New Moon Fever 

I don't attribute much of human behavior to the far-out celestial bodies in our solar system. Credit that to a rebellious streak I'm employing against my now-deceased parents who met in the 1970s in a transcendental "community" that was somewhat active in that archetyping. I don't worry about which planet is in retrograde. I do, however, find an obvious relationship between humanity's actions and the sun and the moon, the former being responsible for nurturing life on earth in a frozen vacuum, and the latter leaning hard enough on us to shift our oceans and brighten our nights. As a habitual night walker — no, nothing supernatural, just a guy who likes to go walking at night — I tend to find the new moon time the hardest. Not only because of the absoluteness of the dark (which can become a real navigational problem around my neighborhood's garbage collection days), but because everything seems so much colder and more haunted. I miss my friend in the sky and wonder if because of some unseen, looming catastrophe, I have seen my last of her light. We give up peekaboo as infants when we discover object permanence, but I've never quite given it up regarding the missing moon. The absence reaches in and pulls on the deep central truth of the mortal experience: Everything has an ending. Or does it? Maybe the moon's cycle is telling me something much more profound about the nature of return, and maybe I'm not such a great rebel to the transmigration of being, hinted at by the spiritual interests of my parents before they were my parents. And now, continuing after.

Winter is returning but so is the moonlight. Have a nice week.

Thursday

The Sanctuary continues its Cozy Classicals series of a meal and live music combo this evening. Tonight's tunes will be provided by flutist Jill Petricca, along with her quintet of fellow air benders named Wind Energy. The times and cost differ depending on your preferred experience, so here's the rundown: At 6 p.m. in the dining room, there will be a soup and salad dinner for those who want the whole experience. If it's just the concert you're interested in, then 7 p.m. is your start time, but try to get settled a little earlier. The sliding scale pricing runs from $20-$50, with tickets available on the Sanctuary's website. Bon appétit.

Friday

Hot on the heels of the Hip Hop Humboldt Holiday hoedown earlier this month comes another group cypher with a lot of the same names on the marquee. This one's at Humbrews and it comes in two stages, so listen up. 6-9 p.m. is the free all-ages Fatbol cypher. After 9:30 p.m., however, it's $10 a head and 21 and over. The presiding DJs tonight are Goldylocks and Chill Will, and some of the rappers include Nac One, Cam Iz Dope, Kemistree, King Richard, Flo J Simpson, (my middle brother) ruffIAN and many more. This one should be fun and bring the bounce. If you're looking for a little different kind of dance party, the Miniplex is hosting a Halloween on Christmas version of its popular Emo Night, with J.D.Garza joining DJs Immolate and Jeezyrogue. The fun starts at 9 p.m. for $10 at the door, but only $5 if you are wearing a costume, so bear that in mind.

Saturday

Two shows tonight because things thin out a bit later on in the column, so I'm packing more options on the weekend. However, these are a toss up, happening at roughly the same time in two different cities, so you gotta pick one. At 6:30 p.m. at the Arcata Theatre Lounge, it's Humboldt Surfrider's fifth anniversary Black and White Ocean night, with a holiday raffle, photo booth, refreshments and entertainment by ska-sters Checkered Past, cumbia group Makenu and others. Free. Over at the Eureka Veterans Hall (downstairs, to be specific) it's a night of loud and heavy music, with Crescent City post-hardcore act Saint Sophie, local punk band Brain Dead Rejects, post-grunge noise duo Image Pit and the live debut of a new group called Pit Junkies. This all-ages show (bring I.D. to drink) starts at 7 p.m. and costs $7. Viva.

Sunday

The community has come together to help the struggling Dell'Arte school in Blue Lake and you can get involved today. Starting at 4:30 p.m. at the Carlo Theatre, there will be a fundraising event including hors d'oeuvres, a silent auction, a sitdown meal and a performance by the Dell'Arte Players. Food will be provided by Brett Shuler Catering and pricing goes from $100 single tickets to $450 for a table of five.

Monday

Nothing doing tonight, so cozy up in your preferred way and enjoy a few of your favorite things.

Tuesday

We're making up for two ghost days this week with yet another double-booked night of fun. First up at 7 p.m., Huckleberry Flint is putting on its popular Winter/Christmas show at the Arkley Center for the Performing Arts. As in seasons past, this one is at a very real risk of selling out, so if you want to be in that number, hit up the venue's website for tickets ASAP. The pricing goes as follows: $25-$35 general admission, $18 for children under 12.

An hour later in Blue Lake, the Logger Bar is unfortunately not hosting Barn Fire tonight, but everyone has made more than good on that honky tonk cancelation by scaring up a trio of talent. The aforementioned band's head honcho Turtle Goodwater will be picking and singing with Ruby Ruth George and Mike Frazier. This is going to be a good time and there's no cover at the door, so no excuse not to tip your bartenders and musicians.

Wednesday

Another silent night. However, it is the eve of the Winter Solstice, so a little general reflection in the cool darkness of the night might be healthy for the human mind.

Collin Yeo (he/him) is available to serve as a cautionary tale for anyone visited by holiday spirits or a guardian angel. Look, folks, it can always be worse! He lives in Arcata.