December 2017
On the Cover
Expand, Spirituality & Mysticism
Honoring the Elements
Meditation on a home altar. As the bright days of summer fade to soggy, gauzy grey, I wrap my sweater close for warmth and desire to be safely home before early darkness falls. Wit …
Live, Outdoor
Aging Gracefully: Lessons in Courage
Sometimes the saying is true: We teach what we most need to learn. I’ve taken ski lessons since the age of seven, and have always hated them. I’ve been led down chutes, over precip …
Social Justice
DACA: Where Is Home?
Three young Utah Dreamers contemplate their future. Brenda Marquez (not her real name) is an 18-year-old student majoring in Communication Studies at the University of Utah. She gr …
Heal
Cold and Flu? Here’s What To Do
How to prevent (or cope with) a cold or the flu. I used to think it was inevitable that I would fall ill when my daughter caught cold or flu—not because I catch bacteria or viruses …
Garden, Home, Nature
The Urban Almanac: December 2017
A monthly compendium of random wisdom for the natural world and beyond. DEC 1 Sunrise. 7:32am. Sunset 5pm. In Salt Lake City, December is the cloudiest month of the year, with only …
Intuitive Arts
Metaphors for the Month: December 2017
Take a breath and know that nothing is going to go according to plan. So, you might as well relax. Osho Zen Tarot: Intensity, Thunderbolt, The Source Medicine Cards: Otter Mayan Or …
Expand
Constantly Expanding, Unfathomably Small
Intersections of science, art and faith. So much of mankind’s history is defined by the scientific discoveries, artistic creations and sacred traditions of faith that have nurtured …
Community
Past and Present Collide at Warm Springs
In its heyday, the scarred landscape of Salt Lake City’s Beck St. area was a site of physical and spiritual healing. No one dreams of this place anymore,” the city employee told me …
Environmental Politics, Transportation
VW Deception Redux (and Come-Uppance)
Thanks to an allocation of about $35 million from the Volkswagen Settlement, Utah has a unique opportunity to replace some old dirty diesel equipment with new, cleaner models. You …
Environmental Politics
Environews: December 2017
Environmental news from around the state and the West. The more we examine the special properties of the quaking aspen, the greater our fascination with the beauty, complexity, and …
Slightly Off Center: Death and Taxes.
The curse and blessing of living six decades and having serviceable memory skills is that you notice patterns in everything. That and clichés become more irritating. “Death and tax …
Environmental Politics, Nature, Outdoor
Can We Save Pando?
Pando, the Earth’s largest known living organism by mass, is dying for lack of large predators in the ecosystem. Pando, an exceptionally beautiful male quaking aspen clone, is loca …
Community, Garden, Local Harvest
Briefly Noted: Winter Market at Rio Grande
You may be surprised at what edibles grow in Northern Utah in the winter. Salt Lake City’s Winder Market offers grass-fed, organic locally raised meats. There are eggs like you’ve …
Connect, Entertainment
Briefly Noted: RadioActive on KRCL 90.9FM
Last month CATALYST was a guest on KRCL’s RadioActive, a show for grassroots activists and community builders, weeknights at 6, hosted by Lara Jones and associates. This is the bes …
Community
The Bee moves to Metro Music Hall
This month marks three years since The Bee: True Stories from the Hive began gathering community for “lovingly competitive” (& occasionally curated) storytelling in Salt Lake C …
Beverages
Postum: for everyone
Who doesn’t like a warm drink in winter? Postum, the simple and healthful beverage made from roasted wheat bran, wheat and molasses, was marketed in 1895 by C.W. Post, whose cereal …
