Molly’s (possibly) weekly collection of events, interesting links, etc. (10.21.09)
Tiny Dionysus, Halloween Train, Health and Longevity, Sacred Well Anniversary Party, Dia de Santa Cruz, Jack O’Lantern Jamboree, Honouring Oya, Creatures of Myth and Legend, Communing with the Ancestors, Mythic Quartzes, Four Shillings Short
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Hold Me Closer, Tiny Dionysus
Thursday – Saturday, October 22-24
Mama Calizo’s Voice Factory, 1519 Mission Street, San Francisco
Tickets are $15, with 2-for-1 tickets available to each Thursday performance
“Join the deity Tiny Dionysus on her quest to save a group of unemployed SF artists from The Great Recession by leading them to love, clubland and sexually provocative employment. A retelling of Euripides’ The Bacchae, this Greek comedy rock epic erupts with lavish pop, classic rock and original music by chanteuse Ms. Trixxie Carr that is sure to save and inspire even most recessed souls.”
Not to be confused with Circle of Dionysos’ adaptation of the Bacchae circleofdionysos.org/2009/09/21/the-bacchae-a-ritual-of-coming-out featuring several members of CAYA, which will be performed at the same venue November 13-14. This one features my friend Bradly Mena, and there’s no such thing as too much Dionysian theatre, so go see this one, too!
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Halloween Train at Ardenwood Historic Farm
Friday-Sunday, October 23-25, 7:00PM-9:30PM
Ardenwood Historic Farm, 34600 Ardenwood Blvd, Fremont
Adults $6, Children 3-12 $4
www.classweb.ebparks.org/eConnect5.2/Activities/ActivitiesDetails.asp?ProcessWait=N&aid=665
www.ebparks.org/parks/ardenwood
www.fremont.gov/index.aspx?NID=293
“Come out to the farm for an evening of Halloween fun! Climb aboard Ardenwood’s train for an evening ride through fields and woods. Join the Halloween goblins and have a hauntingly good time! This slightly frightful evening is designed for families with children 12 years of age and under. Tickets will be available at the gate on arrival.”
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Traditional Chinese Medical Secrets of Health and Longevity
with Prajna Paramita Choudhury, L.Ac., Dipl.O.M.
Friday, October 23, 6:00-7:00PM
The Sacred Well, 536 Grand Avenue, Oakland
Free – please RSVP to 510-444-9355 to reserve a space
www.sacredwell.com/calendar/index.html
www.perfect-wisdom-acupuncture-and-herbs.com
“This 1-hour class will address how the traditional Chinese/ Taoist Understanding of the body differs from the modern scientific and mechanistic view of the body. Basic TCM theories about the body and health will be covered, including living in harmony with nature, balance of yin and yang, and the body as a microcosm of universal forces. Recommendations for lifestyle and healing, such as specific suggestions regarding diet, rest, exercise, herbs, and acupuncture stem from this holistic understanding of the body and health.”
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The Sacred Well’s Second Anniversary Sale/Party
Saturday, October 24, 6:00-9:00PM
10% off sale all day long
The Sacred Well, 536 Grand Avenue, Oakland, 510-444-9355
www.sacredwell.com/calendar/index.html
“Party starts at 6:00PM. Wine, cheese, fruit, chocolate, festivities! Join us IN COSTUME (if you wish) for our second anniversary! We are delighted to serve the greater Bay Area’s need for exquisite, authentic, unique jewelry, stones, and treasures for the spiritual practitioner. We are humbled and blessed with a loyal clientele who appreciate and benefit from our readings and classes. We are thrilled to be here to serve you for yet another year. May we all be abundant for many more years as happy shopkeepers and customers together! Join us for a celebration of what has been and what is to come.”
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Día de los Muertos in Santa Cruz
Saturday, October 24, 11:00AM-3:00PM
The Museum of Art and History/The McPherson Center, 705 Front Street, Santa Cruz
Free
“Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead is a traditional Mexican celebration that honors family and friends who have passed away. MAH’s annual community altar celebrates the vibrancy of this holiday with a festival celebration that features live music by Zun Zun, cultural dance performance by Xochipilli, and colorful art activities for adults and children!”
Thanks to Manea for alerting me to this Samhain-ish event I had missed!
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Jack O’Lantern Jamboree
Saturday and Sunday, October 24-25
Children’s Fairyland, on the shore of Lake Merritt at Grand Avenue and Bellevue, Oakland
$10
www.fairyland.org/whats_happening/jack_olantern.htm
“Join us the weekend before Halloween as we celebrate the holiday with fun and games that are much more delightful than frightful!
Come in costume and enjoy a spooktacular extravaganza with:
- Unlimited rides
- Parades
- Goody bags for kids*
- Treat stations for kids*
- Two jumpers, one for little kids and one for bigger kids
- Arts & Crafts*
- Pirate school
- Balloon twisting
- Costumed fairytale characters
- Clowns and magicians
*While supplies last
And don’t miss our special presentations by our Children’s Theater Program and Storybook Puppet Theater!”
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Monthly Temple Service with Ile Orunmila Oshun
Sunday, October 25 (and every 4th Sunday of the month), 11:00AM
The Sacred Well, 536 Grand Avenue, Oakland, 510-444-9355
$10 donation
Please be 5 minutes early as we start the Temple Service promptly at 11:00AM
www.sacredwell.com/calendar/index.html
“Ile Orunmila Oshun, the Yoruba-based house of worship founded by Luisah Teish (author of Jambalaya), is now hosting its monthly Temple Service at The Sacred Well. Join us at 11 AM on the 4th Sunday of every month to explore the mysteries of the Orishas with Initiated members of the Ile’s clergy.
This month we will honor Oya, who among other attributions, is the Orisha of the wind, the mother of change, and guardian of the cemetery. This temple service will focus on the relationship of between Oya and Orunmila (The Divine Spirit of Divination).
We will also be completing our yearly cemetery visit at 2pm that same day. Please check our website for the most up to date instructions before Sunday. This ritual is usually held in Oakland at the Mountain View Cemetery at the foot of Piedmont Avenue. It is customary to bring nine pennies, a bunch of flowers and a small whisk broom to this event. Please wear white and meet us at the cemetery gates at 2pm sharp.”
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Creatures of Myth and Legend
Sunday, October 25, 2:00-4:00PM
WildCare, 76 Albert Park Lane, San Rafael
$35 – includes membership in WildCare with year-long benefits
www.wildcarebayarea.org/site/PageServer?pagename=About_EventsandNews_CreaturesofMyth
“Meet the creatures of myth and legend— raven, crow, vulture, snake and opossum —at WildCare, just days before Halloween! Appearances by WildCare’s Wildlife Ambassadors (resident educational animals), crafts, refreshments and face painting will amuse and delight all ages. Wear your Halloween costume and take home a prize! With programs in animal aid, advocacy and education, we are the voice for wildlife throughout the Bay Area and beyond. “
Thanks to Ivy for letting me know about this event!
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Rabbit’s Roundtable: Communing with the Ancestors
Sunday, October 25, 3:00-6:00PM
The Sacred Well, 536 Grand Avenue, Oakland
$35 – please register in advance at 510-444-9355
www.sacredwell.com/calendar/index.html
“Meet Rabbit and the rest of the class at The Sacred Well at 3 PM for a journey to a local outdoor location that is filled with magic. This class will be conducted in a ritual format, and Rabbit will guide participants in a ceremony to honor the Ancestors who walked this land before us, as well as our own dearly departed friends and relatives. This is the time of the year when the veil between the worlds is thinnest, and messages from beyond are available if we are but willing to listen to the voices as the spirits reach out to us from the other side. This will be a loving, celebratory ritual, with moments of deep and solemn reverence as well. Please dress warmly, wear sneakers, bring a water bottle, and bring along an item or photo of one of your own Ancestors or deceased friends to work with during the ritual.
Rabbit’s Roundtable is a monthly workshop for the beginning to advanced student of herbalism, magic, and myth. Each month, Rabbit presents lore and information about a different topic, followed by an opportunity to make a potion or spell based on the days’ discussion.”
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Mythic Quartzes
a hands-on exploration with Barry
Tuesday, October 27, 7:00-9:00PM
The Sacred Well, 536 Grand Avenue, Oakland, 510-444-9355
$25
www.sacredwell.com/calendar/index.html
“Lemurians, Celestials, Azeztulite, Herkimer diamonds, amethyst and citrine, solution quartz…many different quartz crystals have mythologies attached to them. Join Barry, lifelong crystal enthusiast and The Sacred Well’s stone purchaser, to discuss the stories of some of the more rare, curious, and interesting quartzes in our collection.
This workshop will be a friendly, informal exploration of some of our favorite stone companions, and how to use them to power your personal intentions.”
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Four Shillings Short
live in concert
Tuesday, October 27, 7:00PM-9:00PM
Julie’s Coffee & Tea Garden, 1223 Park Street, Alameda, (510) 865-2385
Free, but the band will graciously accept donations!
“Celebrating their 13th year together, the Celtic/Folk/World music duo, Four Shillings Short, perform on a fantastic array of instruments from around the world. This list of instruments includes North Indian Sitar, Hammered Dulcimer, Mandolins, Banjo, Whistles, Recorders, Medieval and Renaissance Woodwinds, Charango, Bowed Psaltery, Guitar, and even a Krumhorn. The husband/wife duo of Aodh Og O’Tuama from Cork, Ireland and Christy Martin from California, tour in the US and Ireland, live as full time minstrels and have been bringing their one-of-a-kind eclectic blend of music around the country since they first met and fell in love in 1995.”
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Have a Healthy, Festive, Honourable, Legendary, Mythic Week!
Molly Blue Dawn