You Are The Sun, The Moon, and The Stars
- Carrie Lynn
- Aug 12
- 3 min read
This is not an exaggeration. Scroll to the end if you want the cheater version.
Following some lunar orb has always been a part of my life. As I kid, I knew what time it was by where the sun hung in the sky. I didn't pay much attention to the moon and stars as a kid. After I was married, moved to the Pacific Northwest, and had children, suddenly the night sky became my new celestial love.
Living in the PNW elevates the craving for the celestial connection. The deep dark months of cloud cover draw a hunger for light, like nothing I had ever experienced. Every year for thirty-five years, our family celebrated each ounce of light the heavens granted.
Outside time was a must. We worked and played outside. We camped and went to the beach. We soaked up sunrises and sunsets. When warm summer nights rolled around, we tossed pillows and blankets on a backyard trampoline and spent hours stargazing. In the years before phone apps, we used big books, small books, and charts to discover "the lights to steer her by." No August was complete without counting shooting stars. To this day, we chase aurora's, solar and lunar eclipses, and any other astrological magic we can find. For me, this past week was no different.
The Sky & You
Early yesterday morning, as I sat staring at Jupiter and Venus, as they kissed mid-orbit. I realized that each of us is the Sun, the Moon, the Planets, and Stars in life's solar system. In simple terms everything depends on our perception of it. As well as of ourselves.
From our earth vantage point, the sun is the biggest star. We feel and see it as a close friend and neighbor. Yet, by astrological standards, there are bigger and brighter stars visible in our galaxy than the sun. Ironically, even as those larger ones come into our view, they still appear smaller than the sun we see.
Likewise, planets appear deceptively big or small, depending on planet earth's orbit and season. Not to mention the meteoric time spans. Thus, creating odd anomolies such as this August's Sturgeon Full Moon that rose to its fullness two nights in a row.
The moon itself is an anomaly. We speak of the "light of the moon," the light we see is merely a reflection of the suns light. Even on nights that are bathed in white moonlight, it is the silvery reflection of the sun off the moon. The moon releases no independent light.
Final of all Augusts delights are Perseids annual meteor shower. On earth we refer to the flying lights as shooting stars. We oh and ah over the yellow, white, and pink tails glowing as they burn out. However, we are not seeing stars burn out, even though our second-grade teacher told us it was. Come to find out, the shooting stars are debris from the Swift-Tuttle comet which makes an annual meteoric trip through the universe spraying rocks and dust in its wake.
How does this apply to you? You are all of them. Of all the creations ever made humankind is the only one that embody the best of everything. At times in our lives, we are as bright as the sun. We illuminate our place in life. Our radiant power energizes, uplifts, and brightens the world we pass through.
In other seasons, our glow is quieter. Like the moon, we reflect light. That light still brightens, casts shadows, and effects. Yet, it is softer. Even unseen in the soul it touches. Make no mistake, it does still touch and brighten.
At other points we may feel small, imperceptible, and less than the bigger lights around us. However, it is no guarantee that our perception is correct. It may be a quieter season. But your essence, your beingness, your illumination is still felt. Even when dark turns to dawn, you still exist, and bring light elsewhere.
I invite you, as summer moves to autumn, to take a moment and cherish all the cycles of your light that you have passed through. Reflect on the times when, like Jupiter and Venus, your orbit kissed or brushed another's. Together your lights brought beauty and joy to yourself and others. When in your reflection, you wonder if you are just dust, debris, or unnecessary matter - note that unseen to you, you left a trail of light that someone else was awed by.
Last of all, take time to stare at the night sky, and realize you are part of something great.
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Love this a ton!