Gaza Protest Camp at Sonoma State Settles in

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Braving the rain today are the 20 or so anti-war activists who’ve been camped out on Sonoma State University’s “Person Lawn” for more than a week now — part of a global movement where students are “occupying” their college campuses as a way to protest Israel’s war in Gaza, as well as the involvement of their own nation and/or university. A protest-camp organizer at Sonoma State tells me they put tarps over all their tents and valuables last night, so they’ve been faring OK in the weather so far. If you want to support them, they created a Google doc with all the donations they could use, like “nutrient-rich foods” and umbrellas for both sun and rain. “As the encampment grows bigger and stronger, we continue to be inspired and fueled by all the community support,” they write in the doc. Protesters have they won’t budge until school officials “recognize Palestinian identity in academics, as with other ethnic and racial groups; agree to an academic boycott that would shut down study-abroad programs linked to Israel; and call for a permanent and immediate cease-fire,” according to the Press Democrat. While encampments at other California campuses like UCLA and UC Berkeley have been dismantled by police or attacked by violent counter-protesters, the scene at Sonoma State has been pretty peaceful. The main tension so far has been that the head of the university, President Mike Lee, wrote a public letter accusing protesters of anti-Semitism early on. “Some of the messages written in chalk on the sidewalk in front of the encampment are disturbing,” he said last Monday. In a response statement, one of the camp organizers denied this claim — then admonished the school president for “putting the students in harm’s way” by “opening them up to harassment and even violence.” The organizer encouraged anyone with differing views “to go speak with the students in the encampment and you will find they pose no threat, even if you remain on opposing sides.” By Thursday, President Lee did just that, according to the PD. “I went to go in and make sure that they are safe and healthy,” he told the paper. “I also let them know that their message is very, very loud and clear. I heard it. We have heard it.” However: He said some of their demands, like divestment, may be tough to meet, as SSU is one of 23 California State University campuses — so certain matters “would need to be dealt with at a higher level.” Meanwhile, the war in Gaza is about to hit the six-month mark on May 7; Israel has reportedly killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians in that time, as a response to an Oct. 7 attack from Gaza militants, during which they killed around 1,200 Israelis and took hundreds more as hostages. The anti-war movement here in the U.S. argues that Israel’s response has been outsized and inhumane, making Gaza essentially unlivable and starting a famine. Up until last month, the main tactic of our local anti-war movement had been to persuade small government entities to adopt ceasefire resolutions, in hopes of setting off a chain reaction up to the highest levels of government (aka, the White House). But that’s been an uphill battle; here in the wine country, only the City of Cotati has made the move. So in recent weeks, street protests have been ramping up in the North Bay and Bay Area — along with the rest of the nation and world — and now we’ve got these tent encampments, like the one at SSU. There was also some action in the form of a daytime protest 10 miles north at the Santa Rosa Junior College campus on Thursday, which drew a crowd of at least 200, according to the PD. President Biden did finally address the campus movement yesterday, urging protesters to resist causing “chaos” and ultimately saying their actions won’t affect his foreign policy. (Source: Sonoma State University & KRCB & Press Democrat & Press Democrat & Press Democrat & Sonoma County for Palestine via Facebook & SSU Students for Justice in Palestine via Instagram & SF Chronicle & LA Times & Desert Sun & Counterpunch & NPR)

Crime Path: Juveniles stabbed, assault reported

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Crime Path: Juveniles stabbed, assault reported

Two juvenile males sustained injuries in possibly related stabbing incidents on Sunday night, April 21, near the Carson Warner Skate Park in Healdsburg.

The first victim, a 16-year-old boy, called for help at 10:22pm and was located on Foss Creek Pathway, according to the preliminary police report. The victim suffered multiple stab wounds to his back, and after receiving on-scene first aid, was taken to Healdsburg District Hospital.

A second victim, 17 years of age, was later discovered to have been admitted to a local hospital for treatment of stab injuries, according to an updated social media post from the Healdsburg Police. Both victims are refusing to cooperate with police in their investigation.

“Both victims sustained serious injuries, but are expected to recover,” said the department’s social media post. “Police continue to investigate what might have led to the stabbing and who else may have been involved in the altercation. The victims’ lack of cooperation has hindered the investigation.”

That lack of cooperation, and the age of the victims, suggests the possibility of gang involvement. The police department did not comment on the possibility.

Sexual Assault

Police logs published on April 23 indicated a sexual assault that was first reported on April 17 took place in the same area. According to the victim, the assailant had a firearm at the time of the assault.

The victim was able to identify her assailant, which led to the arrest of a 43-year-old male on April 18 at a homeless encampment on the west side of Highway 101. An April 23 check of the county jail inmates indicates the suspect has since been released.

Lights, Camera

The incidents took place on the pathway that bisects Healdsburg, from the Russian River to the Community Center, south to north.

The lighting system on the foot and cycle path has been inoperable recently due to the theft of copper wiring, including the area close to the scene of this incident.

“This area of the bike path had previously suffered copper wire thefts from the street lights,” confirmed Lt. Luis Rodriguez of Healdsburg Police. Approximately $10,000 in damages were reported resulting from two incidents of copper wire theft in the past year, according to Police Chief Matt Jenkins.

At a recent public meeting about the use of military equipment and public safety cameras, held at the police station on April 19, installing cameras on Foss Creek Pathway in addition to several locations near accident-prone intersections was discussed.

Jenkins and Rodriguez speculated that installing such a public safety camera on Foss Creek Pathway might help the investigation of the copper thefts, especially if they were installed at the site of the thefts.

“If someone stole copper, we’d have their picture,” Rodriguez said.

The camera system is scheduled to be part of city budget discussion at the May 13 City Council meeting. — Weeklys Staff

Classic ‘Glass Menagerie’ Staged in Napa

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Classic ‘Glass Menagerie’ Staged in Napa

One of the most-produced American plays ever is The Glass Menagerie. Since its debut in 1944, it has had seven Broadway revivals, two major Hollywood films, two major TV adaptations and countless regional and community theater productions. Napa’s Lucky Penny Productions is presenting the Tennessee Williams classic at their Community Arts Center through May 5.

If one somehow doesn’t know the story of restless Tom Wingfield (Benjamin Stowe), his histrionic mother Amanda (Titian Lish), his fragile sister Laura (Pilar Gonzalez) and charming gentleman caller Jim O’Connor (Max Geide), this production is a good introduction.

With such a storied history and a high level of audience familiarity, it is difficult to make this show feel fresh. Yet Lish’s portrayal of Amanda accomplishes just that. She plays the shattered debutante, now matron, with complete conviction in Amanda’s fantasy world. Her “jonquil’s” speech with its implications of Amanda’s true nature is all the more heartbreaking as she skillfully finds and then buries those implications without missing a beat.

Lish’s Amanda leaves no doubt as to where the mental illness and despair that impair Laura and strangle Tom are inherited from. For once, Tom’s annoyance at his mother for flirting with Jim is completely deserved. Lish’s Amanda is a real threat to her daughter.

Stowe’s Tom has some good moments but tends to shout his anger instead of portraying the simmering rage to which he keeps referring (with an unnecessary mic exasperating the issue). Geide plays The Gentleman Caller well. He is appropriately boisterous and uplifting but never quite finds a way to make the role his own. Gonzalez, like most ingenues cast to play the complicated role of Laura, struggles to bring complexity to the character.

Lish, however, somehow finds a way to make Amanda the central sympathetic character.

The set design by Barry Martin also has some striking and unique (in a good way) aspects, most notably the clever way they brought the fire escape into Lucky Penny’s small theater space. The forced perspective on the fire escape is functional and useful, immediately challenging the audience to question reality. Similarly, the costumes by Barbara McFadden ride that thin line between the fuzziness of memory and the truthfulness of the era, which is a difficult feat to pull off.

One might go so far as to say that in giving us some fresh perspectives on this classic play, Lucky Penny has “some tricks in their pockets and things up their sleeves.”

‘The Glass Menagerie’ runs through May 5 at the Lucky Penny Community Arts Center, 1758 Industrial Way, Napa. Thurs–Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 2pm. $28–$38. 707.266.6305. luckypennynapa.com.

‘Petty Theft’ headlines Bodega Bay fest

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‘Petty Theft’ headlines Bodega Bay fest

For over half a century, the annual Fisherman’s Festival in Bodega Bay has been a destination for live music, crafts, food, entertainment and more.

And for those who love their libations, expect more than 25 Sonoma County wines and a plethora of top-shelf beer choices.

There are also many activities for the kids, such as face painting, spin paintings, games and a touch tank tide pool. Foodies can relish in the myriad eats, which include barbecued oysters, fish & chips, clam chowder and a handful of food trucks serving different fare.

At the heart of the outdoor festival are this year’s musical guests, on Saturday and Sunday, May 4 and 5, which include The Unauthorized Rolling Stones (a Rolling Stones tribute), Rotten Tomatoes (’70s and ’80s rock), The Pinball Wizards (a Who tribute), 7 Summers (a Morgan Wallen tribute), The 7th Sons (’60s to ’80s classic rock) and the longest-running and most successful Tom Petty tribute, Marin County’s Petty Theft.

We caught up with Petty Theft guitarist Monroe Grisman as the band was finishing a slew of April gigs and preparing for yet another handful of May shows, including headlining Saturday’s Bodega Bay festivities.

Bohemian: Petty Theft has been together for 21 years now. That’s quite an achievement for an original or tribute band. How many of the members were there from the beginning?

Monroe Grisman: Our founding members are Django Bayless (bassist/vocals) and Dan Durkin (lead singer/acoustic guitar). In the early years, there was some turnover in the line-up before we settled into our core group, which has now been performing together for 16 years. Our newest member, Steven Seydler (keyboards), has been in the band for six years.

B: How does the band juggle its members’ schedules with you and the drummer playing in AZ/DZ (an AC/DC tribute), your wife and you playing in the April & Monroe Grisman project, Dan doing solo shows and more?

MG: All of us play in other bands and still write and record our own original music too. Singer Dan Durkin also plays with The Illeagles (Eagles tribute) and Revolver (’60s tribute) and works a lot doing solo acoustic shows. Michael Papenburg (guitar) and Steven Seydler both do a lot of session work and also write music. Michael also teaches at the School Of Rock.

Adam Berkowitz (drums) and I are both in two other bands together, AZ/DZ (AC/DC tribute) and The 85’s (’80s dance). I also play in a reggae classics group called Soul Jah Family Band. My wife, April, and I have recently written a bunch of songs and have started recording and performing out locally under our names. As far as how do we juggle all this, I got two words for you: Google Calendar.

B: Any advice for budding musicians wishing to start a tribute?

MG: A lot of people think that starting a tribute band is an easy way to start packing clubs. While the process may be easier at first, as the songs are already written and the road map, musically speaking, is there, you still have to be good. It can be a double-edged sword, as fans already know the songs (and well).

It generally takes at least three years to really start hitting your stride playing the music together as a band. Petty Theft didn’t start drawing our own crowds until about five or six years into it, in part because our line-up was still in flux, but also because we were still developing our chemistry as a band. Some people think that tribute bands have it easy, but we have worked our butts off. My advice? Do it because you love doing it and always have fun doing so.

Petty Theft (a Tom Petty tribute) plays the Bodega Bay Fisherman’s Festival inside Westside Regional Park located at 2400 Westshore Rd. in Bodega Bay. For more info and tickets, visit bbfishfest.org. All ages are welcome for this family-friendly event.

Glamour Puss: Phillip Ruise

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Glamour Puss: Phillip Ruise

I first met Phillip Ruise on a volunteer build for Sebastopol’s Siren Fest. He was supervising the construction of two opposing dance stages he designed. One stage was decorated purple and teal with scrab and veiled siren eye motif, the other in a black and saffron, lotus blossom and cat head pattern.

The annual belly dance festival, organized by Siren Studios, is a perfect showcase for Ruise, a clothing designer, dancer, drummer, set decorator and interior decorator—or, as he terms it, “inferior degrader.” And kindred to the fest’s organizers, his aesthetic is inspired by the arabesque and 24-color Indian palettes, both of which he bounces and bends through a series of Western, psychedelic and gay lenses.

Ruise is best known for his dance costumes and magnificent headdresses, which are of a culture all his own.

CH: Phillip, do you identify as a drag performer?

PR: Yes, but I’m not a wig and titty drag queen—there are a billion-and-one of them. And when they see me on the street, they are like, gasp! They’re floored! It’s a funny scene.

CH: What would you call your drag?

PR: I call it “glamour pussing.” I go out and I glamour puss.

CH: I understand that between gigs you practice on the street in front of the Castro Theater in SF. You lived and made art in the city for 30 plus years before moving to Petaluma. Tell me, have you ever toured the Middle East?

PR: Yes, I have performed in Istanbul, Anatolia, Egypt, Rajasthan and at the Taj Mahal. They loved me there!

CH: I want to ask you about your latest costume design (pictured). What inspired it?

PR: I wanted to make a crown that was both a crown for a king and a queen.

CH: It fairly puts the crown courts of Europe to shame. How long did it take to make, and what was it made of?

PR: It took me two weeks. It’s made of cardboard, hot glue, white glue, metallic bags from The Dollar Store and buttons from SCRAP in SF.

CH: That’s funny, SCRAP calls itself an “Aladdin’s cave” for clothing makers. Phillip, your resource is ingenious. How many costumes do you currently have?

PR: Oh, right now about 60!

Ruise performs May 18 at The North Bay Fashion Ball at Lagunitas Petaluma. His dance and dress portfolio is on instagram @phillipruise. Meanwhile: linktr.ee/cincinnatushibbard.

Swing Thing: Look Back and Forward

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Swing Thing: Look Back and Forward

It was a night to remember, because I certainly do. Mystic Theater, 1997.

The 14 members of Marin-based Lee Press-On & The Nails, led by a short singer-bandleader akin to the character Beetlejuice, take the stage before a curious audience with no idea what’s about to happen to them.

Loud, fast and slightly out-of-tune music in a minor key commences, but it’s not heavy metal. A handful of groupies from the Bay Area who follow the band everywhere—even to Petaluma—begin dancing, and not just hokey moves they learned from their grandmother, but wild Charleston kicks straight outta Harlem, and every manner of jump, flip, splits and slides across the floor.

Sonoma County watched in disbelief, and I said to myself, “I need to learn this.”

I did, and became an expert in swing music and dance practically overnight, which happens when you’re prone to obsessive enthusiasm, and with something as downright positive as swing. I began teaching in a Santa Rosa studio, hosted a weekly swing night in Railroad Square and wrote a cover story for this very newspaper on what has now gone down in the annals of history as the “late-’90s swing revival,” which, thanks to its national epicenter being neither New York nor Los Angeles but San Francisco, swung its way up to the sticks of Sonoma County.

Back then, The Mystic Theatre and a slew of other venues regularly hosted such pioneering Bay Area acts as Indigo Swing, Stompy Jones, Steve Lucky & The Rhumba-Bums, Lavay Smith & Her Red-Hot Skillet Lickers, Mitch Woods & His Rocket-88s and others. They certainly had a flair for catchy names.

Our hometown band in Santa Rosa was the more simply named Savoy Swingers, and our little suburban scene—that’s right, back in the days of music and fashion tribes and “scenes”—snatched a wide spectrum of enthusiasts. It was a time when former band geeks who played the trombone in high school and disillusioned punk rockers formed an unlikely alliance, trading in Doc Martens for vintage wingtips and banding together to rescue the one truly great American art form, jazz music and dance.

And now the pendulum has swung back, and Santa Rosa is once again hosting live music and dancing at The California, where on the third Tuesday of each month the newly formed, Marin-based Death And Taxes Swing Band, led by vocalist—and violinist—Rebecca Roudman takes the stage with a free dance lesson beforehand. The next show swings into town May 21.

What will they play, of the thousands of possible tunes from the Great American Songbook that can be swung? “What we play are 100% personal selections, songs we grew up hearing around the house, which we give fresh new arrangements,” said Roudman.

Those arrangements come in a variety of tempos for the band formed only a year ago. And one of Roudman’s greatest joys is performing before a swirling, swinging dance floor. “We know what dancers want to dance to, and that’s not just one tempo the whole night. My favorite part about this band is watching the people dance, and it’s hard not to get distracted,” she explained.

Infectious is a good term to describe the vibe produced by swing, the literal musical meaning of which is a particular rhythm best described as dotted eighth-notes. Though terms and styles varied—swing, jump blues, lindy hop, jitterbug—they all sprung from the same tree, and represented the great cultural exchange of black and white America. The swing era from 1935-1945 lasted longer than other music-dance-fashion fads before or since, from the Charleston to the British Invasion to disco, which typically lasted about three years—about the same as the late ’90s swing revival.

Although the first young archeologists began digging up jitter-bones in the late ’80s, and the music and dance are at the heart of the 1993 film, Swing Kids, set in Nazi Germany, most pop culture historians would say the trend began with the 1995 indie film, Swingers, which features a climactic dance scene with Jon Favreau and Heather Graham.

Soon came the “khakis swing” TV commercial for The Gap, the Top 40 hits “Zoot Suit Riot” by Cherry Poppin’ Daddies and “Jump, Jive & Wail” by the Brian Setzer Orchestra, and a wild number by Royal Crown Review in the Jim Carrey film, The Mask. The Squirrel Nut Zippers were another pioneering band on the national scene, swinging through the Luther Burbank Center in the late ’90s.

At the time, it seemed like every lifestyle publication, daily newspaper and morning talk show jumped on the bandwagon to report on the trend, where a constant refrain was “Looks fun, but do I have to dress old-timey?” The trend peaked with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy playing the Super Bowl halftime show on Jan. 31, 1999, whereupon it disappeared almost instantly from the public eye. This since once something’s reached the visibility of a Super Bowl halftime show, there’s nowhere to go but down.

But the main thing that was achieved in the past 25 years since is that swing was rescued from obscurity and instilled across America as our national dance form, which the Death And Taxes Band and a new generation of young musicians proves.

Recently, the band toured Florida and had a booking in a small town. When they pulled in and told the locals to come to the gig, saying they’d be playing classic big band swing music, they received blank stares and ignorant inquiries. “So we just said, ‘It’s fun, energetic and community building, and it’s not that hard to learn,’” said Roudman. And they got to learn the dance moves from the very band itself, making them all-around preservers of the tradition, as the pre-show dance lesson is taught by bass player Colin Williams.

That’s one major change from the late ’90s. Back in my day, musicians didn’t dance.

No Nukes: The Nuclear Age is Already Over

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No Nukes: The Nuclear Age is Already Over

Either nuclear weapons kill us or we move beyond them, soon. Via mass death or the building of a new security system, the nuclear age is finished.

The nuclear deterrence system that the world presently relies upon for its security is rotten, evil, completely unworkable and obsolete. It is a nuclear war waiting to happen, a war no one can or would win. But we remain ostriches with heads deep in sand, waiting passively for an inevitable holocaust apparently too big to prevent.

The United States, based on core principles like the value of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, should make a precious gift to the world and sign the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. It would be the first of the nine nuclear powers to sign, and the initiative would be welcomed with relief and jubilation by the vast majority of the world’s citizens.

It is an important fact that Putin, a leader as ruthless in his own way as Hitler, has more nuclear weapons at his disposal than any other nation, but so far, and may it continue, he has not used them. Why? Is it because he fears our nuclear weapons? Or is it because in spite of his gross deficit of compassion for Ukraine, he knows that turning swaths of that nation into radioactive desert does not fit any sane conception of military conquest?

Of course “conventional” war itself is equally insane. The October 7 Hamas attack and what has followed is a tragic case in point. The immense loss of life in the Israeli military’s “conventional” response can only concentrate our minds upon what the massive loss of life in a nuclear war would look like.

A world beyond war itself is possible. Viable alternative security systems have been elaborated in great detail. But we can take a sensible step in that ultimate direction quite safely, which is to unilaterally start backing off the nutty, silly, irrational hair-trigger nuclear system presently holding the whole world hostage.

Winslow Myers is the author of ‘Living Beyond War: A Citizen’s Guide.’

Your Letters, May 1

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Your Letters, May 1

Four-twenty

Thanks for the 420 history (April 17 Pacific Sun). There was another early pot fellowship at San Diego State College back in 1965. We were “The Eagles” because one of us called a meeting by announcing that there would be “a gathering of eagles” that evening, signaling that we would get high and “fly.”

I was “The Condor,” as I was tall, skinny and had come into the circle a little later than the others, who had met at Point Loma High School. We hung out at a large table in the West Commons, where we discussed literature and philosophized about women. It was summer school. We later called it “The Long Pot Summer of ’65.”

Our Mexican pot came in 1-ounce baggies for $10 and was full of sticks and seeds that we could germinate. “Colas” and “buds” were unheard of. We wore Dr. Pepper bottle caps stuck to our shirts, using the old cork liners inside. The corporate name meant a prescription of Dr. Pepper to be swallowed at “10, 2, 4,” but our joke was a double entendre for taking a puff at those times.

We did not become widely known. But just think, if the rock group, The Eagles, had existed and known one of us back then.

Daniel Keller

San Rafael

Driven Mad

The CEO of Tesla says the firm is not a car company. Rather, Tesla is a tech firm. If Tesla builds tech (robotics, self-driving applications, etc.) the way it has built cars, then we should be worried, given the tech “glitches” Tesla has had to overcome.

Gary Sciford

Santa Rosa

Corrections Dept.

In the article titled “Everybody Welcome” (April 24, 2024, Bohemian), we mischaracterized Emily Hope Parker as an “advocate for the disabled” instead of an “advocate for inclusion.” We apologize for the use of “disabled persons” instead of the preferred term “people with disabilities” as advocated by Ms. Parker. It’s important to note Ms. Parker did not say the quoted statements attributed to her in the article. Alchemia was inaccurately portrayed as a non-profit partner to the Inclusion Festival; when in fact Inclusive Compass holds that role. We apologize to Ms. Parker, Inclusive Compass, Alchemia, and our readers.

Viano Quartet, Open Studios, and Sean Carscadden

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Viano Quartet, Open Studios, and Sean Carscadden

Mill Valley

Viano Quartet

Chamber Music Marin spotlights the Viano Quartet in their 2023-24 concert series, offering audiences a transformative experience with some of the globe’s finest classical talent at pocket-friendly prices. This season, the quartet is set to bridge the gap between ensemble and solo performance, crafting a harmonious blend that highlights individuality within a unified sound. The upcoming performance features a compelling lineup of classical masterpieces, including Beethoven’s beloved and profound “String Quartet in E minor, Op. 59, No. 2, ‘Razumovsky.’” Each piece promises to showcase the quartet’s fiery, narrative-driven style, creating a musical journey that promises to resonate with new audiences and seasoned aficionados alike. 5pm, Sunday, May 5, Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church, 410 Sycamore Ave., Mill Valley. Tickets are $48 (youths 18 and under are always free). To purchase tickets, visit chambermusicmarin.org.

Marin County

Open Studios

The Marin Open Studios is back for its 31st edition, inviting art aficionados to explore over 250 local artists’ workspaces across Marin County. Scheduled from 11am to 6pm, May 4 and 5 and May 11 and 12, this self-guided tour offers a unique opportunity to interact with artists directly and purchase original creations. The diverse array of participants includes sculptors, painters, photographers and jewelers, with 22 new artists joining this year. Preceding the main event, the Marin Open Studios Preview Gallery is open through May 12 at the Sausalito Center for the Arts (750 Bridgeway, Sausalito), featuring a preview of the artists’ work. More details and studio directions can be found at marinopenstudios.org.

Sonoma

Carscadden Comes Home

Sonoma’s own Sean Carscadden, a three-time winner of the Norbays for “Best Americana,” returns to his old stomping grounds for a second annual birthday bash show at the venerable Sebastiani Theatre. The lauded performer turned 40 last year and put on a sold-out show at the venue. Spurred by this success, Carscadden intends to reprise the vibe with a new show beginning at 8pm, Saturday, May 11, at the Sebastiani, 476 1st St. East, Sonoma. Over the last 12 years, Carscadden has produced five sold-out shows at the Sebastiani. The upcoming date will feature a range of musical stylings from New Orleans funk, soul, blues and Americana. Tickets are $25 and are available online at seancmusic.com/shows. Special ‘surprise’ guest performers are promised…

Petaluma

Petalumans of Yesteryear

Beginning Saturday, May 4, and continuing every week through October, the Petaluma Historical Library & Museum offers “living history docents”—the “Petalumans of Yesteryear”—dressed in period attire and leading guided tours of historic downtown Petaluma. The docents will detail the history of the bustling river town from the Gold Rush to its days as the “Chicken and Egg Capital of the World.” Petaluma’s architecture (including eight sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places) will be explored, among other historic attractions. The tours are free, though a $10 donation is appreciated. To register for a tour and for more information, visit bit.ly/petaluma-living-history.

Free Will Astrology: Week of May 1

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Free Will Astrology: Week of May 1

ARIES (March 21-April 19): The world record for jumping rope in six inches of mud is held by an Aries. Are you surprised? I’m not. So is the world record for consecutive wallops administered to a plastic inflatable punching doll. Other top accomplishments performed by Aries people: longest distance walking on one’s hands; number of curse words uttered in two minutes; and most push-ups with three bulldogs sitting on one’s back. As impressive as these feats are, I hope you will channel your drive for excellence in more constructive directions during the coming weeks. Astrologically speaking, you are primed to be a star wherever you focus your ambition on high-minded goals. Be as intense as you want to be while having maximum fun giving your best gifts.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I don’t casually invoke the terms “marvels,” “splendors,” and “miracles.” Though I am a mystic, I also place a high value on rational thinking and skeptical proof. If someone tells me a marvel, splendor or miracle has occurred, I will thoroughly analyze the evidence. Having said that, though, I want you to know that during the coming weeks, marvels, splendors and miracles are far more likely than usual to occur in your vicinity—even more so if you have faith that they will. I will make a similar prediction about magnificence, sublimity and resplendence. They are headed your way. Are you ready for blessed excess? For best results, welcome them all generously and share them lavishly.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In accordance with astrological omens, I recommend you enjoy a celebratory purge sometime soon. You could call it a Cleansing Jubilee, or a Gleeful Festival of Purification, or a Jamboree of Cathartic Healing. This would be a fun holiday that lasted for at least a day and maybe as long as two weeks. During this liberating revel, you would discard anything associated with histories you want to stop repeating. You’d get rid of garbage and excess. You may even thrive by jettisoning perfectly good stuff that you no longer have any use for.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Graduation day will soon arrive. Congrats, Cancerian! You have mostly excelled in navigating through a labyrinthine system that once upon a time discombobulated you. With panache and skill, you have wrangled chaos into submission and gathered a useful set of resources. So are you ready to welcome your big rewards? Prepared to collect your graduation presents? I hope so. Don’t allow lingering fears of success to cheat you out of your well-deserved harvest. Don’t let shyness prevent you from beaming like a champion in the winner’s circle. PS: I encourage you to meditate on the likelihood that your new bounty will transform your life almost as much as did your struggle to earn it.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Ritualist and author Sobonfu Somé was born in Burkina Faso but spent many years teaching around the world. According to her philosophy, we should periodically ask ourselves two questions: 1. “What masks have been imposed on us by our culture and loved ones?” 2. “What masks have we chosen for ourselves to wear?” According to my astrological projections, the coming months will be an excellent time for you to ruminate on these inquiries—and take action in response. Are you willing to remove your disguises to reveal the hidden or unappreciated beauty that lies beneath? Can you visualize how your life may change if you will intensify your devotion to expressing your deepest, most authentic self?

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): If human culture were organized according to my principles, there would be over eight billion religions—one for every person alive. Eight billion altars. Eight billion saviors. If anyone wanted to enlist priestesses, gurus and other spiritual intermediaries to help them out in their worship, they would be encouraged. And we would all borrow beliefs and rituals from each other. There would be an extensive trade of clues and tricks about the art of achieving ecstatic union with the Great Mystery. I bring this up, Virgo, because the coming weeks will be an ideal time for you to craft your own personalized and idiosyncratic religious path.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Hidden agendas and simmering secrets will soon leak into view. Intimate mysteries will become even more intimate and more mysterious. Questions that have been half-suppressed will become pressing and productive. Can you handle this much intrigue, Libra? Are you willing to wander through the amazing maze of emotional teases to gather clues about the provocative riddles? I think you will have the poise and grace to do these things. If I’m right, you can expect deep revelations to appear and long-lost connections to re-emerge. Intriguing new connections are also possible. Be on high alert for subtle revelations and nuanced intuitions.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): It’s fun and easy to love people for their magnificent qualities and the pleasure you feel when they’re nice to you. What’s more challenging is to love the way they disappoint you. Now pause a moment and make sure you register what I just said. I didn’t assert that you should love them *even if* they disappoint you. Rather, I invited you to love them BECAUSE they disappoint you. In other words, use your disappointment to expand your understanding of who they really are, and thereby develop a more inclusive and realistic love for them. Regard your disappointment as an opportunity to deepen your compassion—and as a motivation to become wiser and more patient. (PS: In general, now is a time when so-called “negative” feelings can lead to creative breakthroughs and a deepening of love.)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I assure you that you don’t need “allies” who encourage you to indulge in delusions or excesses. Nor do I recommend that you seek counsel from people who think you’re perfect. But you could benefit from colleagues who offer you judicious feedback. Do you know any respectful and perceptive observers who can provide advice about possible course corrections you could make? If not, I will fill the role as best as I can. Here’s one suggestion: Consider phasing out a mild pleasure and a small goal so you can better pursue an extra-fine pleasure and a major goal.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I invite you to take an inventory of what gives you pleasure, bliss and rapture. It’s an excellent time to identify the thrills that you love most. When you have made a master list of the fun and games that enhance your intelligence and drive you half-wild with joy, devise a master plan to ensure you will experience them as much as you need to—not just in the coming weeks, but forever. As you do, experiment with this theory: By stimulating delight and glee, you boost your physical, emotional and spiritual health. 

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian author Lewis Carroll said, “You know what the issue is with this world? Everyone wants some magical solution to their problem, and everyone refuses to believe in magic.” In my astrological opinion, this won’t be an operative theme for you in the coming weeks, Aquarius. I suspect you will be inclined to believe fervently in magic, which will ensure that you attract and create a magical solution to at least one of your problems—and probably more.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Which would you prefer in the coming weeks: lots of itches, prickles, twitches and stings? Or, instead, lots of tingles, quivers, shimmers and soothings? To ensure the latter types of experiences predominate, all you need to do is cultivate moods of surrender, relaxation, welcome and forgiveness. You will be plagued with the aggravating sensations only if you resist, hinder, impede and engage in combat. Your assignment is to explore new frontiers of elegant and graceful receptivity.

Homework: Tell yourself the truth about something you have not been fully honest about. Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

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Free Will Astrology: Week of May 1

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