I’m no believer in astrology
but tonight
something profound
will occur in the sky:
Two points of light will coalesce
from our perspective
(dim though it is)
last spied
in Galileo’s time.
In cosmic terms, this time is nothing
but for us, it means much:
Transition out of superstition
into a willing suspension of belief
in anything other than those cold cogs
gravely grinding like our noses to the grindstone:
Blakean mills with complicated wheels.
Here we are, in the darkest part of the year
for the Northern hemisphere
as darkness turns us back towards the light
and in the Antipodes the opposite
is happening
frost into fire
and fire into night:
And yet when I see those distant pinpricks
of heavenly bodies in spherical fellowship
somehow still
meditating on how little we know
in the solstice dark and quiet
all is calm
and all is
bright.
© Experimentsinfiction 2020, All Rights Reserved
A Solstice Poem
Written for Earthweal’s weekly challenge: A Solstice Bell. Brendan has examined the significance of the solstice from the perspective of our current troubled times. He has asked us to do the following:
“Being changed: That is the earthweal challenge for this week of Yuletide hallows. Ring a solstice bell for the change we are. (Be sure to take a look outside before using the word “we.”) What is the change revealed in this seasonal moment, and what does portend for the coming year? Out of darkness, what stirs and wakens?”
I don’t know if I’ve fulfilled this brief, but the conjunction of the planets really sparked something in me. It’s set cloudy for tonight, so I won’t actually see the closest moment of conjunction, but I am grateful to have seen these pinpricks of light on 16/12/20 as shown in the featured image. The view was taken from my window, and the larger of the two pinpricks is Jupiter, the smaller, Saturn.
Here’s a hymn to close out with this solstice evening:
A wondrous interpretation of the solstice Ingrid, and in Geelong on our longest day, we are not going to see the sun, the clouds are low, dark, and full of rain. And it’s unusually cold/cool for this time of summer.. ☔😨🌏
Strange times indeed! But we have to seek whatever light we can…
Wonderful, Ingrid. I am going to the beach tonight to gaze at the splendour. It is overcast right now, but expected to clear. I hope this star brings a turning toward the light in human hearts! Stay safe!
I hope you get to see the conjunction! I am trying not to be too sad I missed it as I did see a beautiful solstice moon above the mountains.
It’s a wonderful tribute to to solsitce and the stars Ingrid you poetically pieced together. I somehow kept thinking I was going to see human star cookies when I looked up, after our exchange. Love your pic and the song❤️❤️❤️
Thanks Cindy! The human stars will have to wait until next week…⭐️🤫❤️
What we know of any moment seems fragmentary and fraudulent compared to a solstice “dark and quiet.” Tonight that’s all we need to know. Great pic. – Brendan
Thanks Brendan. I hope you had clear skies!
“heavenly bodies in spherical fellowship” I love this… and wow… amazing that you got a photo of it. Amazing!! I really have to motivate myself to get out somewhere less treed, if I want to see the night sky, where we live now.. But here you bring a view to us all, Ingrid. Thank you for this. Wishing you lots of merry, calm, and bright indeed. xoxoxo
It is hard to motivate myself to go out in the cold and dark at this time of year, so I’m lucky I just have to look out the window 💫 wishing you all the best for the festive season 🎄
Lovely – sometimes what happens in amongst the stars does lift us up out of mundane reality. You describe the feeling well.
Thank you, Suzanne: if ever we needed uplifting, it were now…
I am glad you got something out of what I wrote Ingrid. It was one of those poems that flowed spontaneously.
Incredibly lovely.
Now all that’s left is for you to bake some suitable art-food for the occasion! 🙂
-David
I just need to decorate my Christmas cake then I’m done baking for this season 😅
Thank you for putting this special astrological event to poetic lines. It was a special to be out viewing.
Thank you Michele! Did you get to see it for yourself?
Yes, it was faint though, with light pollution. I did take a few photos that show the planetary event, but they are blurry. 😆 Cool to be in the moment. 💖 Did you see?
Unfortunately not last night as it was cloudy, but we did drive up to the mountains and saw the solstice moon through the clouds, which was beautiful!
Oh Ingrid! How beautiful!
Your alliteration then rhyme really pull me along to your blessed conclusion. This is full of hope to me
Thank you, Eric! We certainly need some hope right now…
What a coincidence you chose ‘Silent Night’ by the Winchester Cathedral Choir! Last year we visited Ellen and Steve for a few days down in Hampshire and we spent a day in Winchester. While we were looking around the cathedral, the choir was practising its carol service, which we sadly missed, as we returned to Norfolk the following day.
What I love about your poem, Ingrid, is that it made me look upwards, focused my thinking on the night sky and the significance of a once in a lifetime occurrence. It’s so true, ‘In cosmic terms, this time is nothing / but for us, it means much’. I felt ‘those cold cogs … Blakean mills with complicated wheels’ and could hear them in the alliterative ‘gravely grinding like our noses to the grindstone’. That’s how it feels at the moment. I also love the phrase ‘frost into fire and fire into night’, and the way you end with the words from ‘Silent Night’.
It must have been a beautiful sound, even to hear them practice! I’m pleased you enjoyed the poem 🙏
The cosmos does that. Beautiful meditation. (K)
It’s religion’s biggest bane. The universe.
I am a stargazer and have always been intrigued with what lies beyond here. The aligning of the planets hasn’t happened in 800 years. It feels historical and a monumental sign in these strange times we live in. All is calm all is bright in a silent night.
wishing you calm and peace in the days to come.
Thank you so much: wishing you the same 🙏⭐️
In the stilly night… How little we know about anything really. All we can do is look on in wonder.
Lovely, Ingriid! <3 We watched this phenomenon!
You were lucky to see it! 💫