Of all of the astrological asterisms in the North American night sky, the Big Dipper is one I never had to strain to understand. In all honesty, while I can identify a lot of the others, they really are a bit of a cosmological Rorschach test. Each night sky star gazer to their own.
But this constellation looks just like a large dipper with which you can retrieve liquid from a large pot. It is easy to spot even in a crowded night sky.
I snapped the above photo on the way in from feeding Claire and Honey this morning. Not too bad for an iPhone camera.
The seven stars all have cool names that sound like ancient gods or fallen angels.
Now the Latin name for this constellation of Ursa Major, or Greater Bear, But I’m not seeing that either.
I mean, for one thing, you have to go beyond the seven stars to get the complete concept, and it actually looks more like an anteater or a rat:
Turns out, the Celts call it An Camchéachta, or bent plough. That I can see.
Indeed, the Irish incorporated this seven star pattern into one of their early flags for the Irish Rebellion.
The original Starry Plough flag was unveiled on 5 April 1914, and later appeared above the Imperial Hotel in Dublin during the siege by the British forces against the Irish Citizen Army during the 1916 Easter Rebellion. A Celtic Star Spangled Banner. The hotel was destroyed by the British, but the flag remains on display at the Collins Barracks exhibit at the National Museum in Dublin Ireland. You can get the whole story, below.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starry_Plough_(flag)
It was believed that the Starry Plough flag was designed by George William Russell, an Irish Poet, politician, with leanings towards the occult and Theosophy, and a believer in the Fae. He was a friend of W.B. Yeats, and shared a Druidic vision with him in County Galway – the home of Bridey Igo Burke (yes, Nana from The Claire Saga) – and later in a letter to Yeats, wrote:
“The gods have returned to Erin and have centered themselves in the sacred mountains and blow the fires through the country. They have been seen by several in vision, they will awaken the magical instinct everywhere, and the universal heart of the people will turn to the old druidic beliefs.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_William_Russell
My kind of guy, although I’m not a big fan of his communist bent, but in life, nothing is perfect, and you have to take the bitter with the sweet.
So you see, everyone’s reality is a matter of connections, and one moment, a 67 year old BIC who is transplanted to NoCo, gets to look up in the beautiful night sky while walking Casa Claire at 2 a.m. one January morning and is instantly connected through his Celtic heritage and druidic beliefs to the Irish rebellion and the Fae. What is more magical than that.
So yes, I will take another large helping of whatever the Big Dipper is ladling out.
But the stars are now fading, and I have chores to do this fine Saturday, and a looming battle with my imperious wife over having to clean the basement again, just after two weeks. I may indeed, be sleeping in the barn tonight.
But before any of that happens, I must go cuddle some kitties and then do my rounds, and vociferously complain to one and all of my fur friends how imposed upon this poor BIC male in the wilderness truly feels by this compelled cleanliness. They get me.
You fine, five readers take care of your errands early, so you can enjoy the rest of weekend.
And whatever we all may be doing, let us make today a great one.
