What She Meant to Me

When I was little, there was this flamboyant lady who worked the counter at a small mom and pop department store in Bartow, Florida. Each and every time my mother dragged me, pouted lip and grunting, into this store it was because either I needed new school or church clothes or because I lost my winter jacket...again. Somehow this lady, who always seemed to be beaming a broad smile, had an uncanny way of soothing the rebellious beast deep within me. She didn't give me candies. She didn't shake her head in a tsk tsk fashion. She was never condescending. Her kindness was almost other-worldly. No matter what was going on in her life outside her job, she never allowed any disappointment or anger show in her face or her mannerisms. In fact, even when she was sick with the virus-du-jour, she was charming, delicate and collected.

As I grew into a young woman, I began to look forward to seeing her. If she happened to be on break when I stopped in to her department, I gladly waited for her to clock back in. Just the wonderful and colorful conversations were worth the wait. In a way, she became a part of my life. This considerate and sublimely kind woman was there for every milestone I passed. My mother and she wrangled me into a painfully white and frilly communion dress. She was a member of the, "OMG, I have to find a Prom Dress" posse. And finally, when my mother died, she stepped in to help me find the perfect dress for my mom to be laid to rest in. Eventually, after time and circumstances had become to much for her, she retired. I corresponded with her until her timely death at age 82.

I thought about her today. Her bright red ruby lips that lined the smile that made everything alright. The kohl black eyeliner so meticulously drawn around the upper lid of her eyes. Her delicate hands that gently sewed hems perfectly perfect. When I close my eyes I can still see every nuance of her face. Seeing her in my mind's eye brings me comfort. Somehow, her visage soothes and strengthens me. I hope I never forget her.

At least once in a lifetime we meet that certain someone who impacts our life in a positive way. A stranger perhaps, who doesn't have to be kind or influential in our lives, but is. That unexplained karmic act that solidifies our hope in humanity. And maybe, we are positively influential on someone else's life and never know it. 

Be good to others.  Allow others to be good to you. Do not allow those who are caustic, negative or unkind influence you. Surround yourself with good people. Life is too short to worry about what mean people think or do. And understand that you may be increasingly special to another person and never even know it. I don't think that nice, positive, beautiful lady ever knew what she meant to me. I may have been just another customer. But what does that matter? The goodness she bestowed on me is priceless, whether she ever knew it or not.

The Constellation Ursa Major - The Big Dipper

The Constellation Series

Ursa Major (The Big Dipper)

It is also called, Larger She-Bear, Great Bear, Charles Wain, the Plough, Großer Wagen in Germany & Austria and Saptarshi in India.
The ancient Greeks called it, The Bear & the Wagon
The ancient Romans called it, The Great Bear & Seven Plowing Oxen (Septentriones)
The Europeans called it, The Plow, Charlemagne's Wain, & The Wagon
The Hindus called it,  The Seven Holy Sages (Rishis)

The ancients have been talking about this constellation for 13,000 years. Paleontologists studying the Paleolithic Era believe the oral story may say, "There is an animal that is a horned herbivore, especially an elk. One human pursues this ungulate. The hunt locates or get to the sky. The animal is alive when it is transformed into a constellation. It forms the Big Dipper".

Ursa Major is steeped in myth. Many diverse civilizations have attached different meanings to this constellation, one of the most accessible star systems in the sky. The Iroquois Native American Indians construed Alioth, Alkaid  and Mizar, as three brave huntsman tracking the Great Bear. One the slayer, one the chef and the last to light the fire under the great pot. The first hunter, named Alioth, is armed with a great bow and arrow, the second hunter, named Mizar lugs a huge pot on his shoulder (which symbolizes the star Alcor) and finally, while the third hunter, named Alkaid heaves a pile of firewood.

In Hinduism, the constellation Ursa Major is identified as Saptarshi, each of the stars depicting one of the "Saptarshis" or the Seven Sages Atri, Angirasa, Bhrigu, Kratu, Pulastya, Pulalaha and Vasishta. Lord Vishnu gives the boy sage named Dhruva a boon to point toward the pole star.

In Finnish language, the asterism is called by its ancient, practically obsolete Finnish name, Otava, which means "a salmon weir". Ancient Finns thought the bear, Ursus arctos, was set in a golden basket and lowered to Earth by way Ursa Major. When the bear was slayed and beheaded, his head was situated on a tree to permit the bear's soul to return back to Ursa Major.

One of the few star clusters or constellations cited in the Christian Bible is Job 9:9; 38:32.

The Jewish peoples also connected the visage of a bear, translated into "Arcturus" with Ursa Major. This reference was cited in the Vulgate and in the KJV.

In Theosophy, it is thought that the Seven Stars of the Pleiades hone in on the spiritual energy of the Seven Rays of the Galactic Logos to the Seven Stars of the Great Bear, then to Sirius, then to the Sun, then to the god of Earth, Sanat Kumara, and finally through the seven Masters of the Seven Rays to the human race.

In Javanese, Ursa major is understood as "Bintang Kartika", which comes from Sanskrit. The believed the brightest of the seven stars are Lintang Wuluh, meaning "seven stars". These stars represented the time to plant crops.

To the South Koreans, Ursa Major is thought of as "the seven stars of the north". An old widow with 7 sons fell for a widower, but to get to his house it was mandatory she cross a stream. The 7 kind boys, happy their mother found love, secretly set several stepping stones across in the river. Their mother, unaware of who kindly placed the stones, blessed them for what they did. When the sons became elderly and died, they turned into the constellation, Ursa Major. That is such a sweet story, isn't it?

In Shinto, the 7 biggest stars of Ursa Major belong to Amenominakanushi, the oldest and most powerful of all kami.

The Lakota peoples call the constellation "Great Bear," or Wičhákhiyuhapi.

And finally, according to Roman mythology, Jupiter, the king of the gods (not to be confused with Greek mythology where Zeus is the king of the gods), romantically pursues a beautiful young woman named Callisto, a nymph of goddess Diana. Jupiter's envious wife Juno turns the beautiful Callisto into a giant bear. Callisto, in bear form, eventually stumbles upon her son Arcas. Seeing a bear and not his mother, he almost kills the bear. Jupiter had to stop such a thing from happening, so he turned the son into a bear as well and set them both in the heavens, forming Ursa Major (the mother bear) and Ursa Minor (the little bear). Callisto and Arcas are together forever.

It is also known as "Three Leaps of Gazelle" in Arab culture, which is a series of three pairs of stars: The "First Leap" is ν and ξ, Ursae Majoris, Alula Borealis, and Australis; the "Second Leap" is λ and μ Ursae Majoris, Tania Borealis and Australis; and the "Third Leap" is ι and κ Ursae Majoris, Talitha Borealis and Australis.

It contains these stars: Dubhe ("the bear"), at a magnitude of 1.79 is the 35th brightest star in the sky and the 2nd brightest of Ursa Major. Merak ("the loins of the bear"), with a magnitude of 2.37. Phecda ("thigh"), with a magnitude of 2.44. Megrez, meaning "root of the tail." Alioth, which refers not to a bear but to a "black horse." Mizar, the constellation's 4th brightest star, which means "girdle." Alkaid or Benetnash, both meaning the "end of the tail," a magnitude of 1.85, and is the  3rd brightest star of Ursa Major. This "Ursa Major Moving Group" heads toward a common point in the Constellation Sagittarius. In addition, Ursa Major has many deep sky objects.

Six of its seven stars are of  the 2nd magnitude, and boasting only one central star of 3rd magnitude. The Kappa Ursae Majorids  meteor shower has been just recently been discovered and peaks November 1 and November 10.

It can be seen best in the month of April, this big constellation can be seen all year long.

Big Dipper's Stars: It contains seven stars; one third magnitude and six second magnitude stars (two of which are called the Pointers, alpha (á) and beta (â) Ursa Major). It also contains Mizar, or zeta (î) Ursa Major, a double star discovered in 1889. In 1908, the additional component was found to be a spectroscopic double.

Copyright 2015, Brazen Brunhilda, All Rights Reserved

The Constellation Ursa Minor - The Little Dipper

The Constellation Series: Ursa Minor

Ursa Minor (The Little Dipper) 

The handle of the Little Dipper (so called because it's 7 brightest stars appear to form the shape of a ladle), also called "Smaller the Bear", is discernible by its brightest second-magnitude star, the North Star (Alpha (á) Ursae Minoris, and is situated less than 1 degree from the North Pole. Alternatively, Polarius, the North Star, also carried the name Cynosura(the dog's tail). Cynosura is also portrayed as a nursemaid of the Greek "King God" Zeus. He honored her by naming the star after her. However, in yet another tale, Zeus is saved from his murderous father Cronus by two bears on Mount Ida. Afterward, a thankful Zeus set the helpful bears in the sky, but eventually their tails grew very long. How did a bear's nubby tail grow long, you ask? Because Zeus kept swinging them around in circles from their tails. I guess he was bored.

Facts about the North Star: This star is in the closest position in the direction of Earth's axis, meaning, this is the indication of the Earth's North Pole. Captains and crew have used the North Star to guide their ships for thousands of years. A point to note: As Earth's axis moves within its own processional motion, the celestial poles adjust as well, causing the North star to assume different positions in the constellations. The constellation of Ursa Minor has virtually no deep sky objects. 

The Cepheid variable star Polarius, is the yellow-white ultra bright supergiant member of this constellation. It is easily viewed in the night sky. It's mate, the orange giant Beta Ursae Minoris, also known as Kochab, is only slightly dimmer than Polarius. Gamma Ursae Minoris has been referred to as the 'guardians of the pole star'. Three additional stellar systems have been revealed to include planets.

The constellations Camelopardalis and Draco border the constellation to the west and the constellation Cepheus to the east. Ursa Minor's major meteor shower, the Ursids, peak between December 18 and 25.

To the Babylonians around 1000 BC, Ursa Minor was called Margiddaanna, the "Wagon of Heaven", Damkianna. The constellation is also referred to by the ancient author, Homer. Basically, Ursa Minor really got around. Hungarian mythology deemed the constellation called "Little Goncol cart," or, "Göncöl szekér,"  after a renowned shaman.

Copyright 2015, Brazen Brunhilda, All Rights Reserved

Constellation Draco - The Dragon

The Constellation Series: Constellation Draco

Draco (The Dragon)

For thousands of years, the stars and constellations have guided seafaring vessels, predicted shifting seasons, and personified human distinctiveness and connotations. We have and still do look to the heavens for comfort, answers and dreams. The study of constellations, stars and nebulas are fascinating and mysterious. Since the dawn of man, the stars themselves have given birth to theories about the universe, God, astronomy and man's purpose on Earth. Some believe constellations may provide knowledge for man to use during life. The mystical and supernatural denotations the stars give has been an insurmountable gift to humanity. No matter what school of thought that one may hold true, the sky embodies a magnificent mess of theories, questions and answers. Below are listings of just a few constellations and nebulae. 

Constellation Draco 

It means "Dragon" in Latin
Position: Northern Sky, near 18 hours right ascension and 70 degrees in declination.

Draco dates back to the time of the Babylonians,  which lived from around 1830 BC to 1531 BC. and is ingrained in Greek Mythology. The depiction of the constellation  Draco is thought to be either indicative of the God Zeus' flight from his father, Cronus. Another depiction is that of  a dragon that protected and guarded the golden apples of the Hesperides.  The constellation lends its name to the 1996 film Dragonheart. Draco is in reality a "dragon heaven", the dragon afterlife. Like a dragon Valhalla, if the creature had been a force that protected mankind and lived valiantly, he or she would go to this "heaven". Should the dragon fail in his mission and oath to humanity, he or she would simply cease to exist upon death. Cool, huh?

It's brightest second-magnitude star, a orange giant star of magnitude 2.2, 148 light-years from Earth is called Etamin (Gamma (ã) Draconis), meaning "Dragon's Head"). Factoid about the North Star: In 7500 AD, the North Star will be Alpha (á) Cephei in the constellation Cepheus. In 15,000 AD, the North Star will be Vega in the Constellation Lyra. Draco was one of the 48 constellations classified by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and is one of the 88 modern constellations today. It's northern pole star, Thuban (α Draconis), was in this position from 3942 BC until 1793 BC. when it shifted to a position farther north than Theta Boötis. 

It was so important to ancient peoples that the Egyptian Pyramids were built to have one side facing north, with a front entrance calculated so that Thuban could be seen at night. In 24,000 AD Polaris will once again take its rightful place as the northern pole star.

Contained  in Draco is the Cat's Eye Nebula (NGC 6543), a planetary nebula approximately 3,000 light-years away from Earth. This powerhouse is a shockingly bright 9th magnitude star and was dubbed so due to its facade as photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope. Aptly named, it looks like a slightly out of focus blue-green disk.

In addition, Angkor temples are arranged to imitate constellation blueprints of Draco. 

Copyright 2015 Brazen Brunhilda, All Rights Reserved