Lucky Penny Productions continues their 2022/23 season with The World Goes Round. The musical revue featuring the works of Kander and Ebb runs at the Lucky Penny Community Arts Center in Napa through March 26.
If Kander and Ebb are unfamiliar, their musical library shouldn’t be. They are the composers of such musicals as Cabaret and Chicago. Their music can also be heard in the films Funny Lady and New York, New York.
When the revue was originally conceived by Scott Ellis, Susan Stroman and David Thompson, the songs were chosen, restructured and then ordered to give a full theatrical experience to each song. The original production even included a giant globe on stage, which the actors spun every night to decide in what language to sing “New York, New York.” Lucky Penny lacks the expansive space of the original show and must rely on their performers to make the score captivating.
Presumably set in New York, the show follows six actors—young barista Nicole Stanley, pastry delivery man Jeremy Kreamer, Tim Setzer, Barbara McFadden, Beth Ellen Ethridge and the vivacious Jenny Veilleux—through a day in the life of a neighborhood coffee shop (an excellently designed and executed set by Barry Martin and director Michael Ross). If there’s more of a plot, it never becomes clear.
The delivery of upbeat and entertaining songs is where this cast shines. The first act is filled with just such songs. High points include Jenny Veilleux’s lively rendition of “All that Jazz” and a deliciously coy delivery of “Arthur in the Afternoon” by Barbara McFadden.
But when the second act hits and there are four torch songs in a row, the show loses steam. There is little connection between the actors and the characters for whom the songs were written. Without clear character choices, the songs just become pretty, and pretty is rarely interesting. Thankfully, the live band, under the excellent musical direction of Ellen Patterson, brings the show depth. Fans of golden age Broadway will also be delighted by Alexander Gomez’s classic choreography.
For those who are fans of musical theater, then this trip down memory lane is a well-spent 90 minutes. For those new to musical theater, this is a good way to get their feet wet without being bogged down in the less-than-pretty intricate plots, moral quandaries and social commentary contained in the complex plays from which these songs originated.
‘The World Goes Round’ runs through March 26 at the Lucky Penny Community Arts Center, 1758 Industrial Way, Napa. Thur–Sat, 7pm; Sun, 2pm. $33–$43. 707.266.6305. luckypennynapa.com.
‘Deserts, Mountains, Oceans’ — The new album is out from wife and husband team Dawn and Dandy Brown.
In the long tail of contemporary music streaming, every genre of music has a continuing life while finding the space to grow through innovation. And thank goodness, because I love me some desert rock, and The Fizz Fuzz brings pedigree and passion to the form.
“Well I’ve lived in a lot of places you know and I’ve had a really lucky streak of rubbing elbows with some really cool folks and playing some really cool music with them,” said Dandy Brown, one half of the married songwriting duo at the core of The Fizz Fuzz.
Originally from the midwest, Dandy came out to California after working with desert/stoner rock legend John Garcia, most famously as the testosterone-oozing singer of Kyuss.
As a producer, instrumentalist, singer and songwriter, Dandy worked with a full setlist of desert rock greats.
What the hell is desert rock you ask? In the late 80s, blues jam-influenced heavy rock bands hauled generators out into the desert plains around Palm Desert and threw rock parties. Guitars tuned down way low and blasted volume way high through bass amps shook snakes, desert spirits, and the god themselves on through the night. Bands like Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, and Yawning Man emerged from the now legendary desert sessions.
The latest from The Fizz Fuzz.
The Fizz Fuzz blends the octave-heavy assault of the desert sound with the energy of alternative rock, but you know, brainy. Maybe this amalgamation is rooted in the other half of the equation, guitarist-songwriter Dawn Brown.
“I am a third-generation musician but this really is my first big project musically, that I’ve gotten involved in. I’m really proud of what we have created in our work,” said Dawn during our Zoom interview, the couple cozying together to fit on camera. “Definitely from our first record to our second record, I feel like we have really grown a lot in how we co-write together.”
While the band’s first album, Palmyra, feels fully rooted in the sun-warmed rock sound of the desert of years past, the new release brings forward more diversity of sound, a bit more pop sensibility, and a bolder juxtaposition of the two singers’ styles. Two-part harmonies float over oscillations between guitar twang and bass dirge.
Lucky is the couple that shares in the creative act of their passions. “Usually one of us will start out with kind of a structure and the other one will help fill it out,” said Dawn. “One of us or the other will come up with [a] specific sound that we want to go with and will kind of hand it off to the other and we’ll go back and forth with adding bits and pieces.”
“That first record that we did was more pieces that we brought from times before we were together. With this new record, [the band has] totally evolved into this cohesive unit,” said Dandy. “We just play off of each other and the comfort level has just grown and the co-writing has just meshed together. And you know, we just keep growing, we keep having fun with it. You know, that’s really the name of the game. Just have a blast and get out and play music every now and then, write music together, hang out with the one you love and just have a good time.”
“Love and power cords,” I said. “What else can you want?”
“That’s a good motto,” laughed the Browns together.
Deserts, Mountains, Oceans by The Fizz Fuzz is out now. Stream and enjoy.
When edibles hit their peak popularity a few years ago, cannabis consumers thought they had hit the jackpot. A weed gummy? Infused lozenges? THC mints? What a world. At the time, weed beverages weren’t really hitting the mark for a number of reasons. Yet now, the THC beverage market is absolutely exploding with incredible options to choose from.
Many people are finding the benefits of drinking their cannabis over ingesting it, and it’s quickly becoming our new favorite way to get high. So, if you want to see what the buzz is all about, check out the list of the best THC beverages you must try in 2023.
Why We Love Cannabis-Infused Drinks
For starters, not everyone enjoys smoking. In some cases, lighting a joint is just obnoxious or not allowed. Not to mention, it leaves a lingering smell on your clothes and hands that smells more like smoke than tasty buds. People who don’t care to smoke or even vape often lean towards cannabis edibles, but there are a few drawbacks to those.
First of all, edibles take a long time to kick in. They must pass through the digestive system before circulating in the bloodstream, meaning you might not feel their effects for an hour or more. This can be pretty inconvenient if you’re trying to time your buzz for something specific. Secondly, it’s really easy to accidentally overdo it when eating edibles and end up with that icky paranoia feeling for what seems like countless hours.
THC beverages, on the other hand, truly offer the perfect high. To infuse THC into liquid, manufacturers use a process called nanoemulsion to reduce the molecule size. This helps with complete homogenization, so every sip contains equal amounts of cannabis. It also increases bioavailability, which means that you can feel the effects much faster. You’ll most likely feel a weed drink come on within 15 minutes. The overall high is shorter too, so in about an hour, you can decide if you’d like to have another round or if you’re calling it a night.
Weed drinks also offer a more social way to consume cannabis. Instead of just munching a gummy and heading to a party, you can bring your drinks with you and sip with your friends. (Assuming wherever you’re going allows cannabis consumption, of course.) For those looking to cut back on alcohol but not be totally sober, THC beverages are the drink you’ve been dreaming of, meaning you can still relax, catch a buzz and not be hungover the next day.
Best THC Beverages to Try in 2023
We’ve got three top categories for our best THC beverages list, and we think you’d enjoy them all for different occasions. Check out what we’re drinking this year.
Pabst Labs High Seltzers
St. Ides High Teas
Not Your Father’s Root Beer
Best Overall THC Drink: Pabst Labs High Seltzers
This new cannabis brand may hold a famous name, but it’s a spin-off company from the renowned lager makers. Pabst Labs launched into the California cannabis industry in 2020 with its lemon-flavored THC-infused seltzer. These bubbly beverage masters are no strangers to creating easy-to-drink beverages with just the right amount of carbonation. They’ve been continually expanding their product line with massive praise from their brand loyalists.
Flavors and Dosage
High Seltzer is available in six flavors. Each 12-ounce slim can contains 10 milligrams THC, but the two newest flavors to join the party feature additional cannabinoids to elevate the high.
High Seltzer wins Best Overall THC Drink because it’s really suitable for any occasion. But we especially like backyard barbeques, pool parties, camping trips and anywhere you want to relax and kick back with your friends. It’s also an excellent mixer for THC mocktails. Add a few muddled herbs and fresh fruit juices for an elevated experience.
Price Point
You can purchase a single can of High Seltzer for $5, but the prices get better with cases. Four packs are just $18, or you can get a variety party pack for $80. The party packs come with four cans of each flavor for a total of 24. You definitely need this for your next party.
St. Ides has been in the cannabis industry for several years but just recently launched into beverages. Its first product was the delectable and highly potent THC shots. Each 4-ounce bottle contained 100 mg of THC and was only for heavy hitters. The folks at St. Ides took their formula and created a line of High Tea with the same 100 mg of THC. This time, it’s a nod to your “favorite throwback tea” from days gone by, but with a big kick.
Flavors and Dosage
High Tea is available in Georgia Peach or Wild Raspberry. Each 12-ounce can contains 100 mg THC.
What to Pair With
Grab a High Tea for a day at the beach, or keep a few cans handy for game night. There’s no wrong time to indulge in a sweet tea treat, and High Tea is perfect straight out of the can or poured over ice. Split with a friend if 100 mg would send you to the moon.
Price Point
Not only does High Tea win Best High Dose, but it should also win Best Price Point because it’s available at a price we know you’ll love. At just $7.99 per can, that’s 12.5 mg THC per dollar. Nothing to complain about there!
Where to Buy
Order online and have your High Tea delivered to select areas in California.
Best Sweet THC Drink: Not Your Father’s Root Beer
Much like the beloved PBR brand, Not Your Father’s was not always a cannabis beverage. It was first a hard soda by Small Town Brewery, but we sure are glad it took the opportunity to branch out. The brand partnered with Pabst in the alcohol industry for marketing and distribution, so it makes perfect sense that they would do the same in the cannabis industry.
Flavors and Dosage
There is only one flavor of NYF, and it’s the classic root beer. Yet, it’s somehow better than any other root beer we can remember. The strong zestiness is perfectly met with just the right amount of sugary sweetness. Every 12-ounce bottle contains 10 mg THC for an ideal solo dose.
What to Pair With
It’s not hard to imagine how this drink is best enjoyed. We highly recommend that you get a very special glass, fill it with vanilla bean ice cream and pour a bottle of NYF’s root beer over the top. Eat with a spoon, drink with a straw and definitely add a cherry (or two) on top.
Price Point
Each bottle is just $6, and you can score a 12-pack for $60.
It’s about time you cracked open a can or bottle of a THC drink. If you haven’t tried them yet, what are you waiting for? We hope this list has inspired you to try a new high, explore the wonderful world of drinking your weed, and enjoy the many wonders of our favorite plant. Get your drink on.
Nearly two weeks after tragedy struck Montgomery High School, thousands of students and community members have raised concerns about safety at Santa Rosa’s public schools, but solutions remain elusive.
The much-needed discussion was sadly triggered by the March 1 death of a 16-year-old boy who, along with another student, was stabbed by a 15-year-old student during an on-campus fight. Citing confidentiality laws, district administrators have only shared limited details about the students’ relationship leading up to the final confrontation.
The Sonoma County District Attorney has charged the 15-year-old boy with voluntary manslaughter and other offenses. On Sunday, March 12, two Montgomery High School administrators were reportedly placed on leave. The Santa Rosa Police Department announced on Monday that an officer has been assigned to stay on Montgomery High School’s campus through Tuesday after school administrators caught two students with knives on campus on Friday.
While the public discussion has often focused on whether or not to bring police officers back to campuses, public comments made clear that the districts’ problems run much deeper.
At a March 8 meeting of the Santa Rosa City Schools board, over 100 students, parents, teachers and community members shared a wide range of grievances with district officials. Central concerns included an increase in on-campus violence, poor communication from officials during too-frequent emergencies at multiple campuses, a severe lack of mental health resources and Montgomery High School’s failing infrastructure.
Two students look through a Santa Rosa City Hall window during an at-capacity school board meeting on March 8.
School Resource Officers
Early on in the debate over possible solutions, some focused on bringing police officers back to Santa Rosa public schools. In 2020, the school board declined to renew a contract with the Santa Rosa Police Department providing officers to monitor the district’s middle and high school campuses. In doing so, they overruled a committee created to study the issue. That committee had suggested continuing the program with some changes.
Less than a week after the stabbing, the Press Democrat’s editorial board endorsed bringing the officers back to school. Meanwhile, the Santa Rosa Police Officers Association, the union representing officers, took to Instagram to urge supporters to speak at public meetings.
“Fear comes from the unknown. By getting an opportunity to form a relationship with an officer on campus, these kids that are allegedly afraid will see that these officer[s] care for them deeply. These types of interactions only help everyone,” a March 4 POA post stated.
However, support for this approach seems less than overwhelming among those who spoke at public meetings. At the March 8 school board meeting, 106 members of the public, mostly students, teachers and parents of past or current students, took the opportunity to address the board.
The majority of speakers asked for more resources and improved communication, without specifying whether or not they supported the school resource officers. Of those who specifically referenced the program, 17 speakers asked for the return of officers while 14 speakers opposed the idea.
Opponents cite studies about the tendency of school resource officers to disproportionately punish students of color. A 2020 report by a University of Connecticut researcher notes that school resource officers don’t guarantee the prevention of school shootings and other acts of violence, and can actually make students feel more unsafe.
“We need more support for mental health resources and not police in our schools. Around 65% of my peers are people of color, and the last thing I want to see is members of my Viking (Montgomery) family in an uncomfortable position because of the color of their skin,” Ava Parmelee, a Montgomery senior, told the board.
One student group, “Value Life, Not Violence,” is circulating a petition which calls for an increase in “non-police security,” among other changes.
One student’s sign at the March 8 protest read “Treat the problem not the symptoms. This means increased mental health funding.”
Funding Shortage
Looming behind the SRO debate and other possible solutions is the district’s budget and employees’ salaries. Santa Rosa City Schools’ SRO program began in the 1990s, at a time when such programs were spreading across the country as part of a federally-funded response to on-campus shootings.
Until an agreement was allowed to expire in 2019, the Santa Rosa Police Department footed the bill for the school resource officer program. Alternatives suggested by some speakers, such as additional therapists, counselors and non-police campus supervisors, would likely be funded by the school district.
Vanessa Wedderburn, a district spokesperson, told the Bohemian that the district has added 27.45 full time equivalent employees in a range of support roles since the SRO contract expired.
However, the effort was not enough to prevent the fatal stabbing or, judging from public comments, make students and teachers feel safe on campus. Communication about existing resources was also lacking, according to comments at the board meeting. Multiple students said they were unaware that their school had a therapist. When they learned there was one, they were dismayed to learn the waitlist was hundreds of students long.
In order to make any improvements, the district will have to address its long-running struggle to recruit new employees. Though the district is offering a $1,000 hiring bonus, its job listing page currently lists 121 open positions.
Asked about the reasons behind the staffing struggle, Wedderburn stated, “We are experiencing the same challenges that most school districts and other industries are experiencing with recruitment.”
Other commenters suggested skimpy salaries are part of the problem. At the board meeting, Jim LaFrance, a longtime Montgomery High School teacher, said that campus supervisors tasked with keeping campuses safe are paid $17.40 per hour, far below the regional cost of living. Current job listings for campus supervisor positions at Maria Carrillo and Ridgway high schools, two other Santa Rosa City Schools campuses, list the same starting pay rate.
“The job they’re being asked to do for $17.40 an hour is herculean. It’s imperative that we have more support, and the people that are supporting us need to make a living wage,” LaFrance said.
For their part, school board members promised action while setting expectations.
“I think [California is] 31st in terms of per pupil funding in the country, and we’re the fourth largest economy in the world. So it is immoral that we spend as little money as we do because, let’s get real, we can’t afford all these things without a different budget,” Laurie Fong, a longtime district board member and local school administrator, said towards the end of the board meeting.
Two days later, district officials met with Rep. Mike Thompson to discuss methods of getting more money for the district. Only time will tell if they are able to make more money flow.
The cannabis industry is widely regarded as being environmentally wasteful due to the numerous regulations and restrictions surrounding the packaging, labeling and tracking of plants through the supply chain. Indoor growing practices also put a strain on energy resources, while the plants’ full potential can only be realized when grown in their natural habitat outside.
Despite this, some cannabis companies still strive to maintain high levels of sustainability, recognizing that extra measures must be taken to align their values with their business practices. Still, it takes more than recyclable packaging and energy efficient grow lights to truly make an impact. Not everyone is able to step up to the plate. Yet, one pioneering dispensary has taken a bold step forward by joining 1% for the Planet, becoming the first and only cannabis company to do so and making a significant positive impact.
Solful Dispensary Highlights
Solful is a cannabis dispensary located in Northern California that aims to promote community health and well-being through the responsible use of quality cannabis. The company was established by Peter Dickstein and Eli Melrod, two local entrepreneurs who witnessed the positive impact of cannabis on a loved one during a hard-fought (and won!) battle with pancreatic cancer. This experience inspired them to create a dispensary that would make cannabis more accessible, understandable and normal for those looking to improve their health and happiness.
Mission and Vision
Solful was established in hopes of being a destination dispensary and, after careful planning, opened its doors in 2017. The company procures its whole cannabis from the Emerald Triangle region and works closely with a close-knit group of farmers to ensure that the cannabis they offer is representative of this fertile region. Solful and its partners believe that personal care, regenerative agriculture and attention to detail are key to producing quality cannabis. Solful holds all its products, from edibles to topicals, to high standards.
Solful’s Commitment
At Solful, the company values close relationships with local producers, as this helps to promote accountability and strengthen the community. Becoming a member of 1% for the Planet is a logical next step for Solful, as it demonstrates its ongoing commitment to the environment. The company believes that through its mission, vision and commitment, it can make a positive impact on the lives of those in its community.
Supporting the Community and the Environment
Solful is committed to not only providing high-quality cannabis products but also making a positive impact on the environment and the local community. Joining 1% for the Planet is a natural step for the company in fulfilling this mission.
“Environmental sustainability in the cannabis industry is critical. As this industry grows so does our footprint, and we have a responsibility to act responsibly and proactively,” said Eli Melrod, CEO and co-founder of Solful.
Solful already supports three local nonprofits in Northern California that are also approved Environmental Partners of 1% for the Planet. These organizations are:
The Botanical Bus, a mobile health care center, caters to Latinx and Indigenous communities with its culturally attuned, community-focused programs that utilize herbal remedies for holistic wellness. With the ability to communicate in English and Spanish languages, the clinic offers a level of comfort and understanding to its patients, bridging the gap between language barriers and providing access to the health services they need.
Daily Acts is a nonprofit dedicated to fostering thriving communities by promoting sustainability. With a focus on the climate crisis, the organization strives to educate and inspire change through community leadership and sustainable practices. Whether through sharing innovative solutions, encouraging policy shifts or simply building connections, Daily Acts is working to create a more resilient, connected and sustainable future for all.
The Ceres Community Project is a nonprofit dedicated to helping low-income families who are struggling with serious illnesses. The organization provides them with nutritious meals, community support and love, with a strong emphasis on the development of the youth involved. It was established by a small group of young teens who initially cooked meals in a borrowed church kitchen and has since expanded.
“Solful has always existed for the health, well-being and happiness of our community, customers and the planet. Now, more than ever, as recreational cannabis takes off and medicinal awareness grows, we want to ensure a healthier, more sustainable environment, which includes supporting important organizations that are working diligently to make our world a better, more liveable place,” said Melrod.
Solful Joins 1% for the Planet
Solful has made history by becoming the first-ever dispensary business member of 1% for the Planet. This organization certifies businesses that pledge to donate a portion of their annual sales to support environmental causes.
By committing to donate 1% of all sales from Solful-branded products to nonprofit organizations focused on sustainable agriculture and climate adaptation, the company aims to counteract its environmental impact and aid in the preservation of the planet.
The 1% Mission
Established with a mission to accelerate smart environmental giving, 1% for the Planet has been a trailblazer in directing substantial funding toward the preservation of our planet. With over $435 million successfully channeled to approved environmental partners, the organization prides itself on its unique and individualized approach to philanthropy. By forging connections between businesses and environmental partners that share the same values and principles, 1% for the Planet not only supports environmental causes but also reinforces the brand narrative of its members.
With over 5,000 members, all committed to safeguarding the planet, 1% for the Planet continues to make significant progress in securing a greener future. Solful is proud to honor its values and join forces with this esteemed organization.
A Unique Solful Experience
A visit to Solful is not like any other dispensary stop. The knowledgeable Health and Happiness consultants are passionate about imparting information, paying attention and providing tailored suggestions based on each customer’s unique needs. With its 1% for the Planet membership, the Solful experience has elevated to new heights, becoming even more impactful.
Solful strongly values the education of its patrons and staff on the importance of preserving the environment. This membership with 1% for the Planet will augment these endeavors with initiatives like in-store educational resources and social media campaigns designed to raise environmental awareness.
“It’s crucial to prioritize environmental sustainability in the cannabis industry as its growth directly corresponds to our carbon footprint. At Solful, we feel a strong sense of responsibility to act responsibly and proactively,” said Eli Melrod, CEO and co-founder of Solful.
Solful has two well-established locations in Santa Rosa and Sebastopol and is excited about the opening of its third location in the Bay Area. In February, Solful opened a new 2,513-square-foot cannabis storefront at 900 Irving Street in the Inner Sunset neighborhood. This new location embodies Solful’s commitment to being a community-focused and boutique retail experience, and it is thrilled to serve the community.
Wokeness is what folks on the political right love to declare themselves as being against these days. But, what is it, really, that they oppose?
The term “woke” was derived from African American vernacular English, meaning alertness to racial prejudice. For those who have used the term positively, something I am not sure anyone actually does anymore, its meaning evolved to encompass awareness of other social inequities and forms of oppression, such as sexism, misogyny, white privilege, the oppression of any minority person or community, and human and environmental predations of exploitive corporations. This is sometimes called “intersectionality,” another term that is often denigrated.
The opposite of “wokeness” could be characterized as indifference by those with privileged status to the suffering of others.
For those on the right, it has become a generalized pejorative, almost an expletive for any attitudes they attribute to those who see the patterns of oppressions in the world differently than they do, who strive to bring those oppressions out of the darkness of ignorance, to ease the despair of those who dwell under their yoke, to contemplate how these cultural oppressions can be remedied and to actively work to actualize those remediations.
When I hear or read someone put down “wokeness,” I perform a simultaneous mental translation and substitute “kindness” for “wokeness,” and this clarifies their actual sentiment.
Simple kindness is a recognition that we are all in our essential human nature of the same kind, and it is imperative that we recognize we have far more similarities to one another than differences between us. This includes equal entitlement to the essentials of a healthy and comfortable life, safety in communities, and a sustainable environment in which to live and to bequeath to those who follow on.
Placing kindness in the foreground of thinking, including opening to all the facts of shared heritage, even those that may make some feel uncomfortable, can lead to a spiritual renewal. Opposing equal rights for those who may in some respect differ is not just anti-wokeness, it is anti-kindness.
Jonathan Klate writes regularly about spirituality, political ideology and the relationship between these two.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): I highly recommend the following experiences: 1. ruminating about what you learned in a relationship that ended—and how those lessons might be useful now. 2. ruminating about a beloved place you once regarded as home—and how the lessons you learned while there might be inspiring now. 3. ruminating about a riddle that has long mystified you—and how clarifying insights you receive in the coming weeks could help you finally understand it.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): For “those who escape hell,” wrote Charles Bukowksi, “nothing much bothers them after that.” Believe it or not, Taurus, I think that in the coming weeks, you can permanently escape your own personal version of hell—and never, ever have to return. I offer you my congratulations in advance. One strategy that will be useful in your escape is this idea from Bukowski: “Stop insisting on clearing your head—clear your f*cking heart instead.”
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini paleontologist Louis Agassiz (1807–1883) was a foundational contributor to the scientific tradition. Among his specialties was his hands-on research into the mysteries of fossilized fish. Though he was meticulously logical, he once called on his nightly dreams to solve a problem he faced. Here’s the story: A potentially crucial specimen was largely concealed inside a stone. He wanted to chisel away the stone to get at the fossil, but was hesitant to proceed for fear of damaging the treasure inside. On three successive nights, his dreams revealed to him how he should approach the work. This information proved perfectly useful. Agassiz hammered away at the slab exactly as his dreams suggested and freed the fossilized fish. I bring this marvel to your attention, Gemini, because I suspect that you, too, need to carve or cut away an obstruction that is hiding something valuable. Can you get help from your dreams? Yes, or else in deep reverie or meditation.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Will you flicker and sputter in the coming weeks, Cancerian? Or will you spout and surge? That is, will you be enfeebled by barren doubts, or will you embolden yourself with hearty oaths? Will you take nervous sips or audacious guzzles? Will you hide and equivocate, or else reveal and pounce? Dabble gingerly or pursue the joy of mastery? I’m here to tell you that which fork you take will depend on your intention and your willpower, not on the caprices of fate. So which will it be: Will you mope and fritter or untangle and illuminate?
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I applaud psychologists who tell us how important it is to feel safe. One of the most crucial human rights is the confidence that we won’t be physically or emotionally abused. But there’s another meaning of safety that applies to those of us who yearn to express ourselves creatively. Singer-songwriter David Bowie articulated the truth: “If you feel safe in the area you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a bit out of your depth, and when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re in the right place to do something exciting.” I think this is a wise strategy for most of us, even those who don’t identify as artists. Almost everyone benefits from being imaginative and inventive and even a bit daring in their own particular sphere. And this will be especially applicable to you in the coming weeks, Leo.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You are in the sweet, deep phase of the Receiving Season. And so you have a right and a duty to show the world you are ready and available to be blessed with what you need and want. I urge you to do everything necessary to become a welcoming beacon that attracts a wealth of invigorating and healing influences. For inspiration, read this quote by author John Steinbeck: “It is so easy to give, so exquisitely rewarding. Receiving, on the other hand, if it be well done, requires a fine balance of self-knowledge and kindness. It requires humility and tact and great understanding of relationships . . . It requires a self-esteem to receive—a pleasant acquaintance and liking for oneself.”
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libran poet E. E. Cummings wrote that daffodils “know the goal of living is to grow.” Is his sweet sentiment true? I would argue it’s only partially accurate. I believe that if we want to shape our destinies with courage and creativity, we need to periodically go through phases of decay and decline. They make periods of growth possible. So I would say, “The goal of life is to grow and wither and grow and wither and grow.” Is it more fun to grow than to wither? Maybe. But sometimes, withering is educational and necessary. Anyway, Libra, I suspect you are finishing a time of withering and will soon embark on a series of germinations and blossoms.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): All of us have elements of genius. Every person on the planet possesses at least one special talent or knack that is a gift to others. It could be subtle or unostentatious, like a skill for communicating with animals or for seeing what’s best in people. Or maybe it’s more spectacular, like composing beautiful music or raising children to be strong and compassionate. I mention this, Scorpio, because the coming weeks will be an excellent time to identify your unique genius in great detail—and then nurture it and celebrate it in every way you can imagine.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The emblem associated with Sagittarius is an archer holding a bow with the arrow pointed upwards. This figure represents your tribe’s natural ambition to always aim higher. I bring this to your attention because your symbolic quiver is now full of arrows. But what about your bow? Is it in tip-top condition? I suggest you do some maintenance. Is the bow string in perfect shape? Are there any tiny frays? Has it been waxed recently? And what about the grip? Are there any small cracks or wobbles? Is it as steady and stable as it needs to be? I have one further suggestion as you prepare for the target-shooting season. Choose one or at most two targets to aim at rather than four or five.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): It’s prime time to feel liberated from the urge to prove yourself to anyone. It’s a phase when your self-approval should be the only kind of approval you need, a period when you have the right to remove yourself from any situation that is weighed down with gloomy confusion or apathetic passivity. This is exciting news! You have an unprecedented opportunity to recharge your psychic batteries and replenish your physical vitality.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I suspect you can now accomplish healthy corrections without getting tangled up in messy karma. Here are my recommendations: 1. As you strive to improve situations that are awry or askew, act primarily out of love rather than guilt or pity. 2. Fight tenderly in behalf of beautiful justice, but don’t fight harshly for ugly justice. 3. Ask yourself how you might serve as a kind of divine intervention in the lives of those you care about—and then carry out those divine interventions.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In describing her process, Piscean sculptor Anne Truitt wrote, “The most demanding part of living a lifetime as an artist is the strict discipline of forcing oneself to work steadfastly along the nerve of one’s own most intimate sensitivity.” I propose that many Pisceans, both artists and non-artists, can thrive from living like that. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to give yourself to such an approach with eagerness and devotion. I urge you to think hard and feel deeply as you ruminate on the question of how to work steadfastly along the nerve of your own most intimate sensitivity.
German author Ernst Junger’s 1951 book, The Forest Passage, a paean to the path of resistance in a mechanized world, has inspired both radicals and reactionaries.
Among the tome’s profound pronouncements is the assertion that in the modern world each person faces the choice between having a destiny or being a number—be it Social Security number, credit score, IP address or anything else the Leviathan, as he terms it, can use to classify as one of the soulless masses.
Those disinclined to choose being a number must therefore opt for having a destiny. But how does one discover this destiny, let alone begin to manifest it?
One starts by facing the Seven Governors.
A recurring motif in ancient myths involves the shedding of seven garments: Istar discards one each time she passes through a gate in the underworld, while Salome performs her dance of the seven veils, which are removed one by one.
Likewise, a recently discovered third-century Hermetic doctrine, entitled “Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth,” speaks of the celestial sphere beyond the Seven Governors, the point at which all earthly bonds have been severed. The divine realm only begins with the “fixed stars,” or 12 houses of the zodiac.
The solar system—with its seven visible bodies corresponding to seven metals, not to mention the seven chakras and seven colors dispersed by the light of the sun—is geocentric, and the planets are not so much deities as powers that can unconsciously rule love lives, as with Venus, or fill one with either apathy or rage, as with Mars, until one has seized magnetic control over these seven metals and bent them to serve rather than rule. Hence the vital importance of knowing one’s astrological chart.
The zodiac is the true realm of the gods, and where human destinies are written. But the past two centuries of materialism and scientific reason have obfuscated the inner life where destiny is divined. It’s almost like an end-times conspiracy, the closing of a cosmic cycle in which souls become numbers in a regression to mass collectivism—precisely what the Leviathan wants.
Rising from the undifferentiated underworld to claim sovereignty over one’s own being has been the foundation of the hero myth and the struggle for individual consciousness from the beginning of time.
In meditative states in which the ego is transcended, one’s voice resounds on the vault of heaven, returning in flashes of insight from the fixed stars that seek to reveal one’s destiny in the sphere of life in which it is meant to unfold.
Best Art Gallery
NAPA
Sofie Contemporary Arts
SONOMA
Sebastopol Center for the Arts
Best Ballet Company
NAPA
The Dance House Napa Valley
SONOMA
Sebastopol Ballet School
Best Band
NAPA
Mama Said
SONOMA
Sol Horizon
Best Charity Event
NAPA
Auction Napa Valley
SONOMA
Humane Society of Sonoma County Wags, Whiskers & Wine
Best Comedy Night
NAPA
Cooking with Comedians, The Laugh Cellar - Meritage Resort
SONOMA
Epicenter
Best Dance Studio
NAPA
The Dance House Napa Valley
SONOMA
The Movement LAB
Best Festival
NAPA
Bottlerock
SONOMA
Gravenstein Apple Festival
Best Film Festival
NAPA
Napa Valley Film Festival
SONOMA
Sebastopol Documentary...
Best Art-Inspired Winery
NAPA
Hess Persson Estates
SONOMA
Paradise Ridge Winery
Best Bar
NAPA
The Hollywood Room, Napa Valley Distillery
SONOMA
Fern Bar
Best Bartender
NAPA
Jose Mungia Vasquez, Fleetwood
SONOMA
Bronwyn Gauvin, Gravenstein Grill
Best Beer Garden
NAPA
Lincoln Avenue Brewery
SONOMA
Brewster's Beer Garden
Best Beer Label
NAPA
Mad Fritz
SONOMA
Henhouse - Certified Independent AF
Best Bourbon
SONOMA
Spirit Works Distillery - Four Grain Straight Bourbon
Best Brew Pub
NAPA
Napa Palisades Brewery
SONOMA
Bear Republic Brewing Company
Best Cabernet
NAPA
Complant Wine
SONOMA
Jordan Winery
Best Chardonnay
NAPA
Stony Hill Vineyards
SONOMA
La Crema Winery
Best Cider
NAPA
The Terraces...
Lucky Penny Productions continues their 2022/23 season with The World Goes Round. The musical revue featuring the works of Kander and Ebb runs at the Lucky Penny Community Arts Center in Napa through March 26.
If Kander and Ebb are unfamiliar, their musical library shouldn’t be. They are the composers of such musicals as Cabaret and Chicago. Their music can...
'Deserts, Mountains, Oceans' — The new album is out from wife and husband team Dawn and Dandy Brown.
In the long tail of contemporary music streaming, every genre of music has a continuing life while finding the space to grow through innovation. And thank goodness, because I love me some desert rock, and The Fizz Fuzz brings pedigree and passion to...
Sponsored content by Pabst Labs
When edibles hit their peak popularity a few years ago, cannabis consumers thought they had hit the jackpot. A weed gummy? Infused lozenges? THC mints? What a world. At the time, weed beverages weren’t really hitting the mark for a number of reasons. Yet now, the THC beverage market is absolutely...
Nearly two weeks after tragedy struck Montgomery High School, thousands of students and community members have raised concerns about safety at Santa Rosa’s public schools, but solutions remain elusive.
The much-needed discussion was sadly triggered by the March 1 death of a 16-year-old boy who, along with another student, was stabbed by a 15-year-old student during an on-campus fight. Citing...
Sponsored content by Solful Dispensary
The cannabis industry is widely regarded as being environmentally wasteful due to the numerous regulations and restrictions surrounding the packaging, labeling and tracking of plants through the supply chain. Indoor growing practices also put a strain on energy resources, while the plants' full potential can only be realized when grown in their...
By Jonathan Klate
Wokeness is what folks on the political right love to declare themselves as being against these days. But, what is it, really, that they oppose?
The term “woke” was derived from African American vernacular English, meaning alertness to racial prejudice. For those who have used the term positively, something I am not sure anyone actually does anymore, its...
ARIES (March 21-April 19): I highly recommend the following experiences: 1. ruminating about what you learned in a relationship that ended—and how those lessons might be useful now. 2. ruminating about a beloved place you once regarded as home—and how the lessons you learned while there might be inspiring now. 3. ruminating about a riddle that has long mystified...
German author Ernst Junger’s 1951 book, The Forest Passage, a paean to the path of resistance in a mechanized world, has inspired both radicals and reactionaries.
Among the tome’s profound pronouncements is the assertion that in the modern world each person faces the choice between having a destiny or being a number—be it Social Security number, credit score, IP address...
