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- The Joy List: December 15
The Joy List: December 15
Hi there, my winter wonderland of readers!
We don’t have a New Yorker of the Week today— submit here if you want to be next.
Now, onto the goodness:
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Gatherings
Double check details before you go, and contact the organizers with questions! The Joy List does not run these events.
Monday. December 15: House Party: Unlocking Your Birth Chart Through the Houses
Join astrology collective Funkoven at Flower Cat NYC for an introductory workshop about the 12 Houses of the astrological wheel and how they are the vital (and often overlooked) element to applying the astrology of the sky to the astrology of your life.
The Houses of Astrology are a gateway for a more expansive understanding of the birth chart. We will take a trip through each of the houses, help you identify the parts of your life that are lit up by the current and upcoming astrology of the sky and give you a few tricks to up your cosmic-conversational skills. Bring a notebook, your birth chart and a pen, we'll provide the rest.
$15-$45 Sliding Scale. 7PM- 9PM. 162 Noble St. Info here.
Tuesday, December 16: Contact Improvisation Dance Beginner Class
Contact Improvisation (CI) is a fun non-gendered partner dance form and this class, co-taught by Gabrielle Revlock and Ryan Yamauchi, will cover some of the basics to start you on your lifelong CI dance journey. The technique focuses on giving and supporting weight, and coordinating with gravity and momentum, to create spontaneous relational dances. It is both a come-as-you-are practice (meaning anyone can join) and a skill-based practice (why people keep coming back and getting stronger). Come to improve your body awareness, learn to listen through the skin, and make new friends!
$20. 6:30-8:30pm. 100 Grand St., 2nd Floor, 10013. Info here.
Tuesday, December 16: Collage Party: Holiday Card Crafting
Footlight Presents: The monthly Collage Party:Holiday card crafting editionMake your own holiday cards!Supplies included, Photo copies available!
$15, 7-10PM 552 Grandview Ave, Ridgewood. Info here.
Wednesday, December 17: Underbelly: The Art of Slowing Down
Underbelly: The Art of Slowing Down® is a non-verbal somatic experience (through rest and embodied movement) where we reclaim our slow in a fast and overwhelming world. The human nervous system evolved from a world of relative stillness with slow-paced change and intimacy within small tribes and today, we are bombarded with more information in a single day than our ancestors encountered in a lifetime. This affects our ability to listen, digest, recover, receive, connect, heal and thrive across all dimensions of life. Join us for a slow, spacious, and regulating practice where we can come down from all the pushing and prescribing and safely rest in our unstructured being without constant intrusion. Live music with Dan Gorelick!
$25. 7-9:30PM. 68 Jay St. #605A. Info here.
Thursday, December 18: Ecological Identity & Mental Health
Join us for Ecological Identity & Mental Health, a winter solstice gathering exploring our connection with Nature and what supports resilience in challenging times. Through community building, embodied practices, live music by Andrew Drury, and collective visioning, we will process eco-emotions and deepen our sense of ecological identity. Presentations and guidance come from Thomas Doherty, climate psychologist, Anya Kamenetz, author and climate mental health advocate, and Maia Kiley, psychotherapist and ecotherapist.
$30 6-8 pm, Shapeshifter Lab 837 Union St. Brooklyn 11215. Info here.
Friday, December 19: Make 2026 Your Breakthrough Year!
Not another planning workshop.This is a morning working session over breakfast where you set clear personal and professional goals for 2026, break them into actionable steps, and pressure-test your thinking alongside founders, community builders, and operators across industries.We’ll reconnect with your mission, vision, and values, reflect honestly on what worked and didn’t in 2025, then define your real priorities and translate them into a Q1 plan and roadmap. You’’ll leave with breakfast, coffee, and materials covered, plus a 2026 roadmap you will actually use and a community that helps you follow through.
$25 with discount code JOYLIST. 9AM - 12 PM, Fabrik (12-16 Vestry Street). Info here.
Sunday, December 21: Kinky Carnival
Step into a Holiday Kinky Carnival: a maze of absurdly sexy stations and gloriously unhinged games. Explore erotic challenges, BDSM Twister, erotic chocolate, tarot readings, vendors with sexy treats, Cuddle Corner, connection games, and more surprises throughout the night.
Expect playful guided games run by sex educator Niki Davis-Fainbloom—designed to tease, shock, and spark instant chemistry and giggles—with sexy prizes from Babeland.First glass of wine and light snacks included; BYOB welcome.
$30 6pm 120 Walker Street. Info here.
A third space for New Yorkers built around the liberal arts, social gatherings, and a shared desire to live with curiosity
The Olio Lighthouse is a third space built around open-hearted, open-minded New Yorkers who value connection, learning, and self-reflection. Members enjoy a place to work and focus during the day, and social gatherings for lifelong learners in the evening. Nestled in Prospect Heights, days include dance breaks, chit-chatting by the wood stove, and gatherings that leave us feeling inspired and connected. December is free if you join now. Check it.
Note from Jillian: I’ve been to this space, and can attest that it’s A LOVELY vibe.
That's it for this edition. Sending hugs.