MINNEAPOLIS -- Dr. Marilyn Zwaig Rossner, Ph.D., an internationally acclaimed medium and gifted teacher, will present a demonstration of clairvoyance and a workshop on how to channel spirit on February 4-5 at Lake Harriet Spiritual Community, 44th and Upton Ave. S., in Minneapolis.

The events are sponsored by Lake Harriet Spiritual Community and the International Institute of Integral Human Sciences (IIIHS Montreal).

At 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 4, Dr. Rossner will perform a public demonstration initiating individual and world predictions. Hosted by Rev. Michael C. Underwood, the event is $15.

A Clairvoyance and Learning to Channel Spirit workshop will be presented at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5. Dr. Rossner will challenge participants to explore the essence of the human experience. It will provide opportunities for the beginner and advanced intuitive to explore and enhance psychic and channel abilities, and to look at a variety of topics including death and dying, spirit guides, spirit phenomena, and spirit communication techniques. The workshop cost is $30.

Individual readings and consultations with Marilyn can be reserved from Feb. 3-7. To pre-register or to book a reading call Michael Underwood at (952) 887-1736.

Catholic Bishop Thomas Gumbleton to Speak on Peace, Patriotism and Non-Violence

MINNEAPOLIS -- A group of Catholic leaders recently issued a statement declaring Washington's "War on Terrorism" morally unjustifiable and calling for new teaching to replace the centuries-oId Catholic teaching that justifies war.

At the forefront of this group is Thomas Gumbleton, auxiliary bishop of Detroit, Mich. Bishop Gumbleton will speak at two events in the Twin Cities in February. "Peace, Patriotism and Nonviolence: Another Way to Confront Terrorism" will be the topic of the bishop's address at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6, at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. The following day, the bishop will lead a daylong retreat at St. Mary's entitled "Nonviolence. The Way of Jesus."

Bishop Gumbleton, the former president of Bread for the World and Pax Christi USA, has been awarded numerous peace awards and honorary degrees, and has traveled to Iraq, Columbia and El Salvador. He recently was one of four bishops to vote against the U.S. Catholic bishops' support of the so-called "War on Terrorism." In urging his fellow bishops to abandon their traditional approach to assessing war, Bishop Gumbleton recommended that the bishops replace Just War theology with the nonviolence practiced by their faith forebears in the first four centuries of Christendom.

Of the four bishops to vote against supporting the war, only Bishop Gumbleton joined with more than 70 other Catholic leaders, many of whom represent organizations, including religious orders, in issuing the December 19 statement declaring the war morally unjustifiable.

The statement urges that the Just War doctrine be overturned by a "witness of justice and peace" rooted in "dialogue that takes seriously the gospel challenge of Jesus who calls peacemakers blessed, who calls us to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors, [and] who reminds us that forgiveness is at the heart of faith."

Gumbleton said he would "look to the gospels" and Jesus' "rejection of all violence" as the model that should be followed, Active nonviolence, the bishop argued, "is a form of defense, just not a violent form."

Bishop Gumbleton's visit to the Twin Cities is sponsored by the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches, the Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers, the Office for Social Justice-Archdiocese of St Paul and Minneapolis, and the St. Paul Area Council of Churches. For further information or to register for the February 7 retreat, contact the Bishop Gumbleton Committee at (612) 317-3578.

New avenues in business

MINNEAPOLIS -- All leaders in all organizations that are vitally interested in new directions, new thinking, about developing solutions for societal change and conversation about the critical issues of our times are invited to "an Essential Conversation with Margaret Wheatley" from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8, in Opus Hall at the University of St. Thomas, 1000 LaSalle Ave., Minneapolis.

The event will begin with registration and a reception from 5:15 to 6 p.m.

Margaret Wheatley, Ed.D., is president of The Berkana Institute and author of Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future.

"I believe we can change the world if we start talking to one another again," she says. With this simple declaration, Wheatley proposes that we use the increasingly popular process of conversation and dialogue as the means to develop solutions for the societal changes that need to occur both locally and globally. A portion of the evening will be spent in conversation groups, reacting to her remarks and sharing perspectives on critical issues.

Registration is $35, with reduced costs for students, educators, non-profits and Thought Leader members. The event is presented by Heartland Institute and the Management Center at the University of St. Thomas. Other co-sponsors include the Continuum Center, Business for Social Responsibility, Thoughtcasting.com and Pax Christi.

For more information, go to www.margaretwheatley.com. For registration, call (952) 925-5995 or e-mail patricia@heartlandinstitute.com

Lake Harriet vortex

MINNEAPOLIS -- Michele Mayama and Chris LaFontaine will return to Lake Harriet Spiritual Community on Sunday, Feb. 17, to conduct a special service. Michele and Chris will participate in the 9 a.m. Toning and Meditation Service, which will focus on the energy vortex in the sanctuary.

Chris will discuss the nature of the vortex, its history and how it can be utilized. Michele will then lead the group through the process of opening the vortex and accessing its energies for group intention setting.

In the early '90s, the vortex at Lake Harriet was well publicized. It is formed by the intersection of three ley lines (energy meridians) and was initiated for use by the plan of God for Earth by a bolt of lightning in September 1992. Perhaps no one was more involved in working with it than Michele and Chris.

Lake Harriet Spiritual Community is located at 4401 Upton Ave S. in Minneapolis. For more information, call (612) 922-4272.

The Nightingale

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Nightingale, the beloved Hans Christian Andersen tale of a simple bird and a beautiful song, will open at In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre February 1 and run on weekends through February 24.

This adult adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's famous legend is also about an emperor's search for his soul and battIe with death. It is a parable for our time, a tale of haunting beauty, which utilizes dance and colorful puppet imagery to bring this story to life in a visually imaginative style.

The Hans Christian Andersen story is about a simple nightingale, which is invited to sing in the emperor's palace after he discovers the beauty of her song. He is so taken with her that he keeps her in a beautiful gilded cage. When the emperor is later presented with a spectacular bejeweled mechanical bird, he no longer is impressed with the nightingale and she flees the palace. Only when the mechanical creature breaks down and the emperor is on his deathbed does he yearn for the nightingale. She returns to comfort him and resurrects him from the shroud of death.

This version of The Nightingale is conceived and designed by Heart of the Beast's artistic director Sandy Spieler and is adapted and directed by Martha Boesing, a veteran director well known in the alternative theater community. The two were searching for a project on which they could collaborate when they came upon The Nightingale. "Martha and I chose this story, because it rang true for both of us," said Spieler. "The inner beauty of the soul is at the essence of story, and this concept frequently gets lost in our materialistic world, even though we try hard to hold on to it."

Boesing is best known as the founder and artistic director of At the Foot of the Mountain, the longest-running professional women's theater in the country from l974 to 1984. She has written more than 40 plays and has directed productions for The Minnesota Opera Company, Heart of the Beast and Illusion Theatre in Minneapolis, Actors Theatre (St. Paul), the Academy Theater (Atlanta) and Northlight Theater (Chicago).

This production of The Nightingale is supported by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The play is recommended for adult audiences due to partial nudity.

Performances for The Nightingale are at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $17 for adults and $12 for students, seniors and groups of 10 or more. In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre is located at 1500 E. Lake St., Minneapolis. To order tickets, call the box office at (612) 721-2535 or order online at www.hobt.org.

Body, Mind, Life Expo

MINNEAPOLIS -- The second annual Body, Mind, Life Expo, appearing March 22-23 at International Market Square in Minneapolis, will feature a vast array of information to help people explore their wellness options and re-energize their busy lives.

Those who attend will take home ideas and information to lead an easier, more balanced life. All areas of health care will be addressed -- natural, traditional, alternative and preventative. Everyone from physicians, personal coaches, organizers and time-management experts will be on hand to offer advice on how to make our everyday lives smoother and more fulfilling.

An estimated 200 exhibitors will offer unique products, services and information, and non-stop speaker presentations, demonstrations and entertainment will be presented on two stages.

For more information, go to www.101expos.com or call the 24-hour Expo hotline at (952) 953-1130.

WE Conference

ST. PAUL -- The Spring Conference of WE International, which explores the "Walk-In" experience and our shifting consciousness, will take place April 25-28 at the Emerald Springs Holiday Inn in Las Vegas. The event, entitled "Uniting in the Light," is open to all those who feel called to join in oneness to anchor the energies of the "New Earth."

The keynote speaker will be noted author and speaker Dannion Brinkley, who wrote about his near-death experience in Saved by the light, which later became the subject of a motion picture by the same name. A few years later, a second near-death experience reunited him with his angelic teachers, who revealed that he was to use his psychic gifts to help the dying. His book, At Peace in the Light, soon followed. His newest book, Jewels for the Soul, is scheduled for release early this year.

Registration by March 1 for WE (Walk-ins for Evolution) members is $144, for non-members $164. Registration after March 1 is $174 for WE members and $194 for non-members. To register or for more information, contact Bonny at (651) 772-0847 or e-mail Bonny1111@aol.com

Enchanted Rock Garden move

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Enchanted Rock Garden, the largest rock shop in the Twin Cities, has relocated to 6445 Lyndale Ave. S. from its prior location at 50th and Penn in Minneapolis.

The new location provides the shop a much larger display area, more than twice what had been available. The public is invited to visit the store for the unveiling of hundreds of new specimens from the Tucson Show, the largest mineral and fossil show in the world.

The new phone number of Enchanted Rock Garden is (612) 866-1140.

Psychologically healthy workplaces

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Psychological Association (MPA) is now accepting applications for the Psychologically Healthy Workplace (PHW) Award. This award publicly recognizes companies and organization that actively promote the psychological well-being of their employees. This award acknowledges the commitment and extra effort required to create and sustain a corporate culture that is humane and fosters work/personal life balance.

Our sense of safety has been shaken since the terrorist attacks, and many Americans have clearly been experiencing significantly increased levels of stress. Because innocent people were targeted in their workplace, many Americans feel particularly vulnerable in their place of employment. Now, more than ever, employers need to be concerned about the psychological well-being of their employees.

Healthy workers enhance productivity and thereby contribute to our national goal of a vital and robust economy. The award highlights direct links between a healthy work environment, employee satisfaction, productivity and profitability. A growing body of research suggests that when employees perceive that their employer is concerned about their welfare and provides programs that promote their emotional well-being, it improves the bottom-line.

The PHW Award is offered in three categories:

-- Organizations with more than 1,000 employees

-- Organizations with less than 1,000 employees

-- Non-Profit organizations of any size.

Applications are due by Feb. 2. To obtain an application, or for more information visit MPA's website at www.mnpsych.org or contact Dr. Gary Fischler, the award committee chairman, at glfischler@psycheval.com or (612) 333-3825.