Molly Blue Dawn’s Weekly List of Events (11-04-09)
New Name in the New Year, Mark your Calendar, Fun, Fearless Women’sGroup, Pagan Storytellers, eARTh, Children’s Samhain, Feast of theDead, Festival of the Bones, Le Bal des Vampires, Tellabration, TempleLaunch Party, The Magic of Three Sticks, Hrafnar Oracular Seidh,Healing Share, The Bacchae: A Ritual of Coming Out
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I first started sending out this list once a week because members of CAYA would tell me about interesting events and websites that they thought other members of CAYA might find interesting, and because there was not yet a CAYA Chat list to which everyone could post, the only way to get the word out was for one of the moderators (ie me) of the CAYA Announcement mailing list (ie this one) to post it. I posted a few events as they came up, and then Rabbit pointed out to me that it would be better to collect events and do no more than one post per week, lest people’s inboxes be unnecessarily inundated. At first, I didn’t know if every week would have events for me to post. Hence the title “Molly’s (possibly) weekly collection of events, interesting links, etc.” It turns out that, in the Bay Area, the number of interesting events happening in any given week is significantly more than zero. Who knew?
Recently, Rabbit pointed out to me (she’s quite the little pointer) that my (possibly) weekly collection has been happening consistently every week for quite a while, so this being the first week of a shiny new year (Pagan new year, that is), I am celebrating the occasion by changing the name to “Molly Blue Dawn’s Weekly List of Events”. But you probably already noticed that in the subject line. You’re very observant. You also may have noticed the lack of “interesting links, etc.” That is because the existence of the CAYA Chat list now makes it possible for you to bring links to the attention of the CAYA community without needing a moderator to post it for you – we eliminate the Middle Molly and pass the savings along to you!
So, with all due ceremony and no further ado, Ladies and Lords, the list!
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Mark your calendars for events in the coming months which may require advanced planning:
Opening Friday, November 27, then Saturdays and Sundays November 28 -
December 20
The Great Dickens Christmas Fair
CAYA Full Blue Moon Ritual-Dance Party – New Year’s Eve Extravaganza
Thursday, December 31
Doors open at 7:00PM, activities and dancing from 8:00PM-Midnight
BFUU
$20 per person – Tickets available starting December 1
“It’s a party, it’s a ritual, it’s a drum circle, there’s a DJ, it’s afull blue moon…can you think of a better way to spend New Year’sEve?”
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Fun, Fearless Women’s Group
with Marilyn Kentz
Wednesday, November 4, 7:00PM (and the first Wednesday of every month)
Julie’s Coffee & Tea Garden, 1223 Park Street, Alameda, (510)865-2385
www.juliestea.com
www.themommies.com
www.fearlessaging.com
“Julie’s coffee & tea garden has a little room upstairs where women inour community meet once a month to give each other support. Marilynhas been facilitating these kinds of groups for women for the last 6years and we all love the results. Come join Marilyn before theholidays get crazy. Meet new peers, share concerns, brag (yes, thisis a safe place to brag) about your accomplishments and learn how tofear less. We create a new “family” based on trust and personal growth. If this seems like it’s something you might like to know more about,then e-mail Marilyn at marilynkentz@aol.com or call 818-901-1001.
Here’s to new friendships — with people who don’t expect a presentor anything pressuring from you!
Marilyn Kentz is author of Not Your Mother’s Midlife and Fearless Women … and feisty brunette of the 90s comedy duo The Mommies.”
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East Bay Pagan Storytellers and Listeners
with Steven T. Abell
Wednesday, November 4, 7:30-9:30PM
Ancient Ways, 4075 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, (510) 653-3244
Free, donations accepted
www.ancientways.com/events/view_detail/2009/11/04/183/icaldb.html?catids=5
“All storytellers, from novice to expert, and listeners, too, arewelcome to attend and participate in this new group. Come tell yourmasterpiece, or practice your first performance ever, or just sit and take it all in.”
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eARTh – Glass, Clay, Stone and Plaster
Opening Friday, November 6, 6:00-9:00PM, show continues through December 18
The Crucible’s Cathedral Gallery, 1615 Broadway, Oakland, (510) 444-0919
www.thecrucible.org/gallery/shows-a-exhibits
“Artists Include:Alex Nielsen • Billy Hiebert • Bobby Jean • Bruk Dunbar • ChristopherFlores • Courtney JohnsonIlana Crispi • Janet Hiebert • Jenean Smith • Kathleen Watson Lauravan Duren • Mari Chovan-UptonRichard Friedman • Sabrina Fadial • Sharon Nelson • Susan Boggiano •Susannah IsraelTachina Rudman-Young • Tara Murray • William Rose III • and more…”
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Children’s Samhain
Saturday, November 7, 11:00AM-5:00PM
The Benicia ClockTower, 1189 Washington Street, Benicia
Adult $10, children $5, under 3 free
- Music! Performances! Treats!
- Games! Prizes! Raffle!
- Crafts! Face Painting!
- Costume Contest!
- Children’s Ritual with CAYA Sprouts
- Druid Storytelling Pavilion
- Faery Portraits
- Special Appearance by the Bubble Fairy www.bubblefairy.com
- Tarot Readings for Children and Adults
- Besom Brigade! Bring your own broom! Broom handling lessons for children and parents
Brought to you by the Pagan Alliance and CAYA Sprouts
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I don’t usually post CAYA events to my weekly list, because they arealready being announced on this mailing list anyway, but since this isCAYA South Bay’s first Sabbat for all, it’s very exciting, and I’m-apostin’ it!
Come As You Are Coven South Bay welcomes you to…
Feast of the Dead
Join us for our First Co-ed Sabbat in the South Bay!
Saturday, November 7th, Doors open at 8pm. Ritual begins at 8:15 PM sharp
(no one admitted once the circle is cast.)
First Unitarian Church of San Jose, 160 North Third Street, San Jose, CA 95112
$10-$20 sliding scale donation
Special guest performance by Fontain’s M.U.S.E.
“…psychedelic, exotic grooves, world tribe, rocken raga, infectiousdance beats, spicy vocals in many tongues, sitars, guitars,percussion…soothing yet invigorating like a jolt of raw ginger”Bay Arts and Music San Francisco
The Witches New Year is upon us and CAYA Coven is proud to sprout anew branch of community in the South Bay. All are welcome to join usin this ritual experience as we reflect upon the lessons of the growing darkness. The veil between the worlds remains thin during this somber time of year and we join Santa Muerte in taking time to remember our Ancestors. Participants are encouraged to bring mementos,photos, and stories of their beloved dead. Come experience the Spiral Dance of life, death and rebirth with the trinity of Isis, Nephtys and Anubis as they teach us Osirian Mysteries and lessons of the underworld. Just when you thought Samhain was over we give you one more chance to celebrate!
Please bring drums, rattles, shakers and any items you would like to charge on the altar.
Blessed Be!
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Ile Orunmila Oshun Presents
The Fourteenth Annual Festival of the Bones
Saturday November 7, 7:00-9:30PM
Oakland Center for Spiritual Living, 5000 Clarewood Drive, Oakland
$9-$27, sliding scale, no one turned away for lack of funds
“The Festival of the Bones honors the contributions of our collectiveancestors and celebrates the beauty of life. We share in the gifts ofthe world’s spiritual traditions including African, Native American,Hawaiian, and Middle Eastern.
Representatives from these traditions will share their stories, songs,and dances. This Festival is interactive village theatre. Participantswill experience transformative acts such as invoking the spirits oftheir ancestors, telling their stories, and placing them on the Tree of Life.
There is plenty of parking, but carpooling is recommended.”
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PEERS presents
Le Bal des Vampires
Saturday, November 7, 6:30PM
Alameda Elks Lodge, 2255 Santa Clara Avenue, Alameda
Tickets must be purchased in advance – see website for details
“Waltz the night away in a beautiful candlelit ballroom with the SanFrancisco Bay Area’s most glamorous Undead at the 16th Annual Le Baldes Vampires.
Suggested costume is evening dress of the century and country of your “rebirth.” This may include dress uniform, period costume (authentic or fantasy), vintage attire, or modern evening dress. There is no dress code for the ball (We certainly don’t expect Spike to attend in black tie!), but you will see some of the most gorgeous and creative costumes of the social season at Le Bal des Vampires.
This year there will once again be simultaneous dancing on two separate floors:
Our band in the elegant upstairs ballroom is the stylish but always dashing chamber ensemble Bangers & Mash. As usual, haunting waltzes dominate the program, but the evening will feature a variety of dance music from across the centuries – from 18th century Baroque contredanses to 19th century Victorian rotary and Viennese waltzes, polkas, and mazurkas; to elegant early 20th century tangos, blues, and fox trots and even some classic rock and roll Swing. Please note that the band’s first dance set will start at 7:45 pm sharp – 15 minutes earlier than usual. The dance sets will be unusually long, even by Bangers & Mash’s high standards, so if you do plan to dance, please be certain to wear shoes or boots you can actually dance in.
For those preferring a more modern style of dance music and free-style dancing, join us downstairs in Le Bal des Vampires’ Dracula’s Daughter’s Discotheque for a wonderfully varied repertoire of music to stir the blood and spirit from 6:30 p.m. to Midnight. Hosted by our principal DJ, Dark Moon, the disco also features a no-host (cash) bar and light refreshments for our mortal guests.
Our half-time show in the ballroom is a performance by the celebrated Le Theatre des Vampires. Not recommended for the faint of heart but highly recommended for fans of the genre.”
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Tellabration – a Storytelling Celebration
Saturday, November 7, 6:45PM (and two more Bay Area events on the two following Saturdays)
Shell Ridge Community Church, 200 La Casa Via, Walnut Creek
$10
For more information, e-mail jimtells@gmail.com or call (925)381-2858
“Guilds and storytelling enthusiasts all around the globe will sharetheir story telling talents in concerts held in cities and towns to celebrate the art of storytelling. Locally, TELLABRATION! brings together each area’s most celebrated storytellers, to delight, captivate, and mesmerize audiences with their tales.”
Featured storytellers at this event will be Olga Loya, Michael Katz,Joel ben Izzy and Linda Yemoto. There will also be a Tellabration event in Tiburon on November 14 and in Palo Alto on November 21.
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Sanctuary of the Open Heart’s Temple Launch Party
Saturday, November 7, 7:00PM
Dakini Temple, 235 Washington Avenue, Point Richmond
Suggested donation of $33 – tax deductible
Limited to first 100 people – RSVP to Vyana Tremain at (510) 774-9356
www.heartchalice.org/home.html
“What would it be worth to you to be part of a living Temple inveneration of the Divine Feminine within you? To gather momentum for this realization, please come share inblossoming this dream together!”
Sanctuary of the Open Heart is associated with Ariel Spilsbury and Lyndal Bronwyn, co-creators of the 13 Moon Oracle, which was thesource for the archetypes featured in the past year’s round of EastBay Grove of Artemis rituals!
www.holographicgoddess.com/Oracles.html
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The Magic of Three Sticks
with RJ Stewart
Saturday-Sunday, November 7-8, 10:00AM-4:30PM
Serpent’s Kiss Magickal Arts Shop & Botanica’s Crossroads Community Space, 2015 N Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz
$150 – please call (831) 423-5477 to reserve a space
“Based on an ancient traditional form of folkloric magic from British and Irish faery tradition, this practical workshop introduces us to the empowerment of three small sticks for magic, meditation, and spiritual communion. One stick is for the Faery consciousness, one for the Human and Ancestral, and one for the Living Creatures. Bring three small sticks, approximately 3 to 4 inches, and a bag to keep them in. Your sticks should be “snapped” or found, and not cut with steel.
We will discover and experience methods of empowering the sticks toenable them as ongoing powerful tools that greatly enhance magical spiritual life and inner work in many ways. This workshop is open to all, no previous experience is necessary.”
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Hrafnar Oracular Seidh
Tuesday, November 10, 7:30PM
BFUU, 1924 Cedar Street, Berkeley
Donations accepted to pay for the space
“Seidhjallr, the working seidh group attached to Hrafnar, will beperforming our oracular seidh ritual for the benefit of our community. All are welcome to attend with any question that needs answering, although there is likely to be a certain amount of focus on questions pertaining to the dead. In general, if you are asking after someone who has passed, we ask that they have been dead for at least a year and a day before you ask us to attempt to contact them via this method.”
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Healing Share
facilitated by Iris and Dragonfly
Tuesday, November 10, (and every 2nd Tuesday of the month)
8:00-9:30PM
The Sacred Well, 536 Grand Avenue, Oakland, 510-444-9355
www.sacredwell.com/calendar/index.html
$10 suggested donation (no one turned away for lack of funds)
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Circle of Dionysos presents
The Bacchae: A Ritual of Coming Out
Friday and Saturday, November 13-14
featuring several members of CAYA!
Mama Calizo’s Voice Factory, 1519 Mission Street, San Francisco
circleofdionysos.org/2009/09/21/the-bacchae-a-ritual-of-coming-out
“The Circle of Dionysos is happy to present The Bacchae: A Ritual of Coming Out. It is adapted from The Bacchae by Euripedes. It’s a Greek tragedy. It is a story about Dionysos and his cousin and, as in most tragedies, it doesn’t end well for someone.
We have chosen November because it is our Samhain offering. It is on the heels of National Coming Out Month, and will be around Transgender Remembrance Day.”
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Have a Fun, Fearless, Festive, Fabulous Week!
Molly Blue Dawn