#18 Hercules and the 12 Labors

Hello there good friends and followers,

This post heralds the news of the start of a parallel project that I believe has revealed itself through my fascination with the stars and the enjoyment of building this blog to share with you all.  With the Monsoon season out in Arizona approaching, this leads me to take a hiatus from the night sky, as most of July and August are hit-and-miss due to the thunderstorm activity brought to the desert.  I hope that the Monsoon will bring well-needed rain out here in Southern Arizona; we are beyond dry out here and I cringe to think of the damage that a half-finished cigarette or spark from a cheap firework or a lightning strike would cause.  I am grateful that the fires north of us are being contained successfully and give an even greater amount of honor and thanks to the firefighters, volunteer personnel, and other parties involved in that effort.  I personally have not boded well with the aftermath in the air; this week brought not only continued dry skin and cracked hands, but a near swipe at a sinus infection and terrible allergies and asthmatic symptoms.  I was not happy.

So to further explain; I will be taking a break from the blog after sharing about the summer triangle next post.  In the rainy months ahead, I will post short posts on the full moons of July and August, and return in September to the last third of the zodiac.  In the meanwhile, I am reviewing and starting to deeply understand and write the story of my life out into the desert and how it has created further spiritual reflection and growth in all aspects of my life, especially my spiritual recovery.  Within a five year span much has happened through my passion with the universe related to my personal recovery journey, and I feel it is time to relate it to others.  

But enough of that; let us explore the story of Hercules.  He is one of the few heroes to be immortalized in the night sky, along with Orion and Perseus. Theseus did not make it into the sky, only the wedding crown glitters as a reminder of his success over the Minotaur and the labyrinth.  Half-mortal son of Zeus, Hercules was born of Alcmene, known as one of the most graceful, wise, and respected royal women.  Zeus posed as Alcmene's husband through an illusion and lay with her.  Hera furious when she found out of Zeus' continued conquests.  What further angered Hera was that Zeus got Hercules to suckle at the breast of Hera, thus making him immortal.  The milk of the goddess was known to grant immortality, increased size, strength and skill.  While Hercules was still an infant, Hera sent a pair of poisonous snakes to kill him while unsupervised in his crib, but Hercules easily strangled the pair.  As an adult, he could still not find respite from Heras wrath; she set a spell upon him and he killed his children and wife in a stupor.  Hercules sought the oracle about how to go about atonement of the deed.  The Oracle told of the given name "glory of Hera" and the 12 Labors to be completed for his freedom.

King Eurystheus, who just so happened to be his half-brother, sent Herc on quite a quest:

1) He defeated the Nemean Lion (Seen in the night sky as Leo)
2) He defeated the Lernean Hydra (Seen in the night sky as Hydra)
3) He captured the Ceryneian doe, a difficult to catch animal with golden horns; he could not kill or harm the doe, as this doe was a favorite of the goddess of the hunt and the moon, Artemis
4) He captured the Erymanthian boar, the most ferocious animal alive
5) He had to complete a bet to clean Augean Stables in a day; he succeeded by diverting rivers
6) He drove drive away the Stymphalian birds, known for their razor sharp arrow-like feathers; he received the help of Athena and Hephaestus in the shape of a pair of bronze noisemakers
7) He captured the Cretan bull, known to breathe fire (Seen in the night sky as Taurus); this bull was a gift from Poseidon to Minos, King of Crete, and the King kept it instead of sacrificing it as he had promised.  This infuriated Poseidon and he caused Minos' wife to fall in lust with the bull, conceiving the birth of the Minotaur, which was put into the labyrinth and later slain by Theseus
8) He round up the Mares of Diomedes, gruesome flesh eating horses
9) He obtained the magic belt from the Amazonian Queen through completing numerous trials; the belt was given to the Queen by Ares, the god of war
10) He herded the cattle of Geryon, a triplebodied monster born of Medusa's body when slain by Perseus, which Hercules killed with one well-placed arrow

The King then became enraged that Hercules succeeded, and placed the last two tasks to be completed.  The King argued that Hercules tried to make a profit out of the cleaning of the stables, and was assisted in the slaying of the Hydra.

11) He had to obtain the golden apples of Hesperides, slaying a hundred headed dragon (seen in the night sky as Draco the Dragon)
12) He had to capture Cerberus, the three headed hell-hound and pet of Hades, and had to take caution that he would be able to leave the Underworld by taking up study and blessings to protect his soul

Something about all these trials is rather interesting, if you look at them as having a specific trait or skill that is heroic.  The first and second reflect endurance and teamwork.  The third and fourth are the success of the warrior in balancing the doe (golden innocence/gentleness) and the boar (taming the primal nature.) The fifth and sixth model ingenuity and creativity and the importance of brains over brawn.  The seventh and eighth show how the hero is a humanitarian, to serve and maintain safety and a sense of community.  The ninth and tenth show the use of diplomacy and discipline.  The last two trials could be seen as symbolically triumphing over heaven and hell through strengthening of the spirit.

Take your field binoculars and view M13, the Cottonball Cluster in Hercules as a wonderful example of a globular cluster.  You can find M13 hanging out half-way between two of the keystone stars; see the image above for a guide.  Indeed you can see this in May at the horizon; be aware now that Hercules will be further up in the Eastern sky.  Why did I wait so long?  Well, to get a better view away from the horizon where all the city lights or particulates could mess with your viewing pleasure!  Enjoy!

#17 Full Moon June

A beautiful orange/red moon greeted the early evening Arizona horizon this past week.  My good friend V noticed the moon and asked about its significance.  Well, upon further review, there are a few things to be aware of when we view a orange/red moon:

1) red light is the least scattered near the horizon, as it is the longest wavelength, and as moonlight is just reflected sunlight, this is why the Moon takes on the reddish hue

2) specific particles from a recent volcanic reaction or large fire can cause a clouded and dirty horizon, blocking the shorter length wavelengths and leaving the red/orange spectrum (for those that do not know, Arizona is currently fighting its largest fire in its history)

3) the last is in relation to the celestial event of a lunar eclipse; the Moon is obscured by the Earth's shadow, but once again the red light from the sun's rays is able to breach the edges of the Earth's edge

June's Full Moon is named the strawberry or rose moon.  June was known by the Native Americans as the strawberry harvest.  Strawberries would be the most abundant and ready for harvest at this time of the year.

June's Full Moon was also known as the Rose Moon, especially in Europe.  It was known to spark love interests and romantic airs, and add to the ambiance of a June wedding.  I like the idea of the Rose Moon, especially out here in Arizona, as roses do rather well with the hot and dry climate, and tend to bloom fullest between April-June and November-December.

Next week we will espy Hercules and learn of his 12 labors, as well as a great globular star cluster nicknamed the "cotton ball" cluster in Hercules that is visible with a good set of field binoculars.

See you then!

#16 Midnight Cinnamon rolls and the Milky Way

Come to think of it, a cinnamon roll does kind of resemble the Milky Way galaxy, doesn't it?  The whole spiral shape, the dense and rich frosting, and the...wait a minute!

I stepped outside last weekend around midnight to enjoy the first view of the Milky Way galaxy from the balcony this year.  I am always incredibly impressed by the density of the stars across the sky above during the late spring and early summer night sky.  I took a moment to let my senses, especially my eyes, get adjusted.  Just then I got a whiff of cinnamon goodness.  My next door neighbor appeared to be making cinnamon rolls late in the evening.  What a treat!  I will never tire of the decedent taste of a greatly baked cinnamon bun...I mean, of the grand palette of the universe!

Let's take a look at two constellations this post: Draco and Delphinus.  I know I mentioned Hercules last time, but I am saving his tale for a stand-alone post, complete with a guide on how to find the cotton ball cluster, M13.

Draco the Dragon coils and weaves around and through the Big and Little Dippers.  The best time to see the whole constellation is late spring.  Look for the head of the Dragon to the left of Hercules and above and to the left of the brightest summer star Vega, rising slowly in the Eastern horizon.  It is easily noticed as a large triangle; from the head weave your way around the Little Dipper and between the Dippers to the end of its tail.

Draco symbolizes the great dragon guardian Ladon.  Ladon was appointed the guardian of the golden apples of life and knowledge, and made a great guardian with its near one hundred heads!  The tree was given to Hera as a wedding gift, and she chose to plant the tree on Mount Atlas.  It is here we can find Atlas holding the world upon his shoulders, his punishment from the Olympian Gods for challenging them during the Great Titan War with his brethren; at first, Atlas' daughters were placed in charge of the tree and precious apples, but they were pilfering them constantly and were quickly replaced by Hera and rebuked.

Hercules was charged with obtaining some of these apples as a labor, and the story of his success in this trial will be shared within the next post.  Ladon was placed in the night sky by Hera as a respect to the loyal servitude of the dragon to the Queen of the Gods. 

Delphinus the Dolphin is an addition to my constellation knowledge this year, and a challenge to those up to finding a sparsely known constellation.  This small constellation can be found on the Eastern horizon, under what is considered the Summer Triangle.  The Summer Triangle starts with finding Vega, the brightest summer star, then consists of both Deneb to the lower left and Altair to the lower right.  Connecting the three produce the triangle.  We will further explore the constellations within the triangle further into the summer months.

Below the triangle look for a diamond-shaped cluster of stars with a tail...perhaps a bit like a kite even.  A pair of binoculars is also a nice way to view the cluster up close.  This dolphin was the loyal servant and messenger of Poseidon, and was integral in Poseidon finding a wife for the palace he had finished soon after being awarded the realm of the sea.  He sent Delphinus out to scout the Nereids, underwater sprites or nymphs, and found favor with one of the Nereids.  They were most flighty, but when approached by the gentle and soothing dolphin, they calmed.  Eventually the nereid Amphitrite was coaxed onto the back of the dolphin and brought to the palace.  In gratitude, Delphinus was placed in the sky to revere the intelligent creature of the sea.

Hope you enjoyed the tales of two loyal creatures!  Catch you soon with the tale of Hercules!

#15 Full Moon May and Libra the Scales of Justice

Hello Friends!

It has been awhile since I've posted last.  May has been rather busy for me, and it appears there is a bit of a waiting game to get into the summer constellations.  I realized then that the summer night sky, while interesting, has a bit of a meditative quality to it in regards to the fact that it is one of the visually darkest and devoid skies, other than for the Milky Way that is beautifully stretched across the sky.

So, this past week the Full Moon made its appearance.  This then is our fodder for today's post.  The May Full Moon is named the Full Flower Moon, for the sole idea that most every plant and tree has flowered due to the April precipitation.  The May Moon is also known as the Milk Moon, for what reason we do not know.

When I saw the full moon a few nights ago, I likened it to a Milk Moon, because the weather had cooled out here in the desert southwest and humidity (yes...moisture) had been evident in the sky, thus the moon took on a milky appearance to me.  I have enjoyed recently sitting on my balcony and staring into the blackness of the sky, and relaxing and being grateful for life in general.  Life has been tough as of late, and I have missed the slow and calming energies of the night sky.  This urges me to find when the next meteor shower will be active so as to just enjoy a night of gazing into the sky and catching the chance to see a brilliant spark of burning gas hurtling to the Earth from outer space.  HINT: Late July and Early August!

I realized that I have not given credit to my zodiac sign, Libra the Scales!  Libra is the only zodiac sign that is not human or animal, and did not exist until separated from Scorpio the Scorpion.  Libra used to represent the claws of Scorpio, but later was given a place in the sky by the Romans as the scales of justice and balance in 1 AD.  I suppose this makes sense, as Libra balances out the zodiac, and could be seen as a mark of balance between times BC and AD.  It also marks the fascination of the ancients with the balance of all celestial life cycles, whether they be the seasons, day and night, or birth and death.

Catch you next time: we will start with an introduction to Hercules and Draco!

#14 A Serpent's Story

Good Evening Fellow Star Spies!

The ancients had a way of using constellations and stars to mark immortality and legend.  I think it is relevant to think of the sky above us as amazing and wondrous, along with having the characteristics of being the easel of the myths of great men and figures alike.  The night sky is a great place to dream, to wonder, and to envision our mysteries of life.

Want to view the largest constellation in the night sky?  The constellation that takes over half of the year to be fully visible?  Behold!  Hydra, the serpent.  This constellation is most known as one of the labors of Hercules, the second to be exact, and was known for having multiple heads.  There is, however, only one head associated with this constellation.  This then leads us to realize that the middle and dominant head was immortal.

This serpent was the great water-snake of a town called Lerna.  It's breath was known to poison and kill, and  running across its path was not suggested.  This snake is also the brother of Draco, the dragon that guards the golden apples of Hera.  We will soon visit Draco, as he is almost finished with his slithering into the night sky from the Eastern horizon.

Hercules had to take care to draw the Hydra out from the poisonous swamp it inhabited.  Hercules used his flame arrows to irritate the beast, then grappled with it and clubbed in one of its heads.  To his surprise, the head grew back and sprouted two identical heads!  Hercules had to think quick, and called for his charioteer IIolaus to cauterize each of the stumps when he would cut off a head to prevent further regeneration.  He finished the immortal head and buried it deep in the Earth under a nearby rock.  He used the poisonous gall of the remainder of the body to dip his arrows in.

Upon this serpent's back rides two other constellations that are part of the second story given to this massive serpent.  These are Corvus the Crow and Crater the Cup.  I just realized that is a lot of C's. Crater is the immortal cups of the Gods, known to carry the life-water for sacrifice, or ambrosia, the nectar of the Gods and their life force.  This life force was known to impart eternal life. Crater is the cup that is seen in Aquarius, the symbol of the water bearer Ganymede, picked by the God Zeus for his attractiveness.

Corvus was the favorite bird of Apollo, and his valuable servant.  Corvus was called upon one day by Apollo to take Crater the cup to the well-spring to collect water for a sacrifice.  The crow was on his way to the spring and came across a fig tree in full bloom, and being tempted, stayed and ate his fill of the figs for three days!  In the meanwhile, Apollo was left to find his own water for the sacrifice.  Corvus knew he would be in trouble if he returned without an alibi.  He found a water snake and returned with it, trying to convince Apollo that the water snake was vicious and would not let him collect water from the spring.  Apollo was not fooled, as he is gifted as the God of prophecy, and saw through the lie.  He condemned the bird to a life of thirst, thus why the crow has such a raspy call.  Our lesson here is: keep our word impeccable and truthful, for if we do not do so, our word will become ugly and unbelievable.

The crow also gets given a story about why it is black; Apollo turned this once white as a dove bird black out of spite of the news the crow delivered to him about a love being unfaithful.  This also warns us that gossip or being overly involved in others' relationships can tarnish our image to others.

There is one more constellation that rides the back of the celestial serpent.  This is Noctura the Owl, which did not make it to the identified current constellations.  I think it interesting to know that this is one of the least known obsolete constellations; even I did not know of this constellation until recently.  English amateur astronomer Jamieson placed the owl in the sky at the tail end of Hydra, to the right of Libra, the scales.  He was boggled as to why the bird did not make it into the night sky, especially with its fame and popularity in ancient cultures (Greek/Roman/Egyptian.)

I think its neat that the more I stare at the night sky and look for further objects, the more the stars reveal to me.  I enjoy truly the vastness and endless enjoyment I receive when marveling at the night sky; I hope you do as well!

#13 April Egg Moon and A Celestial Camping Retreat

Happy Easter everyone!  Below is the view of the night sky from Easter Island; amazing!  I believe that I want to see this before I leave the Earth.

A quick check in with the April Full Moon.  The April Full Moon goes by the Full Pink Moon, because of the color of the herb moss phlox, one of the earliest widespread flowers of spring.  The Full Sprouting Grass Moon and the Egg Moon are another two names for the April Moon.  Each of these really capture the spring season, and bring to mind Easter.  Spring grass, pink flowers, and eggs...of course it is April!  

Lately I am kicking around setting up my sleeping bag outside on the balcony, or setting up the dome tent out in the backyard.  I am getting the itch, now that it is warmer at night, to sleep outside under the stars.  Perhaps this weekend I will set up out in the backyard and also set up the telescope.  I still have yet to get a glimpse of M51, the spiral galaxy at the end of the handle of the Big Dipper.  Now that it is sitting further above in the sky, I will attempt this again.

I think also that the time spent outside in nature is truly something that I could enjoy as of late.  I remember last year and the Sundance I participated in.  I enjoyed the quiet sunrise and bird song, and the ancient connection that permeated my spirit as I settled in under the stars.  I enjoyed the flute songs that were created both in twilight and early dawn.  I enjoyed the quiet solitude and clarity of my mind.  Truly there is a magic to merging our unconscious with the infinite universe above us, that we seem to have lost over time to our "warm and cozy" sleep caves and snooze buttons.  I think it is time to backyard camp; anyone with me?

#12 A Lion, a Virgin, and a Herdsman (Bonus: A Crown!)

Follow the arc to Arcturus and drive a spike to Spica!  Grab your star map from starmaps.com for this journey through the sky, as it will come in handy!

Let's take a look at the late evening sky together.  This fun statement is a handy way to find the bright stars within the constellations of Virgo the Virgin and Bootes the Herdsman.  But first, I would like to give Leo the Lion his time in the spotlight, as he has crept further above the horizon without our stopping to enjoy his story.

Leo can be found just above Corvus the Crow.  He is currently heading towards being vertical in the night sky.  Look for the two asterisms of Leo: 1) the triangle and 2) the sickle or question mark.  The brightest star in Leo is Regulus, or the little king.  It is also said to be the lion's heart.

Leo has a few stories connected to him.  The first story involves the labors of Hercules.  Hercules first labor was to hunt and destroy the Nemean lion.  This lion was known for its furiousness and toughness.  It would leave the two mouthed cave it lived in and head down and attack the city of Nemea, bringing its lunch back to its den.  Hercules engaged the lion from a distance first, striking with arrows.  The lion's tough skin did not allow for penetration, so Hercules tracked the lion to the den and had to use his massive and superhumanly strong arms to strangle the lion, and used the lion's razor sharp claws to take the hide for his own.

The Bible also has a mention of Daniel and his trial in the Lion's Den.  Daniel's story is about being able to trust in God's protection during dangerous situations.  Daniel was put into a den of lions and protected by God as a testament of his faith and commitment to his belief in God.  This constellation can remind us to be unafraid to stand up for what we believe in, to be proud and courageous of our convictions.  It can also be a reminder of the protection and security afforded us amidst life's challenges by the universe/Higher Power/God.

Lastly, Leo can be seen as perhaps the celestial inspiration of the Great Sphinx of Egypt.  You can see the triangle as the hind legs and the sickle as the head dress and head of the Sphinx.

Next, we visit the story of Virgo the Virgin, the second largest constellation other than Hydra.  Virgo is seen as an angel with wings holding a sheath of wheat, standing next to the constellation of Libra the scales.  She is thought to represent two goddesses.  The first is Dike, the goddess of Justice.  She was the part of the Earth when Zeus' father Cronus ruled Golden Age; her presence could be considered the symbol  "divine, spiritual, and higher intelligence" being a great part of humankind's prosperity.  This changed as Zeus took over and overthrew his father.  The Silver Age was born and in it Zeus introduced the seasons.  Dike pined for a time when humankind was of a higher order and look for the common and higher good, but the humans were becoming more quarrelsome, and Dike warned them they would further fall if they continued their ways and did not honor their spirit.  She retreated to the mountains and sadly watched as the Bronze and Iron Ages were ushered in and mankind continued to fall into war, theft, and violence.  Dike could not bear seeing humankind fall to this blinding ignorance any longer, and headed into the heavens to sit next to the scales of justice, patiently awaiting a time for humankind to tip the scales back in favor of the pursuit of goodness and morality.

The constellation could also be seen as Demeter, the harvest goddess and sister to Zeus.  It is important to note that the brightest star of Virgo is Spica, which means leaf of wheat.  Being the harvest goddess, this is a fitting symbol.  Demeter leads the way for one of the stories of Bootes, the Herdsman.  Bootes has been seen to represent Demeter's son, the inventor of the plow.  His plow is the constellation of the Big Dipper, and continues to plow the barren Earth after Winter to prepare for the appearance of Demeter in the Spring.

Bootes is also known as the guardian of the bear.  Remember the story of Callisto, who was turned into a bear by Hera?  Bootes is known as Arcas, the son of Callisto.  He was placed in the night sky to continue to be a protector and guide his mother along her course around the north star Polaris.  The brightest star of Bootes is Arcturus, which means guardian of the bear, most fitting for Arcas.

Lastly, take a look at the small bowl-shaped or U-shaped grouping of stars to the upper left of Bootes.  This is the constellation of the Celestial Crown, or Corona Borealis.  This heavenly crown is known as the property of Ariadne, daughter of King Minos of Crete, and the wife of the Greek hero Theseus.  She gave Theseus a ball of string to navigate the labyrinth in his attempt to slay the Minotaur and release the city from the sacrificial ceremony made every year to appease the beast.  He bested the beast and followed the string out.  In their marriage, the God of the blacksmiths, Hephaestus, gave Ariadne a tiara forged with beautiful and rare gems that glowed with a light of their own for the ceremony.  In celebration, Theseus threw the crown into the sky after the marriage to honor the commitment.

I'll catch you all soon with a few more star stories!  Be Well!