Sky in my Soul

The morning was unusual in several ways: I was up before sunrise and the sky was clear. Walking down the driveway and across the road to get the paper, I could not help but notice the bright glitter of stars above. Orion, the Big Dipper, and other constellations were still clearly visible, as was the brilliant "Goat Star", Capella, to the west. Where we live, in western Washington State, this is a bit unusual as our skies are so often overcast, day or night. In late October, they nearly always are.

Once again, the sky stole my heart. Born and raised in Montana, perhaps that is to be expected, for in that vast land of the "Big Sky", it is impossible to ignore. My earliest memories include sky events - gazing up into the endless blue of summer to find myriad shapes among the huge, white, puffy clouds; staring in awe at the raw power of jagged strikes of lightening against a the ominous blue-black; mindfully watching for an approaching storm as wind-blown shreds of umber scudded across a darkening sky. Whenever we traveled, driving out of town on infrequent trips across miles of uncluttered country, the sky - huge, brilliant, and domineering - formed the backdrop to 360 degrees of spectacular landscape. How could one not be influenced?

I have always been a sensitive, perceptive person who feels close to the natural world. Certainly the time and place of my growing-up years was a large influence, but I've found this to be true wherever I've been in this life. I've always known of my affinity for the sky, but it has only been in recent years that I considered the reasons.

How, for example, would one describe the sky to someone who had never seen it? This is when I, yet again, am reminded of just how important words and language are, for we rely on them so much to convey our thoughts, feelings, observations, and experiences. Although there truly is no substitution for experiencing something, pictures and words are the next best thing. Sometimes we are left with only words.

The sky is like a gigantic bowl turned upside-down and placed over your head. Wherever you turn, and look, above a certain level, there it is. It is always there - timeless, endless, expanding out in every direction as far as you can see, farther than you can ever imagine. It forms an immense backdrop against everything else you see and affects your perception of those things.

The sky is never static, but changes constantly - with the hour, the day, the season. It has a light and a dark time, from dazzling, warm colors, to cold, frigid black. Although we might think we merely see it, it can be heard, smelled, and sensed in myriad ways. It has its moods and modes and influences us in ways we can barely comprehend. Love it, hate it, or ignore it - it is always there and has been since the dawn of time. Imagine life without it...

My soul - that immeasurable essence surrounding, flowing through me - is also expansive, endless, ever-changing, arousing my emotions and sentiments. It has a dark and light side, is breath-taking, ominous, and forms the backdrop of all else in my life. It is the spiritual or moral force that guides me and can be difficult to describe. To put it simply - I have Sky in my Soul.

Marketing/Marking the Seasons

"Well, they've done it again - here we go..." I muttered, perusing the aisles at one of the local chain stores. I'd come shortly after Christmas to check out the bargains for next year's holiday and indeed found them, but there was more. MUCH more - like rows and rows of items for Valentine's Day, St Patrick's Day, and even a few for Easter discreetly (?) squeezed in among the others. My senses were confronted with "seasonal decorations". It reminded me of the new school supplies hitting the shelves just as summer break began for the kiddos and the Halloween decorations following not long after. Really, for me it's become too, too much!

Made me think, though - is this how most of us follow the seasons anymore? Being accosted day after day, month after month, year-round by the not-so-subtle advertising of large conglomerate businesses? I hate to think so, but I do believe there's a grain of truth here. How do YOU first notice that spring is out there lurking in the not-too-distant future? Warmer temperatures? Swelling buds on the trees? The rotation of constellations, phases of the moon, height of the tides? Or is it the TV commercial reminding you that your Valentine deserves that special gift? How else are the seasons to be noticed and marked?

Most of us are aware we have a bit more hours of light each day, but have you noticed that the sun appears to also be moving further and further north in the sky? Have you observed the night sky recently to find the North Star (Polaris) and note the rotation and re-positioning of those constellations that surround it? How about the moon - are you aware of which phase it is in and how that changes month to month? Extreme high tides occur naturally when the sun’s and moon’s gravitational pulls reinforce one another. These high tides, sometimes called “king tides”, occur this year in January and February. When they happen to coincide with heavy rainfall, serious flooding can result. Were you aware of those tides, what causes them, and more importantly, were the children and/or grandchildren in your life?

Seasons affect us in many ways, some of which we may not even be aware of. Seasons change here on earth, not because of some holiday or event we celebrate or the colors we wear, but due to phenomenal forces and processes not completely within our understanding. In the time between our ancient ancestors first noticing the paths of orbs across the sky and today's incredible orbiting telescopes which capture images light years away, much has been learned about the universe. But much remains to be learned, if indeed it ever will be. One thing is clear: there is a rhyme and a reason to it all with all actions resulting in reactions in an ever-widening sphere of time and space. The mere fact that we don't understand it all does not mean it is not so.

 

NASA, ESA,

T. Megeath (University of Toledo) and M. Robberto (STScI)

All this makes me feel very small, insignificant, and humble beyond belief. More insignificant, still, are those rows and rows of seasonal decorations...Just give me the sun, moon and stars.

And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth ." And it was so. God made two great lights - the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars... And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:14-16, 18

*For more fantastic photos and information
on the Hubble Space Telescope:
http://hubblesite.org/

Following Stars

The Milky Way

 On that quiet evening, with no wind or gentle lapping of waves along the lake shore, only occasional crackling from the embers of our dying fire disturbed the night. Above, a billion points of light sparkled against black velvet sky. With hushed voices, we shared what we knew of planets and stars; a few we could even find and point out. We found the constellations revolving around Polaris, the North Star: The Big and Little Dippers, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, and Draco. In another part of the sky there was Orion, the mighty hunter, and the glowing, hazy, stream of the Milky Way. Someone saw the streak of a meteor. A steadily moving light must be an airplane - or was it a satellite? Hours passed and no one cared; tranquility settled upon us.

            The Big Dipper (Ursa Major) 
Long ago, when people lived close to the land and knew it much better than we do, they knew the night sky. Without glaring lights from cities and traveling vehicles, the moon and brilliant stars were hard to ignore. With small, crowded homes, people gathered outdoors on temperate evenings to visit and tell stories. With minds uncluttered by our modern technological distractions, they would gaze at, study, and discuss the heavens. Their lives revolved around the seasons and the stars helped to indicate those. If they were travelers, day or night, the sky helped them plot their course.

                                                                    Orion

Magi originated from a caste of Zoroastrian priests in ancient Persia, which is now known as Iran. During Roman times they were recognized as physician-astrologers who healed the sick, interpreted dreams, and cast horoscopes. Considered wise men who were truly knowledgeable, they were well known for practicing astrology. Although generally frowned upon today, in those days astronomy and astrology were closely related and practiced together. Magi charted the heavens, interpreted the signs, and studied ancient manuscripts from around the world. Mighty rulers of the day typically consulted with and relied upon the wisdom of these men. Indeed, King Herod did just that.

 Not much is known about the Magi who followed the star to find Jesus. We do not know where they came from or how many there were. Probably they came from Mesopotamia, Parthia, Syria, or Persia, but no one knows for sure. Tradition says there were 3 wise men because of their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

And the mysterious star? Some believe God created one special star for one special event. Others believe it was a singular super nova, exploding light-years away. Perhaps it was Jupiter, Saturn, or both arriving together on their orbits extra-close to earth. There are those who believe the star appeared only as a shape on a carefully-plotted astrological chart of the day. Whatever the case, it was an extraordinarily rare and impacting event that lured the Magi thousands of miles to see the king of the Jews.            
                                                                      Cassiopeia

 The “how” does not matter to me so much as the “what” and “why”. Gathered as we were at our family cabin, we were stunningly aware that there was more we didn’t know, than what we did, about the heavens that summer. Mostly, we were simply awed and humbled by a vast and nearly incomprehensible universe flung so grandly light-years beyond us. Only God could do that, and if He did that - He can do anything.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

Matthew 2:1,2, 7-8

Constellation picture files from Wikimedia Commons

Milky Way by Serge Brunier

Big Dipper by Gh5046

Orion by Mouser

Cassiopeia by Randal J. Ferret

*This nearly life-sized outdoor nativity scene was produced over a four year period of time with church youth at a summer family camp. I designed and sketched each figure, the kids enlarged and traced them onto exterior plywood, cut them out, primed and painted them. I did final painting in the fall. Many hours of effort went into creating this, which is displayed each year in front of our church.

Night Owl Thoughts

I have always been a night owl. As a child, there were many times when I did not want to go to bed. I enjoyed hearing the quiet evening drone of adult conversations and stories, even as my eyelids drooped and my head nodded. There was no TV or computer to compete with and even long telephone conversations were rare, so evening entertainment was live and on the spot. Being an active child, with an equally active imagination, my sleep was filled with dreams, some of which were scary. To avoid those, I learned to put off going to sleep as long as I could. Night can be a frightening time for a child.

In college, studying was easier for me late at night, away from the noise and activity that comes with living with a lot of other people. During weekends and holidays, late evenings were spent with friends. At that time girls had a curfew, so when my husband and I were dating he’d bring me home on time, then we’d resume our date on the phone - often into the wee hours of the morning. During the summers my family gathered at the cabin on the lake and we spent evenings visiting and catching up on each others’ lives. If the night was calm and clear, we’d gather on the beach around a fire, or huddle under old quilts on the porch. Nothing compares to a crystal-clear nighttime sky where there are no city lights to dim the brilliant stars and moon.

Adulthood brought other realities. Married less than a year, I spent sleepless nights alone while my husband was clear across the country getting basic training with the Air Force reserves. In the dark I paced the floor of our small home in rural Colorado until flashes of lightning and booming thunder subsided, fearing the fires they might bring. With a child there were late-night trips to an on-call doctor for severe ear infections and waiting up for an errant or runaway teen. Aging parents with their own worries, fears and illnesses led to more sleepless nights. In the quiet and dark, with none of the usual daytime distractions, thoughts and emotions have free rein.

But there is another, less worrisome, side to the night where quiet and darkness become your friend. Concentration and creativity can be sharpened, as can problem-solving and laying of plans. The night is so alive if we only pay attention and be patient. Bats flutter about at dusk, snatching insects in midair. Fish rise to the surface to feed. Mice, voles, shrews, opossums, and raccoons scurry about in search of food, some of which they find beneath our bird feeders. On rare occasions we’ve seen an elusive western flying squirrel perched in one, happily nibbling away. Our streets become animal freeways at night. Lying awake, I’ve heard the distinctive yips and howls of coyotes and the eerie hooting of an owl. We rarely see the deer, but know they steal in to munch on rose, mountain ash and cherry leaves.

Gazing up at Orion, Cassiopeia, the Big Dipper, and other constellations as they slowly rotate about Polaris, we are awed with the magnitude of the night sky in all its glory. Paddling a small boat on a silent lake while a brilliant full moon rises, humbles us and brings us closer to God - for we are never alone in the night.

I rise before dawn and cry for help;
      I have put my hope in your word.
My eyes stay open through the watches of the night,
      that I may meditate on your promises.
Hear my voice in accordance with your love;
      preserve my life, O Lord, according to your laws.
            Isaiah 119: 147 - 149