I love the night sky, especially as we move into the darker months of the year. Constellations, planets, comets; I watch with great awe. Every evening during the cold months, Orion, with dog Sirius at his heels, stands tall in the back yard. Polaris hovers in place, never leaving the side of the Big Dipper. Celestial patterns have accompanied me as long as I can remember and they always offer me a sense of being grounded.
When I travel to other areas around the globe within our hemisphere, the familiar patterns light the darkness and give me a sense of “home” even though I am far away. I love going to sleep in a different locale where I recognize constellations adorning the sky. I may not know the landscape, but I do know the sky scape. On the other hand, heading south can throw me a bit off center because the sky can feel unrecognizable. It is as if for a moment, I can’t locate myself in the world. I guess it is true about Polaris being one’s North Star.
We have elements in life which center us, that have been with us throughout our remembered lives. Sometimes these represented by longstanding relationships; grandparents as an example. Other times we honor important days or events through rituals that bring us peace. The rhythm of calendar moves us from season to season and year to year. When we were young we may have found security in a teddy bear or blanket. As we get older if could be a best friend, spouse or sibling, and as we age it can be a home, a place in nature, a particular way of practicing faith or the glowing night sky. Having become a guiding light, they remind us where we are, and who we are in the world; they help us to locate ourselves in the world.
What is your pattern in the sky, your North Star? What is around you, familiar in a way that you can relax into it, knowing where you are, remembering who you are? These parts of our life (be they animal, vegetable, mineral, sacred) help us stay grounded. It might be something or someone who has been with you a lifetime, or perhaps your pattern changes with the seasons of life. You have probably experienced times where you felt as if you lost the light, as if you are tethered to nothing in particular. A sense of being lost in the hurricane of busy-ness. We have all been there.
As you journey through your week, take note of the places in your life that help you feel grounded, centered and connected. Make a point of tending to these parts of your life a bit more this week. In our busy-ness, it is easy to feel as if there is no mooring, nothing that holds us in place. Call your grandma, drink hot cocoa while you watch the snow fall, or take a walk under the night sky. Instead of adding another duty to your schedule, add moments of reconnection with you. You are amazing and are worth getting to know in a deeper way.
With a cup of cocoa under the stars,
Andrea
Andrea Tatley 