~
do you believe?
hold that thought!
what you are about to take is a journey. my telling of this journey is brief; we poets are after all not well known for our long attention spans. this is a tale of astronomic proportions, an epic years in the making, and now centuries old.
have you ever considered this? the starry host above us cannot lie. its movements are as sure as the movement of the clock; as predictable as the tide, a sunset's hour and as precise as a moon-rise's geo-placement at our horizon- precisely where it will rise and at precisely what time. it is after all precisely the study and understanding of such things that allowed us to place mankind on the surface of the moon, to know precisely where she would be before she got there, therefore permitting us to plan the journey well ahead of time, a journey that took three days of travelling once it began... and then returning those men home to us. but back to our larger journey.
such things only require an understanding of relatively simple mathematics and a knowledge of each unique planetary orbit. the only questions remaining then, ones that require acceptance of less proveable things, is do the events of the starry host above us reflect back or point to us, to humanity? are they a fortelling of earthly events and eventuallly a coinciding with earthly events? some have trouble believing such things. for me, it is not a leap to accept that the visibly established order above me (what we call astronomy) is simply a mirror of the order below, here surrrounding me. but then that takes us back to the first question... do... you... believe? for this part... it requires acceptance ... acceptance that some things are true, though i cannot see them. some call this "faith," though i think "acceptance" is more relateable, and therefore a far better word.
if i have not lost you yet, thank you for reading this far!! please continue the journey.
like me, have you ever wondered... what is (or what was) the Bethlehem Star? according to some who research historically astronomic events, the “Bethlehem Star” was no star at all. but more on that after the poem... for is that not the purpose of these walls?
below is a poem birthed out of their research... the poem mine, the research compiled by smarter folks than i.
Virgo's child
~
oh, planetary royalty,
and mother of the sky,
your celestial stage of six,
a ballad echoing our hopeful cry;
pirouette the stars amidst,
sets a course for rising king,
closer with each night's descent,
hope, your brilliant union brings.
conjunctive encore heaven sent,
today our song in advent sings!
oh, wise men of the east,
following a westward star,
the king you sought
you found because,
discontent you were,
to be a distant onlooker
from your home afar.
hallelujahs here composing,
with stunning care the stars portending,
in universal magnitude,
oh fallen man your dirge is ending.
in retrograding motion,
encircled thrice your halo spun,
Virgo’s child in coronation,
the starry night foretells,
and with splendid sky’s array
the joyful birth of king pronounces
oh, wise men of the east,
following a beckoning star,
bearing gifts you came,
and on bended knee
you offered praise, for
empty-handed for a king,
is no fitting offering.
look to the sky, you men of earth;
behold your king in humble birth!
a stable for his sleeping head,
here rocks a mother’s babe;
what Adam lost, in him restored,
oh, Virgo’s child, and living Lord.
~
*post script.
~ Cast~
the six acclaimed celestial actors/actresses of this starry dance
Role ° Played By ° Meaning/Symbol
Moon ° the Moon ° life cycle symbolism
Star ° Regulus ° King of stars (regal king)
Planet 1 ° Jupiter ° King of planets
Planet 2 ° Venus ° Mother of planets
Constellation 1 ° Leo ° the Lion (heavenly kingship and tribal significance)
Constellation 2 ° Virgo ° the ****** (maidenly and earthly significance)
the basis for this write can be found here...
add: http://www.
to: bethlehemstar.com/setting-the-stage/what-was-the-star/
in summary --
whatever it was, the Star of Bethlehem needs meet nine qualifications to plausibly satisfy what is written in the Biblical accounts:
1. The first conjunction signified birth by its association to the day with Virgo “birthing” the new moon. Some might argue that the unusual triple conjunction by itself could be taken to indicate a new king.
2. The Planet of King’s coronation of the Star of Kings signified kingship.
3. The triple conjunction began with the Jewish New Year and took place within Leo, showing a connection with the Jewish tribe of Judah (and prophecies of the Jewish Messiah).
4. Jupiter rises in the east.
5. The conjunctions appeared at precise, identifiable times.
6. Herod, puppet King under Roman rule, was unaware of these things; they were astronomical events which had significance only when explained by experts.
7. The events took place over a span of time sufficient for the Magi to see them both from the East and upon their arrival in Jerusalem.
8. Jupiter was ahead of the Magi as they traveled south from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.
9. Jupiter “stops” as it enters retrograde motion “over Bethlehem.” On December 25 of 2 BC it enters retrograde and reaches full stop in its travel through the fixed stars. The Magi viewing from Jerusalem would have seen it “stopped” in the sky above the town of Bethlehem.
according to astronomical research of historical events, the “Bethlehem Star” is, at least by this explanation, no star at all, but was instead Jupiter’s rendezvous (planetary conjunction) with Venus in 2 BC. this is a tale of two planets normally radiant and distinguishable forming a single-looking, indistinguishable, and never-before-in -their-life-time-appearing large and radiantly brilliant “star”, which when coupled with each of the previous eight facets creates a most noteworthy series of events, all of which match words written centuries previous, and pointed their gaze to a pivotal and altering point in mankind’s history.
now back to the beginning question... do... you... believe?
(publication of this write is intended to coincide with the first of the four Sundays of Advent, 2015. tis the season for Merry Christmas, my friends!)