Saturday, March 21, 2009

Reflections from my mind's sky

Of course -

it's easy to see them:

sitting solitary naked

in the night sand dunes

wind whispering

with the silence of millennia past

and future -

unspoiled by iPods, or Edisons's inventions. Three specks of light in Orion's belt, one not a star at all but a gas cloud far away then Betelgeuse and Bellatrix standing guard above; Rigel at the base and Sirius off to lower left

with Aldebaran overlooking all; rubbing shoulders with Hyades and the magical mystical group Pleiades.

What were they called in times long past, I wonder, when men and minds had more time to ponder.

Tammuz to the Chaldeans; for the Syrians, Al Jabbar. Ancient Egyptians knew him as Sahu, soul of Osiris – but it is from the Greeks that we know him as Orion, the great hunter, accidentally killed by his lover Artemis; goddess of the

Night sky. Inconsolable in her grief she placed his body with his faithful hounds Canis Major and Canis Minor - in the eternal sky for all to see and remember that a wilful, accidental arrow can destroy even the strongest of loves or lovers.

Who knows what the ancient Australians called him. Today they are a prosaic house-hold utensil, a pot, the big dipper; perhaps reflecting the hardships of pioneer housewives to find food, sustenance, water -

make do with whatever at hand

survive

in a vast, dry, and unforgiving land.


7 comments:

Davoh said...

some, if not most .. of that information is derived from a book, "Skywatching"; David H. Levy. Published by Five Mile Press, Melbourne, Victoria .. and no, that David H. ain't me .. heh.

Unknown said...

I miss the night sky I had growing up ... the African night. Stunning.
-
On a more frivolous note. I love when I stop by and it is one date here (March 20) and it is already another date there (March 21). Cool.

Davoh said...

Ah, South Africa .. heh. Another continent away, then a whole millenia's mind shift across the equator .. heh.

Vincent said...

I was pretty moved by your post, no matter what the derivation of its historical bits. I just see you in some remote spot in the outback, where the nights are dark and the neighbours are a random lot, star-gazing and sharing it all.

Erm, just wanted to say something encouraging, because your being there (in the world) makes a difference.

Link said...

All to the hum of the honda eh? Sorry, its a lovely post, and while I love to stargaze just as much as the next person and listen apparently, attentively while some (in his mind anyway) 'learned' usually 'bloke', tells me which star is which--as if it actually mattered.

Stargazing in and of itself doesn't really give us any clues as to what the real questions or answers might be. How can we live fuller, richer, deeper, happier, wiser lives? They only manage to remind us of our very very very very small stature. But hey, if you get any revelations while craning your neck at the night sky, other than how bloody insignificant we are, do let us know.

Davoh said...

Caroline, perhaps just the fact that we can see them is enough to make us rather important in the great scheme of things, but don't take my word fer it .. heh.

Vest said...

Hey Davo, that was great mate.