Catalyst Magazine

I consider my pictures devotional stations, sideshows, performances to attract, engage and entertain. I explore the comedy of belief, searching a periphery of situations for the right riddles, directing the impromptu changing of hats, heads, costumes, bodyparts and settings, carefully weighing what to show and what to tell. For me, I live the pictures like a sequence of doors between my foolish self and an imagined heaven, not final destinations, but events along a via dolorosa that teach, comfort, heal and unsettle.

Collaboration with the audience, with other artists, is important to me as the means to look beyond a point of view. I make narrations for the viewer, who in spite of my intimacy with the work, reveals to me what I haven't yet managed to see. I craft pictures in traditional and non-traditional materials. I work slowly, rejecting practical modern constraints of production, spending long periods of time on specific details and patterns, whatever serves the process and image, whatever it takes to coax, to entice and lure into conversation.

Alex Bigney-Painter and author, born in Boston and raised in rural New England. Work exhibited in distinguished collections in the U.S. and internationally. Author of "Talking to Tesla, The Mirror that is the Door" (www.talkingtotesla.com). Alex is currently writing the next volume of "Talking to Tesla," while his sons-Alex, Sam and Simeon, who play the harp, fiddle, and cello in the well-known Celtic trio Kirkmount-are working on a companion recording of the same title.

by Geralyn Dreyfous

Documentary films and citizen engagement now fuel the democratic process that keeps the conversation alive.

At the same time that the sky was falling and markets were collapsing in January, eight films exploring issues of environmental distress showed up at the Sundance Film Festival. Films examining how our oceans have become overfished and mercury-laced, our topsoil eroded and how to make our carbon footprint less indelible were screened in hopes of a commercial sale.

At the same time that the sky was falling and markets were collapsing in January, eight films exploring issues of environmental distress showed up at the Sundance Film Festival. Films examining how our oceans have become overfished and mercury-laced, our topsoil eroded and how to make our carbon footprint less indelible were screened in hopes of a commercial sale. Each film raised fundamental questions about short-term demand versus sustainability in a narrative way, giving a face to statistics and headlines.

Had Sundance "gone green," the pundits asked? More likely, the submissions reflected the concerns of socially aware filmmakers and how important climate change and environmental stewardship has become globally. These were not gentle early warnings, but siren alarms.

Documentaries are exploring complex issues of sustainability and climate change issues because they are important to examine in tangible, emotional ways.

At the same time that these "green films" were being examined in the bubble of Park City movie theaters, a local drama was unfolding. EnergySolutions, a hazardous waste disposal facility near Salt Lake City, offered to be an economic solution to our economy: Sell the potential safety of our future for the short term financing of our schools and social services by importing Italian nuclear waste. It was a bogus argument, a deal with the devil and thank goodness the Governor and our elected officials did the moral math. But it raised an important question for those of us in the storytelling business: How do we keep the promise of green technologies, environmental stewardship and discourse alive during economic hard times? How do we think long term in the ways we set policies and invest, when it could affect our individual and collective bottom line in the short term?

My problem with EnergySolutions is not necessarily the business they are in; I am willing to investigate the facts and explore the issues of nuclear waste, a byproduct of nuclear energy, in a time when coal and fossil fuels are depleting resources and wind, and solar alternative are on the rise but not commanding market share. My problem with EnergySolutions has always been its spin factor. From Envirocare to EnergySolutions, its branding and messaging have been unabashedly Orwellian and their media antics Karl Rovian.

Let's be clear: They are not an energy solution. They are one waste solution-and this winter they began positioning themselves as a deficit solution. In February the Salt Lake Tribune reported that the company had been working "quietly with state lawmakers on a proposal to have the state split Energy Solutions' profits from the disposal of foreign waste," with Utah's share being an estimated "$100 million or more a year."

"We think there's an opportunity for the governor, the Legislature and Energy Solutions to come together and find a solution to this issue and also to provide a benefit and assistance to the people, the citizens of the state of Utah," said company spokesperson Jill Siegel. Like many states, Utah was expecting a severe budget shortfall; this would make any legislator look twice.

Or, in this case, at least three times. The Salt Lake Tribune discovered that EnergySolutions had contributed funds to more than 80% of current lawmakers. The leading recipient of their largesse was the Utah Republican Party, at $154,520, followed by the Utah Democratic Party at $44,900 and Attorney General Mark Shurtleff at $30,000. In addition, according to the Tribune, the company employs at least 10 of the most influential lobbyists in the state. At the federal level, in 2007 the company spent over $1 million in lobbying.

I was stunned. The veil of lobbied, vested interests had been lifted and the deal had become positioned as means to a "higher purpose." The advertising went from benign/sublime to fraudulent. Owner Steve Creamer even indicated the waste might be good for our future potting soil.

How in the world do we keep balanced conversations alive with allegations that are not only false - but also blatantly preposterous?

Thankfully HEAL-Utah responded with a very effective "Utah is NOT for Sale" campaign and also asked citizens to register their concerns with elective officials and the airwaves.

I think we will see more of that in the future. Our citizens, the fourth estate and the democratic process proved that as hard as it is to go up against a media blitz and lobbying machine-especially in this moment of economic downturns-going on record and taking strong editorial positions pays off.

In the end the offer went nowhere. As the Tribune's headline cheekily proclaimed: FUNDING HOT WASTE GETS COLD SHOULDER. While it's a lot of work pre-empting short-term gain versus advocating for long-term viable solutions, one lesson learned is that having the moral muscle to invest in green energies and policies that protect our air and water resources requires discipline and accountability. We must do our part by being intellectually curious and staying literate.

To that unapologetic end, the Salt Lake Film Center along with 3form, Nature Conservancy, Grand Canyon Trust and CATALYST magazine and others, have curated four green films in April that hope to inspire more conversations about the importance of environmental stewardship and celebrate those journalists and activists that have argued effectively on behalf of our planet. I want to spotlight one glorious screening of DisneyNature's eye-popping, jaw-dropping, heart melting film "Earth" that commercially opens unabashedly on April 22nd, Earth Day. You can read more about the four films inside this issue of CATALYST on page 33. Stay tuned.

Geralyn Dreyous is founder and executive director of the Salt Lake Film Center.

by Chip Ward

On Earth Day, we pause to see our place on the planet...and the planet's place in us.

Soil, of course, becomes food if you add a genetic plan (seeds), sunlight and water. As important as that is, food is just one of soil's blessings. Working together, the soil's tiny creatures break down organic matter, store and recycle nutrients vital to plant growth, renew soil fertility, filter and purify water, degrade and detoxify pollutants, and control plant pests and pathogens.

Soil, of course, becomes food if you add a genetic plan (seeds), sunlight and water. As important as that is, food is just one of soil's blessings. Working together, the soil's tiny creatures break down organic matter, store and recycle nutrients vital to plant growth, renew soil fertility, filter and purify water, degrade and detoxify pollutants, and control plant pests and pathogens. Without these fundamental ecological services, forests would wither and die, food webs would collapse, plants could not pull carbon from the atmosphere, and life on Earth would eventually cease.

Our bodily communion with the physical world around us means that we carry the salt of the seas and the power of a star in our blood-but also perchlorate, lead and dioxins because what goes into the soil can be incorporated into your cells. The boundaries we assign to "things" like uranium and kidneys are temporary, even arbitrary.

It is easy to dismiss process and relationship while embedded in a materialistic/reductionist culture that tells us that soil is not a living community, not the very ground of your being and not the genesis of your own flesh and blood, but merely a medium that props up trees and plants-a "dirty" and lowly thing not worthy of regard, let alone reverence.

Stones turn to dust, dust becomes soil, soil becomes food, food becomes you, and you sit on a stone and think about how very different you are from a rock. To paraphrase Wendell Berry, until we are conscious of what we are, we will not change what we do.

by CATALYST Staff

For novice and seasoned gardeners alike, there's always something new to try in the garden.

With notes on composting, companion planting, hardscaping, 6th grade science revisited (in case you forgot), groundcovers, and more.

by Katherine Pioli

The man behind the movement toward organic and biodynamic wines in Utah. Also: ORGANIC AND BIODYNAMIC WINE CAMP: Utah restaurateurs learn the ropes, by SCOTT EVANS.

Taking the evening's first sip of deep red wine, Francis Fecteau reflects on its quality. "Any other winemaker would take the Grenache grapes from Old Hill winery and make a big, heavy, porty, nasty, jammy thing that people would go crazy about and would earn big scores in the wine press. But it would be a soulless, flabby, sugary wine."

Taking the evening's first sip of deep red wine, Francis Fecteau reflects on its quality. "Any other winemaker would take the Grenache grapes from Old Hill winery and make a big, heavy, porty, nasty, jammy thing that people would go crazy about and would earn big scores in the wine press. But it would be a soulless, flabby, sugary wine." He says this with an authority typically absent from men wearing New York Yankees t-shirts. "Instead, Old Hill creates an expressive and aromatic wine. Its scent is one of the most intoxicating things I have ever smelled in my life and I will remember it until I die."

Such passion for the sensory pleasures of life and the skill to translate them into words is the born talent of poets. In this case, such gifts also belong to wine broker Francis Fecteau.

Affectionately called ‘Franco' as a child by his family's Italian maid and a neighboring music professor, Fec­teau spent the first seven years of his life in Italy. Born in the fiery, mafia-ridden city of Napoli (Naples) to American parents, he learned early on to appreciate the finer, and Italian, things.

When his family relocated to the United States Francis moved right into a second- and third-generation Italian-American neighborhood in upstate New York. Spending the next few years of his life among these Soprano-style Italians solidified his feeling of place and comfort in the culture. "When I walk into Italian delis there is a strong sense of familiarity. It is the same comfort I feel around people with lots of vowels in their last names, it reminds me of where I came from and who I am."

In 1983 Fecteau arrived in Salt Lake City, a uniquely affordable place that allowed him to "eat and go to school at the same time." He earned his undergraduate degree in English Literature, and nearly a Masters in public administration. But life led Fecteau back to his roots.

"I received an offer to be a chef and left school just as I was to begin work on my thesis. After a few years one of the local wine brokers offered me a position."

Utah, as many know, is a unique place especially when it comes to the liquor laws. In technical terms it is a "control state" meaning that one body controls the sale, purchase and distribution of a product. This strict government oversight of alcohol entering and being sold within state borders actually makes Utah an ideal place for wine brokers. "Wineries have a terrible time approaching the State by themselves and not getting lost in the bureaucratic shuffle," explains Fecteau. Wine brokers step in to assist the transaction between producer and buyer. Then they must reach the consumers. "If they do get past that point, their wines often sit ignored on a shelf because no one knows who they are or what they taste like." That's where education comes in.

In 2005, after a few years of working for wine broker companies large and small, Francis Fecteau began Libation, Inc. Beyond brokering, he goes the extra mile to help us all cultivate our "inner wine geek," as he puts it.

Read his newsletter and you will see this is a perfect career for an English lit and business administration major. His prose reveals finely honed sensory skills. And it accomplishes the task of making a life without good wine seem somehow shallow, or unneccessarily ascetic. Which is not to say he will be a broker forever.

"The wine business snuck up on me. Originally, I thought that I would do it for a while and move onto some­thing else, and I still think that. But there is nothing wrong with enjoying what you are doing and being good at it. And if you can have that all happen at once, you are very lucky."

Utahns are also very lucky that Francis Fecteau followed his calling here. When Fecteau finds a wine that strikes his fancy he stops at almost nothing to get it. As he puts it, "I put on my tap dancing shoes, give the State of Utah my sales pitch and they agree to distribute it." Fecteau's fine promotion of such wines following their approval and purchase by the state assures their appearance on local restaurant wine lists including Mazza, Metropolitan and the Wild Grape. His wine promotion also extends through e-Libation, his electronic newsletter, and occasional wine classes at Caputo's Market. "I educate consumers," says Fecteau, "to maximize a wine's distribution."

Thanks to Fecteau's tap dancing and marketing skills, Utah is actually becoming a good place to buy wine. Not only is it good, it is exclusive. Marveling, once again, over the flavors of the wine before us, Fecteau recalls how one winemaker's grenache made its way to Utah. "I tasted a grenache at Jerico Vineyard and I was bowled over by its quality. After cajoling him for days he finally gave me a pallet. Now Utah is the only other place in the country that this wine is available other than at the Jerico tasting room."

When not promoting or imbibing wine, Francis Fecteau lives the life of a healthy, modern man. A practitioner of yoga and four-time participant in the Lotoja bike race, he maintains an active lifestyle. In the summer months, his urban balcony overflows with the fruits of hand-tended florals and edible greens. It is such personal affection for a healthy and earth-centered life that has led Fecteau to concentrate his wine business on the promotion of organic and biodynamic wines.

"Two years ago I couldn't sell organic or biodynamic wines with a gun. The public perceived it as hippie, touchy-feely nonsense." Fecteau, watching products like USDA-certified organic eggs fly off grocery store shelves, wondered why organic wines languished, dusty and neglected, on the racks. "No one understood that it was simple, clean, responsible farming."

But with a little work and persistence, Francis Fecteau and Libation have been changing that trend.

Fecteau is visibly pleased with the maturation of wine tastes in Utah, and still can't sing enough praises for those choices. "Organic and biodynamic producers," he says, "actually bring their vineyard sensitivity to the barrel and the fermentation rooms. They pay close attention to the physical indicators of ripeness. Ultimately their work makes for a more nu­anced and varietally correct product." Just as Francis Fecteau's close attention to the detail and nuance in the finished product is helping Utahns choose better wines.

Restaurants serving wines promoted by Libation, Inc.

Mazza, Squatters, Metropolitan, Acme Burger, The Wild Grape, Spencer's, Caffe Niche, Caffe Molise, Shabu, Shallow Shaft, Paris Bistro, Chimayo, Grappa, Wahso

Classes with Francis Fecteau

American Artisan Cheese with American Wines: Monday, April 20, 7:15-9:15pm. Caputo's Market.

Francis Fecteau appears regularly at Caputo's Market to lead wine tasting classes. See other classes at www.caputosdeli.com/ cookingclass; to sign up, call 519-5754.

Subscribe:
For a free subscription to the e-Libation Wine News, email Francis Fecteau at francis.fecteau@gmail.com. Or visit libation.typepad.com/

by Katherine Pioli

How one Salt Lake couple's urban farm adresses today's environmental challenges.

From the outside, Holly and Chap Caughron's red brick house in the 9th & 9th neighborhood looks like a standard family dwelling. But behind the tall wooden fence lies a small slice of paradise, especially for anyone interested in local food. It is what many call an urban farm. Here, in the summer and autumn months, Holly Caughron and Chap produce nearly half of their own food.

From the outside, Holly and Chap Caughron's red brick house in the 9th & 9th neighborhood looks like a standard family dwelling. But behind the tall wooden fence lies a small slice of paradise, especially for anyone interested in local food. It is what many call an urban farm. Here, in the summer and autumn months, Holly Caughron and Chap produce nearly half of their own food.

Nearly every inch, save for a round patch of grass in the middle, is covered in sustenance. The list of fruit trees includes cherry, apple, two plums and a pear. By summer a healthy grapevine consumes the arbor built over the back patio. There's the strawberry patch, herb rock garden and raspberry patch. Behind that, along the south, three raised beds grow something of just about everything in the summertime.

It looks like hours of work and decades of dedicated planting, weeding and harvesting. But Holly and Chap have only been in their house since 2007 and, they say, it is surprisingly not as much work as one might imagine. Both have full-time professional careers-Chap is an M.D.; Holly owns her own green marketing business, Green Rising Marketing. On top of that, until two years ago neither had ever grown a garden, let alone tended to a miniature farm complete with vegetables, chickens, bees and goats.

"We were raised in the suburbs of Houston, Texas," says Holly, recounting her incredible journey from disconnected suburbanite to environmentally focused city dweller. "It was much like living in Sandy today and although we had a yard we grew almost nothing."

But her family did keep a small piece of land with a barn a few miles away and each year Holly raised a flock of chickens and some rabbits for a 4H project. Chap, on the other hand, had never attempted to grow anything before in his life.

Even with their collective lack of experience, when Holly and Chap decided that they wanted to raise their own food they jumped into the project with both feet. They started all of their plants from seed, setting up a table in a sunny southwest corner of their house. Within two years they had planted all of the trees and had started keeping chickens, bees and goats. Having somewhat realistic expectations, they tried to enjoy the experience without setting any goals. "We honestly had no idea whether or not we would be successful," remembers Holly. But the two were pleasantly surprised. "Chap just happened to have a green thumb. I don't, as much. We were just happy that anything grew."

On a private tour of the "farm," Holly, dressed more like a marketing specialist than a farmer, takes me to meet the chickens. Stepping into the muddy goat pen where the chickens cluster, Holly doesn't even flinch or think twice about her soft leather boots.

Opal, Roxy, Goldie One and Two and the other three chickens continue pecking as Holly enters the pen, unconcerned by her presence. The chickens are yellow-gold, black, white and red, of various breeds. "We have Rhode Island reds and the black one is a frizzle," say Holly pointing to the birds around her feet. "That one is a great blue something-or-other."

Keeping chickens, Holly assures as she checks their coop for fresh eggs, is simple. There are rules to follow; city law requires a specific distance between the coop and human dwellings, and regular coop cleaning; but as a whole, they are low maintenance. Salt Lake County dwellers, on the other hand, must deal with a health department that thinks chickens are dangerous. So unless they want to join the thousands of other happy county egg-gathering law-breakers, no chicks for them.

Initially they let their chickens at large day and night but got tired of chicken poop everywhere, so now they relegate them to their pen most of the time. Holly says they've had no sign of predators. [Editor's note: Holly and Chap have been very lucky. We know several people in the downtown area whose initially less-than-secure chicken housing resulted in some loss to raccoons.]

Goats, on the other hand, turned out to be a chore. "They are pretty easy to feed and water, but milking them twice a day, every day, gets to be a big pain," she admits. And yes, it is perfectly legal to have two female goats (does) in Salt Lake City.

Moving on, Holly introduces me to the bees-two tall stacks of wooden boxes stationed underneath what appears to be a tamarisk bush. They are Italian bees, she tells me. My brain instantly conjures up a mental image of bees relaxing in the sun, drinking red wine, and it turns out that might not be too far from the truth. "They are not aggressive at all," says Holly, who claims to spend hours of her free time sitting right in front of the hive watching the worker bees coming and going. "You can sit so close that you see the pollen clumped onto their back legs. I have never been stung."

The habits of bees fascinate Holly. Bees, she says, regulate the temperature of their hives year round, keeping it at a constant 92-93 degrees F. In the summer they fan the entrance of the hive with their wings to send drafts of cool air circulating around inside. In the winter, they all huddle together and vibrate for warmth. If a bee dies in the hive, another will carry it outside and deposit it far from the colony-an instinctual habit that keeps potential diseases from spreading to the other bees. And the work needed to produce one pound of honey takes 300 bees visiting nearly 2 million flowers and traveling over 55,000 miles. Incredibly, Holly's two hives last year produced 100 pounds of honey. "And that still leavs 60 pounds in each hive to get them through the winter," she says proudly.

So how did Holly become an ex­pert on bees? "We went to the library and checked out ‘Beekeeping for Dummies,' bought our bees from the Utah County Beekeeping Association and that was it. Both the book and the Association became excellent resources for us as new beekeepers."

For just a little over $100 in start-up costs, beekeeping seems like an easy and rewarding hobby. "I encourage everybody to keep bees, especially because of the colony collapse," says Holly. "There is such a shortage of bees that we need as many as we can get. On top of that, they are just such interesting and industrious creatures. I can easily see now why they are one of this state's symbols."

Expanding the harvest beyond their own plot, Holly mapped the streets and alleyways around her entire neighborhood to locate all of the fruit- and nut-producing trees and shrubs for gleaning. Sometimes people dismiss a fruitful tree as "messy," and are happy for your assistance. "One neighbor has a massive walnut tree and plum and pear trees. We offered to help him pick the fruit. People with fruit and nut trees often have extra." It's possible to enjoy a local harvest even if you're not a land owner.

Whether you want chickens, a vegetable garden, or just have enough time to help your neighbor pick apricots, Holly says, act now. Each thing that we do to eat locally addresses many of today's environmental problems-and those of tomorrow. And why eat lettuce that has traveled thousands of miles when you can eat lettuce grown in your own backyard?

Holly and Chap's urban farm has become their attempt to restore balance. The more people who make an effort to do the same, the better, Holly says. She recalls a recent conversation with former Mayor Rocky Anderson. "He said we have less than 10 years before we hit an environmental tipping point. That thought scares me, because I consider myself very plugged into the environmental movement and I still held this belief that a great crisis was still even 50 years off."

Holly suddenly is intensely energized, but catches herself and takes a breath. "I have to stay away from that kind of rhetoric," she says quickly. "People don't respond to doom and gloom. The best thing we can do is provide a sense of urgency and present it as a challenge that is not insurmountable." Holly's challenge to her fellow Salt Lakers: Start small, glean fruit from your neighbor's tree. Or go big, host some honey bees and harvest your home-grown vegetables. The sense of pride and accomplishment will make the food all that much sweeter.

Katherine Pioli is CATALYST's staff writer.

* Shortly after this interview was conducted, Chap accepted a position in the Pacific Northwest. The couple packed up their critters and moved. Their little 9th & 9th neighborhood farmstead is for sale. You are welcome to contact the realtor at cherie.major@sothebysrealty.com; photos and info are still available at forsalebyowner.com, #21940104

We cannot be trusted with our own money. Someone should give us an allowance and ask for a receipt.

by Dennis Hinkamp. We cannot be trusted with our own money. Someone should give us an allowance and ask for receipts. Not the government but rather someone who is used to living on a budget-perhaps a single mother. Maybe in a few decades, if we prove we can act responsibly, we can go back to the free market system.

Giving us responsibility for our own money was like giving teenagers cell phones with unlimited minutes, photos and texting; we were so, so surprised that they used their new devices to text, flirt and distribute naked photos rather than using the phones for nature photography and sharing algorithms.

According to our Republican brethren, the bailout package is full of pork-on stuff like education, energy and health care. If that's what passes for pork these days, I say, "Show me the porkers. Let the pigs run down main street and tip over all the trash cans looking for snacks. I'll even let the oinkers sleep on my couch."

Why can't we just cut taxes in half and let people spend their own money? Because the economy is based on gross spending-and, frankly, we have been very gross. Shouldn't there be at least a little difference if you spend your stimulus package on going back to school instead of on corn dogs and another TV?

Maybe we could buy a tool, go back to school, buy or grow vegetables, exercise, read something, fix something, create something - these are all ways to spend and consume but under the current system they hold the same economic value as eating Twinkies, downloading ring tones and paying people gargantuan sums to entertain us away from looking inward at our empty lives.

So, clearly we cannot be allowed to spend our own money the way we want to. Decades of decadence led to big houses, big box stores and big butts. It's going to be painful but maybe people will have to stop making big ugly cars and vacuuming robots and direct their creative energy and money toward some things we really can use.

Maybe the American dream should be to have an advanced degree, be debt free and be able to fix stuff.

Dennis Hinkamp would like to remind consumers that we wouldn't have to stimulate the economy now if we hadn't gotten it drunk in the first place. He can be reached at dhinkamp@msn.com

Green news and info

by Katherine Pioli

"Only the best" for our bums... is a bummer

Maybe, when people can't afford big luxuries, they spend the extra pennies for the little ones. Whatever the reason, sales for "high end" toilet paper are up 40% in the U.S.
Deluxe or no, 98% of TP sold in the U.S. comes from virgin forests, unlike Europe and the rest of the world where recycled paper is the norm. Additionally, America's per capita consumption is three times that of Europe (and 100 times that of China). The Natural Resource Defense Council would like to see virgin TP go the way of the incandescent light bulb. With less than 2% of toilet paper sales in the U.S. from recycled paper, we have a ways to go.
The choice is simple: Purchase recycled bathroom paper products. Seventh Gener­a­tion, Green Forest and Whole Foods' brands are available at health food stores and most supermarkets alongside their forest-killing companions. At very least... avoid that "supersoft" stuff.

This is progress: People speak up for clean air, plans for dirty power plant are withdrawn

In February CATALYST covered a debate surrounding new power generation in the Wasatch Front ("Dirty Power, Dirty Air," by Katherine Pioli). Consolidated Energy had proposed and was moving through with plans to construct a petroleum coke-burning power plant next to Holly Refineries in West Bountiful. The residents of West Bountiful and surrounding communities worried about worsened air quality and potential health effects relating to plant emissions. Capacity crowds showed up and spoke up at meetings, siding for clean air in no uncertain terms. Since the article appeared, our community has seen some related developments.

One came in the form of a press release produced by Consolidated Energy, the company working to build the power plant; they formally announced the company's decision to discontinue the project-for the time being, at least.

"We at Consolidated Energy have listened to the comments and although we have complied with all current national and local standards we do not wish to force a community to host a project that does not meet the community's concerns."

However, the company clearly stated that the project is "on hold," while they create a cleaner plan, one that will comply with "coming national and local standards" and that will be perhaps more acceptable to the community.

Interestingly, Consolidate closed their statement by turning the responsibility for the very existence of the pet coke plant back on the community. The press release argued that the fuel-consuming habits of even the area residents made the existence of a pet coke power plant feasible and necessary. "It is important to consider that the production of refinery by-products is an unavoidable consequence of our use of gasoline...All of us that use fuel for our vehicles are responsible for the creation of these petroleum by-products [such as Pet Coke]."
The second development was a bill sponsored by Rep. Roger Barrus, R-Centerville, that would have challenged the plant on a legal basis. HB393 Air Quality Amendments asked that no power plant be built in any area of the state that already does not comply with clean air quality standards. Davis, Salt Lake and Utah counties are three of these areas. HB393 allowed for construction of nonpolluting or low-polluting power generation plants such as from wind or geothermal sources.
The bill failed to pass in this legislative session. Maybe next year.
www.le.state.ut.us/house/index.htm; search under Bills and 2009 General Session.

Meetings made public: new website useful... and fun

Here is some Utah government trivia. Did you know that the Department of Agriculture and Food has a Utah Horse Racing Com­mis­sion? Did you know that they convened at a meeting in St. George last April?
Well, more than trivia, this information comes from an incredible new website designed to make our local government more participatory and transparent. It is the Utah Public Meeting Notice site. All state agencies are required to post their public meetings on this website-exempt are municipalities and special districts with less than a $1 million annual budget.

If an interested party knows exactly the department and meeting they are searching for they can used the "search" option. If they are unsure and wish to search for a meeting generally-say, for a group under the state, county, city, school or school district- they use the browse option. This is where the findings can become interesting, like discovering Utah's Horse Racing Com­mission.

Meeting information includes the date, location and contact information and can include an agenda. Users can also sign up to receive notices (via email, iCal or RSS) from specific public bodies announcing upcoming meetings.
For information regarding the Public Meeting Notice, contact Tiffany B. O'Sheal, Utah Public Meeting Notice website administrator, Division of Archives. tosheal@utah.gov or 531-3847 .

Nuke waste plan canned; Yucca Mountain saved

There is some fresh news in the argument on nuclear energy: Utah's western neighbor Yucca Mountain appears to have been scrapped from the government's plans for nuclear waste storage. It is a strong and telling decision that proves when intelligent people are appointed to government positions, great things are possible.

The new Energy Secretary for the Obama Administration is Dr. Steven Chu, previously of Stanford University and co-recipient of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics for "development of methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light." Last month Dr. Chu made his first contentious public appearance in his capacity as Energy Secretary when he announced the Yucca Mountain decision on Capital Hill. Senator John McCain, who has spent years supporting Yucca Mountain as a sight for nuclear waste storage, pushed Secretary Chu to explain the reasons for dropping the project. "We have learned a lot more in the last 20-30 years," said Chu. "I think we can do a better job." Meanwhile, back on the "ranch," Nevada lawmakers applauded Chu's comments.

Wind energy for Utah school

The students at Three Peak Elementary in Cedar City, Utah have a new piece of playground equipment. Well, not really, but it is still pretty cool. A Southwest Windpower Skystream 3.7 wind turbine now stands planted on their school grounds. The turbine provides 1.8 kilowatts of generating capacity-enough to help meet a small amount of on-site demand. The real purpose of the turbine is education and hopefully will lead to other turbine projects in the area since Iron County, where the school is located, has several site with excellent wind potential.
The project was made possible by a funding award from Rock Mountain Power's Blue Sky renewable energy program granted to the Utah State Office of Education. The project also received support through the Wind for Schools project designed by the U.S. Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory Wind Powering America Program. Another school is planned to receive a wind turbine, Cyprus High School in the Granite School District.

The Next Generation

It is a splendid spring day in March and at the Day-Riverside library in Rose Park, people are busy working on TreeUtah's Ecogarden. College-aged men and women crouch by the ecogarden sign planting fava beans, sweet peas and poppies. Others rake leaves and twigs from around the beds. These students have traveled all the way from the University of Kansas to help TreeUtah prepare their spring gardens and plant seedlings. During this week they will work under the competent guidance of two men, themselves just barely out of college, interns Tristan Call and Todd Murdock.

Tristan, a slender man who hides his red hair and light skin under a fisherman's cap, came to Utah in 2004 from Hunsville, Alabama, to attend college at Brigham Young University. It is hard to say for sure, but it seems like Tristan's time at BYU wasn't your normal four years of college. Besides studying anthropology and Latin American studies in the classroom, Tristan involved himself in numerous socio-political projects. More than just the average Amnesty International member (which incidentally he is, also) Tristan traveled to Guatemala where he lived for a time in a Mayan village studying youth political participation and child trafficking.

His political activism led him to an interest in food and eventually to TreeUtah. "Through some of the things I learned working with Amnesty International," he explains, "I started growing increasingly disillusioned with giant agrobusinesses and the corporations we tend to get our food from."

So Tristan and a group of friends began growing their own food. The started out simple, with onions and carrots and earned modest success. "It is a funny thing for suburban kids to finally get around to growing their own food. It is not easy going."

Todd, on the other hand, traveled a shorter distance on the path that led him to TreeUtah. This tall, quiet man grew up in Springville, Utah-a place fondly recognized by those who use the Diamond Fork Hot Springs. When he turned 19, he went off to Argentina on a mission for his church. After two years of service, the promise of the best powder on earth pulled him back home. He moved to Logan, Utah where he attended Utah State University and graduated with a degree in environmental studies. Work and skiing finally brought him to Salt Lake where he found his way to TreeUtah.

Todd is now an expert in identifying invasive plant species like Russian olive and tamarisk. Since joining the nonprofit world he has learned to have a sense of humor about the endless fundraising and, best of all, he has discovered his niche. "My social and professional network has tripled since I started working here," he says, a bit in awe of TreeUtah's standing in the community. "It has been a great step in trying to find my place."

Tristan is also astounded at the depth of the organization's roots in Salt Lake City. "I tell people that I work for TreeUtah and one out of five starts telling me about when they planted trees with TreeUtah. Vaughn Lovejoy and this organization have made a big impact," he concludes just before Vaughn, the ecological restoration coordinator, approaches the two interns seated with me in a corner of the garden. The students have finished planting and need another task. It's time for Todd and Tristan to get back to work, which they do gladly, picking up their gloves and heading for the compost heap.
TreeUtah has been dedicated to tree planting and environmental education since 1990. This group sees trees as a valuable resource that cleans our air and water and generates the oxygen we breath. They hope to help Utahns become active, knowledgeable stewards of their natural environment. www.treeutah.org

This seedling needs your help to survive

This chokecherry seedling, along with 18,506 other native tree and shrub seedlings, need your help. TreeUtah has been informed due to a paperwork error, the funding to continue planting and caring for our 10-year woodland restoration project along the Jordan River was terminated. This funding may be eventually restored but it will be too late for all of the seedlings we planted last year. We need to find $40,000 we lost to cover our operating costs immediately if we are to continue with this amazing community project.
Thousands of volunteers have planted and helped care for 87,750 seedlings in the last 10 years on a 120 acre site in South Jordan City. Last year alone 1,702 volunteers contributed 4,763 hours to this project. Given this extraordinary collective community effort it would be an immense travesty to let last years plantings and efforts go to waste.
Paul Hawkins' book "Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Social Movement in History Is Restoring Grace, Justice and Beauty to the World," makes a compelling case that it is individuals, small nonprofits and nongovernmental agencies by the tens of thousands around the globe that are envisioning and creating a ecologically viable and socially just future for our world.
Donations are being accepted by mail (Save the Seedlings, c/o TreeUtah, 740 South 300 West Suite 301, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101) or go to our website www.treeutah.org for other options. Thank you.
Vaughn Lovejoy
Ecological Restoration Coordinator

Sign this petition for green businesses

Scott Cooney, the author of "Build a Green Small Business," is concerned about the future of the green economy. The way he see things going, green business are developing to replace large corporations and little attention is being given to the green entrepreneur at a time when almost 75% of new job creation in the U.S. is coming from the small business community. Cooney says it is time for the Small Business Administration (SBA) to step up to help eco-preneurs and he has created a petition asking for just that.
The idea for the petition came after Cooney found no information on the SBA website for helping small business owners go green. Cooney decided to make some calls. "I called the agency and started getting passed from person to person until I was passed to something called the ‘advocacy' group. I began by asking one of the advisors how he felt the SBA might work with Van Jones to help create the green transition. After a few moments, there was a pregnant pause in the air. ‘Who is Van Jones?' he asked."
Van Jones, for those who don't know, is the Green Jobs Czar appointed by this administration. He is in charge of getting Americans back to work in a new green economy. Cooney's petition asks the SBA to follow the vision of Van Jones and apply it to small businesses. His petition asks for creation of local advisory boards, specific documents guiding new businesses towards greener models, and loan specialists experienced in green business. u
The goal is to collect 500,000 signatures. Add your name to the list:
www.thepetitionsite.com/1/ask-the-small-business-administration-to-help-small-businesses-go-green
To read more about this vital petition: www.triplepundit.com/pages/a-vital-piece-missing-in-the-american-re.php

Utahns don't want other people's nuclear waste dumped into our state and backyard, but do we think about where our own waste goes?

Some of our most toxic waste ends up in the backyards of people in countries far poorer than our own. Electronic waste in particular, one of the fastest growing components of the waste stream, is incredibly hazardous to human and environmental health. The lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic that it contains is toxic to soil and water.
The Basel Action Network (BAN out of Seattle, Washington opposes the toxic trade of wastes to poorer countries. The group takes its name from the Basel Convention, where countries from around the world met to address the issues of toxic waste and their disposal. Currently BAN is the world's only organization focused on confronting the global environmental injustice and economic inefficiency of toxic trade and its impacts. Working for human rights and the environment, they confront these issues at a macro level, preventing disproportionate and unsustainable dumping of the world's toxic waste and pollution on the world's poor. At the same time they promote the sustainable and just solutions-promoting green, toxin-free and democratic design of consumer products.
Guaranteed Recycling Xperts (GRX) is a responsible recycling company operating in Colorado, Nebraska and Utah since 1999. They are a BAN-certified recycling company that does not export any of the toxic materials to developing countries. In their recycling process, hazardous but reusable materials such as glass, after research and inspection, are routed back into the manufacturing stream. CRT glass, for example, is a leading problem in the electronics recycling industry. It had high concentrations of lead for which there are few safe recyclable options. GRX currently uses glass-to-glass recycling which separates and cleans the glass in preparation for reintroduction to the CRT manufacturing process.
GRX, along with the U of U's Office of Sustainability and Salt Lake City's Division of Sustainability, is hosting a special e-waste disposal event on Earth Day. GRX will be stationed in the University Services Building parking lot, West of the Hunstman Center, collecting electronic waste. Salt Lake residents and University affiliates (students, faculty, staff) can drop off their old, used, broken and unwanted electronic items at this time.

To dispose of other hazardous waste items (paints, pesticides, oil, transmission fluid, antifreeze, batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, pharmaceuticals, other chemicals): www.slcgreen.com/hazwaste.htm.

Jane's Walk.

by Katherine Pioli

On May second a group of people will gather downtown on Pierpont Ave. They will have on their comfortable walking shoes. Together they will move through the streets of Salt Lake City's warehouse district looking at art spaces, housing units and community shops. It will not be a protest group or a gaggle of developers. It could be you or your neigh­bor who, along with other community members, will be engaged in an activity of urban literacy-asking questions, making observations and telling stories. This group will be participating in a project called Jane's Walk.

The project takes its name from Jane Jacobs, an extraordinary woman who was instrumental in developing the modern approach towards urban planning. Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1916, she moved to New York City during the depression years, and circulated through a series of jobs and periods of unemployment. Jane later found success as a writer for various publications including the New York Herald Tribune and Vogue. Her legacy, however, comes from her work and ideas in city and urban planning, subjects which she never studied but for which she had an natural sensitivity. Her book "The Death and Life of Great American Cities" (1961) is believed by many to be the most important work on urban planning of the 20th century. She is the first to use such terms as "mixed-use" development, the idea that urban environments and neigh­borhoods should provide space for a variety of activities, from art space to offices to living quarters.

This is exactly the type of space represented by the warehouse district of Salt Lake City. Our city's Jane Walk will begin in an area that has been a focal point of change since 1980, Artspace. When a group of artists needed affordable housing and workspace this street set in motion a transformation from industrial zone to mixed-use neighborhood. The 81,000 square foot building converted into 19 living spaces and 35 studios, commercial space and a large garden. Since then the space has continued to grow and be reinvented. The tour will continue past other warehouse spaces, affordable housing units, parks and shelters, concluding at Squatters Brewpub for an unofficial post-tour conversation.

The guide for this Jane's Walk will be Stephen Goldsmith, director for the Center for the Living City, the group that organizes Jane's Walk. Gold­smith has a unique perspective on the warehouse district as a founder and former president of Artspace. He has also served as planning director for the Salt Lake City Planning Division, which focused on historic landmarks, zoning and long range planning.

The May 2 tour is the only definitively planned tour at this point but more tours may coalesce over the summer. Whether or not this happens depends on the involvement of community members. Additional tours will rely on the initiative of residents, including you. Do you live in the 9th & 9th neighborhood or the Marmalade district? Have you always wanted to know the story behind your neighbor's front door stain glass window? Chances are that they know the story, passed on from the previous or original owners.

The Jane's Walk USA website gives helpful suggestions for organizing tours. Map your route and keep it within one or two miles. Think about the area's landmarks, people and events that would create interesting conversation, but remember that this is not a lecture. Participation and communication from the entire group is central to the idea of the Jane's Walk.

"These walks provide an opportunity to discuss the conditions within our communities that function well and those that do not function at all; to discuss ways in which to improve our cities for our mutually agreed upon collective futures and the means by which to execute these changes through bottom-up approaches and community involvement," according to the Center for the Living City.

-Katherine Pioli

Warehouse District Tour, May 2
Details: Gather at Higher Ground Learning, 325 W. Pierpont Ave., 1pm.
Registration: Stephen@CenterForTheLivingCity.org

Create your own Jane's Walk: Go to www.JanesWalkUSA.org. Use "Tips for Tour Guides" to help design your walk. Then register your walk by clicking on the "Create Your Own Walk" link. Just for fun, check out other walks taking place in Spanish Harlem (NY), Anchorage and elsewhere around the globe.

Thanks for your efforts to radicalize the environmental movement.

by Tim de Christopher

On March 2nd, I visited your office in Washington, DC with about 35 other Utah students. Like the rest of the 12,000 students from around the country who came to attend Power Shift '09, the largest youth conference on climate change in our nation's history, we were there to talk with our leaders about taking serious action to stop climate change.

Your legislative director Chris Campbell made it absolutely clear that you would have no part in ensuring a livable future for our generation. He said that you've looked extensively at the science on both sides of the climate issue, and that you chose to side with the 3% of scientists who don't see it as a problem. When asked how you ethically deal with the risk that perhaps the other 97% are right and your inaction threatens all future generations, Chris dutifully changed the subject.

Your message was loud and clear, and we got it. We went straight from your office to the Capitol Climate Action, the largest mass civil disobedience in the history of the climate movement. I spoke through the megaphone to some of the thousands of people blocking the gates of the Capitol Power Plant, and I told them about you. When I told them you weren't going to do anything about climate change, they said they will. When I told them you wouldn't stop coal from killing their children, they said they will. When I told them that you weren't going to do what was necessary to defend our future, they said they will do whatever is necessary. And Orrin, I think they really meant it.

As all those scientists you chose not to listen to have probably told you, the climate crisis is extremely urgent and unthinkably serious. The chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said that what we do in the next two or three years will determine whether we succeed or fail to defend our civilization. That was 15 months ago, and we've done nothing. That means we need truly revolutionary change fast.

So, thankfully, your imperviousness to reason is encouraging us to use more revolutionary tactics. In fact, the only folks doing more to encourage moderate environmentalists to become more hardnosed might be the Utah State Legislature.

The House decided that if citizens want to exercise their rights to petition the government for an environmental reason, they must first pony up a cash bond in the amount of whatever the polluter/pillager in question stands to lose. In other words, people on the "we-want-a-healthy-world-for-our-children" side of the issue have to pay in order to participate in the democratic process. This unconstitutional gem might even top you, Mr. Hatch. [The Senate never brought the bill to a vote, likely because it was expected Gov. Huntsman would veto it.]

You and the State Legislature have been so effective at radicalizing environmentalists that we actually had to start a new group, called Peaceful Uprising, to harness all that activist energy. We are now training, supporting and defending all those whom you have motivated to nonviolent direct action. It's almost like we're partners. You keep rejecting those who play by the rules, and we'll keep finding a place for them in the streets. Thanks for your help, pardner.

Tim deChristopher is a student at the University of Utah and an environmental activist.

Environmental news from around the state and the west.

by Amy Brunvand

New book on Desolation Canyon and Green River

Desolation Canyon is one of the West's wild treasures-and one of the areas recently saved by the decision of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to withdraw Bush era oil and gas leases. This new book describes the natural history, pre-history and history of the river that flows through the largest roadless area in the lower 48 states not designated as wilderness or a national park.
"The River Knows Everything: Desolation Canyon and the Green," by James M. Aton, photography by Dan Miller. Utah State University Press. $35.

Sunset Magazine dubs SLC "eco-friendly"

The March 2009 issue of Sunset listed Salt Lake City among their "favorite eco-friendly small towns" in the West. Sunset editors admitted, "Okay, it's not small, but SLC has received about every available accolade for its green policies, including its e2 Citizen program to help address climate change."
Salt Lake City Green: www.slcgreen.com/

How did the 2009 Utah Legislature do?

Here is a round-up of the good and (mostly) bad environmental bills that passed during the 2009 general session of the Utah Legislature. As of this writing, it is possible that Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. could veto some of the worst offenders, but by the time you read this it will be too late. (Note: SJR and HR are nonbinding.)

Good:

▶SJR1: directs the State Energy Program to consider developing a model ordinance for wind energy development.

▶HB120: Snake Valley Aquifer Research Team and Advisory Council. But unfortunately, they won't be funded to do original research on the aquifer.

▶SJR4: Recycling of Electronic Waste Joint Resolution. Urges Utah residents to reduce their electronic waste by reuse and recycling.

▶SB102: Share the Road Special Group License Plate. Authorizes a car license plate advocating bicycle safety.

Good and very bad:

▶HB430: Economic Development In­cen­tives for Alternative Energy Projects sounds good, but on the last day of the session, Sen. Sheldon Killpack (R-Syra­cuse) amended it to include nuclear power as renewable energy.

Bad:

▶HR3: Resolution on Energy Policy. Urging the Governor to withdraw from the Western Climate Initiative.

▶SJR16: Joint Resolution Supporting Nuclear Power. Need I say more?

▶SB68: Mining Protection Amend­ments. Makes it easier for mining companies to mine underneath property where someone else owns surface rights.

▶HB169, HB278: Bills sponsored by Rep Mike Noel (R-Kanab) to divert state money to bogus RS2477 road claims on federal lands, meanwhile making the state's claims secret. Up to 30% of county road maintenance funds could be spent for speculative litigation to gain control of imaginary rural highway rights of way.

▶HB437: Obstruction of Natural Resource or Agricultural Production. Again, sponsored by Mike Noel (R-Kanab), redefines Tim DeChristopher's act of civil disobedience at a BLM oil and gas lease auction as a 3rd degree felony.

▶HB272: Utah Scenic Byway Desig­na­tion Amendments. Makes it harder for roads in Utah to be designated as scenic byways.

'Tis the season to urge Congress to support redrock wilderness.

In Washington, D.C. the new 111th Congress begun its first session, and this February, 50 wilderness activists from around the country visited congressional offices the goal of convincing members of Congress to cosponsor America's Red Rock Wilderness Act. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Representative Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) plan to formally introduce the bill in early April. That means it's time once again to encourage your out-of-state friends to write their congressional representatives and senators in support of Utah Wilderness (and while we are at it, let's remind the Utah delegation how many Utah citizens support wilderness).
SUWA Redrock Wilderness Act information: www.suwa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=work_arwa

Making your bike road-worthy.

by Steve Chambers We've passed the first day of spring, and though first day of spring and the first spring day are not always the same, the sun is up more than it's down. It's time to think seriously about commuting by bicycle in 2009.

Before that first commute, you need to make sure your bicycle is road-worthy. Here are a few tips to make sure your maiden voyage goes off without a hitch.

Tires. Check the tread and sidewalls of your tires for cracks or splits. Pry any stones out of the tread. If you can see the lining of the tire anywhere, replace the tire. Inflate the tires to the recommended pressure (found on the sidewall, just like on a car). Use a tire pressure gauge. A tire invariably needs more air than you think by squeezing it. The simplest method is a floor pump with a built-in gauge. Let the tires sit overnight to make sure the tubes will hold their pressure. Check pressure at least weekly. When you inflate the tire, take care when removing the pump from the valve stem; it's easy to tear or crack the stem against the wheel rim. I like to inflate my tires the night before so that if I tear the stem, the tire is flat the next morning before my ride, not 20 minutes into the ride.

Brakes. Squeeze both brake levers. Properly adjusted brakes should be fully tightened when the levers are pulled about halfway to the handlebars. Check the brake cables. Make sure the cables move smoothly. Check cables for cracks or rust, and check the cable housings as well. Once again squeeze the brake levers and note how the pads touch the wheel rims. They should contact the rim squarely, and shouldn't touch the tire. While you're looking at the brake pads, check them for wear. The small cutouts on each pad are wear indicators. When you can no longer see the cutouts, replace the pads. Flip the bike upside down and spin both wheels to see if the rims clear the brake pads.

Wheels. With the bike on its back, spin each wheel and check for wobbles. Wobbling wheels could be a sign of loose or broken spokes.

Even if the wheel runs true, there might be a spoke or two that needs tightening. Gently squeeze each pair of spokes. There should be the same amount of play in each one. If not, one or the other is too loose or too tight. Unless you've had a class in basic bicycle maintenance or read a manual or two, tightening spokes is better left to a mechanic. It's easy to overtighten and snap a spoke.

Pedals. Grasp the pedal ends of both cranks and try to move them sideways. If they move an equal amount right and left, that's a sign the bottom bracket is loose.

Seat. Make sure the saddle (seat) clamp and seat post bolts are tight. Don't overtighten.

Nuts and bolts. Pick up your bike and shake it. Feel and listen for anything loose, especially the front and rear wheel hubs. Tighten as necessary. Be sure to check racks, fenders and other accessories to make sure they are mounted securely and don't obscure your lights or reflectors.

Chainring and derailleur. Inspect your bike's drive system: chainring (front), chain and rear derailleur. If they are gunky, clean them with a bike degreaser and lubricate. Always wash and lube together. If you wash only, even with a careful drying there is a chance water will get in the bearings or other places rust can form. On the other hand, if you only lubricate, dirt can get in the lubricant and damage moving parts. So always treat washing and lubing as two parts of the same job.

Once you've done all this, which will take an hour or less, hop on the bike and take a spin around the block. Go through all the gears, brake, stop, start, turn - in short, do everything you would do on your commute. Listen for rattles and clunks, make sure the brakes and gears are smooth and the bike is still adjusted for you. Then get out there and ride.

If you do not have the tools or skills for this simple maintenance, the Salt Lake Bicycle Collective offers "open shop" hours as well as a women's-only shop night. Visit SLCBikeCollective.org. If you lack time, as well, take your bike to a qualified bike shop with a maintenance dept. CATALYST frequents Wasatch Touring on 7th E. @1st S.

The Mandala dance of the 21 Praises of Tara.

by Amy Brunvand

Many years ago I was looking for souvenirs in Kathman­du, Nepal when the shopkeeper called me over and said he wanted to show me a marvelous painting worth over $1,000. He unlocked a safe and pulled out a scroll which he unrolled on a table to reveal a picture of a smiling, seated woman. She had melon-like breasts and a wasp-waist and her skin was the color of spring leaves, so bright it seemed to glow. He said her name was Green Tara. I didn't buy the painting which was beyond my budget, and in any case her glowing green skin made me think of space aliens. Nonetheless, the image of Tara stayed with me.

So having had only a brief introduction to Tara, I was intrigued by an invitation calling "all Goddess wannabes"-women, men, teens and children-to an introductory session of "The Mandala Dance of the 21 praises of Tara." Jenny Mish who was teaching the Tara dance explained that she and Jane Grau are holding introductory dances in order to generate interest and gather a group of about 30 people to learn and perform the dance ritual this month.

Mish began the dance lesson by telling the story of Tara: Buddhist sutras say that in order to attain enlightenment women should strive to be reborn in a male body, so when a princess named Moon of Wisdom attained enlightenment the monks told her to pray in order to become a man. The princess rejected their suggestion and replied:

Here there is no man, there is no woman,
No self, no person, and no consciousness.
Labeling "male" or "female' has no essence,
But deceives the evil-minded world.

Then she made a vow to reincarnate eternally in a woman's body in order to help end the world's suffering, and she became Tara.

The fact that Tara is female by choice makes her an especially powerful symbol of the divine feminine. For that reason, the Salt Lake City Tara dancers have partnered with the Ixchel Foundation (a non-profit organization that empowers women by nurturing creative development and transformative healing) to present a public performance of the dance in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

In the Green Tara painting I remember Tara sat by herself, but in other paintings green-skinned Tara is a large central figure surrounded by 21 little Taras whose skin is red, blue, green, white, black or yellow. The image with little Taras illustrates a specific Buddhist prayer with a name that translates somewhat awkwardly from Sanskrit as "The Praise in 21 Homages to our lady the Goddess Arya-Tara, with its benefits." In traditional Tibetan practice this prayer is chanted, not danced.

The Mandala Dance of the 21 Praises of Tara was created in 1983 by an American Buddhist woman called Prema Dasara, so it is an adaptation of Tibetan Buddhism by Western culture. One reason for dancing is that it is so hard to translate words. Expressed in movement, the prayer ritual more easily crosses cultural boundaries. Since it was first performed it has been endorsed by the Dalai Lama, and has made its way from America back to traditional Buddhist cultures in places such as India, Nepal, Thailand and Bhutan.

At the introductory workshop we learned simple, swaying footwork and gestures that directly express the "21 Praises of Tara." In a public performance, we would have been "protectors," men and women who surround a sacred space for female dancers who wear splendid silk saris and embody various aspects of Tara. As energy spirals towards each central Tara, she gets birthed out the front, dances a self-choreographed expression of that praise, and re-enters the center of the mandala. In Buddhist art, a mandala is a circular design that symbolizes the universe.

Participating in the dance is a powerful experience of community, says Jenny Mish. "It requires concentration and focus to remember the mantra and gestures. In addition to learning the steps we also eat together, iron the saris together -there is a ‘girl party' as we dress." She describes the dance as an "invitation to set aside human limitations and become the goddess," but emphasizes that there is no pressure to adopt Buddhist viewpoints. "The teacher [Parvati Forrest Anee Burke] is extremely good at describing how Tara practice can fit into one's life," she says. "It's an invitation to find those qualities within yourself."

I remembered my first impression of Tara as a green space alien, which honestly, didn't seem quite respectful. But as we danced through the 21 praises we came to a verse about joy and laughter. It turns out that humor is one of Tara's qualities after all, and surely one reason to paint a picture of a goddess (or dance her praises, for that matter) is so that people can learn to recognize her.

Books about Tara
"In Praise of Tara: Songs to the Saviouress," by Martin Willson.
"The Cult of Tara: Magic and Ritual in Tibet," by Stephan Beyer.

Mandala Dance of the 21 Praises of Tara: Intro, workshop and performance (Pioneer Craft House, 500 E. 3300 S. Utahara@gmail.com)

Introduction to the Tara Dance. April 7, 7 pm. All are welcome.

Weekend Workshop. April 24-26. Taught by Parvati Forrest Anee Burke. Cost: $125 ($100 before April 10). For men and women who want to perform the dance. Attendance for the full weekend is required. To register: www.ixchelfoundation.org/tara.htm

Public performance: April 26, 4 pm. Donations accepted.

The 21 Praises of Tara

Creative wisdom
Triumphant joy
Impeccable virtue
Destroyer of negativity
Joy and laughter
Ferocious compassion
Serene Peace
True refuge
Swift protection
Invincible courage
Remover of sorrow
Distributor of wealth
Worthy of honor
All victorious
Transformer of Poison
Sublime intelligence
Destroyer of attachment
Radiant health
Complete enlightenment
Irresistible truth
Auspicious beauty

Grow your own high-nutrition greens in two to five days.

by Rebecca Brenner

The hints of spring have inspired sprouting in the Alchemical Kitchen. This month, as I gather my seeds, beans, and grains from the back of my cupboard, my mind wanders through all of my definitions of and associations with the word seed.

First, I think of all of the meta­phors for seeds: the dormant potential for new beginnings, a passing of information from one generation to the next, a reminder of life in the still of winter. I rinse half a cup of dried garbanzo beans, place them in a quart jar, and cover with water to soak over night. I go back to the cupboard to look for more of my tangible beginnings.

My thoughts change to the political implications: I think about the 1,095 farmers in 2007 from the Vidharbha region of the Indian state of Maharashtra who committed suicide. They were trapped in a financial cycle with a large GMO seed company. I hold close in my heart that seeds, when gathered and stored through natural and traditional methods, are free to all of us. My thoughts shift a bit closer to home-to the horrific living conditions of farm workers in Immokalee, Florida were 90% of US tomatoes are grown. How each time I run to the grocery store, in the middle of winter for tomatoes, out of want and convenience, I am supporting these conditions.

I push aside the jar of quinoa, decide on barley. I rinse and soak the barley just as I did the garbanzo beans. Another new start.

Back at the cupboard, I mull over what I can do to make a positive impact on my food community. Without fail, my mind always gravitates to localism. I'm empowered by the growth of community-supported agriculture and farmers' markets. I know that almost all CSAs and organic farms choose to grow and promote heirloom and traditional seed practices. These practices not only promote biological diversity in a time when agribusiness pushes a narrow variety of produce, but also nutritional diversity to nourish myself, my family and my community. I think of how local artisan bread and cheese producers keep alive traditions that shape the culture in which I live. I remember the local ranchers and dairy farmers who are humanely raising genetically diverse breeds.

Pulling out a jar to sprout my lentils in, I recognize that canning and pickling allow me to preserve local, heirloom vegetables. No need to run to Smith's in January for tomatoes when I have a cupboard full of my own.

Now, where did I store last year's pumpkin seeds? I sort through the cupboard-not there. Ah, the refrigerator. My nutritionist mind starts to spin: I recall how the germination of seeds changes their composition in so many beneficial ways, reawakening all of the seed's potential. The content of the vitamins B and C increase dramatically, sometimes by 80%. Protein content increases by 30%. Beta-carotene, vitamins E and K, and calcium increase as well. I find the pumpkin seeds in the back of the refrigerator. Placing them on the counter, I imagine the small green shoots that will start to sprout in just a few days. I know the chlorophyll and fiber in the sprouts will nourish my digestive and immune systems.

I leave my grains, beans and seeds to soak overnight. The following morning I drain and rinse my sprouts-to-be. I place them back in their jars, cover the mouth of each jar with cheesecloth, and secure them with the metal screw lids. I set them upside down on a cooking rack where they will are bathed in moderate afternoon sun.

I shut my eyes because of the glare of the sun reflecting off of the freshly fallen spring snow.

A seed inspires so many metaphors, stories and ideas. I'm reminded that all food has a story. I know that the food I purchase and consume will shape all of my life's experiences as well as those who produce, prepare, ship, and sell these foods. I'm thankful for the sense of beginning again that comes with this month. Once upon a time there was a girl with a seed for sprouting and seed for planting....

Rebecca Brenner, Ph.D. is a nutritionist and owner of Park City Holistic Health. For more healthy recipes and DIY projects, visit www.playfulnoshings.blogspot.com and www.parkcityholistichealth.com .

Mixed Sprout Salad
1 cup each very fresh dill, lentil, and mung bean sprouts
½ cup garbanzo sprouts
2 tablespoons sprouted sunflower seeds
½ cup chopped green onions
½ cup diced green pepper or cucumber
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (optional)
Toss all ingredients together and top with Lemon-Herb Dressing

Lemon-Herb Dressing
¼ cup light soy sauce
2 ½ to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
1 ½ tablespoons each of fresh chopped basil and cilantro leaves
Combine all ingredients and add to above salad

Sprouted Pizza Dough
1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
6 tablespoons warm (110 F) water
¼ cup cold water
2 tablespoons olive oil
¾ cup whole-wheat flour
½ cup sprout of sprouted grain or sprout of your choice, chopped fine
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unbleached white flour
1. Dissolve the yeast in warm water and allow to proof for 5 minutes. Combine the cold water and oil in large bowl. Add the yeast mixture, then the whole-wheat flour, sprouts, and salt. Gradually add the white flour to make a workable dough.
2.Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead for about 5 minutes, sprinkling a bit more white flour to keep it from sticking.
3.Put dough in oiled bowl and turn it once so that its surface is coated with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let rise in warm place for an hour-you want the dough to double in size.
4.Form dough into flat round. Roll it out on a floured surface.
5.Place the dough on a lightly oiled pan and cover with any toppings. Bake @ 400 F until the crust is golden brown-about 10-12 minutes.

Getting Started
You can sprout any seed, bean, or grain, but here are some that sprout easily to get you started:
Lentils and garbanzos: easy to sprout, take only 2-3 days, and are rich sources of protein. Add to stir-fry and sandwiches.
Mung beans: hardy sprouts, full of vitamin C, grow about 2 inches long and are great for stir-fry and casseroles.
Fenugreek: sprouts in 3-4 days and has a licorice flavor that works well with baking.
Radish: sprouts in 3-4 days and is an excellent spicy added kick to salads and sandwiches.
Wheat, rye, and barely: sprouts in 3-4 days and great in bulgur, tabouleh, and dough for baking and pizza.
Pumpkin seeds: use unhulled, organic seeds from last fall's pumpkins. Makes a great snack or add to soups.
Sunflower seeds: use hulled seeds. Sprouts in 1 day. Great addition to salads.
Almonds: use whole almonds. Sprouts are ready in three days and make a great snack on their own.

How to Sprout
1 quart glass canning jar
1 metal screw canning lid
1 small piece of cheese cloth
1/2 cup of your favorite seed
1. Carefully wash and rinse seeds.
2. Place seeds in jar and fill jar completely with fresh water. Let sit over night.
3. Drain water and rinse. Keep seeds in jar without water, place cheese cloth over jar mouth and screw on the metal lid ring. Place upside down on a baking or dish rack in a sunny window.
4. Each day, for 1 to 5 days, rinse and drain seeds.

Tandoor Indian Grill: Jothi Duggiineni brings family flavors from southern India.

by Katherine Pioli

Jothi Duggineni has three babies: a seven-year-old son, a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, and a nearly two-year-old restaurant. "We opened on July 29, 2007," she says, from across the table near the window with the golden silk curtains. Jothi is owner of Tandoor Indian Grill located in the burgeoning neighborhood business area of 3300 South. She is also the restaurant's hostess, server and chef.

Despite the stress of having three "children," Jothi retains a certain lightness about her, almost an aura of youthfulness. Dressed in modest Indian-style pants and a long shirt, she flows between the tables in the half full restaurant. She smiles at everyone she sees-a beautiful smile in a soft, round face.

Her husband, Raj, has the same calm, gentle smile, even after an entire day at work. Tonight he joins us for a moment before gathering his children and taking them home. "My husband is professionally a software engineer," Jothi tells me. "In the first few months of us opening he would put in an eight-hour day at the office and then come here and work until 11 or 12. Now he takes care of the children at home while I am still at the restaurant."

Tandoor is obviously a lot of work for this couple, but they are up to the challenge. For Jothi it is a way to retain her culture. The couple met in their home state of Andra Pradesh in southern India. They moved to the U.S. in 1999 for Raj's career.

"At first my visa didn't allow me to work," Jothi says. "I spent most of my time cooking food for my husband. Then I started trying cuisines from different countries." Eventually, Jothi realized that although Salt Lake had good Indian food, the southern cuisine was less well represented.

Jothi has filled that void with dishes such as Tandoor's Special Pumpkin Masala, a grilled butternut squash sautéed in Indian spices. Jothi would be surprised if any other restaurant has this dish. "It is a recipe I took from my mother and my aunt." The dish is made of small, savory cubes of soft squash with touches of cilantro and hot pepper and has turned out to be a taste that most of her customers enjoy. Its popularity took Jothi by surprise. "I was pleased to find that Americans are great lovers of pumpkin."

Another dish that guarantees a unique dining experience is the southern specialty masala dosa, a gigantic crepe served rolled up like a scroll, so large it hangs off each end of the serving plate. Made entirely of lentil flour, the batter is cooked on a hot griddle and served with ginger, coconut and spicy tomato sauces.

The lunch crowd brings in business people and staff and patients from the nearby St. Mark's Hospital. In the evenings, Tandoor still has a majority of Caucasian clientele but serves the Indian community as well. Jothi says she has not had to alter her foods much to appeal to her audience; Indian food is designed so that one dish can suit many tastes.

Jothi takes care to assure that all the flavors found in her restaurant are fresh, authentic, and delicious. All the curries are made inhouse from scratch and dishes can be ordered to the desired heat.

Maintaining this authenticity remains at the heart of Tandoor, from its curries to the Ganesha (lord of success) statue placed near the entrance. Jothi looks around her at the large rectangular room filled with tables and dreams a bit out loud. "I want good Indian art in here," she says. "I don't want to compromise, but we have to wait till we are a little more steady on our feet." Jothi also sees other improvements in the future like live Indian music and Indian holiday celebrations. She remembers with pride Governor John Huntsman's visit to last year's Indian New Year celebration held by Salt Lake's Indian community. She would like to use her restaurant to welcome everyone to enjoy some of the best parts of the southern Indian culture.

-Katherine Pioli

Tandoor Indian Grill.
729 E. 3300 South, 801-486-4542
11am-9:30pm, Mon-Thurs.
11am-10pm, Fri-Sat.
11am-8pm, Sun.

Why they call them beer bellies (because "cortisol belly" isn't half as catchy).

by Lucy Beale

We love our comfort foods. I've never met a jilted lover who favored a fish fillet over a cookie or ice cream. A hard-boiled egg might not be described as "soothing;" mashed potatoes, on the other hand, would definitely be. Yet a steady diet of yummy comfort foods may bring new problems.

Many health-conscious folks ban sugar, yet relish eating bread and other starches. But before you take that first bite of your morning toast, hear this: Your body digests the toast into glucose faster than it does the teaspoon of table sugar in your coffee. This means that you get more of a sugar-rush from fluffy, starchy foods than from plain ol' sugar. And a starch rush is even more powerful.

Both of those rushes increase a person's blood sugar levels with a corresponding increase in the fat-storing hormone insulin, thus increasing the risk of many chronic health conditions: diabetes, obesity, inflammation of any sort, high blood pressure, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, autoimmune disorders and even cancer.

But wait. How do we know that the harmless-looking piece of toast, whether white or whole wheat, is so threatening? Because of thousands of tests run on thousands and thousands of people over the past 20 years. The tests were done by scientists at the University of Sydney in Australia to determine the glycemic value of many different types of carbohydrates for ranking on the Gly­cemic Index, which you've probably heard of by now. You may have also heard that the glycemic index is too confusing to use. Not so.

In a nutshell: Carbohydrates with a low-glycemic value are mostly healthy for you and cause a slow low rise in blood glucose levels. Carbs with a high-glycemic value can spike blood sugar levels and contribute to health problems.

I began to eat glycemically years ago and became a believer in the glycemic index after I noticed that the weight around my waist and abdomen, which had been creeping on slowly, was going away. That was 10 years ago and the weight has never come back. Here's why: High blood sugar causes high insulin levels which increase blood levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Insulin is a fat-storing hormone, and cortisol/stress makes sure that the fat goes straight to your belly and waist.

Here's where the beer comes in. Alcohol all by itself increases cortisol/stress levels. Too much beer or alcohol and voila, a beer belly appears. Add to that pretzels, popcorn, chips, cookies, cakes and bread, and a bigger belly grows. A person who eats plenty of starches and sugars but doesn't imbibe will still have the telltale beer belly.

Low-glycemic carbohydrates are vegetables and fruit, along with legumes, sweet potatoes and squash. Whole un-milled grains, such as wheat berries and barley are included along with pure ice cream. Most unsweetened dairy products are low-glycemic.

Medium-glycemic carbs include dark chocolate, table sugar, pure stone-ground bread, and sour dough bread. (The acid taste lowers the GI value.) Pasta if cooked to barely al dente is low or medium; if cooked until soft, it's high glycemic.

High-glycemic carbohydrates are bread - both white and whole wheat, popcorn, pretzels, cakes, cookies, rice crackers and frozen soy desserts, with all the tasty variations. White fluffy potatoes are high-glycemic. Actually, a good rule of thumb is, "white and fluffy makes you puffy."

No-glycemic foods are fats, butter, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and nuts. They are so slowly digested that they don't give even a tiny sugar-rush. Also included are full-fat salad dressings.

Paying attention to the Glycemic Index doesn't mean you must deprive yourself of your favorite comfort foods. Instead, eat them sensuously, slowly and lovingly. Make a little go a long way. That way, you can eat your chocolate cake and enjoy the benefits of low-glycemic eating, too.

Simple eating Suggestions from "The Complete Idiot's Guide Glyce­mic Index Cookbook," by Lucy Beale and Joan Clark-werner (Alpha Books, 2009)

• For breakfast, have three ounces of protein, such as two eggs and a piece of fruit. If you like, add long-cooking steel-cut oatmeal or soup. It's easier to resist high-glycemic starches if you start the day by eating protein such as meat, eggs or fish and avoid high-glycemic starches.

• If you do eat bread for breakfast, you can lower its effective glycemic value by buttering it. The fat slows digestion. Butter-substitutes may or may not work; some contain high-glycemic ingredients such as modified starch or maltodextrins.

• Plan to have two or three servings of vegetables or fruit at every meal along with three ounces or 15 grams of complete protein.

• Choose salads for lunch or order up a sandwich (hold the bread).

• Avoid soft drinks because both the sugared and artificially sweetened varieties have been shown to encourage diabetes and weight gain. Instead, drink water. Teas and coffee are fine in moderation. You can even eat at a burger joint if you order a burger (hold the bread) and a side salad.

• For snacks choose nuts, olives, pickles, fruit, dried fruit, vegetables, dark chocolate, cheese, cold cuts - all in moderation.

• Dinner can be meat, fish, poultry or eggs with two or three servings of vegetables. Choose soups, salads and fruit. Add al dente pasta or long grain rice. Basmati rice is also a good choice. If you need a sweet taste after a meal, have a bite or two of your favorite dessert but not much more than that.

• If you ever overdo the high-glycemic foods, squeeze a half lemon in a glass of water and drink. The acid will slow digestion and reduce the sugar/starch rush. So will eating anything acidic such as dill pickles, green olives, capers, sauerkraut and grapefruit.

• Cinnamon has been shown to help reduce the glycemic effect of a meal, as does a vinegar-and-oil salad dressing or eating a sour food. Enjoy a cup of cinnamon tea with your meals. Eat lots of fiber-filled foods, such as vegetables and fruit. Set your goal to eat 10 servings a day. Fiber slows digestion and absorption of high-glycemic foods.

• Choose farm-sourced foods over factory-sourced foods and you'll mostly be eating low-glycemic. This currently fashionable way to eat eschews packaged foods and favors fresh produce, meats and fish, preferably locally produced.

Lucy Beale is a regular contributor to CATALYST. Her newest books are "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Glycemic Index Weight Loss," and its cookbook companion, coauthored with Joan Clark-werner. Lucy lives in Sandy, Utah. www.Lucybeale.com; lucybeale-weight-loss.blogspot.com

Feature calendar picks from the print version. Make sure to check our full online listings for continual updates (click Events Calendar along the top menu bar).

by Dana Igo

Salt Lake playwright Matthew Bennett searches the famous notebooks for clues to the man himself.

by Jerry Rapier

A little over two years ago I called playwright Matthew Ivan Bennett and asked him to write a play about Leonardo da Vinci, widely considered the most talented human ever to have lived. Silence. Given his tentative "Sure," I wasn't prepared for power of the contents of the document that would arrive in my inbox a few months later-it was the most complete first draft of a play I have ever encountered.

Matt confesses he was nonplussed in the beginning. "I knew that (to write a play about Leonardo as more than a tribute, I needed to see him as a man and not as an artistic Hercules. I got that glimpse of him through biographer Serge Bramley's "Leonardo: The Artist and the Man," where I became aware that Leonardo wrote disparagingly of himself in his diary. Then flipping through a book of collected paintings, the idea hit to have his paintings narrate the play. Who better to speak for him?"

The narrators were quickly chosen. The enigmatic La Gioconda (Mona Lisa) was a given; Judas Iscariot (from "The Last Supper") would serve as a foil to the idealistic, attention-deficit-disordered Leonardo; and a sketch of Isabella d'Este (dubbed the First Lady of the Renaissance) would add gravitas to the narrative trio. Each of them represents failure for Leonardo: the Mona Lisa was never delivered to his patron, Judas was especially troublesome for him to paint, and he never finished the painting of d'Este as promised. They also represent mystery, self-loathing and nobility.

"Tell me if anything has ever been achieved?" This question appears throughout Leonardo's notebooks. Matt realized this question must become the centerpiece of the play: Matt was relieved: His superman had become human.

A bump in the road

Ten days before rehearsals were to begin I received a late-night phone call from Jesse Harward, who had been preparing to play the role of Leonardo da Vinci for nearly a year. He'd torn both his ACL and MCL while playing basketball; it was clear he would be unable to continue with the production.

Fortuitously, Michael Brusasco, who'd played the role when we workshopped the play last summer (as part of Utah Shakespearean Festival's New American Playwrights Project), was in town for another production. I caught him backstage during the final performance. He agreed to join the cast, and seamlessly joined Kirt Bateman as Judas Iscariot, Tracie Merrill as La Gioconda and Teresa Sanderson as Isabella d'Este.

Context

Leonardo da Vinci truly was a man ahead of his time-it may sound like a cliché until you realize he's the original source of that phrase. The hope is that "Di Esperienza" turns myth on its ear, stripping away the deification that comes with death and time. Randy Rasmussen, Plan-B's resident set designer, muses: "Heroes like Leonardo are flawed-they make mistakes, they have dark things in their closets. Just like the rest of us."

So how do you place yourself inside a genius that seems incomprehensible? Jann Haworth's costume design provides a road map. (One of the few female members of the British Pop Art Movement, Jann co-designed the cover of the The Beatles' "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album.) Her costumes create a context for the production-contemporary clothing with a renaissance flair, literally placing the here-and-now inside the world of Leonardo da Vinci, a world that has been part of her artistic vision since the fourth grade: "My teacher Mr. Himmelfarb asked me to make a mural about flight. So my mother gave me her book on the life of da Vinci, which was peppered with drawings. I decided to make the centerpiece of the mural Leonardo's drawing of himself in his later years. The amazement that I felt as a child ‘discovering' him still energizes aspects of my creative work today."

Getting to know Leonardo as a modern man is the joy of "Di Esperienza."

Jerry Rapier is producing director of Plan-B Theatre Co. and has written for CATALYST since 2001.

Sister Dottie S. Dixon, unlikely crusader.

by Amy Tullius

Dottie S. Dixon has had quite the buzz around her lately. The Utah gay rights activist/radio personality is gearing up for her upcoming one-woman play. "The Pas­sion of Sister Dottie S. Dixon" next month at the Rose Wagner Theater. The play is a Latter-day retelling of the Joan of Arc story, but Joan, in this case, is a Spanish Fork housewife turned gay-rights activist.

In her three years as radio host of KCRL's "What Not, What Have You, and Such as That," Dixon has been an important bridge in Utah's complex LDS/queer divide. "I'm a 10th-generation Latter-day Saint [and] am the proud mother of a gay son," Dixon writes in her Facebook profile. "I'm a good-will ambassador for all organizations that advocate for human equality." She is outspoken, fiery, hilarious and not, well... real..., at least in the traditional sense of the word.

Troy Williams and Charles Lynn Frost conceived of Dottie three years ago as a breath of fresh air and humor in William's otherwise serious (and now defunct) weekly radio show Now Queer This. "So much of gay cinema, theater and literature has focused on the tragedy of being gay," Williams says. "The purpose of Dottie is to celebrate our diversity with humor and joy. Dottie sees being gay as a blessing. Even though she is an active Mormon, the experience of having a gay son has opened her heart to a new understanding." Williams wanted to create an alternative discussion that is about courage, strength and change.

While Dottie was born out of a desire to bring levity to a difficult discussion, the seriousness of the content transcends the message's humorous medium.

Frost, the actor who channels and co-created Dottie, patterned her after his own mother and the wise Mormon women he grew up under in Spanish Fork. "We don't want her to be in the in- illuminati crowd," he says, "she's clumsy and clunky, she's not educated, but she's wise." She's full of Utah vernacular, and she charmingly misinterprets history, theology and current events (which is a big part of what makes her so funny). But Williams and Frost are never laughing at Dottie.

"In a strange way the play helps me go back and embrace my Mormonness," Williams says. "Coming out, you're angry and want to push away and be angry, but at a certain point you have to come back." Frost agrees. "You have to embrace who you are, who you were, and you have to embrace your heritage," he says.

So, while Dottie is not technically real, she has taken on a life of her own. She has a style and moral sensibility that is uniquely hers. While writing the play, when either Frost or Williams' own opinions would start to come through too strongly, they would stop and ask themselves, "What would Dottie do?"

In the play the audience will get to share many of the issues in Dottie's history that made her who she is, including her reaction after her son came out to her. "It's not im­mediately easy," Frost says. Dottie struggles as she faces the terrible decision of choosing her church or her child, but, as Frost explains, ultimately for Dottie there is no choice: It's child. Not easy for a woman who, as Williams says, "loves her child and she loves her heritage and her ancestors."

Ultimately in the play Dottie is able to see that the choice is not an either/or, but a both/and: She chooses her child and her church, which points to the play's rich spiritual understructure. Her both/and epiphany comes from Williams' study of Ken Wilbur's integral theory, as well as his inclusive, collaborative spirit. In integral theory, he says, you include and transcend, which is what Dottie is all about.

Williams is also focused on creating new paradigms through Dottie. "I really want to talk about how the stories we tell about our lives actually can shape the reality that we experience...that's really why we decided to tackle gay issues in a joyful, comedic manner. It's time we changed the story so that the Earth can start to heal!"

In other ways Dottie is real. "How did you meet Dottie Dixon?" Troy's friends have asked him, "was it through her son, Donnie?" She's so compelling; you just want to suspend disbelief. This is a sentiment echoed by her 1,500 Facebook friends. Williams says Dottie gets fan mail all the time. "People will write in messages like ‘I love you Dottie, I wish you were my mother.'"

Dottie is "an instrument for people to say, ‘I want to forgive some things,'" Frost says. Some big things, like their parents, and their church. Or, in the words of Dottie Dixon herself, "I believe a new day is dawnin' in this here state, and I'm all up in it! Hope you are too!"

Amie Tullius writes about the arts for CATALYST.

www.SisterDottie.com
On KRCL (FM 90.1): Fridays at 3pm and Saturdays at 10am.
Pygmalion Theater presents "The Passion of Sister Dottie S. Dixon"
May 1-17th. Rose Wagner Theater
Tickets: 801-355-ARTS or
www.pygmalionproductions.org/
(Benefit performance for Pride Center: Wed., April 29, 7:30pm. Marina@UtahPrideCenter.org)

What's new around town.

by Katherine Pioli

America's First Family breaks ground on the White House organic garden.

by Scott Cooney

Intelligent rabble-rousing works. Two sets of Return Peace Corps volunteers (RPCV) had made public campaigns calling on our new president to rip out part of the expansive White House lawn and plant an organic garden. Dan Simon and Casey Gustowarow championed the WHOFarm (White House Organic Farm) Project, while Amanda Fuller and Justin Mog (RPCV-Paraguay) created their campaign around Obama's campaign slogan, referring to it as a "Hope Garden." Author Michael Pollan ("The Omni­vore's Dilem­ma: In Defense of Food"), often referred to as our nation's "First Farmer," advocated for the garden as well, as a "symbolically resonant step in building a new American food culture."

It was not an unprecedented suggestion: Eleanor Roosevelt's World War II Victory Garden is well known, and started millions of Americans gardening. Less well known is that Woodrow Wilson allowed sheep to graze and fertilize the White House lawn to save resources during WWI.

Any time is a good time for a garden, but why now? As Obama himself has said, America's agricultural system is built on cheap oil. "As a consequence, our agriculture sector actually is contributing more greenhouse gases than our transportation sector. And in the meantime, it's creating monocultures that are vulnerable to national security threats, [and] are now vulnerable to sky-high food prices...."

Obama gets it, and knows that a White House organic garden can be a terrific catalyst to inspire millions of Americans.

The garden idea also has an international precedent: Thailand's Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has an organic farm at her Thong Noi palace which covers 42 rai (a measure of space equal to 1,600 square meters). It is a model of sustainable food production, and the Princess herself gets her hands dirty in the garden as an example to her people and simply because she enjoys gardening.

The Obamas broke ground on their garden on March 20: a 1,100-square-foot garden with 55 types of veggies as well as berries, herbs and two beehives. (Can chickens be far behind?) The food will be used to feed the Obamas and also for state dinners and other official events. Elementary students from Washington-area Bancroft Elemen­tary will tend to the garden as part of their school curriculum.

The Obamas hesitate calling the garden organic or sustainable, likely to avoid the label of "elitism" from conservative naysayers. Nonethe­less, they are tempting that tired fate by growing arugula. During the campaign, John McCain and other Republicans labeled this vegetable "elite" and criticized Obama for eating it. (Go figure.)

Above and beyond the political fray, this symbolism and leadership from the White House could prove beneficial to the green economy in other ways. While not everyone with organic gardening skills can work on an estate such as the White House as a full-timer, many homeowners in the U.S. have space and desire for gardens, but not enough time or know-how. Setting up and maintaining organic gardens can be a fun and lucrative business. Two companies in San Francisco have begun doing just that: Freelance Farmers (www.FreelanceFarmers.com), and MyFarm (www.myfarmsf.com). Imagine millions of Americans organically gardening and millions more supporting eco-entrepreneur organic gardeners to do it for them. (A Salt Lake-based matchmaking database will be available in early 2010 linking would-be city gardeners with those who have the land. Watch CATALYST for more information.)

How much of an effect can this have on the economy and our agricultural system? Symbol­ism from our First Residence carries tremendous effect. John F. Kennedy is largely credited with killing the American hat. He refused to wear one (despite pressure from hat manufacturers, according to legend), and within a few years, wearing a hat was viewed as something your grandfather would do. Can we hope that within a few years, the large, chemically intensive lawn of ‘perfect' green grass will be viewed as out of touch, ill-informed, and something only grumpy old people might do-replaced, instead, by lively, interesting and productive edible gardens?

Scott Cooney is the author of "Build a Green Small Business" (McGraw-Hill), and looks forward to the day when the green economy is simply referred to as...the economy.

Making peace: Are you perpetuating what you don't want?

by Jeannette Maw

Many of us have come to understand we won't achieve what we want by pushing against what we don't want. We know we don't lose weight by hating our bodies; we can't reach peace through war; and we won't solve global warming by condemning those who perpetuate it. We know that we have to be the change we want to see because we can't be in opposition to something and expect to achieve what we want.

It's for this very reason that the war against drugs and terrorism just seems to have exacerbated both issues, and why, despite our best efforts to eliminate cancer, it's estimated to overcome heart disease as the #1 killer by 2010. This is why Mother Theresa said she wouldn't participate in an anti-war demonstration but would happily join a peace rally.

We know this stuff. And even if everyone else in the world doesn't, we do - and we practice it, right?

Ah, there's the rub. Many of us, myself included, who know inside and out that we will not get "there" by pushing against "here," believe we practice it. Yet in every day moments we often miss opportunities to bring this intellectual understanding to real life.

Here are a few examples of that from my circle of committed peace-lovers and consciousness-raising friends:

• On Facebook a friend commented that if he were granted one wish, it would be that everyone would put down their arms and stop fighting in God's name.

• Another friend shook his head disdainfully at the irresponsibility of the unmarried California mother who recently gave birth to octup­lets although she already has six other children.

• Two coach colleagues were on personal missions to make sure every­one knew the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" was horrifically violent and not worth seeing.

• Every time I see a restaurant using Styrofoam I feel frustrated, which is mild in comparison to what I feel when hearing an even slightly derogatory reference to homosexuals.

If you're like many of us, you might read those examples and find nothing wrong with the reactions and opinions expressed. After all, it is good to know which violent movies to avoid, and Styrofoam is bad for the environment, and it would be best if war, and religious wars, would end.

Which just shows how natural this "opposition" energy can be. However, we know that by seeing something as "wrong" or bad or needing changing in some way, we actually flow energy that enhances the very condition we don't want. What we resist, persists. Wherever our attention goes, that's what we create more of.

So we can't wish for people to stop fighting and expect that will do anything other than add energy to more fighting. That stance is "opposition" energy in itself. It's not evolved or high-consciousness to point to problems, and it certainly doesn't help change them.

In fact, by seeing anything as in need of changing or being different or judging something as "wrong," we counteract our capacity to create change.

Seems contradictory, huh?

It's certainly not in line with our habitual way of thinking - which is that we change something by first recognizing the problem and then taking action against it.

One might argue it's immoral to not take action where we see a "wrong" being committed; that if we don't speak out against Styrofoam or prejudice or genocide we're remiss in our hu­manitarian responsibilities. But the understanding that "energy flows where attention goes" doesn't ask us to be apathetic or to turn a blind eye to the desires we hold for ourselves, our fellow humans and our planet.

Rather, it calls on us to be very deliberate and conscious in our positive actions and responses. Remember, Mother Theresa wasn't unwilling to speak out for peace, she just wouldn't do so against war. Can you feel the energetic difference between berating a Styrofoam-using restaurant owner or organizing a restaurant boycott versus giving the restaurateur information for an Earth-friendly alternative or sharing positive reviews about the restaurant that does use green containers? It's night and day energetically and as a result creates dramatically different results.

In a Salt Lake appearance a few years ago, author Gregg Braden said it's for this very reason that we have more people than ever before praying for peace, and yet we're experiencing more war and violence. It's because when we ask or wish or pray for something to be different, we send a vibrational instruction counter to our desire. Asking for something is like sending a signal that "I don't have it," i.e. it is absent. That vibration can only attract more of the same - which is its absence.

Braden tells the story about his Native American friend who "prays rain" rather than prays for rain when it's time for drought relief in New Mexico. Instead of just asking higher power to please send rain, his friend feels the (imaginary) rain falling on his skin, smells it in the air, tastes it on his tongue, feels it collecting under his toes, etc.

He vibrates what he wants, rather than focusing on what he doesn't want. (And of course, the rains come in abundance.)

It might seem a subtle distinction, but it makes all the difference in the world. By "being the change" rather than just noticing that something should change or praying that it will, feeling it now as if it already happened is what allows the shift.

Step one to further any change we'd like to see is to give up our resistance to what is. To stop seeing it as wrong or bad or something that needs fixing. By doing so we retract our energy from it and are free to direct our attention toward what we do want.

The point is that even though we may intellectually understand the difference between an anti-war protest and a pro-peace rally, we may not be putting that knowledge to practice as well as we might think. When we're in conversation with others or posting to our blogs or attending our activist meetings, it's important to be aware of where we're pointing our conscious attention and to realize that wherever our attention goes, that's what we get more of.

The challenge for most of us (me included) is learning to disengage from the contrary energy that doesn't serve our purposes while still feeling we're making a worthy contribution with our lives. Some would say it's a sign of a base society to not intervene when another suffers. It's important to be clear about two things: 1) we can intervene without engaging negative energy and 2) we have no way of knowing what's best for anyone else.

Recall the Zen story of the man whose only horse turned up missing, which his fellow villagers called a misfortune. The horse then returned along with 12 other wild horses, which the villagers called a blessing. Then the man's son broke his leg while training the horses, which the villagers called a misfortune. But as a result of his injury, the son was not called to war in which many young men died. The ridiculousness of thinking we know what's right or wrong or best or bad can be attested to by any divorcee who has regretted the breakup of a marriage only to later discover even more fulfilling love in life.

We don't know what's in store or what gifts are given or lessons learned by another person through their "negative" experience. Who are we to take that away?

Here's what we do know: our attention is powerful. What we focus on grows. And it's really easy to think we're focusing on the solution when we're actually dialed directly on the problem. Becoming aware of that subtle distinction and purposely moving towards what we want, rather than pushing against what we don't want, allows our highest dreams to come to fruition.

Jeannette Maw is a Law of Attraction coach and founder of Good Vibe Coaching in Salt Lake City. www.goodvibecoach.com

A tarot reading for CATALYST readers.

by Suzanne Wagner

Arthurian Tarot: Castle Pendragon, Arthur's Dream
Mayan Oracle: Cimi, Greater Cycles, Realm Shift
Aleister Crowley: Peace, Science, Abundance, Futility
Medicine Cards: Deer, Weasel
Osho Zen Tarot: Harmony, Suppression, Politics
Healing Earth Tarot: Five of Rainbows, Five of Pipes, Seven of Wands
Ancient Egyptian Tarot: Ace of Swords, Prince of Cups, The Magician
Words of Truth: Boundaries, Density, Dreams

On many levels, a lot is happening this month. Amid extreme opinions and positions regarding who is more wrong, responsible or guilty for the current state of our world, we need to ask ourselves this fundamental question: Are we willing to release the need to find fault and, instead, do whatever is in our power to create meaningful change over the next few years?

That is really the bottom line.

Negative words and attacks do not inspire solutions. We need everyone's ideas and thoughts, not communications that provoke hopelessness.

People usually are doing the very best they can under the circumstances. Their actions, at least at the time, seem to them like a reasonable thing to do.

Change is a constant in the universe. You can either open to it or resist like crazy.

All life learns to adapt to shifting circumstances or becomes extinct. If you are unwilling to change, you begin to die. You can tenaciously hold on to the past, refuse to budge, and make yourself depressed and miserable to be around. But if you are willing to try, open, and expand into something new, you will find energy, renewed enthusiasm and excitement.

Look at change as an opportunity to find new ways to expand and share love and consciousness.

Every great idea that has been worth anything began in the fires of huge resistance and problems. But every dream is an attempt to bring life into better balance and more conscious awareness. Democracy began this way. The Internet began this way. But there were always those who believed in the possibility of making things better for everyone.

So ask yourself: What is your dream? What do you want America to look like in 10 years? Are you willing to make adjustments now for the well-being of future generations?

This is a month, practice trust-not in the government; nor in the economy-but trust that you can find a way through.

Resissting change may be natural, and common. But right now, indulging that natural tendency may not be wise. We now need to find solutions quickly.

The cards do indicate that there will be successful handling of fluctuating fortunes. There will be a need to adjust to unforeseen difficulties and obstacles that require re-evaluating plans. There will also be the need to launch new projects with limited funds at the beginning.

This is a time when poor planning will lead to humiliation. So in your personal life, check and re-check the numbers before you jump into anything. We are in an erratic phase. If you are unable to adapt, you will soon find yourself on the short end of the stick. So stay open. Trust your intuition. Do not hide your head in the sand. Make the necessary changes before those changes are forced upon you.

Dreams can still come true. Find the flow in change by letting go of the past and inviting an improved future. You are alive during an amazing time. You can contribute to the spiritual evolution of humanity through your willingness to assist in the global shift. Will you be dragged kicking and screaming the whole way. or are you willing walk into the future?

Suzanne Wagner is the author of numerous books and CDs on the tarot. She lives in Salt Lake City. suzwagner.com

Day by day in the home, garden, and sky.

by Diane Olson

APRIL 1 Sun rises at 6:12 a.m. today and sets at 6:53 p.m. The average maximum temperature this month is 61° and the average minimum is 37°. It typically snows 7.3 inches along the Wasatch Front.

APRIL 2 FIRST QUARTER MOON. Look for Venus, Mars and Jupiter in the morning sky.

APRIL 3 Any soil amendment-except compost-causes environmental problems when added in excess of what a landscape system can absorb and utilize. Before you add anything, get your soil tested, and then add only what is necessary to correct deficiencies.

APRIL 4 Start uncovering mulched perennial and strawberry beds. Don't fertilize strawberries in the spring, when the leaves are developing. Otherwise you'll get lush growth and a few mushy berries. Wait until blossoms appear.

APRIL 5 Time to plant fruit trees, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. Contrary to old-school rules, a planting hole should be at least twice as wide, but no deeper than the root mass.

APRIL 6 Look for the Moon and Saturn, hanging together at nightfall.

APRIL 7 Time to start squash, pepper, cucumber, melon, tomato and eggplant seedlings indoors.

APRIL 8 Soil should be slightly moist-but not wet-when you work it; otherwise you'll damage its structure.

APRIL 9 FULL SPROUTING GRASS MOON Every gardener knows human manure does not belong in the garden. Pathogens and toxins in human urine, however, are killed and digested within 24 hours of leaving the body. Human urine can provide organic nitrogen for compost teas and activate free nitrogen in the compost pile, according to composting expert David Hall.

APRIL 10 Watch for April showers the next two days. Speedy little Mercury is glittering about 12 degrees above the western horizon just after sunset.

APRIL 11 Are apple blossoms budding? Then it's time to plant arugula, asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cilantro, dill, kohlrabi, lettuce, parsnips, potatoes, peas, radishes, spinach, Swiss chard and turnips. Swiss chard is a beet with no "beet." It is tasty sautéed in oil with garlic and lemon juice, or tossed with pine nuts in hot pasta.

APRIL 12 The origin of Easter is sooo pagan: It falls upon the first Sunday after the first Full Moon following the Vernal Equinox. Know someone with bunnies? Rabbit manure is one of the best fertilizers around.

APRIL 13 Scatter spinach or lettuce seeds around spring bulbs to get extra greens and cover soon-to-be gawky foliage. Plant pansies, snapdragons and other hardy annuals when aspens start leafing out.

APRIL 14 If you need to add iron to your lawn or garden, use Texas greensand. Never, ever use Ironite, which contains arsenic and lead.

APRIL 15 Time to finish pruning summer- and fall-blooming shrubs and deciduous trees, and to plant new ones. Use hydrogen peroxide on wounds on trees, just like you'd use it on yourself.

APRIL 16 Cool film: "The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil." Cubans share how they transitioned from a highly mechanized, industrial agricultural system to one using organic methods of farming and local, urban gardens. Discus­sion to follow. 6 p.m. Day-Riverside Library meeting room. Info: TreeUtah, treeutah@treeutah.org

APRIL 17 LAST QUARTER MOON. Don't mulch seedlings or new plants yet; it keeps the soil from warming up.

APRIL 18 Today is the average last snow day. Goldfinches and meadowlarks are trading their drab winter plumage for gold. House finches, kestrels, mourning doves, robins, sparrows, yellow rumped warblers and wrens are mating and nesting.

APRIL 19 Plants love apple cider vinegar. Use one tablespoon per gallon of water on house plants, and about an ounce per gallon as a foliar spray for outdoor plants.

April 20 Phase out or reduce your lawn by spot planting perennials around the edges and slowly working your way in. Clear at least a foot of space for each plant and mulch heavily. Plant either low-growing ground covers, like ajuga, creeping juniper, or moss pink phlox, or taller perennials such as asters, bee balm, goldenrod, hairy penstemon, black-eyed susan, yarrow and ornamental grasses.

APRIL 21 Time to divide crowded summer-blooming perennials, and to give roses a good (organic) feeding and trim.

APRIL 22 EARTH DAY. Today is the beginning of the Green Generation Campaign, a two-year initiative that will culminate with the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Find out more at www.earthday.net. It's also a busy night in the sky: The Lyrid meteor shower livens things up to the south in the predawn. Earlier, Venus and the Moon get together, with orange Mars hanging below and fat, striped Jupiter hovering in the upper right.

APRIL 23 Start preparing beds for tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, beans, corn, basil and other warm-weather crops. If your soil is healthy, add two or three inches of compost; if it's depleted, four to six inches.

APRIL 24 NEW MOON. ARBOR DAY. www.arborday.org. Plant a tree. Or fertilize the ones you have with a well-balanced slow-release fertilizer. Or kiss a Druid.

APRIL 25 Sunflower seeds have growth-retarding properties, so move birdfeeders around to avoid dead grass or flowers below.

APRIL 26 When planting perennials or annuals, don't add amendments to planting holes; use the native soil, then add amendments as topdressing. Amended planting holes inhibit root exploration into the surrounding soil and disrupt water movement between the soil in the hole and the surrounding environment. Espe­ci­ally, don't add manure, as it can burn the roots. Look for Mercury hovering below the crescent Moon tonight.

APRIL 27 Clove oil can be used as an anesthetic for aquarium fish, or to euthanize them humanely. Research the dose for either.

APRIL 28 To break up hardpan soil, plant lupines or clover; their deep taproots will break through the hardened layers.

APRIL 29 Purple martins and wood thrushes travel more than 300 miles a day on their annual migrations.

APRIL 30 BELTANE/MAY EVE. The Sun rises at 6:26 a.m. this morning and sets at 8:23 p.m. Stop, take a deep breath, and look around: Isn't the world beautiful?

A garden is the best alternative therapy.
- Germaine Greer

Diane Olson is a writer, gardener and bug hugger.

A challenging month calls on us to be as wise as we can be.

by Ralfee Finn

The illusions we've been clinging to are dissolving. And, as so often happens when illusions are destroyed, those of us identified with the façade have no idea how to handle reality. Even if you're willing to admit what we are experiencing is the inevitable consequence of an ideological system gone bad, finding a new solution unsullied by the toxicity of the old one is going to take time. And because our culture is based on an "I want it all and I want it now" state of mind, personal and collective frustration is likely to spill over. Pick your confrontations wisely and do your best to be considerate of your adversary. Remember, the greatest illusion of all is that we are separate.

Three major planetary themes dominate the month.

The first theme is Martian. April opens with a Mars/Saturn opposition, which is exact and separating on April 4. Mars is the principle of movement and likes to push forward. Saturn represents stillness and the need to carefully consider the consequences of action. Oppo­si­tions signify tension. Which means this opposition is sure to manifest as a test of strength over whose interests should be put first, yours or your opponents'. Be aware this opposition could also provoke a test of will - the will of the people vs. the will of the government or the will of the individual vs. the will of the ruling class. It will not be easy to soothe the tensions generated from this opposition, because as Mars pulls away from its opposition to Saturn, it's only a matter of cosmic moments - a week to be precise - that Mars moves into a conjunction with Uranus and the need to be absolutely free overrides Saturn caution.

Still holding strong to its warrior stance, Mars conjuncts Uranus from April 9-23, exact on April 15. This volatile interaction provokes revolution. Expect lots of skirmishes, if not an all-out war, over boundaries and issues of personal power. If you don't have to fight, don't. This conjunction, which produces prodigious amounts of energy, goes into effect immediately following the frustration of Saturn's insistence on control. Everyone is going to want to do his or her own "thing." If you have teenagers, be prepared for acting out. The same goes for adults who have never progressed emotionally past their adolescence. Also anticipate the elderly and babies to be unusually cranky with the need to break free from whatever is perceived as a restraint. The rest of us will be dealing with our own struggle for survival-physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Rather than react, respond. Be conscious. April is one of those moments when it is really important to integrate your wisdom.

Unfortunately, from April 20 onward, a Mars/Pluto square exacerbates tensions, making it difficult to walk the talk of peace-but not impossible. Negative Mars/Pluto interactions are infamous for the desire for power at any cost, a desire that often has a brutal edge. Don't kick the dog or the cat because you can. Don't pick on the children because you can. And don't assault anyone, including yourself, out of frustration. Just keep breathing your way through the tension.

The second major signature is a Venus/Pluto square. Venus is the Goddess of love and beauty. Pluto, despite its demotion to a planetoid, symbolizes the process of death and rebirth. But Pluto is also the principle of obsession as well as compulsion. Squares signify friction. This entire bundle is a powerful pattern for fanatic love that is excessive in expressing its desires. There should be a warning label attached to this interaction. After all, you don't want to get involved in a relationship that's based on mutual obsession, even though it may feel good at first, if that obsession has the potential to turn manic (think "Fatal Attraction") when one or the other of you wants out. Given the bitterness and volatility of other configurations, this Venus/Pluto square could have acrimonious repercussions. Use Venus/Pluto to have fun, for sensual pleasure, and for creative expression, but try not to get lost in behavior you might later regret.

Just as Venus ends her retrograde on April 17, she forms a conjunction with Mars that lasts the rest of month. This is akin to an iron fist in a velvet glove - shiny and smooth, but capable of delivering a powerful and decisive punch.

A Jupiter/Neptune conjunction forms April's third and most complex theme. Complex, because whenever Neptune is involved, layers of meaning are as well. I have a friend who likes to call Neptune the "Destroyer of Illusion." And I agree. Neither as bold as Mars, as dynamic as Uranus, nor as persistent as Pluto, Neptune's methods are subtle. Like the element of water, it wears down resistance and skirts obstacles. It also reveals what's true and what isn't. So don't be surprised if you're feeling exposed. Jupiter is the planet of expansion and when it unites with Neptune, visionaries flourish. But because Jupiter also signifies excess, some of those visions and dreams can lean to the extreme, triggering feelings of disappointment this month.

It would be wise to let this conjunction reveal what isn't real, because at its core lies a deep well of idealism and compassion. We need this well right now. Yes, we need it all the time, but especially now, when so many people need so much help to feel hopeful about what lies ahead. And in the midst of a month that challenges us to discard lip service about compassion and move into active concern for others, the emphasis on idealism is a much welcome resource. Use this energy to be a peacemaker. Mediate, arbitrate, negotiate and do whatever else you can to calm the agitated air of daily life.

Visit Ralfee's website at www.aquariumage.com or email her at ralfee@aquariumage.com.

Aries March 21-April l9
Yes, it is a lot of work, and yes, again, you have to do most of it yourself. But that's okay, because along with the workload are plenty of opportunities to be recognized and appreciated for your contribution.
Taurus April 20-May 20
I'm not suggesting you relax completely, but it wouldn't hurt to take minute to congratulate yourself on what you have accomp­lished. But just a moment or two, because there is plenty more work to be done.
Gemini May 21-June 21
A new attitude toward associates generates a need for networking. Share information, and also be aware that connecting with others through convivial interactions also nourishes the soul.
Cancer June 22-July 22
The situation doesn't have to degenerate into a stand off. Even if hurtful words were said, let them fall away, and instead of anger and resentment, do whatever you can to quiet your heart.
Leo July 23-August 22
Yes, money is keepin' it real, but it's not a big enough issue to impede your creativity. Channel bent up emotions into creative activities, and you'll maintain your equilibrium.
Virgo August 23-September 22
Try not to let tension with significant others turn into full-fledged battles. While you may have authentic differences, that doesn't mean you can't find the solid ground of compromise where everyone wins.
Libra September 23-October 22
The tension is real, but so is the remedy. All that's required is a change of mind. I know that sounds simplistic, but a small amount of concentrated effort is all that is needed to turn the situation around.
Scorpio Oct 23-Nov 21
If all you want to do is hunker down at home, I second that emotion. Honor your intuition about how your time will be best spent, and you'll be pleased with how good you feel.
Sagittarius Nov 22-Dec 21
Rather than stew in your juices, commiserate about your situation with friends. You'll not only find comfort in company. You'll also likely to find laughter.
Capricorn Dec 22-Jan 19
Life plays out on a dual screen: One screen tells the tale of disturbing conversations with friends, while the other reveals a story of love. The secret is figuring out how to handle the contrast and maintain your equilibrium.
Aquarius Jan 20-Feb 18
Read your counterpoint, Leo, and add this: A truly magnanimous heart knows no limitation. Be generous and that bighearted energy will return to you in a variety of ways.
Pisces February 19-March 20
Real, tangible, personal possibilities for prosperity could soften the edges on tense interactions with friends and family. Focus your attention on making the most of these opportunities and the overall tension will lighten.

© 2009 by Ralfee Finn