Back to Reality: ‘VISCERĀLIS’ comes to Petaluma

Remember when we perceived reality through the visceral experience of bodies and senses? Yep. It’s difficult to recall a time when our experiences weren’t mitigated by a screen, and our decisions anticipated by an algorithm or a veritable alphabet soup of AI to VR weren’t conspiring to drown out our self-conception as humans. Fortunately, there’s help.

Imagine an evening that awakens the senses through the synergy of art, nature and gourmet cuisine. Too much to ask? Go for it—YOLO, right? This is the promise of VISCERĀLIS, the latest offering from JAD Experience, an event series that immerses audiences in an experience like no other.

Hosted at Tara Firma Farms in Petaluma over two weekends (July 12–14 and July 19–21), VISCERĀLIS offers a much-needed antidote to our tech-saturated lives, as it emphasizes visceral reality over the many virtual distractions that define our contemporary lives.

The event begins with a transformative dining experience crafted from locally sourced, regeneratively grown food. This sets the stage for an open-air ballet choreographed by Julia Adam, a former San Francisco Ballet principal. Adam and her elite corps of dancers will perform against the backdrop of sweeping hillside views, fostering a deep connection between the audience, the community and the natural environment.

JAD Experience is the brainchild of Julia Adam and her husband, Aaron Lucich, a producer, farmer, rancher and agricultural activist. This dynamic duo has combined their passions and talents to create a series of events that highlight the importance of reconnecting with nature and each other. Now in its 11th season, JAD Experience continues to evolve, with Tara Firma Farms serving as its home for the past six years.

“My initial desire to move out of the constraints of the opera house and urban settings 11 years ago is now even more relevant,” said Adam. “Walking on cement with screens in our hands, losing our connection to the earth and each other confirms that what we do is needed now more than ever.”

Lucich adds, “The further we get from our connection to the soil, the more isolated we become. This disconnect might even drive our obsession with technology. JAD Experience provides a much-needed remedy.”

Each evening begins with a multi-course, farm-to-table feast served family-style, featuring transparently sourced food from Sonoma and Marin counties. Lucich, who produces the proteins on site, leads a diverse team in navigating the six-night culinary adventure.

The menu also offers robust alternatives for vegetarians and vegans, as well as beer, wine and house-made non-alcoholic drinks.

After dinner, guests will gather with steaming cups of sipping hot chocolate and bone broth (presumably as two separate beverages) at the open-air stage for the world premiere of VISCERĀLIS. Julia Adam’s team of dancers will interpret her unique storytelling style, which incorporates spoken word, song and exploration beyond the fourth wall, fostering a deeper connection to each other and the world around us.

A limited number of tickets are now on sale for the six evenings of ‘VISCERĀLIS,’ which runs 5:30 to 10pm, July 12–14, and July 19–21, at Tara Firma Farms, 3796 I St., Petaluma. Tickets are available for $200, $250 and $300 at JADexperience.com.

Prop Shop: The 2024 California Ballot Measures

Much is expected of the California voter. In any election year, we may be asked to dust off our labor lawyer hats, brush up on oil and gas regulations, reacquaint ourselves with decades of tax policy or analyze infrastructure funding.

We may have to weigh the moral pros and cons of capital punishment, marriage equality or pig protection and—over and over again—oversee all things dialysis clinic.

This November, voters will decide the fate of 10 thorny policy proposals, including crime, health care, rent control and taxes. This year, there were far more last-minute changes than usual.

Five measures were withdrawn by their proponents in deals with lawmakers, and another was kicked off the ballot by the state’s highest court. And Gov. Gavin Newsom scrapped a crime measure at the last minute.

But on the final day possible, legislators added two bond issues, one for climate action and another for school construction. The 2024 ballot will be more crowded than the 2022 ballot, which had seven measures, the fewest in more than a century.

After months of signature gathering, litigating and legislative wrangling, the final list of measures on the Nov. 5 ballot is set. The Legislature directed the Secretary of State’s office to assign numbers to several, and the office set the others. (Reminder: Prop. 1 was Newsom’s mental health measure narrowly passed in March.)

What’s on the November Ballot?

Proposition 2: Borrow $10 billion to build schools. Legislative Democrats put on the ballot a bond issue to give $8.5 billion to K-12 schools and $1.5 billion to community colleges for construction and modernization.

Proposition 3: Reaffirm the right of same-sex couples to marry. This constitutional amendment from the Legislature would remove outdated language from Proposition 8, passed by voters in 2008, that characterizes marriage as being between a man and a woman.

Proposition 4: Borrow $10 billion for climate programs. Legislative Democrats also placed a bond issue on the ballot that includes $3.8 billion for drinking water and groundwater, $1.5 billion for wildfire and forest programs and $1.2 billion for sea level rise. In part, the money would offset some budget cuts.

Proposition 5: Lower voter approval requirements for local housing and infrastructure bonds. This constitutional amendment from the Legislature would make it easier for local governments to borrow money for affordable housing and other infrastructure. To avoid opposition from the influential real estate industry, supporters agreed to block bond money from being used to buy single-family homes.

Proposition 6: Limit forced labor in state prisons. Lawmakers added this one late—a constitutional amendment to end indentured servitude in state prisons, considered one of the last remnants of slavery. The California Black Legislative Caucus included the amendment in its reparations bill package.

Proposition 32: Raise the state minimum wage to $18 an hour. This initiative seemed a much bigger deal when it was first proposed in 2021. But under existing law, the overall minimum wage has risen to $16 an hour. And lower-paid workers in two huge industries are getting more: Fast food workers received a $20 an hour minimum on April 1, and health care workers will eventually get $25, though the start date has been pushed back to at least Oct. 15.

Proposition 33: Allow local governments to impose rent controls. This is the latest attempt to roll back a state law that generally prevents cities and counties from limiting rents in properties first occupied after Feb. 1, 1995.

Proposition 34: Require certain health providers to use nearly all revenue from a federal prescription drug program on patient care. Sponsored by the trade group for California’s landlords, this measure is squarely aimed at knee-capping the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which has been active in funding ballot measures (see the rent control one above).

Proposition 35: Make permanent a tax on managed health care insurance plans. This initiative is sponsored by California’s health care industry to raise more money for Medi-Cal and block lawmakers from using the cash to avoid cuts to other programs. The measure would hold Newsom to a promise to permanently secure that tax money for health care for low-income patients.

Proposition 36: Increase penalties for theft and drug trafficking. This initiative may be the most contentious on the ballot. It would partly roll back Proposition 47, which was approved by voters in 2014.

Blues Legend Musselwhite Back in SoCo

In an age of performers making their name as Instagram influencers and TikTok flavors of the month, Charlie Musselwhite is the equivalent of a landline—steady, reliable and a link to the past.

Born in Mississippi and raised in Memphis, the 78-year-old musician has spent a career dating back to his 1967 debut, Stand Back! Here Comes Charley Musselwhite’s Southside Band, being a blues standard-bearer.

His journey continues on the recently released Mississippi Son, a stripped-down collection of 14 songs featuring the harmonica player singing and picking up a guitar to present a mix of originals and nuggets originally recorded by an array of storied names, including Yank Rachell, The Stanley Brothers and Charley Patton.

It’s Musselwhite’s first solo outing since moving back to Clarksdale, Mississippi, about a year and a half ago from Geyserville in Sonoma County. Climate change prompted the harp player and his wife/manager, Henrietta Musselwhite, to pull up stakes and return to the Delta.

“We were having the fires (in California) every year,” he explained in a recent phone interview. “The last time, we could see it coming. If the wind hadn’t changed, we might have gotten burned out. We figured it was inevitable that we would at some point, so why wait for that? It was really horrible.”

Mississippi Son came about after Musselwhite started hanging out at friend Gary Vincent’s nearby studio, noodling around on guitar. Before long, Vincent was hitting records, drummer Ricky Martin and upright bassist Barry Bays were recruited, and Mississippi Son was the result.

Fans can expect to hear songs from Mississippi Son and more at the July 20 show at the Luther Burbank Center with Elvin Bishop and Taj Mahal.

“I do some tunes that people request, and I have some new songs they haven’t heard before,” said Musselwhite. “I might even play guitar—who knows? It depends on the situation and how much time I have. A lot of people don’t even know that I play guitar, so that’s a departure. I didn’t even know how people would react to [my playing on Mississippi Son], but it’s just been overwhelming. People are just loving it. I’m happily surprised—it’s a nice thing.”

The Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite Duo open for The Taj Mahal Quintet at 7pm, Saturday, July 20, at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Rd., Santa Rosa. As noted previously, tickets start at $76.70 and are available at lutherburbankcenter.org/event/taj-mahal24.

Taj Mahal at LBC


Taj Mahal has anecdotes that can go on for days. Given the extraordinary musical life he’s already lived, it’s no surprise.

He got his start in 1964 as a 22-year-old joining forces with a then-17-year-old Ry Cooder to form the cult group, The Rising Sons. This quartet was the only American act invited to be part of the 1968 concert film, The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. He also landed a role acting and composing the score for the 1972 drama, Sounder. And that’s only within the first decade of his 60-year career.

Along the way, Mahal (born Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr.) used his studies in ethnomusicology at the University of Massachusetts as a springboard toward infusing his blues, jazz and gospel influences with myriad musical nuances drawn from reggae, zydeco, country blues, R&B and Caribbean and African music sources that had him creating what became world music before it ever was given that name.

And now his latest outing, “Swingin’ Live at the Church in Tulsa,” found the 81-year-old multi-instrumentalist releasing a set recorded at the Oklahoma studio founded by old friend and influence, the late Leon Russell.

Planning the tour came next, with Mahal taking his longtime quartet—bassist Bill Rich, drummer Kester Smith, guitarist/Hawaiian lap steel player Bobby Ingano—and augmenting it to a sextet with dobro player Rob Ickes and guitarist/vocalist Trey Hensley (Mahal’s upcoming Luther Burbank Center show will be a quintet, however).

“On this tour, what’s going to happen is that it’s going to be the connection and collaboration of the parent music from all the finger picking and all the early American guitar music,” Mahal said with a smile.


The son of an Afro-Caribbean jazz arranger and piano player (his folks were from St. Kitts-Nevis) and a southern educator, the young Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr. benefited from parents who grew up during the Harlem Renaissance and were happy to proudly educate their son about the family’s Caribbean and African ancestry. Much of it was accomplished by exposing him to what was being played on the radio, along with encouraging their progeny to pursue music.

The young musician sated his musical thirst by starting to sing when he was about four or five, followed by piano lessons and then “messing with the clarinet, the trombone and harmonica for a little bit,” he recalled.

And the natural interest he had as a kid evolved into his becoming a sort of Johnny Appleseed of music that’s found him not only learning at the feet of such giants as Muddy Waters, Elizabeth Cotton, Buddy Guy, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Howlin’ Wolf, but becoming a mentor for another generation of younger, Black guitarists, including Keb’ Mo’, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Corey Harris and Guy Davis. It’s a tradition that comes naturally to Mahal and one he gladly embraces.


“Now, I’m looking back at [my path], and it all started with the natural interest of a kid,” he said. “If I had been in a village somewhere in Africa, it wouldn’t have been weird. In this paradigm, you’re supposed to do this or that. There, the old men that are playing the music see the young kid coming up. He’s not close, but he’s standing right there. But they’re not going to go to him. He has to come to the music. You know what I’m saying? I just really enjoyed the music, and I really enjoyed the opportunity to hear so many different kinds of music.”

The Taj Mahal Quintet tops the bill with the Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite Duo, 7pm, Saturday, July 20, at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Rd., Santa Rosa. Tickets start at $76.70 and are available at lutherburbankcenter.org/event/taj-mahal24.

Raven Players move ‘Company’ to Windsor

After a Covid-related postponement, the Raven Players production of Company is now open for business.

The classic Stephen Sondheim and George Furth musical runs in the Playhouse at Windsor High School through July 21.

A smash hit in 1970, the show is a series of musical vignettes in no particular order about human relationships and marriage. The central character, Robert/Bobby (Samuel J. Gleason), is turning 35 and starting to question his bachelorhood. All of his friends are married or in committed relationships and are anxious for him to “settle down.” They all invite him to spend some time with them.

Robert visits Harry (Anthony Martin) and Sarah (Skylar Salz), who spend the evening playfully battling each other. Or are they? When Robert asks Harry if he has any regrets about being married, Harry responds with the song “Sorry/Grateful.”

Then Robert visits Peter (Bohn Connor) and Susan (Crystal Wilson), a seemingly happy couple who, to his surprise, announce they are getting divorced.

A visit with David (Tyler Marques) and Jenny (Alexis Walker) brings a marijuana-induced interrogation as to why Robert isn’t married. Robert isn’t opposed to the idea; he just hasn’t found the right “one” yet.

We meet three women who Robert has dated: April (Ashley Talbot), a charmingly dim-witted stewardess; Kathy (Kelly Devoto), who may actually be the one that got away; and Marta (Sky Hernandez-Simard), a free spirit.

We’re then transported to the wedding day of friends Amy (Molly Larsen-Shine) and Paul (Troy Thomas Evans). They’ve been living together for some time, but they are finally “Getting Married Today.” Or are they?

The second act brings us a deeper look into his relationship with April, a surprising conversation with Peter, and an evening with Larry (Nicholas J. Augusta) and Joanne (Katie Watts-Whitaker) that leads Robert to really confront himself about his situation.0

Director Steven David Martin’s decision to mount Company at the Windsor High Playhouse pays off in terms of the intimacy the space provides and the upgrade in most technical elements. Sound levels were a real issue*, though, with music director Kelly Considine’s three-piece band drowning out many of Sondheim’s lyrics. Thankfully, Shine’s energetic delivery of “Getting Married Today” and Watts-Whitaker’s powerhouse presentation of “Ladies Who Lunch” were highlights of the evening.

The ensemble does nice work, especially in the larger musical numbers and with Michella Moerbeek’s choreography.

There’s a lot to like about this Company.

The Raven Players present ‘Company’ through July 21 in The Playhouse at Windsor High School, 8695 Windsor Rd. Fri–Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 2pm, with a Thur, July 11 show at 7:30pm. $10–$40. 707.433.6335. raventheater.org.

* The company attributes the sound issues at the opening night performance to faulty microphones and states that the issue has been resolved.

Echolyptus: ‘Girl on Rose Ave.’

For this early summer-time entry, I sought out the summer sound of Echolyptus, my current favorite Santa Rosa band.

I met its members for a smoke-sesh rap-sesh outside their house in Roseland, which contains their rehearsal space and their recording space, Thorn Rose Studios. Their current smoke-sesh lineup includes Jaz Pa!ge, the singer, rhythm guitarist and principal songwriter; Cesar “Crow” Lopez, drummer, recordist and studio engineer; and Kevin Santucci, lead guitar. Their newest member, Ella Hoffman, subs for former bassist Chris Olney.

Currently, Echolyptus is tuning up for a West Coast tour with sludgy Santa Rosa shoe-gazers Ulyssescfm. They also have a new EP. Scan the QR and listen to their sound while skimming this. I recommend “U+Me=Infinity.”

CH: You have a new album. Congratulations. What’s the album name and lead single?

EL: Girl on Rose Avenue and “U+Me=Infinity.” Though people have been digging the groovy dark funk of “Backseat.” We would say the self-titled song, “Girl on Rose Avenue,” holds the energy of the entire EP.

CH: A candidate for SoCo song of the summer. What’s the sound of the album?

EL: We have the flexibility of switching stylistically. The album has the ethereal dreaminess of dream pop but also punk, post-punk, gothic, surf and garage sounds. It’s got a lot of flavors in there!

CH: What are the album’s influences?

EL: B-52’s, The Police, Broadcast, The Sundays, Bam Bam Zounds, The Cranberries.

CH: Doubtless, you will continue to influence others. How was the album written?

EL: Jaz wrote the lyrics and the core rhythm guitar parts, and the band noodled on them until the songs became what they need to be. We give each other notes.

CH: What is the message or the journey of the album?

EL: The songs were written by Jaz between 18 and 26. They hold the energy of pain, anger, feelings of abandonment, self-doubt and grief, processing really difficult friendship and relationship losses and hard breaks.

CH: The struggle, and you can dance to it. What destination does the album arrive at?

EL: A place of accountability, acceptance, self-forgiveness, and the other, self-support and love.

Click here to listen to the whole album. Echolyptus needs more followers and collaborators. They are open to co-writing songs, hopping on bills, recording your stuff at their Thorn Rose Studio and collaborating every which way, especially with musicians in the area and double especially with POC-fronted bands rocking the alt space.

En Garde: Bully pulpits face off

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It’s the morning after the so-called first “debate” between a frail-appearing, stuttering President Biden and a railing, ranting former President Trump.

I shudder to think that the oft-cited “American people” might decide the future of our democracy on theater and showmanship?! How can a respectable, dedicated, trustworthy public servant of the U.S.—hailed internationally for his decency and character—come to be pitted against a corrupted, heartless, self-aggrandizing, truth-evading, delusional demagogue and convicted criminal in the first place? How is American mainstream media buying into, promoting, dignifying and normalizing a false equivalency between two fundamentally different candidates?

And talk about bully pulpits: Trump uses his pulpit literally to bully, harass, divide, lie and cheat with impunity. Biden uses his pulpit to promote a vision and policies aimed at protecting and evolving our democracy. Without real-time fact-checking (disastrous) and Biden’s mic under CNN’s control, he had too short a time to address complex questions, so the network helped elevate the bully’s pulpit.

Besides enabling false equivalencies, ageism reigns as daily gossip and conjecture about age as being essentially detrimental. Little illumination is given to its gifts of experience, competence, resilience and wisdom.

Yes, 81-year-old Biden showed up taxed to the max: sick, unrested—cold meds? He seemed to grapple with details and rehearsed arguments, including his administration’s policy achievements and goals, facts and accurate numbers. He was not grounded. He was in his foggy head. It took him a while to settle in, to respond instead of react.

Meanwhile, DJT was in his 24/7 singular reality tunnel, spewing his toxic mix of exaggeration, fabrication, angry epithets, denials, delusions and fascistic aspirations. Sadly, Biden, champion of democracy, wasn’t up to countering the sheer audacity and insanity of Trump.

Millions of “fellow” Americans think a louder, bombastic, bullying, “confident” Trump won a debate. Biden was physically down, softer spoken, stumbling to establish a foothold in the swamp. However, a debate is meant to be a respectful, civil presentation of divergent ideas and factual information. We witnessed an altercation between a legitimate debater and a schoolyard bully.

Will we, “the American people,” reduce the seriousness of what these two men represent for our nation’s future to a performance contest? Which bully pulpit will win?

Marcia Singer, MSW is a mindful living coach and columnist in Santa Rosa.

Your Letters, July 10

Off the Map

Where’s America? Has America become a nation of grifters and grifter wannabes? How come we appear to be in thrall to a bloated flatulent blowhard whose criminal record is at least three looooong arms’ lengths?

Cheater (he even cheats at golf!). Volcanic liar. Sexual abuser. A guy who stiffs workers. A guy who trained at the feet of Roy Cohn, and then deserted him when he was dying of AIDS? An insurrectionist. Election denier. So this morally vacuous excuse for a human being (assuming your moral sensibilities are just north of an alley cat’s) is now poised to become president of the United States of America? AGAIN?

Look in the mirror, America! We have been shucked and jived and rolled. We are an idiot polity. We need to wise up. Otherwise, SHAME ON US!

Anne Dorsey

Sausalito

Corrections Dept.

In a recent story on tennis instructor Brent Zeller (“Tennis, Everyone,” Pacific Sun, June 26, 2024), the original subheadline inaccurately depicted his efforts. Instead, “Celebrating 50 Years Creating a Physically & Psychologically Healthier Way to Learn,” would have been preferred. We regret the error. Read Zeller’s book, Evolutionary Education—Beyond Competition, and visit evolutionaryeducation.com.

Music, Images, Pooches & Pinot

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Dirty Cello Cleans Up

Marin delivers the string bling when Dirty Cello performs at Marin Art & Garden Center Summer Concerts on the Lawn this Thursday. Known for their dynamic live shows, this Marin-based ensemble combines virtuosic musicianship with a fiery rock and roll spirit. Led by classically trained cellist Rebecca Roudman, Dirty Cello blends blues, bluegrass and world music with European classical roots, creating a refreshing and boundary-pushing sound that absolutely rocks. Doors open at 4:30pm, with the concert running from 5 to 7pm. Adult tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the gate, with parking at $10 in advance or $15 at the gate—available online at maringarden.org/events/dirty-cello (children 17 and under are free). Lawn and chair seating, a KidZone, and food and drink options are available, too. Marin Art & Garden Center is at 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Ross.

Sausalito

Standing in the Dust

Sausalito Center For The Arts and Artistic Freedom Initiative presents “Standing in the Dust,” the photography of renowned Iranian photojournalist Yalda Moaiery, whose lens has documented conflicts, wars and natural disasters in Iran and globally. As one of Iran’s most dedicated photographers, Yalda’s compelling work has been featured in major international publications, earning her widespread acclaim. “For many years, I have envisioned this exhibition,” says Moaiery in her artist statement. “It is difficult for many to comprehend why the work of a photojournalist—whose images reflect the quotidian lives of people—would be deemed threatening, censored or banned.” The exhibit runs from July 10–28, with an opening reception from 5 to 8pm, Saturday, July 13 and includes a Persian appetizer buffet and a no-host bar. The center is at 750 Bridgeway, Sausalito. A $20 donation is encouraged at the door.

Freestone

Pooches & Pinot

The dog days of summer just got better thanks to Jasper House, Black Kite Cellars’ newly opened wine-tasting room in Freestone, which is hosting Pooches & Pinot for people who love wine and canines. Guests and their dogs are invited to enjoy a relaxing afternoon of al fresco wine tasting on a patio shaded by umbrellas and towering redwoods. Tasting flights include Black Kite Cellars’ currently released wines from the Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley appellations, along with selected library wines from the cellar. For the furry ones, “Barkuterie boards” with dog treats and goodies are available. The day runs from 10am to 5pm, Friday, July 12 through Sunday, July 14. The Jasper House tasting room is at 12747 El Camino Bodega, Freestone. Tasting appointments are $67 per person and are available via bit.ly/pooches-pinot.

St. Helena

Farm Fest

In 2004, Clif Bar co-creators Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford embarked on a new venture, founding Clif Family Winery & Farm in St. Helena. Fast-forward a couple of decades, and Clif Family Winery is celebrating their 20th Anniversary Farm Fest. This milestone event highlights the beauty of Howell Mountain with live music in the iconic “Ruins,” farm tours showcasing organic vineyards and gardens, and a farm-to-fork feast featuring seasonal ingredients from Clif Family’s own grounds. Guests are also invited to enjoy both current release and library wines with lauded winemaker Laura Barrett. Farm Fest runs from 3 to 8pm Saturday, July 13, at 709 Main St., St. Helena. Tickets are $100 general, $75 for wine club members, and are available online at cliffamily.com/events/farm-fest.

Free Will Astrology: Week of July 10

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): I trust your intuition has been guiding you to slow down and disappear from the frenzied, agitated bustle that everyone seems addicted to. I hope you have afforded yourself the luxury and privilege of exulting in the thrill of doing absolutely nothing. Have you been taking long breaks to gaze lovingly up at the sky and listen to music that moves you to tears? Have you been studying the children and animals in your life to learn more about how to thrive on non-goal-oriented fun? Have you given your imagination permission to fantasize with abandon about wild possibilities? Homework: Name three more ways to fuel your self-renewal.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Actor Carrie Fisher put a strong priority on being both amusing and amused. For her, almost everything that happened was tolerable, even welcome, as long as it was entertaining. She said, “If my life wasn’t funny, it would just be true, and that’s unacceptable.” I recommend you experiment with those principles, Taurus. Be resourceful as you make your life as humorously interesting as possible. If you do, life will conspire to assist you in being extra amused and amusing.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): As you charge into the upcoming period of self-reinvention, don’t abandon and forget about your past completely. Some of your old emotional baggage might prove useful and soulful. A few of your challenging memories may serve as robust motivators. On the other hand, it will be healthy to leave behind as much oppressive baggage and as many burdensome memories as possible. You are launching the next chapter of your life story! Travel as lightly as you can. 

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Even though you and I were both born under the sign of Cancer the Crab, I have a taboo against advising you to be like me. I love my life, but I’m not so naïve or arrogant as to think that what has worked for me will also work for you. Now, however, I will make a temporary exception to my policy. Amazingly, the astrological omens suggest you will flourish in the coming weeks by being at least somewhat like me. Therefore, I invite you to experiment with being kind and sensitive, but also cheerfully irreverent and tenderly wild. Be on the lookout for marvels and miracles, but treasure critical thinking and rational analysis. Don’t take things too personally or too seriously, and regard the whole world as a holy gift. Be gratefully and humbly in awe as you tune into how beautiful and wonderful you are.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Over 3,700 years ago, a craftsperson living in what’s now Israel fashioned a comb from an elephant’s tusk. It was a luxury item with two sides, one used to smooth hair tangles and the other to remove lice. On the handle of the ivory tool is an inscription: “May this tusk root out the lice of the hair and the beard.” This is the oldest known sentence ever written in Canaanite, a language that created the world’s first alphabet. In some ways, then, this comb is a precious object. It is unspeakably ancient evidence of a major human innovation. In another way, it’s mundane and prosaic. I’m nominating the comb to be a symbol for your story in the coming weeks: a blend of monumental and ordinary. Drama may emerge from the routine. Breakthroughs may happen in the midst of everyday matters.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Some astrologers assert that Virgos are modest, humble and reluctant to shine. But a Virgo New Yorker named Ashrita Furman provides contrary evidence. His main activity in life is to break records. He holds the Guinness world record for having broken the most Guinness world records. His first came in 1979, when he did 27,000 jumping jacks. Since then, he has set hundreds of records, including the fastest time running on stilts, the longest time juggling objects underwater, and the most times jumping rope on a pogo stick. I propose to make him your spirit creature for the coming weeks. What acts of bold self-expression are you ready to make, Virgo? What records are you primed to break? 

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libran author Diane Ackerman says, “We can’t enchant the world, which makes its own magic; but we can enchant ourselves by paying deep attention.” I’m telling you this, dear Libra, because you now have exceptional power to pay deep attention and behold far more than usual of the world’s magic. It’s the Season of Enchantment for you. I invite you to be daring and imaginative as you probe for the delightful amazements that are often hidden just below the surface of things. Imagine you have the superpower of X-ray vision.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): If I’m reading the astrological omens correctly, you are in the midst of major expansion. You are reaching further, opening wider and dreaming bigger. You are exploring frontiers, entertaining novel possibilities, and daring to transcend your limitations and expectations. And I am cheering you on as you grow beyond your previous boundaries. One bit of advice: Some people in your life may find it challenging to follow you freely into your new territory. They may be afraid you’re leaving them behind, or they may not be able to adjust as fast as you wish. I suggest you give them some slack. Allow them to take the time they need to get accustomed to your growth.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian actor Jeff Bridges has wise words for you to heed: “If you wait to get all the information you think you need before you act, you’ll never act because there’s an infinite amount of information out there.” I think this advice is especially apropos for you right now. Why? Because you will thrive on making strong, crisp decisions and undertaking strong, crisp actions. The time for pondering possibilities must give way to implementing possibilities.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): People may be attracted to you in the coming weeks because they unconsciously or not-so-unconsciously want to be influenced, stirred up and even changed by your presence. They hope you will be the catalyst or medicine they need. Or maybe they want you to provide them with help they haven’t been able to give themselves or get anywhere else. Please be aware that this may not always be a smooth and simple exchange. Some folks might be demanding. Others may absorb and integrate your effects in ways that are different from your intentions. But I still think it’s worthwhile for you to offer your best efforts. You could be a force for healing and benevolence.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Sometimes when gifts arrive in our lives, they are not recognized as gifts. We may even mistake them for obstacles. In a worst-case scenario, we reject and refuse them. I am keen on helping you avoid this behavior in the coming weeks, Aquarius. In the oracle you’re now reading, I hope to convince you to expand your definition of what gifts look like. I will also ask you to widen the range of where you search for gifts and to enlarge your expectations of what blessings you deserve. Now please meditate on the following riddles: 1. a shadow that reveals the hidden light; 2. a twist that heals; 3. a secret that no longer wants to be secret; 4. a shy ally who will reward your encouragement; 5. a boon that’s barely buried and just needs you to scrape away the deceptive surface.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Lake Baikal in Russia is the world’s deepest, oldest and largest lake by volume. It contains over 22% of the fresh surface water on the planet. I propose we make this natural marvel your prime symbol for the next 11 months. At your best, you, too, will be deep, fresh and enduring. And like Lake Baikal, you will be exceptionally clear. (Its underwater visibility reaches 120 feet.) PS: Thousands of plant and animal species thrive in this vital hub. I expect you will also be a source of richly diverse life, dear Pisces.

Homework: Enjoy free articles and audios from my new book: bit.ly/lovelifegifts.

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