection with each other and the great wild world around us.
Potluck to follow after the ritual. Please bring a dish to share and label the ingredients.
Earth signs - Greens, Air Signs - Main Dish Meat,
Fire Signs - Main Dish Vegetable, Water Signs - Dessert
Drinks will be provided
This is a child friendly event. All CS events are Clean and Sober.
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The Trading Post
Saturday, August 3, 3:00-8:00PM
Spice Monkey Restaurant, 1628 Webster Street, Oakland, 510-268-0170
$5
“The Trading Post at Spice Monkey is an opportunity to:
Barter - art, clothes, handmade goods, jewelry and accessories.
Build Community - meet others, mingle, listen to live DJs spin.
Barter and open trade is free with Admission:
$5 comes with a small drink
$10 comes with a housemade spice blend and a snack
$15 a table to vend goods for barter or purchase, plus all of the above“
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Peace Lantern Ceremony
Saturday, August 3, 6:30-9:00PM
North end of Aquatic Park, Bolivar Drive, and Addison Street, Berkeley
Free
“August 6th and 9th are the 68th anniversaries of the world’s first atomic bombings. In Japan and around the world, people will gather in early August to float lanterns in remembrance of the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, all victims of war, and all who have gone before us. This moving and beautiful tradition provides a chance to reaffirm our commitment to building a better future.”
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Camp Fire Program
Saturday, August 3, 7:00-8:30PM
John Muir National Historic Site, 4202 Alhambra Avenue, Martinez
Free
“Listen to songs and stories around a campfire this summer during our ranger-led programs
Join the National Park Service for free campfire programs this summer. Program last about 1.5 hours. Rangers will lead the group in songs, skits and stories to celebrate the legacy of John Muir, one of the greatest naturalists and conservationists the United States has ever known.
No reservations are required. Meet at the front gate of the John Muir National Historic Site, 4202 Alhambra Avenue, in Martinez, CA (at the Alhambra Ave. exit off Highway 4). Bring the whole family along with picnic blankets, lawn chairs, and a desire to have a good time.
Rangers will direct you from the gate to the fire ring, located under a small grove of redwood trees. If it rains heavily, the program will be canceled.”
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Fremont Festival of the Arts
Saturday-Sunday, August 3-4, 10:00AM-6:00PM
Paseo Padre Parkway and Capital Avenue, Fremont
Free
“The Fremont Festival of the Arts is celebrating 28 years of fun in the sun! The Fremont Festival of the Arts is the largest free street festival west of the Mississippi River.
Cool things about the Fremont Festival:
Kid City: great family fun!
Music: Always free, always groovy
Artists: Unique handcrafted items
Gourmet Marketplace: Fabulous food to take home
The Wine Garden presented by GROCO: The Festival's hidden gem
Business Alley: An outdoor trade show featuring Fremont Chamber members
Food: Yummy festival food
Wine, Beer, Margaritas”
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San Jose Renaissance Faire
Saturday-Sunday, August 3-4, 10:00AM-6:00PM
Guadalupe River Park, 494 West Santa Clara Street, San Jose
Adults $17, ages 13-17, seniors and military $12, ages 6-12 $7, under 6 free
Parking $5 at HP Pavilion
“If you love Renaissance Faires, this full-scale, interactive experience is not to be missed. San Jose Renaissance Faire offers you a chance to visit the days of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I. See brave and bold knights competing for the favor of the Her Majesty's Court and for their lady's affection during full-contact jousts held in the Queen's Tiltyard each day. 700 costumed performers will bring Shakespeare's England to life with parades, pageants, and fun townsfolke, offering continuous entertainment of spectacular variety. You'll enjoy musicians, jugglers, and the ribaldry of actors drawing you even deeper into the Renaissance.”
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Time Travel Weekends
in Historic Old Sacramento
Saturday-Sunday, August 3-4, 11:00AM-5:00PM
and every weekend through August 25
Historic Old Sacramento, 101 I Street, Sacramento
“Get ready to step back in time when the past mingles with the present once again in Old Sacramento! Visitors to Old Sacramento will enjoy lively and interactive street theatre as part of the hugely popular Time Travel Weekends that debuted last year to much applause. The streets of Old Sacramento will come alive with talented performers who put on spontaneous and elaborate skits and performances. Plus, visitors won’t want to miss the highly entertaining Old West stage shows happening daily including the much acclaimed Golden Melodeon Review in the Eagle Theatre.
As you stroll through Old Sacramento on weekends July through August, you might just chance upon historic re-enactments complete with wagons, wild characters with heroes and villains, children’s pioneer craft activities, historic gambling, bowling, juggling, singing, dancing and other forms of musical mastery, military encampments, mining camps, parades, historic events, medicine shows, Civil War cannon firings, and much, much more!”
A lot of the performers in this program are Renaissance Faire and/or Dickens Fair folk!
Director Robert Young, who may look familiar to you if you’ve ever met Mr. Dickens himself, or attended a Mysterium Om ritual at PantheaCon, says:
“THE CURTAIN'S GOING UP - on a new season of Time Travel Weekends in Sacramento City. The very first melodrama to open the Eagle Theatre in 1849, 'The Bandit Chief', will be reborn on that stage every afternoon. An entertaining show of variety acts will also take stage - jugglers, Shakespearean actors, medicine show, can can, music hall and much more - concluding in the stirring pageant 'Triumph of Eureka'. Mr. Mark Twain himself will hold forth with his droll humor and entertaining tales. The streets will be bustling with wagons, carriages, parades, music and lively characters. Will you be there?”
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Laughter Flashmob!
with the Oakland Lifefire Laughter Club
Sunday, August 4
10:00AM at Temescal Farmers Market, Claremont DMV, 5300 Claremont Avenue, Oakland
11:30AM at Whole Foods Market, 230 Bay Place, Oakland
Free
“Laughter Flashmob! Get Your Veggies and Laughs All in One Place!
Come have fun connecting through laughter and play as we liven up the community and sprinkle MORE JOY throughout Oakland! Led by visiting Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher Carla Brown, with support from OLLC leaders and members. Meet folks from other local Laughter Clubs! The most fun you'll ever have doing your grocery shopping!
Two locations and times! Come to either or both. PLEASE RSVP!!!!
10:00AM - Temescal Farmers Market
5300 Claremont Avenue, Oakland.
Takes place in the parking lot of the DMV. Meet at the DMV entrance that faces the lot. Parking in the lot or side streets.
11:30AM - Whole Foods Market -
230 Bay Place, near corner of 27th and Harrison, Oakland
Meet in their outside picnic table area.
Anyone welcome to join us… bring your friends, the more the better! Join in the fun!”
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Conscious Goddess: Temple services for She of 10,000 Names
(formerly Goddess Awakening)
with Rabbit, Iris, and guest Priestesses
Sunday, August 4, 11:00AM-12:00PM, (and the first Sunday of every month)
The Sacred Well, 536 Grand Avenue, Oakland, 510-444-9355
Donations gratefully accepted
Women only
"Women! Join our spiritual circle for an empowering start to your day, bringing alive the wisdom of the Goddess within!
We are a holy community of sacred sisters, encouraging one another through our challenges and celebrating our triumphs.”
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The Witch's Garden
with Rabbit
Sunday, August 4, 3:00-5:00PM, and the first Sunday of every month
The Sacred Well, 536 Grand Avenue, Oakland, 510-444-9355
$35 per class
“Classes for the budding herbalist! Each session is a fun, casual, interactive, hands-on lesson in one facet of practical and magical herbalism.
As a general rule, please wear clothes that you can get dirty in as we play with the plants and make our potions!”
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First Annual Fun and Festive Family-Friendly Fundraiser Concert
in Celebration of Composing Together
Saturday, August 4, 4:00PM
La Pena Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley
$12 in advance, $20 at the door, $10 Students with ID, Free for kids 12 years old and under
“Composing Together presents a family concert of new music with narrator, music by and for kids, arts and crafts, a silent auction with a autographed 49ers football and entertainment gift certificates and a bubblewrap symphony for everyone to play. Performers include members of the Bernal Hill Players and Gojogo.
Funds to support bringing professional composers and musicians into classrooms to create music with young people.”
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Art and Soul Festival
Saturday-Sunday, August 4-5, Saturday 2:00PM-Midnight, Sunday 12:00PM-6:00PM
downtown Oakland - see website for map
adults $15, seniors and youth 13-17 $8, under 12 free
(discounted tickets available in advance - see website)
“A symbol of downtown Oakland’s renaissance, Art and Soul is a great entertainment value that sizzles with two music-packed days featuring Jazz, Rock, Gospel, Latin, R&B, Acoustic and Blues performed by national recording artists and top local talent.
Youngsters will love the kid-friendly carnival rides, interactive art projects, face painting and roaming costumed characters.
Stroll through the Artisan Marketplace, sample exotic foods and tasty treats from a multicultural menu and view great art.
Art and Soul, the Bay Area’s coolest festival, has direct transit access and free parking for thousands of cars.”
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Carnival of Stars
World Dance and Arts Festival
Saturday-Sunday, August 4-5, 10:00AM-10:00PM
Richmond Memorial Auditorium and Convention Center, 403 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond
Adults $15, children under 12 $6
Two days of belly dance performances, workshops, vendors and other wonderful things!
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NorCal Trans Partners, Family and Friends Support Group
Monday, August 5, 7:30-9:00PM, and the first Monday of each month
Billy DeFrank LGBT Center, 938 The Alameda, San Jose, 408-293-3040
“Having a family member, child, spouse, partner, or other loved one go through transition can be difficult and comes with a unique set of challenges that most folks don't really comprehend. Come join the Northern California Trans Partners and Family support group at the DeFrank Center the first Monday of each month from 7:30-9:00PM.
To communicate between meetings, we also have a Facebook page and a Yahoo mailing list.”
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Basic VortexHealing Training
taught by Gailynn Carroll
Tuesday-Saturday, August 6-10,
9:00AM-5:00PM daily, first day begins at 8:45AM
Rudramandir, 830 Bancroft Way, Berkeley
Class Price for Early Registration is $640 for all five days
To register , please e-mail vortexhealingberkeley@gmail.com
“You are invited to explore and learn this amazing healing art!
The Nature of a Basic VortexHealing Training
A brief description of the Basic VortexHealing Training will not easily convey the depth of it, nor the fact that, for many, it is a life-changing event. In the Basic VortexHealing Training you undergo a tremendous ‘light-acceleration’, which evolves your energy system and enables you to receive the VortexHealing transmissions from the Divine Source of our lineage. The main transmission is called the ‘Vortex Wheel’, which comes into manifestation in the heart. This is our energetic bridge for accessing Divine energy and consciousness. It enables (a) the channeling of 49 unique forms of Divine Vortex Energy, (b) the channeling of Merlin’s Healing Essence, which brings in the transformative power of Divine Consciousness, and (c) the ability to channel energy from the Divine Web.
The individual healing tools can be channeled separately or together. Since each form of Vortex Energy has a unique function (to energize, to ground, to nurture, to burn out infection, etc), and since Merlin’s Healing Essence accesses Divine Consciousness, this enables a very wide range of healing possibilities:
The energy system as a whole, or specific parts of it, can be deeply energized (or grounded, or nurtured, or transformed, etc.).
The meridian system can be cleared and harmonized.
‘Karma knots’ (which are a core support for karmic and emotional issues, held in the karmic body) can be cleared.
Deep clearings can be done through the subtle energetic bodies, chakras and physical tissues
Both emotional and physical issues can be deeply impacted by this work.
This healing can be done on yourself or others, in person or at a distance.
In addition, there are other transformative processes that are taught in class:
You learn how to get information from Divine Presence.
You learn meditations for connecting more deeply with Divine Presence and for opening the spiritual heart.
You recreate your Grounding Cord, which grounds you to the core of the earth and strengthens you. (Everyone is born with a grounding cord, but in the West, almost everyone loses it by the time they are 4 years old.)
You learn how to bring focus to the third eye.
You receive a lot of detailed information about our energy system and about how our issues become embedded in it.
You receive a very detailed map for the spiritual awakening that is generated by the Divine through the process and classes of VortexHealing.
During the Training there will be hands-on healing practice, both in healing oneself and others.
Please pass this info. along if you know someone that would like to take this class and deeply transform their life.
Please email me if you would like to Register for the Class or if you have any questions!
With Love and Light,
Robert Courtney (aka Dragonfly Adularia)”
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Wood Sprites, Gnomes, and Fairies Oh, My!
Kids Art Class with Sarah Logan
Wednesday, August 7, 9:00AM-12:00PM
Towne Center Books, 555 Main Street, Pleasanton
$45
Reservations required, please call 925-846-8826 or e-mail orders@townecenterbooks.com
“Artist Sarah Logan, will facilitate this class. It's designed for kids 8+ and will definitely get their creative juices flowing making masks, paper puppets, and an edible terrarium.”
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Celtic Sands
Wednesday, August 7, 6:30-7:45PM
Orinda Public Library, 26 Orinda Way, Orinda
Free
“Celtic Sands will bring a tear to your eye and a bit of dance to your step with their mix of traditional Irish reels and jigs, plaintive Celtic airs and ballads and sometimes a little Celtic rock together for an intimate sound and some lively good times. The trio consists of fiddle, acoustic guitar, Celtic harp, Irish flute, bodhran, tin whistle, piano and vocals.”
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Schoolhouse Rock Live!
presented by the students of The Scene Summer Conservatory
Wednesday-Thursday, August 7-8, 7:00PM
Recital Hall, Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara
$15
“The 38 young actors in our Musical Theatre Summer Conservatory are busy rehearsing their showcase. They'd love you to come see their accomplishments. This year's showcase features all your favorite songs from Schoolhouse Rock (plus some wonderfully retro commercials and PSAs from the 1970s and '80s.) Tickets are on sale now but seating is extremely limited so don't delay - order your tickets today!”
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WomenSpirit Elderflower Festival
Thursday-Sunday, August 7-11
Mendocino Woodlands, 39350 Little Lake Road, Mendocino
see website for registration details
“Elderflower Womenspirit is a women’s spirituality festival that takes place every August, in the Mendocino Woodlands of Northern California. Since 1988, women have gathered together to create this festival, to create a time and space for healing and growth, as well as a growing community of empowered women.
Elderflower Womenspirit gives you four days of rest and relaxation, camping in cabins or tents by a creek in a beautiful redwood forest. Enjoy gourmet catered meals, with vegetarian options. Camp amenities include hot showers!
Elderflower Womenspirit is a grassroots volunteer event. There are no paid staff, presenters or entertainers. It is a participatory spiritual experience; the rituals, workshops, entertainment and other activities are created by the women who attend. Every woman is encouraged to bring her own unique talents and contribute to the diversity of the festival by leading and participating in workshops, rituals and other activities.
Elderflower Womenspirit is a non-denominational gathering, women of any spiritual path are welcome to participate. We honor the Divine Feminine, however She chooses to manifest in our lives. Our rituals celebrate the Goddess and the sacredness of nature.
Elderflower Womenspirit workshops have included a wide range of topics: Drumming, songs and chants, movement and dance, crafts, writing, divination, ritual, herbal magic and medicine, tarot, psychic skills, astrology, Reiki, herbal medicine, bodywork, yoga, meditation, Goddess lore, various spiritual traditions, crystals, sexuality and gender issues, political topics.
Elderflower Womenspirit activities include hiking, sports, massage, an open air market, our Friday Night Performing Arts Show, 12 Step Meetings, Silent Auction and our Treasure Table.”
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The OM Conference
Friday-Sunday, August 9-11
see website for schedule and registration details
Regency Center, 1290 Sutter Street, San Francisco
“From San Francisco, to Los Angeles, to New York City, to Austin and Boulder, the practice of Orgasmic Meditation is spreading across the country quickly. It’s also made it’s way to London, England in 2012.
Orgasmic Meditation has been featured in media outlets and events such as Cosmopolitan, the New York Times, Playboy and South By South West. It’s popping up all over the place!
The OM Xperience is a 3 day event where people from around the world are coming together to talk, discover and practice Orgasm. Whether you’re new to the practice of Orgasmic Meditation or you’ve been OMing for awhile, the OM Xperience is for anyone who’s interested in learning how to strengthen their relationships and connections with people in all areas of their life.
And of course, this is also the place to be if you’re interested in learning more about Female Orgasm and the science and benefits behind Orgasm.
Over the course of the 3 days, there will be lectures from Nicole Daedone, the Founder of OneTaste and Orgasmic Meditation and the Author of Slow Sex and Master Stroker, Ken Blackman.
There will be Orgasmic Meditation training and philosophy sessions as well as presentations on the benefits of orgasm from Medical Doctors. We’ll also be sharing new research findings that specifically relate to the benefits of a regular Orgasmic Meditation (OM) practice.”
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Have a Peaceful, Friendly, Free, Light-Full Week!
Molly Blue Dawn
