Belrose Holiday Tea Party, Herbal Immunity, Art of Tarot, Finding Our Gods Meeting Our Pantheons, A Winter's Night, Arms Around Alameda, Exploratorium After Dark: Glow, RiffTrax Live presents Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, Off Book Off Broadway, QED, Troilus and Cressida, Green Fire Ceremony: Claim Your Identity As a Writer, Dickens Family Victorian Holiday Party, Stirring the Cauldron: A Roundtable Discussion, Serpent's Kiss Appreciation Party, Downtown Benicia Ghost Walk, Music History Dance Party, A Silver Bells Holiday at Ainsley House, Handcraft Holiday Pop-Up Shop, Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol, The Party, Holiday on the Farm, Rebels with a Cause, San Jose Heritage Holiday, Open House at Heidrun Meadery, Mushrooms at Lake Merritt, Chai and Spice Workshop, Ancestral Apothecary Open House, Lighten Up About the Holiday Season, 20 Harps for the Holidays, Hexenbrew: a Fundraiser for Hexenfest, Knighting Ceremony for Miguel Elliott aka Sir Cobalot, 4th Annual Holiday Concert With Community Dance, South Bay Circles Yule Ritual, The Euphora Project: Musica Celestis et Mortalis, Accordion Babes, Luther Burbank Home and Gardens Holiday Open House, An Ardenwood Christmas, The Great Dickens Christmas Fair!, Bazaar Bizarre Holiday Show, Community Grief Ritual, Fungus Fair: A Celebration of Wild Mushrooms, African Dance Song and Drumming, Temple of Aphrodite, Ashkenaz International Holiday Bazaar, Being in Dreaming: An Experiment in Group Dream-Sharing, Womb Medicine: A Kundalini Class and Female Anatomy Workshop, Get Local Holiday Bazaar and Party, Winter Solstice and Shamanic Journey Circle, CAYA Sprouts Day at Tilden Merry-Go-Round Christmas Fantasy in the Woods, Winter Solstice Drum Circle, Tarot Salon, New Science Smorgasbord: Viruses Stars Brains and Shapes, Awakening the Sacred Body
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Belrose Holiday Tea Party
Mondays-Saturdays throughout December, 1:00-4:00PM
The Belrose Theatre, 1415 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael
$25 per person
reservations required, please call 415-902-5188 or e-mail 2TeaOrNot2Tea@att.net
“Tea Parties at The Belrose are Back!
Come enjoy four weeks of The Belrose Tea Party with family, friends, and co-workers.
Mondays through Saturdays, 1:00-4:00PM
$25 for this experience includes:
A Pot of Fine Tea
Tea Sandwiches
Petit Fours
Cookies and Scones”
The Belrose Theatre is a beautiful and truly magical place!
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Herbal Immunity
Wednesday, December 4, 6:30-8:00PM
Homestead Apothecary, 486 49th Street, Oakland
$45
“Join Atava Garcia Swiecicki owner of Ancestral Apothecary for an evening of learning about how we can prepare ourselves for the cold and flu season. You'll learn key herbs that support the immune system that help to both prevent and treat colds and flu. We'll also be sharing some great, easy herbal remedies and recipes for this time of year. We'll be demonstrating how to make an herbal cough syrup and each participant will get to take their own bottle home.”
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Art of Tarot
with Rabbit
Wednesday, December 4, 7:00-9:00PM,
and two more Wednesdays, December 11 and 18
The Sacred Well, 536 Grand Avenue, Oakland, 510-444-9355
$35 per class
“Rabbit brings back one of her most popular classes, specifically designed to help you learn to tune in and trust your own intuition as a reader of tarot.
Sure, you can just look in the book at the traditional meaning of the cards, but in order to truly be a reader you must learn to listen carefully when they whisper their secrets in your mind. This class will get you OFF the book and help you turn ON your own personal intuition.
Rabbit’s unique method will have you able to offer accurate readings after your very first class, as long as you are willing to dare to believe yourself and trust your inner voice. Practical exercises and demonstration readings take place in each class, so you have the opportunity to give and receive practice readings, trouble-shoot areas of insecurity, and begin to build your internal reference library of tarot symbolism. This class fills up quickly, and space is limited, so please call to reserve your spot today.”
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Finding Our Gods, Meeting Our Pantheons
with The San Jose Pagan/Magick Meetup Group
Wednesday, December 4, 7:00PM
Hobee's Restaurant, 4224 El Camino Real, Palo Alto
$1
“We're Pagans, Heathens, Witches: We have our own varied ideas and perceptions about the Divine.
Some of us are polytheists, perceiving many different Gods.
Some of us are pantheists, perceiving everything to be Divine.
Some of us are Gaians, revering Mother Earth as a whole.
Some of us are Atheo-Pagans, seeing life (or even the whole Universe) as sacred, yet not believing in any Gods as separate entities.
And some of us are duotheists, henotheists, or other -ists.
(And some of us shift among these ideas.)
We have many different approaches to personal practice. What are some of the ways that we meet, experience, and come to know our Gods, Goddesses, and pantheons?
Many of us have a patron Deity, or even multiple patron Deities. How do we know who they are? If we don't know who they are, how can we find out?
Come bring your thoughts, share your experiences, and discover how others approach this aspect of the path. Veteran practitioners and green newcomers alike will find things to learn in this discussion that is sure to be lively, varied, and thought-provoking.
$1 donation requested to help cover the costs of running this group, but no one turned away for lack of funds.
Come enjoy the thoughtful conversation and the good fellowship!”
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A Winter's Night
Wednesday, December 4, 8:00PM
Freight and Salvage Coffeehouse, 2020 Addison Street, Berkeley, 510-644-2020
$20.50 in advance, $22.50 at the door
“To celebrate the arrival of winter, Ensemble Galilei teams up with journalist Neal Conan to present A Winter's Night, an evening of prose, poetry, and Celtic and Scandinavian folk music.
Ensemble Galilei performs unique blend of Irish, Scottish, early and original music on a variety of ancient and modern instruments, including the Celtic harp, Scottish small pipes, gamba, fiddle, recorders, whistles and percussion. The group is equally at home with Irish Reels, Medieval Canticles, and English country dance tunes. Since beginning in 1990, Ensemble Galilei has redefined the boundaries of chamber music, created new work, seized opportunities for collaborative relationships, and pushed the envelope in a series of innovative projects that explore combinations of images, words, and music. The group features Ryan McKasson on fiddle and viola, Jackie Moran on percussion, Sue Richards on Celtic harp, Kieran O'Hare on uillean pipes and Carolyn Anderson Surrick on viola da gamba.
Neal Conan may be the luckiest man on earth. With no discernable musical skill whatsoever, he managed to achieve a lifelong ambition to perform on stage with a great band. Neal first read poetry and stories to the music of Ensemble Galilei in 2000 and worked with the group to put together both A Universe of Dreams, which debuted in 2004, and First Person: Stories from the Edge of the World, which premiered at the National Geographic Society in 2007.
An award-winning journalist, Neal was the final host of Talk of the Nation on NPR, where he brought decades of news and radio experience to the program. He served as NPR’s Bureau Chief in both New York and London and covered national political conventions, confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominees and a presidential impeachment. For five years, he hosted Weekly Edition: The Best of NPR News. On the other side of the microphone, Neal served as editor, producer, and executive producer of NPR’s flagship evening newsmagazine, All Things Considered and, at various times, acted as NPR’s foreign editor, managing editor, and news director. He tours nationally with Ensemble Galilei as the narrator and host of A Universe of Dreams, which features images from the Hubble Space Telescope, and First Person: Seeing America, which features selected images from the photography collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.”
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Arms Around Alameda
Thursday, December 5, 5:30-8:30PM
Alameda Elks Lodge, 2255 Santa Clara Avenue, Alameda
$15 in advance, $20 at the door
“Your friends at the Alameda Business Network (ABN) proudly announce the Arms Around Alameda Fundraiser and Mixer to benefit Alameda Welfare Council, Alameda Food Bank and Toys for Tots!
Enjoy live entertainment by DJ by the Bay, a food buffet hosted by The Palacios Brothers PLUS a Silent Auction and Texas Raffle.
FREE raffle ticket with each new, unwrapped food or toy item donated. Tickets are good for all raffle choices.
Come join the fun, and support a great cause!”
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Exploratorium After Dark: Glow
Thursday, December 5, 6:00-10:00PM, and the first Thursday of each month
Exploratorium, Pier 15, San Francisco
$15, 18 and over
“After Dark: Glow
Excite your atoms at After Dark: Glow. On this dark winter night, we bring you ebullient lights and subtle glows from our eyes’ visible window onto the electromagnetic spectrum.
Arching above the Central Gallery is Cubatron Core, a tremendous torus of cascading colors by Mark Lottor. Twinkling through the gloom of Fujiko Nakaya’s Fog Bridge is Michael Brown’s playful garden of Playaflies - LED-laden ‘trees’ that respond to movement. Steel Love Design invite your spin on their flashing, cut-metal sculpture The Whirld, and Peter Hudson’s Homouroboros animates the Plaza with outsized, cinematic monkey business.
Take a shine to illuminating films and exhibits, and show your glow with hands-on activities. Create kaleidoscopic chaos with Ken Salter’s Chaotic Fractal Generator, build a mesmerizing light box, or make a phosphorescent plankton trap - and then observe your catch under an HD microscope. See the fascinating green fluorescent protein (GFP) glowing in bacteria, worms, and fish eggs, and discover fluorescence in everyday objects - including yourself.
Glow intersects with the IlluminArts Walk, a strolling light installation hosted by the Black Rock Arts Foundation and Illuminate the Arts. Participants lit with wearable art will bridge the night sky between two light works: The Language of the Birds in North Beach and Homouroboros on the Exploratorium’s public plaza - while encountering vistas of The Bay Lights along the way. This event has been created in support of San Francisco Travel’s new Illuminate SF program.
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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RiffTrax Live presents Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
Thursday, December 5, 8:00PM
various locations - see website for details
“Just in time for the holidays!
NCM Fathom Events and RiffTrax are overjoyed to bring the stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) back to select cinemas nationwide on Thursday, December 5 LIVE at 8:00PM for only one night with a hilarious never-before-seen take on the family ‘classic’ Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.
Join Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett of RiffTrax for an uproarious riff on one of the most popular titles in the MST3K catalogue! This one-night event will be your only chance to see the guys fire their wisecracking commentary at Santa Claus Conquers the Martians on the big screen.
Visit the Downloads tab to download free goodies before the show! PLUS all attendees will receive free access to more digital downloads on event night!”
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Off Book, Off Broadway
presented by Un-Scripted Theater
Thursday-Saturday, December 5-7, 8:00PM
playing through December 21
Un-Scripted Theater, 2nd Floor, 533 Sutter Street, San Francisco
$20
$20
“For years, the Un-Scripted Theater Company has delivered complex, rich improvised theater to San Francisco audiences. This winter, our experienced ensemble of actors brings to life the emotional power and realism of the contemporary musical. Through storytelling skills honed over more than a decade, our improvisors will explore the intricacies of modern life by creating a fun, original, full-length new musical each night. Discover a style of improvisation that has won Un-Scripted Theater Company the award for Best Theater Company in the San Francisco Bay Guardian.”
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QED
presented by Indra’s Net Theater
Thursday-Sunday, December 5-8,
Thursday-Saturday 8:00PM, Sunday 5:00PM
playing through December 22
Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Avenue, Berkeley
$28
“Indra’s Net Theater
presents QED
By Peter Parnell
Inspired by the writings of Richard Feynman and Ralph Leighton’s Tuva or Bust!
Directed by Bruce Coughran
Dates: November 29-December 22, 2013
Times: Thursday-Saturday 8:00PM, Sunday Matinee 5:00PM
Venue: Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Avenue, Berkeley
This play is an exploration of the extraordinary life of legendary Nobel Prize-winning Physicist Richard Feynman. Feynman began as a young man working on the Manhattan project, and then created a reputation as an inspiring and charismatic teacher, a brilliant physicist, as well as a practical joker. He had a flamboyant love of life. Near the end of his life, he was nationally visible as the scientist on the Presidential committee investigating the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. This fascinating and enigmatic figure is remembered by many, and this play probes under the surface of genius, to find the heart of the man inside.”
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Troilus and Cressida
Thursday-Sunday, December 5-8,
Thursday-Saturday 8:00PM, Sunday 7:00PM
playing through December 15
Impact Theatre at La Val's Subterranean, 1834 Euclid, Berkeley, 510-224-5744
see website for ticket details
“It is the seventh year of the Trojan War. Everyone is battle-weary, and no one is really sure that the war is still worth pursuing. In the Greek camp, troop morale is at an all-time low as King Agamemnon can’t persuade Achilles to get off his ass and fight. In Troy, royal family members debate whether they should just give Helen back to the Greeks and be done with the whole thing. And yet, love still flowers: Trojan Prince Troilus pines for Cressida, who plays hard to get until she can no longer deny her desire for him. But just as they finally come together, a political trade rips them apart. In a world where everyone speaks of honor but few actually embody it, the play exposes the callous ways in which the petty whims of the privileged few endanger the lives of the millions beneath them.
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.”
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Green Fire Ceremony: Claim Your Identity As a Writer
with Jenna Avery
Friday, December 6, 10:00AM-12:00PM
East Bay location given upon registration
$25, Please RSVP for $5 per hour childcare
“Writer and writing motivation coach, Jenna Avery, returns to lead us through a green fire renewal ceremony to literally burn and release old writer identities that haunt our writing progress. After the bonfire (really, we're going to set things on fire), she'll also walk us through a neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) technique to help us bring ourselves into alignment with a new identity as a writer. To prepare for the workshop, please consider the question, ‘What old beliefs or stories am I holding about who I 'should' be as a writer that I'm ready to let go of or are getting in my way?’ The ceremony is a way of saying goodbye to being out of sync with your identity as a writer, out of the writing habit, or out of breath with the profound changes of motherhood on your creative life. It's important to release and let go of your old ideas, beliefs, stories, limitations, and expectations about who you thought you were as a writer and realign yourself with who you want to be as a writer now. This is a great workshop if you also attended Designing Your Writing Life as a Mom or if you're grappling with old expectations and beliefs about who you are ‘supposed’ to be as a writer. Dress warmly, because we'll be outside for much of this workshop.
About Jenna Avery: Since becoming a mom, Jenna Avery, writing motivation coach, screenwriter and business owner, has completed a feature-length screenplay, three shorts, writes regularly for her own blog, and is a columnist for Script Magazine online. She understands the procrastination, perfectionism, self-doubt and extra resistance to writing while parenting, and coaches parents on strategies for writing.
Cost: $25 non-members, $12 for HackerMoms. Please RSVP for $5 per hour per child childcare.
Location: Address will be sent to attendees. Note that due to the fire element, this workshop won't be at HackerMoms.”
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Dickens Family Victorian Holiday Party
Friday, December 6, 6:30-9:00PM
Falkirk Cultural Center, 1408 Mission Avenue, San Rafael, 415-485-3328
$10 Adults, $7 Children
“Partake in a holiday treat as you go back in time to Victorian England and meet Charles Dickens, listen to him read from his famous works, watch his characters come alive (look out for Scrooge), meet and greet the true Father Christmas, play Victorian parlor games, dance and sing with our Victorian family and make traditional holiday crafts. Light food and drink will be served. A true family event.”
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Stirring the Cauldron: A Roundtable Discussion
with Elayne Lockhart
Friday, December 6, 7:00-8:30PM, and the first Friday of every month
The Mystic Dream, 1437 N Broadway, Walnut Creek, 925-933-2342
Free
“Join us on the first Friday of each month for a round table discussion. Each month a topic is selected in regards to paganism, witchcraft, or the esoteric arts. This is a moderated group; strong discussion is welcomed, however respect for diverse opinion and tolerance of other people's beliefs is a must.
Elayne Lockhart is a 4th generation witch living in the East Bay, where she works to educate the public on paganism and the esoteric arts. She has appeared in various live and print media regarding witchcraft and is the former moderator of Witchy Wednesdays. You can reach Elayne by phone at 925-935-3808, by e-mail at elaynelockhart@yahoo.com.”
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Serpent's Kiss Appreciation Party
Friday, December 6, 7:30-10:30PM
Serpent's Kiss, 2015 N Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz, 831-423-5477
Free
“As the year comes to a close, we'd like to honor YOU! We are planning an appreciation party in honor of our blessed community. We are here because of you!
We are also honored to be welcoming Zsuzsanna Budapest to the Santa Cruz neighborhood! If you don't already know her name you are most definitely familiar with her work. She is author of several best selling books, activist, journalist, playwright and song-writer (We All Come from the Goddess). She is also the reason we are able to now legally offer counseling through the Tarot. We are grateful to have this influential, often controversial Elder in our community. Come Meet and Greet her :)
This event is free. It is Serpent's Kiss's gift to you. We will Wine you and Dine you (Susan will be cooking). We will have free raffle drawings with multiple giveaways, and a really great time!”
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Downtown Benicia Ghost Walk
Friday, December 6, 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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Music History Dance Party
Friday December 6, 9:00PM-Midnight
The Foundry Gallery, 835 Carleton Street, Berkeley
Free
“DRESS WARMLY
Shake your booty. Stir your brain. This music is danceable. Free event.
Dance Music of Ancient Empires
The Roaring Twenties
Disco is Dance
The End of Rock
Now
Music History Dance Party is an all-new concept: we plug in our loud-arse sound system and play a jiggity-jig-brain-bustin’ set of highly danceable music for three hours from 9:00PM-Midnight. Get fit. Get smart. Rock through the ages.
Brought to you by Ross Warren and Andy Water Schmeder, Foundry Nights Curators.”
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A Silver Bells Holiday at Ainsley House
Friday-Sunday, December 6-8, 12:00-4:00PM
Ainsley House, 300 Grant Street, Campbell, 408-866-2757
Adults $8, Seniors $6, Youth 7-17 $4.50, Children Under 7 Free
“In the beautiful, historical Ainsley House in Downtown Campbell, all of its 15 rooms will be transformed into a warm, inviting home for the holidays with the theme of A Silver Bells Holiday. The entire house will be decorated by local interior designers, house decorators, florists, and volunteers and will feature a special holiday boutique, full of unique delights for holiday shoppers.
Tours will be offered November 14-17, November 21-24, and November 29-December 19, 12:00-4:00PM. Proceeds from the tours as well as sales at the holiday boutique will benefit the non-profit Campbell Historical Museum and Ainsley House Foundation.”
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Handcraft Holiday Pop-Up Shop
Friday-Sunday, December 6-8,
Friday 12:00-8:00PM, Saturday-Sunday 12:00-5:00PM
Opening Reception Friday, December 6, 5:00-8:00PM
Handcraft Studio School, 5885 Doyle Street, Emeryville, 510-332-6101
Free admission
“Handcraft Studio School is hosting its first Pop-Up shop over the weekend of December 6-8. A dozen local artists will selling their goods including letterpress cards and prints, beaded jewelry, wreaths and flowers, handmade ornaments, pillows, home goods, dolls, and so much more. Please join us!”
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Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol
Friday-Sunday, December 6-8,
playing through December 22
see website for schedule and ticket details
Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley, 415-388-5200
“Perfect for the whole family, this festive ghost story opens, as does Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, with Old Marley dead (‘as a door-nail’). However, the focus never leaves his chained and burdened soul, remaining in the ethereal planes of the afterlife.
Given just 24 hours to redeem himself, Jacob Marley scrambles to reform his former partner in greed - that ‘squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner’ Ebenezer Scrooge. This is going to be one long night… of spirited fun!”
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The Party
a fundraiser for The Imaginists
Friday-Sunday, December 6-8,
Friday-Saturday 8:00PM, Sunday 7:00PM
playing through December 22
donations accepted
“Once upon a time there was a party and you were invited. Polite conversation was had, games were played, and the very best food and drink were served. You sat next to a charming person who told you an intriguing story. It snowed. And when you left the party you felt changed, moved, and ready for anything.
We hope you will join us.
Limited Seating.
The Imaginists present a new work in progress this December. Please consider contributing to our winter fund drive if you value smart, engaged, experimental theater right here in Santa Rosa.”
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Holiday on the Farm
Saturday, December 7, 10:00AM-2:00PM
Forest Home Farms Historic Park, 19953 San Ramon Valley Boulevard, San Ramon, 925-973-3284
Free
“It’s hard to spot Donner, Blitzen and the others when they are hard at work pulling Santa’s sleigh, so come to the farm to see a pair of live reindeer. They will be visiting from 10:30AM-1:30PM.
11:00AM: The Nutcracker - puppet show by the Puppet Company
Tours of the Farm and the Glass House Museum (fee) - decorated for the holidays
Visits with a Victorian Santa
Victorian ornament making
Stuff your own teddy bear (fee)
Old-fashioned games
Tractor rides
Sheepdog demonstrations
Family entertainment
Food available for purchase”
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Rebels with a Cause
film screening
Saturday, December 7, 10:30AM
The Cerrito Theater, 10070 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito
Free
“Celebrate past open space triumphs and be part of future opportunities!
The City of El Cerrito’s Environmental Quality Committee welcomes you to a free screening of the award-winning documentary film Rebels With a Cause, Saturday December 7, 10:30-11:45AM, at Rialto Cinemas Cerrito, 10070 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito CA 94530. The event includes a post-film panel discussion.
This beautifully filmed documentary celebrates some of the Bay Area’s most treasured local natural open spaces (Point Reyes National Seashore and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area) and how they came to be public and protected for future generations. In the 1950s, California was rapidly growing, and the urban centers were expanding into adjacent rural and wild spaces. The story of the grassroots individuals, groups and politicians who had the foresight and perseverance to protect natural open space in and around densely populated cities inspired a national movement of public land and open space preservation.
The topic of public open space preservation is particularly relevant in El Cerrito right now because of the opportunity to expand our already rare and treasured Hillside Natural Area with the acquisition of the keystone Madera open space property, which will link two existing hillside natural area parcels. Fundraising efforts are underway, and you can learn how to donate or get involved in the campaign at this inspiring event about open space.
Panel Speakers presenting on the Madera Open Space acquisition and fundraising efforts, including audience Q and A:
El Cerrito Open Space Campaign
El CerritoTrail Trekkers
The Trust for Public Land”
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San Jose Heritage Holiday
Saturday, December 7, 11:00AM-4:00PM
Tea seatings at 11:00AM and 2:00PM
Pacific Hotel, History Park, 635 Phelan Avenue, San Jose
Holiday Tea tickets are $45 and include admission to Heritage Holiday
Reservations required, please contact Juanita Lara at 408-918-1045 or JLara@historysanjose.org
“Enjoy a traditional tea with scones, finger sandwiches and sweets, featuring exclusive blends by Satori Tea, champagne by Guglielmo Winery, and served by the players of Shady Shakespeare Theatre Company. Tour historic houses decorated for the holidays.”
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Open House at Heidrun Meadery
Saturday, December 7, 11:00AM-4:00PM
Heidrun Meadery, 11925 Highway 1, Point Reyes Station, 415-663-9122
Free admission
“Our 2nd Open House, Saturday, December 7, 11:00AM-4:00PM, we will be pairing up with our friends at Cowgirl Creamery for another chance to indulge in a bubbly mead and cheese tasting.
Our address is 11925 Highway 1, just 1/2 mile north of the town of Point Reyes Station.
We have no sign but look for our address which is clearly marked.
The gate will be open and no reservations are required for this event.
We hope to see you there,
Your Friends at Heidrun”
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Mushrooms at Lake Merritt
with Damon Tighe
Saturday, December 7, 12:00-2:00PM
meet outside the Rotary Nature Center, 600 Bellevue Avenue, Oakland
Free, please RSVP to info@WildOakland.org
“Meet at Noon at the entrance to the Rotary Science Center at Lake Merritt at the corner of Perkins and Bellevue.
With the first good rains of the year we have our first good bloom of fungal fruiting bodies (mushrooms) popping up everywhere. Our hour long walk will encompass the grassy areas around the boathouse and the Lake Merritt gardens. The focus will be on learning to identify the larger mushroom species of the area and learning to read the landscape for where these various heterotrophs hide out and about their many roles in the local ecology. We are very lucky in that Lake Merritt has a wide variety of mushrooms species for such a small location.
Please bring guide books if you have them. A one page guide to the commonly found mushrooms will be provided. We will meet rain or shine. Tools that you may want to bring include a small pocket knife to dig with, a paintbrush to brush duff off with, and a jacket.
You are also encouraged to bring your camera for documentation or smartphone with the iNaturalist app installed, so that your observations can add to our local database of known species.
This walk will not include tasting or collection of mushrooms.
Your guide will be Damon Tighe, an amateur mycologist or five years and former research scientist at the Joint Genome Institute, where many fungal genomes have been sequenced for biofuel applications.”
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Chai and Spice Workshop
with Deepa Natarajan
Saturday, December 7, 1:00-2:30PM
Botanical Garden at UC Berkeley, 200 Centennial Drive, Berkeley
$20
“Spend a chilly winter day in our warm and wonderful Tropical House - home to many of the spices you’ll find in the Garden. Garden Program Coordinator and amateur ethnobotanist Deepa Natarajan will introduce you to fascinating historical tales about the spices followed by a chai (tea) demonstration and tasting. Participants will receive a chai recipe to take home!”
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Ancestral Apothecary Open House
Saturday, December 7, 1:00-4:00PM
Ancestral Apothecary, 3798 Grand Avenue, Oakland
Free admission
“Meet your local herbalists!
Atava and Blythe of Ancestral Apothecary and Community Herbalist will be opening up their herbal apothecaries for an afternoon of herbal festivities. Come by and sample our herbal goodies and stock up on herbal products and gifts for the season.
Items for sale include Sage Shield, Siete Flores, Elderberry Cordial, Heart Mend, Magical Bath Salts, Dream Drops and more.
We'll have herbal tea on tap for you to enjoy while you shop.”
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Lighten Up About the Holiday Season
with Annie Goglia
presented by LifeFire Workshops and Coaching
Saturday, December 7, 2:00-4:30 PM
Waltz Chiropractic, 5545 Claremont Avenue, Oakland
Early Bird! $29-$55 sliding scale by November 30
$39-$65 sliding scale if paid by December 6
Day of workshop: $49-$75
For more information or to register, please contact Annie Goglia at 510-282-1279
“A Playful and Mindful Approach to the holiday madness
Are the holidays bringing you extra stress on top of an already busy life?
Perhaps you feel you SHOULD feel happy, but instead feel isolated.
Or maybe you feel put off by materialistic or certain religious aspects of the holidays.
Give yourself the gift of finding inner joy and connection - Recreate the season from your own vision!
Join us to laugh, move, heal and share.
We will learn useful tools to de-stress and have more joy through:
Laughter Yoga
Deep breathing/meditation
Journaling
InterPlay/self-healing movement
Sign up now! Limited to 8 people”
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20 Harps for the Holidays
Saturday, December 7, 4:00PM
Los Altos United Methodist Church, 655 Magdalena Avenue, Los Altos
$15 general, $12 children 4-12 and seniors 60+
“Annual 20 Harps for the Holidays Concert
An ensemble of around twenty harps will be making music for Harpeggio Music's fifteenth annual holiday harp concert this year.
The concert will feature harp solos and ensembles, as well as our studio ensemble, which has in recent years provided the sight and sound of more than twenty harps on a single stage. This year’s program will include a variety of festive holiday music, including some well-known carols, and a delightful harp and organ duet.
Organist and composer T. Paul Rosas will be our guest artist. Paul is an accomplished keyboard player with a wealth of international music experience, and is the senior organist at the concert venue, Los Altos United Methodist Church, which houses one of the premier organs in the Bay Area.”
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Hexenbrew: a Fundraiser for Hexenfest
Saturday, December 7, 4:00-7:00PM
Ale Arsenal, 971 Laurel Street, San Carlos
Free admission
Sharon Knight says:
“Hey Clan!
Please join Anaar, Onyx, Ankhira, Winter, and me for a Hexenfest-sponsored beer tasting party, which we have fondly called Hexenbrew!!
We will meet on Saturday, December 7 at the lovely Ale Arsenal on 971 Laurel Street in San Carlos. The event is from 4:00-7:00PM, and we will hold a silent auction, which starts at 6:00PM.
The event itself is free to attend, with some rare beers and pizza offered by Onyx (while supplies last). There will also be tastings offered by the Ale Arsenal for $4 each.
We hope you will come prepared to participate in our silent auction, or make a donation to Hexenfest, for this is our annual fundraiser to ensure that we can put on a quality show for you all! Donations of $50 or more include a ticket to Hexenfest and a Pandemonaeon T-shirt.
The third annual Hexenfest will be held on April 26th, 2014, at the Uptown Nightclub in Oakland.
Beers on tap at the Ale Arsenal are rotating and include many styles (IPA, Stout, Porter, Belgian, Sour, Wheat).”
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Knighting Ceremony for Miguel Elliott, aka Sir Cobalot
Saturday, December 7, 5:00PM
Isis Oasis Sanctuary, 20889 Geyserville Avenue, Geyserville
$20
Please RSVP to 707-320-3609
“I have taken on a new stage name, Sir Cobalot, and will have an official knighting ceremony in the Isis Oasis Temple on Saturday, December 7.
Isis Oasis is located just 20 minutes north of Santa Rosa in Geyserville. Please come witness the High Priestess Lady Loreon offer her royal blessing. Come early at 5:00PM for a tour of the many new Living Earth Structures on the property. A film just made about Living Earth Structures will be shown in the Theater, and dinner will be served.
This will be a fundraiser for an upcoming trip I am taking to Peru to teach cob building with a group called the World Ayni Association, which is a non-profit organization that offers training programs and services to rural and disadvantaged communities in Peru.
There will be cob art to purchase as gifts.
Cost for the event is $20 which includes dinner, the tour, and the film. To RSVP please call 707-320-3609. Thanks. Hope to see you there!”
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4th Annual Holiday Concert With Community Dance
with Maureen Atkins
featuring Broceliande
Saturday, December 7, 6:00
All Saints Episcopal Church, 911 Dowling Boulevard, San Leandro
Dinner, dancing, concert: $25, 6:00PM
Dancing, concert, dessert: $15, 7:30PM
“Dance teacher/choreographer Maureen Atkins will be leading the Community Dance.
Dance to music of the season! Participation heartily encouraged but not required.
Dancing will be in the 1st half followed by intermission. Join us in the 2nd half for a joyous blend of Medieval, Renaissance, and familiar carols on harp, guitar, octave mandolin, flutes, and vocals.”
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South Bay Circles Yule Ritual
Saturday, December 7, 7:00PM
Fireside Room, Palo Alto Unitarian Church, 505 E Charleston Road, Palo Alto
$5-$10 suggested donation
“Bring: Something substantial to share for the potluck, a beverage for yourself, a donation of five to ten dollars to help cover the costs of the room.
Upcoming: Imbolc Saturday February 8, also at the Palo Alto UU Church
Guidelines for potluck
For many folks the potluck is the highlight of an SBC Ritual. It's a time for food, fellowship, family, frolic, and fun. In order to have as much frolic, food, and fun as possible we'd love to see a wide variety of different foods at our feasting. We aren't ever going to tell you what to bring, but if you are waffling a little bit, the guide lines below are designed to help bring about multi-faceted feasting. You are in charge of your own beverage needs, but if you want to bring some drinks to share, that's great too!
If you were born in December, January, or February please bring a main dish (meat or vegetarian).
If you were born in March, April, or May please bring some dessert.
If you were born in Jun, July, or August please bring some sort of fruit and/or vegetable, or a salad.
If you were born in September, October, or November please bring along some good carbs, like bread or mac and cheese or something made with potatoes.
Please bring enough to serve at least 10 people.
Please bring food that is ready to serve. There will be no one there to cut up a
whole chicken or slice a loaf of bread.
Please mark your platter/bowls/serving utensils and remember to take them with
you when you leave. Anything left behind will be considered donations to South Bay Circles.
If possible, please label your food so those with food restrictions will know
what's in it.”
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The Euphora Project: Musica Celestis et Mortalis
Saturday, December 7, 8:00PM
Trinity Chapel, 2320 Dana Street, Berkeley, 510-549-3864
$15
“Celestial Harmonies and Earthly Overtones of the Early Baroque
Amy White, soprano
Dominic Schaner, theorbo
The philosopher, artist and musician Robert Fludd (1574-1637) developed a mathematical system to relate the Copernican movement of the planets to the measurements of strings on the lute (an ancestor of the theorbo). Fludd’s system, like the Greek philosophers he admired, supposed that the orbits of the spheres corresponded to earthly overtones (or music). Fludd saw the universe as a musical instrument played by the soul or spirit of the world. Music became a reflection of the divine. Musica Celestis et Mortalis highlights some of the most beautiful music of the 17th century from Italy and England. This music of the Early Baroque reveals a mirroring between heaven and earth.”
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Accordion Babes
Saturday, December 7, 8:00PM
Rhythmix Cultural Works, 2513 Blanding Avenue, Alameda, 510-865-5060
$20 in advance, $25 at the door
“Returning to the Rhythmix stage, the Accordion Babes are BACK to saunter, sway, and squeeze their many-bellowed songs into your heart. This night’s show features several babes from the famous Accordion Babes Pin-up Calendar, now in its 6th year! In true accordion style, a diverse range of music on this special night will span countless countries, languages and genres from accordion folk, train songs, tangos, Tex-Mex to French pop and American Rock. Featured artists include: Jet Black Pearl, Tara Linda and the Dusty Trail, Amber Lee Baker and Doodles La Rue.
Jet Black Pearl, Formerly known as Yetti and JetLag, is by far one of the best traveled of accordion babes. Born on ports of call in Amsterdam, she has shimmied her way across Europe since childhood - from Prague, Italy, Paris, and across the pond to Canada, Mexico and San Francisco. She brims with sass, skill, and memorable onstage antics along with surprising cover tunes hidden deep within her accordion. Overheard audience comments include: ‘Hilarious… engaging… dramatic… energetic.’ We find her witty, touching, and thoroughly original.
Tara Linda and the Dusty Trail: Torch singer Tara Linda keeps her heart in the desert and her heels in the city. Armed with button accordion, a sultry voice, and baritone ukulele, she knows the world is her oyster. A Hohner- and Lanakai-endorsed artist, Tara plays both original jazzy blues and Tex-Americana. Tara writes new tangos, waltzes, and boleros, and performs desert cabaret waltzes, tangos, polkas and rancheras with border flair with her band The Dusty Trail.
Amber Lee Baker has been a regular feature in the Accordion Babes Pin-Up Calendar/CD. She performs original songs which range from bawdy cabaret to melodious folk ballads, gypsy tunes and soulful spirituals. Amber tours widely and repairs accordions at Smythe’s accordions in Oakland. A review of her album Indelible tells us: ’...while Amber Lee wields an accordion she could just as well be rolling out her tunes from behind a piano keyboard.’ Eccentric choice in instrument and snazzy costume choices aside, Amber Lee is certainly one talented singer-songwriter.
Accordionist Doodles La Rue is a featured artist in the band 5 Cent Coffee, a 4-piece post-modern jug band full of grit and carnival hokum. 5 Cent Coffee plays original songs set in the dusty American tradition of traveling circuses and rail riders down on their luck. With soaring vocals, two accordions, ukuleles, washboard and junk percussion, their sound ranges from big and brash to soft and mournful, and always compelling.”
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Luther Burbank Home and Gardens Holiday Open House
Saturday-Sunday, December 7-8, 10:00AM-4:00PM
Luther Burbank Home and Gardens, 204 Santa Rosa Avenue, Santa Rosa
$2, Children 12 and under free
“The public is invited to this popular annual community event! Enjoy a 34-year community tradition and begin the season’s celebrations by visiting the historic Home and Gardens of Luther Burbank. Experience a charming reminder of bygone days when you tour the home decked out in Victorian holiday finery inside and out.
See the latest exhibit and shop for unique Burbank-related items in the Carriage House Museum and Gift Shop.
FREE PARKING is available at First and D Streets, and enjoy FREE RIDES on Rosie the Trolley to and from the Dickens Holiday Craft Fair held at the Finley Community Center.”
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An Ardenwood Christmas
Saturday-Sunday, December 7-8, 10:00AM-4:00PM
Ardenwood Historic Farm, 34600 Ardenwood Boulevard, Fremont
Adults $8, Children $5
“Celebrate the holiday season in Victorian style! Visit the beautifully decorated Patterson House, sing Christmas carols, search for the Yule log, and visit Father Christmas. Listen to live musical performances, puppet shows and enter the baking contest (bring your cookies and recipe with you). The day also includes an abundance of Christmas crafts, music, and Country Kitchen treats.”
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The Great Dickens Christmas Fair!
Saturday-Sunday, December 7-8, 10:00AM-7:00PM
and every weekend through December 22
Cow Palace Exhibition Halls, 2600 Geneva Avenue, Daly City
see website for ticket details
Parking fees are $10 per car charged by the Cow Palace
Free shuttle available from Glen Park BART Station
"The bustling streets of London, immortalized for all time by the mighty pen of Charles Dickens, form the living backdrop of your excursion into Christmas Past. You are a living part of a Victorian Christmas card come to life!
A Bay Area tradition since 1970, the Great Dickens Christmas Fair returns to the San Francisco Cow Palace Exhibition Halls for five weekends in 2013, including the Friday after Thanksgiving, from Saturday, November 23 through Sunday, December 22, from 10:00AM 'til 7:00PM.
Created by Ron and Phyllis Patterson, the fair is now produced by Kevin and Leslie Patterson and Red Barn Productions, who continue the family tradition of theatrical excellence through authenticity, participation, and playfulness.
Come wander the lanes of Victorian London, as the glow of twilight settles upon the city, with the scent of pine boughs and freshly baked scones floating in the air and the sound of carolers and holiday merrymakers accompanying your stroll.”
This is one of my favourite Yuletide traditions, and, really, one of my favourite things in the whole wide world. And don't be fooled into thinking it's not extremely Pagan-friendly just because it's a "Christmas" event. Christmas not Pagan, you say?! It is too! Especially in a simulated Victorian London reconstructed by Bay Area Faire Geeks. It's lousy with Pagans, I'm tellin' ya! Next time you're at PantheaCon, picture the people around you in corsets and/or top hats, and you'll realize they're the same people you saw at Dickens, just dressed more diaphonously...
There is soooo much to do and see (and eat and buy, if you want to spend money...), I heartily recommend going as many times as you possibly can! With characters from the works of Charles Dickens roaming the streets, as well as historical figures of the Victorian Age (and a few non-Dickensian fictional ones), it's wall-to-wall entertainment. You can dance and play parlour games at Fezziwig's Warehouse, you can watch various variety acts at the Victoria and Albert Music Hall, you can sing sea shanties with the sailors of Paddy West’s School of Seamanship, you can hobnob with authors, explorers, and inventors at the Adventurer's Club, you can be amazed at the wonders of the Legion Fantastique, you can take child-like glee in meeting Father Christmas, riding a hand-spun carousel, and seeing a Punch and Judy show, you can take adult-like glee in reveling in the naughtiness at Mad Sal's, the wondrous mechanical models of the Dark Garden display windows, and even the extra naughtiness of Saucy French Post Cards. Delight in watching Scrooge turn from nasty to nice over the course of the day! Hear Mr. Dickens himself read aloud from A Christmas Carol - spellbinding!
If you drive, plan to carpool, because the Cow Palace charges for parking. But you don't have to drive, because you can take the free shuttle from BART. The free shuttle will be operating between Glen Park BART station and the Cow Palace from 10:15AM-7:00PM each day of the Fair.
The Dickens Fair is the place to bring your donations for Toys for Tots!
Get $3 off regular admission with your Toys for Tots donation.
If you love anything about the month of December, you will adore The Great Dickens Christmas Fair! If you wish you could attend a Renaissance Faire in the dead of winter, this is the place for you! If watching A Christmas Carol on the stage or screen is not participatory enough for you, come and live it in glorious 3D, with full colour, rich surround-sound, the ultimate Christmas-y smell that wafts from the yummy cinnamon crunch almonds, the warm, cozy flavour of hot buttered rum or chocolate egg nog*, possibly even the realistic feeling of one of Sal's gals in your lap... It just doesn't get any better than this!
*Yes. You read that right. Chocolate. Egg nog. Chocolate egg nog.
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Bazaar Bizarre Holiday Show
Saturday-Sunday, December 7-8, 11:00AM-6:00PM
East Hall, Concourse Exhibition Center, 620 Seventh Street, San Francisco
Free admission
“Join San Francisco Bazaar (formerly Bazaar Bizarre San Francisco) as we celebrate our seventh year as a locally produced art and craft show. Expect to find a Quality Handmade Market, DIY Workshops, a Crafty Raffle, and more!
By locals for locals, because we love you San Francisco!”
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Community Grief Ritual
with Sacred Future Collective
Sunday, December 8, 9:30AM-6:00PM
Walker Creek Ranch, 1700 Marshall-Petaluma Road, Petaluma
$50
“The Healing Power Of Releasing Grief
Everyone feels grief. But not everyone has been supported in understanding its true purpose and power. In our modern Western culture, grief has gotten a bad rap. Many of us were raised to swallow our tears, or we were told that it's weak to have grief, or that we're too emotional. When we suppress this natural function within us, we create energy blocks, which in turn create health imbalances. Emotions are energy in motion. They are supposed to move and flow through us like a river. It is an internal human balancing mechanism, a renewing and cleansing process.
We may have ideas that if we open the floodgates we'll never stop crying. Or we may feel overwhelmed by the amount of grief we have and fear it will take over our lives if we give in to it just a little bit. Those people who regularly honor their tears will tell you, emotions are likes waves in the sea. When we give them permission to flow, they will rise and fall, rise and fall and then naturally subside, leaving us with a sense of having showered, but on the inside.
Community grief rituals support us in accessing our sometimes hard to reach emotions. They give us a focus (the grief altar) and a container (skilled facilitators) within which to safely relax our hearts. They also validate us in whatever we're feeling, whether it's personal or global, grief, anger or numbness.
There is a reason why grief exists, and if we allow these waters to flow inside of us, we will learn a great deal about rejuvenation, emotional intelligence, forgiveness, compassion and peace.
Facilitation by Mira Wonderwheel, Maria Owl Gutierrez, Mike Shea, Duane Vos, Jose Enciso
Gift Economy/Registration Fee: $50
We are offering this ritual using a Gift Economy payment method. We believe in giving and receiving from the heart, with no set obligation. With this approach, reciprocity is a key element. We will charge $50 to register upfront, just to cover basic costs, plus, at the end of the day we'll invite participants to consider additional payment using, value received, willingness to support our work in the world and to offer a reciprocal gift. This will be an opportunity to give without any coercion or expectation.
Morning coffee/tea and snack is provided and lunch is also provided.
What to bring:
Photos of Ancestors
Flowers
Candles in glass holders (red, blue, green, yellow, white, black)
Altar clothes (red, white, blue, black)
Tissues
Wear comfortable clothes, warm socks, layers to keep warm.”
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Fungus Fair: A Celebration of Wild Mushrooms
Sunday, December 8, 10:00AM-5:00PM
San Francisco Fair Building, Golden Gate Park, 1199 9th Avenue, San Francisco
“In the San Francisco Bay Area, when the first rains tease up the chanterelles and porcini, fungus lovers head to the Fungus Fair: A Celebration of Wild Mushrooms. The Fair provides information on the uses and abuses of fungi, with displays and exhibits on ecology, toxicology, and cultivation. Arrays of identification tables display locally collected mushrooms. Campsite gourmands learn how to serve up the safe and scrumptious species through identification tutorials, cooking demonstrations, and sales of recipe books, soups, snacks, and fresh edibles. Watch renowned Bay Area chefs prepare dishes like matsutakes and roasted cauliflower in coriander cream or sauteed caramel candy cap pears and dentelles.”
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African Dance, Song and Drumming
with Cheza Nami
Sunday, December 8, 11:00-11:30AM,
and one more Sunday, December 15
Mothership HackerMoms, 3288 Adeline Street, Berkeley
$12 per class, $60 for whole six-class series
“It’s back! Simply the most enjoyable music class for both kids AND parents this side of the Indian Ocean. Instructor Catherine Ndungu-Case of the Kikuyu tribe started her non-profit Cheza Nami to teach her twins the songs and dances of her native Kenya. You and your kids will enjoy 30 intense minutes of songs, games, music, drum circles and African-themed stories in a highly energetic and rhythm-centric class at HackerMoms. It’s also a dance workout for parents, so wear comfortable clothes. For kids 0-5 and their caregivers. Note: Only kids require tickets but caregivers do not.”
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Temple of Aphrodite
Sunday, December 8, 11:00AM-12:00PM, and the second Sunday of each month
The Sacred Well, 536 Grand Avenue, Oakland, 510-444-9355
Donations gratefully accepted
“Men and women of all backgrounds are invited to participate in monthly rituals and activities dedicated to the benevolent Lady of Love.
Theme for December: Beauty, Personal Aesthetics, and the Work of Aphrodite with Amy
These services help you tap into the ever-flowing fountain of love within, and to connect that love with your personal practices, work, relationships, and activities in the world.”
to open to the adventure of life as a witch.”
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Ashkenaz International Holiday Bazaar
Sunday, December 8, 11:00AM-5:00PM
Ashkenaz Music and Dance Community Center, 1317 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley
$2
“Come enjoy this festive day as we transform Ashkenaz into an exotic marketplace! Ashkenaz’s Holiday Bazaar reflects our community center’s global perspective, exhibiting arts and crafts that are handmade, sustainable, recycled, related to music and dance themes, or representing cultures and traditions from around the world. Over 25 vendors will offer wares such as photography, jewelry, ceramic art, musical instruments, aromatherapy products, greeting cards, and ethnic and vintage clothing. Most items are priced at $25 or less.
The event also features live acoustic music from performers including our own Joe Balestreri (The Flux, Bug Family Band, JBIII) and the Double Vision String Band. Beer and wine, hot and cold beverages, and organic vegetarian food will be available from our cafe. Support local artisans this holiday season, and your home for world music and dance!”
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Being in Dreaming: An Experiment in Group Dream-Sharing
with Meredith Sabini, Ph.D., and Richard Russo, M.A.
Sunday, December 8, 11:30AM-1:00PM
The Dream Institute of Northern California, 1672 University Avenue, Berkeley
$20
Register in advance by December 6 at 510-845-1767 or dreaminstituteca@gmail.com
“This unique process opens dreamspace for an experience of deep interconnectedness. Dreams are not selected ahead of time, but invited to emerge during a silent meditation, then told aloud, one at a time. Join us in this venture into the greater unknown, into what some call the collective unconscious or non-ordinary reality, as the dynamic of emergence catalyzes a meaningful synergy among the dreams that come.
This is not a drop-in program; no late-comers admitted. If you have never attended a Culture Dreaming session, please arrive at 11:15AM to receive instructions in the method; none will be given once the process begins at 11:30AM.”
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Womb Medicine: A Kundalini Class and Female Anatomy Workshop
with Diana Miriam Brown
Sunday, December 8, 2:00-5:00PM
Earth Tribe Yoga, 1924 Franklin Street, 2nd Floor, Oakland
$20 suggested donation, no one turned away for lack of funds.
“Our wombs are our sacred altars and cauldrons for which we manifest, gestate and grow the delicate strands of life. Stress and negative emotions can toxify this sensitive center. Please Join us at Earth Tribe Yoga for a Beautiful and Intense afternoon of deep healing and transformation.
Womb Medicine workshop will introduce participants to:
Female Reproductive Anatomy (Sacred Geometry Style)
Specific Yoga and breathing for relaxation and Womb Healing
Sikh Prayers and Chants for Womb healing and calling in Sacred Companionship
And more juicy everyday ways to transform and rejuvenate the cellular structure of your entire essence as a woman
This workshop could be highly beneficial for you if you have ever experienced:
Depression
Intensely Painful Menstrual Cramps
Any discomfort or illness related to your reproductive organs
This Workshop will be designed for all levels of yoga, Beginners welcomed and encouraged to come!”
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Get Local Holiday Bazaar and Party
Sunday, December 8, 3:00PM-Midnight
Cloud9, 1320 9th Street, Berkeley
Free admission
“Get Local this holiday season and support our Bay Area artists and makers while enjoying local bands and food. Bay Bucks members will be able to shop using local currency, and non-members can learn more about what we're doing and why it matters.
Come join us at Cloud9 in Berkeley to enjoy live music, hot food, and discover cool and interesting gifts like organic hand-made chocolate, whimsical monocles, hand-made jewelry and much more.
Come early to snap up the most interesting things on offer. Or come late and party the night away with live music. Band line-up TBA! Sample our authentic Latin American snacks and savory crepes. Invite your Facebook friends to come. Free entry!
Bay Bucks brings you this event in conjunction with Cloud9 and Shift Your Shopping, a national movement to move consumer dollars to local and independent businesses. When you spend locally, 2-3 times the amount of economic activity is generated in your community than if you spent at a national chain store.”
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Winter Solstice and Shamanic Journey Circle
with Gregory Merritt
Sunday, December 8, 5:30-7:30PM
Moonfyre Metaphysical, 401 E Campbell Avenue, Campbell, 408-370-0333
$20
“We Drum Together As A Group
Journey with your power animal for awareness, healing and guidance.
Connect with your Inner Wisdom
Celebrate the Winter Solstice
Experience the Warmth of Community
In this workshop we will drum together and experience Oneness. We will invoke Spirit using the ritual of the seven directions. You will journey to the Spirit realm and meet your power animal, who will take you on a powerful journey of self-awareness, wisdom and healing. You will have the opportunity to begin integrating this experience by sharing your journey and any insights gained with the circle.
You will leave this workshop with a new ally in the form of a power animal; or a deepened relationship with the one you currently have. You will have guidance to follow in your life's journey, a creative solution to a problem that you can put into action, or new-found creative energy to manifest your vision. You will also experience a warm connection with your fellow attendees.”
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CAYA Sprouts Day at Tilden Merry-Go-Round Christmas Fantasy in the Woods
Sunday, December 8, 5:30-8:30PM
Tilden Merry-Go-Round, Lake Anza Road and Central Park Drive, Berkeley
Free admission, $2 for 1 ride or $7 for 10 rides
“Come As You Are Coven invites you to join us at the Tilden Merry-Go-Round Christmas Fantasy in the Woods!
Please join us as we revel in the joy and energy of the season at Tilden’s Herschell-Spillman Merry-Go-Round, a hundred year old carousel with beautiful hand carved animals. There will be festive music, amazing light and ornament displays, delicious treats and beverages, carolers and visits with Santa Claus! This is one holiday event that’s sure be fun for all ages.
Please note: This is an outdoor event, so be sure to bundle everyone up against the cold.
This event is weather permitting, the park will be closed in foul weather.
This event is wheelchair accessible!
General Pricing: Entry to the event, parking, and visits with Santa are free!
Carousel pricing: $2.00 for 1 ride or $7.00 for 10 rides
Location: Entry to the Tilden Merry-Go-Round area can be found within the park at the corner of Lake Anza Road and Central Park Drive. Once within the park there should be signs to indicate direction.
Address: Intersection of Lake Anza Road & Central Park Drive, Berkeley, California 94708
For questions and concerns regarding the event or location, contact the park: 510-524-6773”
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Winter Solstice Drum Circle
Sunday, December 8, 6:00PM
Sacred Stream Center, 2149 Byron Street, Berkeley, 415-333-1434
For more information, e-mail info@sacredstream.org
Free
“Equinox and Solstice Drumming Circles
We hold drumming circles four times a year to come together to honor the season and to focus on healing for the community and the earth. We invite you to join us.
You do not have to be experienced in drumming or shamanism to attend. It is recommended that you know how to journey, though not required.
If you have a drum or rattle, please bring it. Some drums and rattles will be available to borrow.”
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Tarot Salon
with Grey
Tuesday, December 10, 7:00-8:00PM, and the second Tuesday of each month
The Sacred Well, 536 Grand Avenue, 510-444-9355
Donations gratefully accepted
“This month's cards: the Fours of the Minor Arcana
A Tarot discussion group for beginners and experienced readers alike. Join us in a roundtable discussion where we discuss our two cards for the month and learn, share insights and gain inspirations from one another. Bring your favorite Tarot deck with you, and be ready to share, learn (and maybe even teach) some new ideas!”
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New Science Smorgasbord: Viruses, Stars, Brains, and Shapes
Wednesday, December 11, 7:00-9:00 PM
SoMa StrEat Food Park, 428 11th Street, San Francisco
Free, please register at the website below
“Viruses: Ancestors or Aliens?: Lauren Popov, Stanford
Biologists can’t agree if viruses are truly ‘living’ entities. So if viruses aren’t alive, then how did they evolve and where did they come from? Together we will explore the mainstream hypotheses about the origins of viruses and marvel at the diversity of the ever-expanding viral family tree.
Star Formation Through Radio Eyes: Chat Hull, UC Berkeley
How do stars form? And how do magnetic fields affect the star formation process? I focus on both of those questions in my research, which involves using radio telescopes to observe the dense blobs of dust and gas where stars like our sun are just beginning to form.
How to Grow a Primate Brain, and Why You Should: Drew Halley, UC Berkeley
Primate brains (including yours) have some remarkable differences from those of other mammalian species. This talk will look at what’s different about primate brains, how development produces these differences, and why evolution selected them.
What Is The Best Shape?: Otis Chodosh, Stanford
...The best SHAPE?! A question for the ages! What do geometers and physicists mean by ‘best’? And which shape is the winner?”
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Awakening the Sacred Body
with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Part four of a five part series
Wednesday, December 11, 7:30-9:00PM
and one more date, January 8
Sacred Stream Center, 2149 Byron Street, Berkeley, CA 94702
$20 in advance, $25 at the door (may sell out)
For more information, please e-mail info@sacredstream.org
“Join Bon Buddhist meditation master, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, in the practice of meditation and reflection. Through bringing together the focus of the mind, breath, and physical movements, you will be taught simple and powerful exercises to open your body and release the obstacles that obscure you from recognizing the unbounded space within. Discover inner refuge and the gifts of spaciousness, awareness, and warmth that bring healing and benefit not only to you but also to your relationships with others and the greater world.
This is a five-part series that takes place on September 26, October 29, November 13, December 11 and January 8. You can take one class or all five. Each class is a discrete set of teachings and it is not required that you take the classes in any particular order. This series takes place at the Sacred Stream Center in Berkeley. Funds go to the Tibetan Children's School, part of TANC (Tibetan Association of Northern California).”
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Have a Week of Fantastic Celebrations and Dancing Light!
Molly Blue Dawn
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