The endless fascination of the night sky
I wonder if other people have favourite constellations. Mine is Orion. I love the fact that he comes back in March and signals the coming of summer and, when you look up from the brightest star on his shoulder, Betelgeuse, you find Gemini (my own birth sign). And I love the mythology behind all the stars.
The character Karl, in The Way Things Fall, is an astronomer and Egyptologist. He does not distinguish between astronomy and astrology and he believes there is a tremendous power in the forces of the universe that we must respect. In In Love With The Night, Dominic, one of the French Moroccan brothers who own a hotel in Fez, is also fascinated by the stars, a love his mother passed on to him and, when he meets a young boy with a similar fascination, he is determined to learn more.
Unfortunately, astrological study has been ‘dumbed down’ and many people shake their heads and think you’re nuts if you express an interest in it. I find it endlessly intriguing, especially if you explore how ancient cultures, like the Egyptians, the Babylonians, the Mayans, read the stars and how the night sky influenced their lives. The more you read, the more astonished you become!
