Leaving Minnehaha Falls At Dusk, Droid Screenshot of the Night Sky, Star
Chart over Minnehaha Falls, Minneapolis, Minnesota, March 24, 2012,
photos © 2012 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
NIGHT VISION
Leaving Minnehaha Falls at dusk,
a woman brushes by in a black beret.
On her forearm, a Libra tattoo.
On her face, the rising crescent Moon.
“Look,” I say, “Venus & Jupiter.”
She pauses, points, “Back there, that’s Mars.”
Seven Sisters, one hundred and eighty degrees—
the astrological Underworld.
After a Pampered Chef party in South Minneapolis, Liz and I stopped to take photographs at Minnehaha Falls. When we climbed the limestone steps to leave the park, a sliver of Moon rose next to two of the brightest stars. When I pulled up the Droid Star Chart app, they proved to be planets. Venus and Jupiter hovered over the waxing crescent Moon with the Pleiades close by. Right behind me, a stranger pointed out Mars.
According to Shamanic Astrology, March, 2012 begins the Underworld Saga where Venus (the feminine) and Mars (the masculine) only meet when they are with the Sun. Mars is always retrograde when it is opposite the Sun. This year it will be retrograde in the sign of Virgo for 81 days, January 23 to April 13, 2012. In 2113, Mars dips below the horizon and into the Underworld, a time of chaos and surrender in service to people and the greater community. Read more about the future at Shamanic Astrology and the predicted night sky at Sky and Telescope.
Star Chart was introduced to my by my brother when he visited last Fall and pulled up the night sky right over our heads. I highly recommend it. My second favorite app of the month is The Photographer’s Ephemeris. With TPE, you can instantly access information on the exact rise and set of the Sun and Moon, your altitude in relationship to the landscape, and times when the Sun and Moon will be at an optimal location in the sky for your photograph. When Liz and I were at the 50-foot bottom of Minnehaha Falls, we saved our location in TPE giving us all the info we need to return at an optimum time to photograph the Moon over the falls. Venus and Mars are alright tonight.
-posted on red Ravine, Saturday, March 31st, 2012
Ever since I heard this information on “Stardate” on PRI, a couple of weeks ago, I have been watching. I love the way that Venus, (the femine,) is above Jupiter, (at least from where I see it,) and shines more brightly than “him!” It is a beautiful sight and shows up in the early evening sky before most other planets are even visible.
LikeLike
Marylin, last night we went on the 7th St. bridge over the freeway (then over to the 55 overpass) and shot the April Frog Moon rising over Minneapolis. It was a partly cloudy night (after a perfectly blue day) so I wasn’t sure we’d see it at all. Amazingly, it peeked between two banks of clouds right as it was rising by the city. Liz got a couple of great shots.
I think I did see Venus last night. The sky has changed a lot since I posted this piece though. I thought of you in Hawaii a few weeks ago and wondered what the skies were like there. I hope you had a great time. Can’t wait to hear about your trip!
LikeLike
Looking at stars was a rare gift while I was living in Philly. I cherish the vision now and see it as a sign that there are so many like me, gazing upon the stars and being ok.
LikeLike
Erin, it is so hard to see the stars while living in a large city. I rarely see them in the Twin Cities either. But just outside of these crowded places, we know that everything is up there shining down. It is such a comfort. So glad to hear from you. I miss you.
LikeLike
The best part of going to World’s End is laying on the bridge looking at the stars. It is when I feel closest to those I’m there with. Its when I feel the most calm.
I miss and love you.
LikeLike
I wonder what it is about staring up at the sky. All the possibilities of a life come to the forefront. Heart, vision, and like you say, feeling connected to everything around us. I’m so grateful for that experience. Love you, too. And thinking about you as we get into the Summer months.
One other thing about the Sky — I think that same connectedness is why I like to photograph the Moon. Even in the city, I can find places where she shines against the backdrop of thousands of humans. They can’t stop her. No one can stop any of us, but ourselves. Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot!
LikeLike