news briefs
Earth Mother Gaia Statues at Mama Bessie’s Place
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ama Bessie’s Place, in Charlotte, has restocked its Earth Mother, Gaia, statues. The piece, designed by sculptor Oberon Zell which includes representations of the evolution of life in the seas and on the land plus the sacred trees of the Celtic tree calendar on her body, can be a highly suitable way to celebrate Earth Day, April 22. The brochure written by Zell that comes with the statue states in part, “Of Earth I sing, eldest of all and Mother of the Gods… So begins the Homeric Hymn to Gaia, the Earth Mother, Gaia (O Gaea) is the name given by the ancient Greeks to the primordial planetary goddess worshipped by humanity since the dawn of the Stone Age. An even more ancient form of Her name, Ge, is the Root of the names of the Earth sciences, Geology and Geography.” It also reads, “No matter what language you speak, no matter where on Earth you come from, you can hold Gaia in your hands and hear Her Message. If you live with Her in your home, workplace, school or place of worship, She will Speak to you, too.” Zell’s hope is that the piece will inspire us to consider what role we’d like to play in securing Gaia’s future. Location: 3010 Monroe Rd., Ste. 104. For more information, call 704-632-9911 or email MamaBessiesPlace@yahoo.com. See ad, page 17.
Learn All Things Bees at Gastonia Farmers Market Event
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earn the key roles that honeybees and all other pollinators play in maintaining nature and our environment, enjoy a taste of what their function yields and much more at Beetopia from 8 a.m. to noon on May 21 at the Gastonia Farmers Market. Representatives of area garden, environmental and bee clubs will inform in special classes on bees and the efforts being made by the city to be good stewards of the land, and attendees can also enjoy world-class Gaston County honey. There’ll also be a wide variety of crafts and other family-friendly activities. The city of Gastonia is officially the 74th Bee City USA affiliate in the nation. Gastonia City Council adopted the Bee City USA Resolution on September 4, 2018. Beetopia was created by Keep Gastonia Beautiful as a family-friendly event to educate, entertain and inform citizens on the importance of pollinators and plants. Location: 410 E. Long Ave., Gastonia, NC. For more information, call 704-869-1008, or follow Keep Gastonia Beautiful on Facebook.
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Charlotte Edition
AwakeningCharlotte.com
Charlotte Sustainability Awards Return for Tenth Edition
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ustain Charlotte’s tenth annual Charlotte Sustainability Awards presented by Duke Energy, will take place beginning at 6 p.m. on April 22, Earth Day, at the Extravaganza Depot, in Charlotte. For the past decade, Sustain Charlotte has lifted up and honored our region’s smart growth and sustainability leaders through this annual dinner, fundraiser and networking event. Approximately 300 attendees from nonprofits, businesses and local government will come together for a night of celebration, networking and inspiration. All proceeds from these awards help Sustain Charlotte further their mission to inspire choices that lead to healthy, equitable and vibrant communities across the Charlotte metro region for generations to come. Tickets: $105 each or $750 for a table of eight. Location: 1610 N. Tryon St. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.SustainCharlotte.org/awards or www.Tinyurl.com/CLTSustainability2022Tickets.
Blue Unicorn Mountain Retreat Opens in Hillsville, Virginia
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he Blue Unicorn Mountain Retreat, a unique meditation and yoga studio offering regular yoga and meditation classes as well as weekend Pranic Healing courses, will open on April 14 at 152 North Main Street, in Hillsville, Virginia. They will offer Pranic Healing Level 1, Advanced Pranic Healing and Pranic Psychotherapy plus a wide variety of workshops and events such as herbology, meditation retreats, chanting, drumming, sound healing, crystal healing and private energy healing sessions. Visiting the new studio with its eclectic offerings in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia will reduce stress, lead to finding our inner guru and strengthen health and spiritual practices. Level 1 and Advanced Pranic Healing are available for CE hours for massage therapy and social work. Connie Williams, M.Ed., Certified Pranic Healer and Senior Instructor, Sivananda Certified Yoga and Meditation Instructor and Certified Spiritual Life Coach; and Dr. Kenneth Williams, Certified Pranic Psychotherapist, Certified Senior Pranic Healing Instructor and Chiropractic Physician; both studied directly with the founder of Pranic Healing, Master Choa Kok Sui and both have 20-plus years of experience teaching and practicing Pranic Healing. For more information, call 850-380-0561, email BlueUnicornRetreat@gmail.com or visit www.BlueUnicorn.PlanetaryPeace.com. See ad, page 13.
