Tonight a rare phenomenon happened in the skies above us, about a half hour after sunset here in Florida. It was visible elsewhere, but this is the time that I experienced the “Christmas Star” or the conjugation of Jupiter and Saturn, which appears to the naked eye as one great big bright “star”. The last time this has happened like this was eight hundred years ago. A similar event, “The Star of Bethlehem” is theorized to have happened at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ, although that “star” is theorized to have been the conjugation of Jupiter and Venus at the time.
…”Star of wonder, star of night
Star of royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding..”
-from “We Three Kings” by John Henry Hopkins Jr.
While looking up into the sky tonight, I couldn’t help but wonder who the people were who saw the very same thing that I saw tonight. I wondered how they looked, how they dressed, where they lived, and what they thought about. In 1280, in the Middle Ages, I know they were very concerned about disease and were likely thinking about leprosy that very night, as the bubonic plague happened a bit later than that. While they were looking up into the heavens, were they witnessing this beautiful event, thinking it was a brief diversion for that one moment from the things that weighed heavily upon their minds, such as disease and pandemics, like we were? One moment of a sparkling wonder might have been all they needed to refresh their minds, even for a moment together with those they love during their holiday season. One moment of wonder. One moment of joy.
“May your days be merry and bright.”
Fa la la la la, la la la la….
Life is good; find the wonder and joy somewhere in your day today. Carpe diem, friends….
Carpe Diem with Caye 