sky – SPICA

The night sky in the lives of amateur and professional astronomers

by Jessica Heim

This paper explores the nature of amateur and professional astronomers’ attitudes towards and relationship with the night sky. This research uses a mixed method approach, utilizing both interviews and questionnaire responses. It examines how respondents feel about the night sky, what it means to them, and their thoughts about light pollution. It was found that a high percentage of individuals surveyed expressed that they have an emotional attachment to and feel as sense of connection with the night sky. Many elaborated on why being able to view the night sky is important to them and enriches their lives. Respondents also frequently noted seeing increasing levels of light pollution, and several expressed concern about how lack of access to dark skies could affect future generations. This paper finds that for the population surveyed, the ability to experience the dark night sky is essential for wellbeing.

Introduction

Tim Ingold argues that since contemporary humans live so much of their lives indoors, they have lost their connection to the world outside of enclosed spaces, the outdoors.^[1] However, Campion argues that all civilizations have felt a sense of awe about the sky.^[2] This paper aims to examine whether contemporary people still experience a sense of connection to the sky. Specifically, it explores the nature of amateur and professional astronomers’ attitudes towards and relationship with the night sky. It endeavours to look into how these people feel about the night sky, their place in the universe, and issues relating to the night sky, such as light pollution. This work builds upon previous research in this area. This includes the work of William Kelly, who developed the ‘Noctcaelador Inventory,’ a list of questions designed to discern individuals’ degree of connection to the night sky.^[3] It also references Jarita Holbrook’s findings on individuals’ relationship with the sky based upon her ‘The Sky in Our Lives’ survey.^[4] In addition, it connects to the work of Ada Blair, whose research focused upon the role of the sky in the lives of people living on the Dark Sky Island of Sark.^[5]

This project uses a mixed method approach as suggested by Monique Hennicnk, et al.^[6] It uses a combination of semi-structured interviews and an online questionnaire distributed to individuals interested in the night sky, many of whom were members of local amateur astronomy organizations. It was found that the majority of people surveyed do indeed have a strong connection to the night sky, and many shared detailed explanations of how viewing the night sky has affected their lives in a positive way.

Literature Review

In his paper, ‘Earth, Sky, Wind, and Weather,’ Ingold argues that due to so much of their time being spent indoors, contemporary people think differently from those from societies in which more time was spent outdoors. He believes that all this time indoors creates ‘difficulty in imagining how any world we inhabit could be other than a furnished room.’^[7] However, Campion has a different perspective, stating that there is no ‘society that does not express at least some fascination with the sky and its mysteries.’^[8] He argues that such ‘awe of the heavens’ can be seen to ‘be a universal human attribute.’^[9] Thus for Campion, the sky holds a place of importance in the lives of ancient and modern peoples alike.

There has not been a great deal of research done on the relationship of contemporary humans with the night sky. In particular, there is a dearth of research on astronomers’ relationship with the night sky. Jaritia Holbook has done some of the pioneering work in this area. She has used her ‘The Sky in Our Lives’ survey to examine attitudes and beliefs toward the sky of professional and amateur astronomers.^{^[10]} Among some of her preliminary findings were that contrary to popular conceptions of astronomers, in the population she studied, she did not find the majority of astronomers to be agnostics and atheists.^[11] Regarding the purpose of her research, Holbrook states, ‘as with ancient people, contemporary people have a relationship with the night sky. However, we do not know the details of that relationship,’ hence her continuing research on this subject. ^[12]

Ada Blair has also chosen to study the relationship between contemporary humans and the night sky, albeit a different group, residents of the Dark Sky Island of Sark. In her research, she interviewed people from Sark to uncover the ways in which having continual access to a dark night sky impacts their lives. There has been much more research done, as Blair observes, on the importance of interaction with nature in maintaining wellbeing than on studying similar effects resulting from access to a dark sky. For example, Richard Louv, a journalist who has written extensively about the benefits of regular contact with nature for children and communities, coined the term ‘nature-deficit disorder’ to describe negative consequences of lack of contact with the natural world upon physical, mental and emotional health.^[13] Blair concludes that interaction with dark skies, like other parts of nature, has a positive effect on wellbeing.^[14]

Psychologist William Kelly has developed the ‘Noctcaelador Inventory’ (NI), a list of ten questions intended to provide a means of measuring individuals’ interest in the night sky. In this inventory, respondents are asked to rank the extent of their agreement with each of the ten statements on a one to five scale, ranging from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree. Kelly and Bates found that when comparing the NI scores of astronomical society members to those of controls, the astronomical society members scored significantly higher, thus providing support for the effectiveness of this scale in measuring connection to the night sky.^[15]

There is also some nature writing which touches upon issues of light pollution or lack thereof and its relationship to society. For instance, Paul Bogard has written on the subject of increasing light pollution and how the abundance of artificial lighting at night has detrimental effects on the health of both humans and ecological systems.^[16] In addition, in his guide to astronomy in the U.S.’s national parks, Tyler Nordgren discusses reasons why dark skies should be preserved and voices his concerns about the negative consequences which may result if they are not.^[17] Both argue that losing the night sky would be a great loss to humanity and argue for changes to the way people light up their cities and neighborhoods.

Methodology

This project uses a combination of questionnaire responses and semi-structured interviews. Henneck et al suggest using a mixed method approach, as does Alan Bryman, who gives examples of research involving both questionnaires and interviews.^[18] As Judith Bell observes, though there are benefits to interviews, such as the ability to ask the interviewee further questions and to clarify responses, there are also downsides, such as the amount of time it takes to conduct and transcribe interviews and increased difficulty in analysis.^[19] Thus for this research, I decided to design an electronic questionnaire, which would be my primary data collecting instrument and also do three interviews.

Though the individuals I interviewed all expressed an interest in astronomy and the night sky, they each came from a different background. One of the interviewees, Annette Lee, is a professional astronomer and university professor in her 40’s. The second interviewee, Ian Bernick, is a very avid amateur astronomer in his 30’s, and the final interviewee, Jessica Bernick, also in her 30’s, is Ian’s wife. She indicated that I would get a ‘layperson’s perspective’ from her, as while she enjoys the night sky, she does not share the same level of enthusiasm for it as her husband does. Thus I felt that the individuals I interviewed were representative of the spectrum of perspectives I was aiming to examine in my research.

In designing my research questions for both the questionnaire and interviews, I have based many of my questions on those used by Holbrook and Blair in order to facilitate an easier comparison of my findings with theirs. Both my questionnaire and interview questions can be found in appendices at this end of this paper. For the questionnaire, Google Forms was used in order to facilitate ease of completion by respondents. I distributed the questionnaire to individuals on the general e-mail list of a large astronomy society in my state (Minnesota) as well as posted it on their online forum. In addition, it was distributed to members of the smaller, regional astronomy club in my area. I also e-mailed the questionnaire link to a number of individuals I know personally who are very interested in viewing the night sky, and some of these people forwarded the survey link to other night sky enthusiasts they knew. A total of fifty individuals, including the three interviewees, completed the questionnaire.

The questionnaire consisted of five sections and contained a combination of list, multiple choice, Likert scale, and open questions. Though, as Bell observes, open questions can prove more challenging to analyze, I felt it was important to include a number of these in order to enable respondents to better share their stories and other personal experiences relating to the night sky.^[20] The first section of my questionnaire gathered demographic information, while the second asked about respondents’ activities in relation to the night sky, such as whether they have used or own a telescope. The third section consisted of Kelly’s ten NI questions, section four asked respondents about their thoughts and feelings about the night sky, and section five focused upon respondents’ thoughts and attitudes about dark skies and light pollution. It was estimated that the questionnaire should take approximately fifteen minutes to complete.

Reflexive Considerations

I have been a planetarium educator for about five years, presenting astronomy education programs to school groups and the general public. I greatly enjoy learning about new discoveries in astronomy, and I also have a strong interest in observing the night sky, typically viewing it nightly. Being able to observe the night sky is extremely important to me, and I find the rapidly increasing levels of light pollution where I live to be quite distressing.

I would consider myself somewhat of an insider to my target groups. The individuals I interviewed are people I know and interact with frequently. I am also a member of both of the astronomy organizations to which I distributed my questionnaire. In addition, I know a number of the amateur astronomers who received my survey. Yet, I would also consider myself an outsider to these astronomical organizations, as I have not been a member of either of them for long (less than one year), and thus, I have not met the majority of the people who completed my survey.

Ethical considerations

All individuals receiving the questionnaire were provided an explanation of the nature and purpose of this research. They were informed that by completing the questionnaire, they were consenting to their data being used in my research and were assured that they would be anonymous. In order to begin the survey, respondents had to first click, ‘I agree’ to this statement. Interviewees were likewise informed as to the nature of the research, and they each signed a release form. They opted to have their actual names used in this paper. Thus I have used pseudonyms to refer to all questionnaire respondents but have used the real identities of my interviewees in this paper.

Findings/Discussion

I found that a high percentage of respondents were white, male, and highly educated, with nearly half having a Masters degree or higher. They also tended to be older, with the median age being 57, and all but five lived in Minnesota. Some lived in more urban areas, while a much smaller percentage lived in the country. The majority indicated that they were amateur astronomers, though eight marked ‘None of the Above’ when asked to indicate their connection to astronomy. Given the methods I used of distributing the survey, regardless of how respondents described themselves, all had an above average interest in the night sky.

Population	Number of People
Male	38
Female	11
Blank	1

Figure 1: Population

Ethnicity	Number of People
White/Caucasian	42
Mixed Race	3
Indian	1
Pakistani American	1
Blank	3

Figure 2: Ethnicity

Astronomy Connection	Number of People
astronomer	4
Amateur astronomer	37
Astronomy Grad student	1
None of the Above	8

Figure 3: Astronomy Connection

Age	Number of People
20-29	5
30-39	4
40-49	4
50-59	12
60-69	13
70-79	7
80-89	1
‘Old’	1
Blank	3

Figure 4: Age

Figure 5: Highest Level of Education Attained

As expected, it was found that the majority of people in this study regularly engaged with and felt a sense of connection to the night sky. Fifty-eight percent indicated that they took time to view the night sky one or more times a week, with an additional 20% percent saying that they typically do this several times a month. Every respondent had used a telescope to view celestial objects, and seventy-two percent owned one or more telescopes (many owned several). Likewise, the results from Kelly’s NI questions showed that many respondents showed a strong connection to the night sky. For example, 84% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they ‘feel an emotional attachment to the night sky,’ and 78% agreed or strongly agreed that they ‘somehow feel connected with the night-sky.’ So it appears that for this group of people, a personal connection to the night sky is indeed important, and in the remainder of this paper, I will explore the nature of this relationship in more detail.

Figure 7: Frequency of Viewing the Night Sky

Figure 8: Emotional Attachment to the Night Sky

Though a few respondents indicated that experiences as an adult, such attending a star party, sparked their interest in night sky observation, the vast majority of respondents indicated that their connection to the night sky began in childhood, and many shared memorable experiences with the sky from their early years. For instance, Samuel, a 25 year old physics graduate student shared, ‘I come from rural India and it’s very common to sleep outside under the night sky in summer days. I remember my grandparents telling fascinating stories about constellations while pointing them to me during those times.’ Similarly, James, a 52 year old Minnesotan, indicated that his earliest memories of the night sky were from looking up from his backyard ‘as a WEE tot.’ He went on to share a memorable experience from his early teens:

I received my first telescope on Christmas Eve at age 14 … I put it together and took it out into the cold Minnesota night: jammies, parka and boots. It was 2 am. I found the brightest thing in the sky and pointed at it … it was Jupiter. I could see the cloud belts and the Galilean moons. I couldn’t believe I was seeing it with my very own eyes! I ran inside and woke my mom; told her she had to come and see it. She was incredulous. “I can’t believe it,” she shrieked and giggled with delight. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. That night changed my life.

The correlation with being able to engage with the night sky as a child and lifelong interest in both observation and in astronomy is noted by Nordgren, as he observes, ‘Nearly every astronomer I know, can point to a transformative moment as a child, be it a first look through a telescope, a meteor shower, or the sight of the Milky Way on a night spent camping under the stars.’^[21] Nordgren points to the importance of firsthand observation in igniting an interest in the night sky and astronomy.^[22] This was a theme that came up repeatedly in my research. When describing what inspires him to look through his telescopes, Ian noted, ‘you can see it firsthand, and I think that’s kind of special.’ Thus it appears that, though photographs taken by space telescopes are certainly engaging and can perhaps engender further appreciation of the wonders of the universe, it is the personal, firsthand experience with the night sky, particularly as a child, which has the deepest and most transformational effect upon a person and creates a sense of connection to the cosmos.

Respondents elaborated on why viewing the night sky is meaningful for them. For many, there was the joy of learning and of sharing with others. Some said viewing the night sky brought about feelings of connection to the universe, and others mentioned it was beneficial for their psyche. As James explained, ‘It’s good for my soul. It centers me.’ Similarly, Julia, a 22 year old graduate physics student, noted, it ‘allows me to experience emotions that I rarely experience elsewhere.’ Thus it seems to be a combination of the excitement of learning, connecting with the world beyond the earth, and the emotions this engenders which draws many to observe the night sky.

Respondents were asked to specify their religious or spiritual tradition. Because this was an open question, I got a great variety of responses. Some were challenging to neatly classify into a particular category. For example, one individual said that he was ‘Protestant, but heading towards Buddhist;’ another stated he was ‘between Catholic and atheist.’ Notwithstanding, I found that more respondents declared religious or spiritual traditions than did not. In addition, more than half of respondents indicated that religious and spiritual concepts were important components of their interest in the night sky, and many chose to elaborate upon the reasons why. Julia indicated her belief in God as creator of the universe and noted, ‘That’s one of the reasons I chose to study physics in college. I’ve always feel that by learning how nature works, I’m also learning the mind of God.’ Similarly, Dave, a 50 year old Minnesotan, noted that he finds that looking at the sky ‘strengthens religious belief.’ Thus for such individuals, viewing the sky, understanding the workings of the universe, and deepening spiritual beliefs go hand in hand. Also, several people who identified themselves as agnostic or atheist indicated that their spiritual/religious beliefs played a role in their interest in the night sky. For example, Sally, a 62 year old secular humanist, indicated that she experiences ‘transcendent feelings’ and that she is ‘a part of the universe’ when she is in nature or looks at the night sky, while Derek, an agnostic 71 year old, notes that he considers himself to be a spiritual person and states that in observing the night sky there is ‘a possible connection to a higher and lasting spirit.’ Thus, for many respondents, there was definitely a ‘spiritual’ component relating to their interest in the heavens.

Religious Tradition	Number of people
Christian or specified a specific denomination	17
Baha’i	2
Messianic Jewish/Hebrew roots	1
Muslim	1
Spiritual, but non-aligned, lifelong seeker, Pagan, etc.	6
Currently between traditions	3
Raised Christian, but not very religious	2
Atheist and/or agnostic	13
None	2
Blank	3

Figure 10: Religious Tradition

Figure 11: Consider Self to be a Religious Person?

Figure 12: Consider Self to be a Spiritual Person?

Figure 13: Spiritual/Religious Beliefs Influence Interest in Night Sky?

These results support Holbrook’s observation, based upon her research with astronomers, that not all interested in astronomy are atheists, and indeed, many such people do claim a religious tradition.^[23] Holbrook also mentions that she received strong criticism from some atheist astronomers regarding her findings.^[24] In my research, I likewise encountered a few individuals who were quite upset to be asked anything about religion. Though most were more than happy to discuss their thoughts about religion and spirituality, regardless of what these beliefs were, a couple were not. Josh, a 64 year old atheist, inquired, ‘Why does religion have anything to do with this survey.’ Similarly, when asked to indicate his religious or spiritual tradition, Mike, a self described ‘old’ individual, exclaimed, ‘religion when we’re talking about science? didn’t religion say that the earth was the center of everything?’ Thus by bringing up the topic of religion in the context of astronomy and the night sky, like Holbrook, I encountered some opposition.

A high percentage of respondents had noticed an increase in light pollution over time, and many also noted diminishing viewing conditions where they lived. Additionally, though 72% could see the Milky Way from where they lived as a child, only 50% can see it from where they live now. One might wonder whether this could be explained by a childhood in the country followed by a move to a city as an adult, yet there were respondents who discussed how much darker the skies were in places they frequented in years past than those same locales are today, and some described relatively urban locations as having quite good viewing conditions when they were younger. Though this is certainly a marked decrease, the fact that half of those surveyed can still see the Milky Way at all where they live, indicates that the overall light pollution levels in Minnesota may not be as high as elsewhere in the country, as according to Fabio Falchi, about 80% of North Americans cannot see the Milky Way from where they live.^[25] Eighty-six percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that ‘Light pollution is a major problem in Minnesota’s skies.’ So it is evident that these individuals are keenly aware of changes in the night sky.

Figure 14: Observation of Light Pollution Increase

Figure 15: Observation of Light Pollution Increase Where One Lives

Figure 16: Visibility of Milky Way when a Child

Figure 18: Light Pollution is a Major Problem in Minnesota?

When asked how the increase in light pollution made them feel, ‘sad’ was by far the most common response. Some were angry, and one man said increasing levels of light pollution where he lived made him feel ‘disappointed’ and ‘robbed.’ Nearly all indicated that they found light pollution to be upsetting. Ninety-four percent agreed or strongly agreed that ‘Having a dark sky and being able to see many stars at night is important to me.’ To give an example of this, Ian shared that before purchasing a home, he examined dark sky maps to assist him in choosing a location with good viewing conditions. Similarly, Annette indicated that if she moved, she would try to go somewhere the sky was darker. So it is clear that for many respondents, the prospect of an impaired view of the night sky was upsetting indeed.

Respondents were asked to describe how they felt when viewing a very dark night sky and contrast this with a light polluted view. Many gave vivid descriptions of their experiences with a dark sky, and it was clear that for a lot of people, viewing such a sky not only provided more interesting and beautiful views, but brought about radically different emotions. When viewing a dark sky, respondents reported feeling, ‘in awe,’ ‘happy,’ and ‘exhilarated.’ In contrast, emotions felt when looking at a light polluted sky included, ‘feelings of loss and disappointment’ ‘indifferent,’ and ‘frustrated.’ Several described viewing the dark sky as a much more tactile experience. In describing the sky in a remote area, Ian noted it ‘just seemed like you could almost touch it.’ Henry, a 28-year-old physics graduate student, gave a similar description, ‘It’s a completely different world. When you’re in a location with a truly dark sky, you feel like you’re being sucked into the sky.’ Bogard describes the feeling of falling into the stars, termed ‘celestial vaulting,’ and notes that such an experience is only possible in a truly dark sky.^{^[26]} Thus viewing a dark sky enables a vastly different experience than observing from a light polluted area.

Many respondents lamented the loss of darker skies, but a few were particularly poignant in their descriptions of how important access to a dark sky is to them. Annette shared, ‘It’s like the difference between eating junk food, and using that to sustain you, or eating a really good, high protein, nutritious, good healthy meal. The dark sky is like the healthy meal. The junk food is like being in a light polluted area.’ She likened lack of access to a dark sky for an extended period of time to being a boat without an anchor, getting thrown about by the waves. When asked what prompts her to look skyward, she responded, ‘I think it would be like saying, “What prompts you to breathe?” ‘ For Annette, it is clear that regular access to a dark sky is essential for health and wellbeing. The feelings shared by her and other respondents about how differently dark and light polluted skies make them feel offer strong support for Blair’s conclusion that dark skies do indeed benefit wellbeing.^[27]

Though there was much agreement about the existence of light pollution and the fact that it was upsetting, there was less consensus about whether this state of affairs could be altered.

Only 32% agreed or strongly agreed that ‘I can do something to substantially decrease light pollution.’ However, 63% disagreed or strongly disagreed that ‘Little can be done to halt the spread and extent of light pollution.’ So while nearly two thirds believed that something can be done to stop light pollution, about half as many thought that they personally could create change. Those who shared their experiences trying to educate city officials about dark sky friendly lighting expressed frustration. Remarks included, ‘Politicians are idiots’ and ‘It’s tough to do anything about it because people think you’re a tree hugging nut job.’ Perhaps feelings of defeat resulting from trying to make a change in lighting could be responsible for fewer people thinking that they can do something to effect change, yet this seems unlikely to be the major reason, as many more people disagreed that they could do something than indicated they had actually tried. So it appears that the prevalent belief is that there is a problem, but somebody else will solve it.

Figure 20: Ability to Reduce Light Pollution

Figure 21: Can Anything be Done to Stop Light Pollution?

Several people expressed concern about negative consequences for society resulting from a loss of contact with the sky. George, a 53 year old Minnesotan, observed that the ‘majesty of dark sky was common experience for most of human history,’ and he pondered the effect the loss of it will have on humanity. Similarly, Jane, a 27 year old mother of three, was concerned about whether future generations will know and appreciate the sky, and suggested ‘more outreach programs for children,’ as if ‘children were introduced to astronomy like I was at a young age there would be a better appreciation for what is being lost.’ Nordgren likewise expresses concern about what will happen if the night sky is obscured for most of humankind. ‘With no night sky to fire the imagination of potential young Einsteins or Sagans, where do the new scientists come from?’ he asks.^[28] He argues that without the ability to experience the night sky first hand, ‘public interest in astronomy will simply fade away. After all, how do you convince someone to care about a forest wilderness who has never wandered in a meadow, climbed a mountain, or even seen a tree?’^[29] This is exactly the argument Louv makes, that if children grow up without contact with the natural world, they will not care to protect it.^[30] Thus it is suggested that not only does the loss of dark skies have the potential to diminish individual wellbeing, it may also create negative social consequences as well.

Conclusion

The aim of this research was to explore the nature of amateur and professional astronomers’ relationship to and feelings about the sky. It was found that my interviewees and questionnaire respondents do indeed have a strong interest in and connection to the night sky. Thus for at least this particular subset of contemporary people, contact with the sky is still an integral component of their lives. Respondents reported viewing the night sky on a regular basis, and most indicated strong emotional connections to the sky. In addition, many noted spiritual or religious aspects relating to their interest in the night sky. It was also found that, for many people, contact with a dark night sky brings about a sense of wellbeing while conversely, light pollution brings about feelings of sadness and loss. Nearly all agreed that light pollution is a problem in Minnesota, and though there was less consensus as to whether light pollution could be reduced, concerns were voiced that if light pollution continues to increase, the loss of the night sky will be a major loss for humankind. Campion neatly sums up these concerns: ‘Light pollution cuts off our heritage, reduces our wellbeing and deprives us of contact with a huge part of our natural environment.’^[31] Perhaps further research and public knowledge of both the negative effects of light pollution as well as the benefits to be had from dark skies will eventually bring back the night sky for millions of people who have never seen a truly dark sky and will allow future generations to continue to marvel at the wonders of the universe.

Bibliography

Bates, Jason and William Kelly, ‘Criterion-Group Validity of the Noctcaelador Inventory Differences Between Astronomical Society Members and Controls ,’ Individual Differences Research, 3 (3), Hogrefe Publishing, (2005), 200-203.

Bell, Judith, Doing Your Research Project: A guide for first-time researchers in education, health and social science, 5th edn (Berkshire, England: Open University Press, 2010).

Blair, Ada, Sark in the Dark: Wellbeing and Community on the Dark Sky Island of Sark (Ceredigion, Wales: Sophia Centre Press, 2016).

Bogard, Paul, The End of Night: Search for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light (London: Little Brown and Company, 2013).

Bryman, Alan, Quantity and Quality in Social Research (London & New York: Routledge, 1988).

Campion, Nicholas, Astrology and Cosmology in the World’s Religions (New York & London: New York University Press, 2012).

Campion, Nicholas, The Dawn of Astrology: A Cultural History of Western Astrology, Volume 1: The Ancient and Classical Worlds (London & New York: Continuum Books, 2008).

Campion, Nicholas, Preface to Sark in the Dark: Wellbeing and Community on the Dark Sky Island of Sark, by Ada Blair (Ceredigion, Wales: Sophia Centre Press, 2016) pp. xvii – xxvii.

Falchi, Fabio, Pierantonio Cinzano, Dan Duriscoe, Christopher C. M. Kyba, Christopher D. Elvidge, Kimberly Baugh, Boris A. Portnov, Nataliya A. Rybnikova and Riccardo Furgoni, ‘The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness,’ Science Advances, 2 (6), American Association for the Advancement of Science, (2016).

Hennick, Monique, Inge Hutter, and Ajay Bailey, Qualitative Research Methods (London: Sage Publications, 2011).

Holbrook, Jarita, ‘How Odd is Odd? Studying astronomers,’ (paper presented at the Conference of the European Society for Astronomy in Culture, Lubljana, 2012).

Holbrook, Jarita, ‘Sky Knowledge, Celestial Names and Light Pollution,’ (unpublished MS, University of Arizona, 2009).

Ingold, Tim, ‘Earth Sky, Wind, and Weather,’ The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 13 (2007), 19-38.

Kelly, Willam, ‘Development of an Instrument to Meausure Noctcaelador: Psychological Attachment to the Night-Sky,’ College Student Journal, 38 (1), Project Innovation, (2004), 100-103.

Louv, Richard, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder (Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2005).

Nordgren, Tyler, Stars Above, Earth Below: A Guide to Astronomy in the National Parks, (Chichester, UK: Praxis, 2010).

^[1] Tim Ingold, ‘Earth Sky, Wind, and Weather,’ The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 13 (2007), 19-38, (p. 29).

^[2] Nicholas Campion, The Dawn of Astrology: A Cultural History of Western Astrology, Volume 1: The Ancient and Classical Worlds (London & New York: Continuum Books, 2008), p. 5.

^[3] Willam Kelly, ‘Development of an Instrument to Meausure Noctcaelador: Psychological Attachment to the Night-Sky,’ College Student Journal, 38 (1), Project Innovation, (2004), 100-103.

^[4] Jarita Holbrook, ‘Sky Knowledge, Celestial Names and Light Pollution,’ (unpublished MS, University of Arizona, 2009).

^[5] Ada Blair, Sark in the Dark: Wellbeing and Community on the Dark Sky Island of Sark (Ceredigion, Wales: Sophia Centre Press, 2016).

^[6] Monique Hennick, Inge Hutter, and Ajay Bailey, Qualitative Research Methods (London: Sage Publications, 2011), pp. 52-58.

^[7] Tim Ingold, ‘Earth Sky, Wind, and Weather,’ p. 29.

^[8] Nicholas Campion, Astrology and Cosmology in the World’s Religions (New York & London: New York University Press, 2012), p. 1.

^[9] Campion, The Dawn of Astrology: A Cultural History of Western Astrology, p. 5.

^[10] Jarita Holbrook, ‘Sky Knowledge, Celestial Names and Light Pollution,’ (unpublished MS, University of Arizona, 2009).

^[11] Jarita Holbrook, ‘How Odd is Odd? Studying astronomers,’ (paper presented at the Conference of the European Society for Astronomy in Culture, Lubljana, 2012), p.4.

^[12] Holbrook, ‘ How Odd is Odd? Studying astronomers,’ p.3.

^[13] Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder (Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2005), p. 34.

^[14] Blair, Sark in the Dark, p. 147.

^[15] Jason Bates and William Kelly, ‘Criterion-Group Validity of the Noctcaelador Inventory Differences Between Astronomical Society Members and Controls ,’ Individual Differences Research, 3 (3), Hogrefe Publishing, (2005), 200-203, (p. 202).

^[16] Paul Bogard, The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light, (New York: Little Brown and Company, 2013).

^[17] Tyler Nordgren, Stars Above, Earth Below: A Guide to Astronomy in the National Parks, (Chichester, UK: Praxis Publishing, 2010).

^[18] Monique Hennick, et al, Qualitative Research Methods, pp. 52-58; Alan Bryman, Quantity and Quality in Social Research, (London & New York: Routledge, 1988), pp. 371-139.

^[19] Judith Bell, Doing Your Research Project: A guide for first-time researchers in education, health and social science, 5th edn (Berkshire, England: Open University Press, 2010), p. 161.

^[20] Bell, Doing Your Research Project, p. 141.

^[21] Nordgren, Stars Above, Earth Below, p. 426.

^[22] Nordgren, Stars Above, Earth Below, pp. 424-426.

^[23] Holbrook, ‘How Odd is Odd? Studying astronomers,’ p. 6.

^[24] Holbrook, ‘How Odd is Odd? Studying astronomers,’ p. 6.

^[25] Fabio Falchi et al, ‘The new world atlas of artificial night sky brightness,’ Science Advances, 2 (6), American Association for the Advancement of Science, (2016), p. 1.

^[26] Bogard, The End of Night, pp. 269-271.

^[27] Blair, Sark in the Dark, p. 147.

^[28] Nordgren, Stars Above, Earth Below, p. 426.

^[29] Nordgren, Stars Above, Earth Below, p. 426.

^[30] Louv, Last Child in the Woods, p. 157.

^[31] Nicholas Campion, preface to Sark in the Dark: Wellbeing and Community on the Dark Sky Island of Sark, by Ada Blair (Ceredigion, Wales: Sophia Centre Press, 2016), p. xxvii.

Moon meets Sun and Sun meets Moon: A sky journal research report

Nicole Montag-Keller

This paper reports on what ‘Moon meets Sun and Sun meets Moon’ means to the researcher, noted in a sky journal from end of May till mid July, 2017 at a location in North-Western Switzerland. Qualitative, phenomenological and reflexive research was conducted with a focus on ‘Verstehen’. The methodological approach rendered to exhibit in depth perceptions, thoughts and feelings, showing how factual clarity and intuitive sensations belong to the broad dualities of materiality and spirituality. The research gave way to the understanding of individual identity formation, personal development and self-realisation informed through biography and lived experience. The report offers an expression of a personal cosmology, world-view and attitude by addressing the interrelatedness of a meaning making process: between sky objects, landscape and the researcher at a certain time in a certain place.

Introduction

The aim of this research is what ‘Moon meets Sun and Sun meets Moon’ means to me and how, as a result of the observation of Moon and Sun, I was influenced, affected and shifted in my lived experience. Since my last name is Montag, I feel emotionally connected to the Moon, but I understand that the sky objects moon and sun express also my understanding of materiality. Additionally, the Moon and the Sun hold symbolic meaning for me, which is highlighted in the course of my own path of life, which this report means to be an expression of the developmental changes and transformation I underwent as a consequence of observing and relating to the Moon. I look into how I construct, what Nicolas Campion termed an ‘individual’s worldview or meaning system’, my personal cosmology, and I also assess whether my research confirms what Freya Matthews suggested, that ‘cosmologies may be self-affirming or not and are conditioned by various aspects of the culture in which they develop’.^[1] I conducted qualitative, phenomenological and reflexive research, referring to Charlotte Aull Davies, that ‘informed reflexivity is compatible with, indeed is essential for, both a realist ontology and a commitment to social scientific knowledge in the sense of knowledge that is based in, and can inform us about, a real social world and that is public and open to critical analysis.’^[2] Using the content of my sky journal entries, I looked to understand how being me, a person at a certain time in history at a certain place on earth and how relating to Moon and Sun shaped my personal experience as well as my world-view. This view is informed by Terry Eagleton’s definitions of nature and culture, where ‘the word culture shifts from the natural to the spiritual’ giving way to the unification of outer and inner worlds for arriving at what Eagleton suggests is ‘self-realisation’, knowing oneself by understanding oneself.^{^[3]}

Academic rationale

Since I was born with the last name ‘Montag’, translated as ‘the day of moon’ according to the Oxford Dictionary, the Moon represents my ancestral identity.^[4] Next to having an emotional and genetic-material family link, I also refer to the Moon as a material sky object nearest to the Earth, which is put forward by Martin Rees who wrote, that the Moon is ‘1.2% of the Mass of Earth, …, geological activity has long since ceased, so it is a lifeless, dusty, and dead world.’^[5] Furthermore the Moon also holds symbolic meaning for me, which is put forward by Hajo Banzhaf (1949-2009), a German astrologer, who attributes to the Moon the heavenly and the earthly mother figure.^[6] Additionally I perceive the Moon’s nature as an indicator of time, described by Caryad, Thomas Römer and Vera Zingsem, where exterior life cycles are governed from full moon to full moon, called a sidereal month seen from earth (27.3 days) and a synodic month of 29.5 days in going round the sun.^[7] Not only does the Moon indicate time, but is the heavenly body expressing constant change, which has a further impact on inner life cycles such as menstruation and influences on the psyche. As Hajo Banzhaf suggested in his book about the path of life, the Moon’s rhythm throws a shadow on the sun, called sun eclipse, translated into psychological terms that the repressed unconscious traits of a person come to the surface triggered by the Moon’s cyclical nature.^[8] In addition to the Moon I also looked into the role of the Sun in astrological-archetypal and psychological terms. The Sun represents the individual which is on a journey to becoming oneself, by uniting the unconscious with the Ego, as described by Banzhaf, referring to Carl-Gustav Jung’s, model of the three stages for becoming Self.^{^[9]} Additionally I put forward Erik Erikson’s, psychological model of eight developmental stages in identity development, which need to be experienced in order to develop ‘a stable, consistent and reliable sense of who we are and what we stand for in the world that makes sense for us and for our community’ introduced by Ann Phoenix in a chapter on embodying identities in order to show, that models vary, but that stages of psychic development need to be undertaken.^[10] In contrast I could, how Nicolas Campion expressed it, be a follower of ‘utopianism’, ‘the universal impulse to become one’s self, to live one’s unrealized potential’ instead of living in the present without an idealised future.^[11]

In summarising I refer to the Moon expressing my emotional, material, psychological and cyclical aspects of my personality and I refer to the Sun as a symbol of a pathway for becoming one with myself, having consciously developed and integrated my shadows into my identity.

Methodology

The primary source in this paper is the Moon and the Sun in the sky, which is observed from my study room. For better understanding of how the hillside appears to me, I refer to a snapshot taken in Google Earth (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Nicole Montag-Keller, Snapshot from Google Earth depicting the hilly landscape to the North-West, where the ‘Gempen’ marks the hilltop of the landscape and marks the reference point of my observations, 2017.

As suggested by Sarah Pink, I was using a notebook, called a sky journal, as an auto ethnographic instrument. The research I undertook is qualitative, placing an emphasis on my observations and perception what had happened to my outer and inner worlds.^[12] The journaling phase of the project commenced on Thursday, 25^th May 2017, a Christian holiday called Ascension Day, and ended 55 days later on Tuesday, 18^th July, 2017. I took several pictures with my iPhone camera, and incorporated some pictures taken earlier. I also drew how I saw the Moon and the Sun. These Moon and Sun images capture moments that made an impression on me and unique events such as consciously recognising the morning star Venus for the first time or eye-witnessing the fall of a comet touched me deeply. I will never forget these feelings of joy.

In order to understand how the two sky objects, the Moon and the Sun were observable and what the expression ‘the Moon meets the Sun and the Sun meets the Moon’ meant to me I used reflexive ethnographic research through observation, listening and noting my thoughts, perceptions, feelings and reactions. The chosen methodology bears two issues as Charlotte Aull Davies, author of Reflexive Ethnography, writes ‘that it is self-indulgent and narcissistic, telling us about the ethnographer, not about the social and cultural phenomena that are the proper subject matter of ethnography…’ and that the approach ‘represents a particular Western literary genre, the Great Man tradition, …used to describe individual achievements based on a linear and goal-oriented interpretation of what constitutes a meaningful life.’^[13] Aull Davies highlights what could be a serious downside to this research due to my biographical approach, the Sun’s or Hero’s conscious journey towards becoming self. To me, the only resolution of these two issues means that I maintain a constant awareness of my judgemental and self-centredness, both being involved but also detached towards this research as Powdermaker expressed put forward by Aull Davies.^[14] Furthermore my primary focus of the research was on Verstehen, that is, I looked into understanding my own perspective, subjectivity, individuality, world-view and cosmology while I was in contact with the research objects, the Moon and the Sun.^[15]

Reflexive considerations

I am a white female, in my forties, being home in North-Western Switzerland for more than ten years. I grew up in the Northern part of Baden-Wuerttemberg and moved to the South of Baden-Wurttemberg to pursue third level education and also lived in the nearby Alsace, France. Through the experience of living in different locations and contexts, I express my understanding and awareness of cultural differences.

I studied psychology as an undergraduate degree, because I wanted to understand human behaviour. In the course of these studies, I realised, that I am deeply enmeshed being a co-dependent person. That is, according to Sharon Wegscheider Cruse, a family therapist, I am role-playing ‘The Hero’, meaning that I ‘keep negative feelings to myself, not to make someone angry; express a lot of positive feelings, for winning approval; not talking to outsiders about what happens in the family, because no one would like me, if they knew the truth and because my family affair is just something we don’t talk about’.^[16] Through the experience of observing Sun and Moon, I express my understanding of me becoming more myself.

I grew up with a Roman-Catholic faith and though not being a member of any church, I call myself a Christian. In the process of accepting my co-dependency, I learnt to deal with my own pain by addressing a higher spirit.^[17] After I moved to North-Western Switzerland, I encountered anthroposophy, a strand of theosophy, which I define as a philosophical framework for the development of spirituality with an emphasis on Christianity. As a consequence I started studying the works of Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthroposophy. I understand that my Christian belief system and anthroposophical world-view have an effect on how I arrive at meaning in the course of my research.

In concluding I express how my social and cultural surrounding, but also my interest in spirituality shapes my meaning making processes and understanding.

Literature review

The sky journal was my primary source. In order to arrive at meaning and understanding of my simultaneously material and spiritual world-view I drew on Nicolas Campion’s work for how I arrived at my personal cosmology, drew on Freya Mathew’s approach to the ecological self for understanding whether my cosmology self-affirmed or did not self-affirm on how I am shaped by the culture I am part of.^[18] The research was informed methodologically by Charlotte Aull Davies, using her approach for doing phenomenological and reflexive ethnography and further focusing my methodological research on Verstehen as suggested by Monique Hennink, Inge Hutter and Ajay Bailey.^[19] In constructing my understanding I categorised my research into the broad dualities of materiality and spirituality as put forward by Terry Eagleton. Additionally I referred also to astronomers, astrologers, psychologists and psychoanalysts to inform my research.^[20]

Field work and discussion

My sky journal analysis overview (figure 2) revealed 499 entries, which were subdivided into 15 categories. Eighty-five entries (18%) linked to ‘Erkenntnis / insight’. Followed by ‘feeling’ seventy-four times (15%), then sixty-two times (12%) ‘foto/art’ and fifty-seven times (11%) I allocated ‘question’ to my entries. ‘Unique’ was selected fourty-seven times (9%), ‘Dream’ thirty-seven times (7%), closely followed by ‘knowledge or wisdom’ thirty-six times (7%). ‘Sky, Moon, Sun’ were categorised twenty-eight times (6%), followed by ‘Ordnung/structure’ and ‘meditation’, both twenty times (4%). Two percent of my entries were coded with ‘library’, ‘moral/ethic’ and ‘wish’ and one percent were allotted to ‘thankfulness’ and ‘worries’ respectively.

Figure 2: Nicole Montag-Keller, Quantitative Keyword Analysis of sky journal entries, indicated by weekday and overall summation, 2017.

Figure 3: Nicole Montag-Keller, Word cloud on key word entries stemming from my sky journal, 2017.

The word cloud depicted in figure 3 exhibits the most frequently used words by depicting them larger than other key words, which are derived from coding my sky journal in order to find my themes (figure 2). It becomes clear, that my main engagement with the sky was first the Moon, then the Sun, followed by the hilltop ‘Gempen’ reference point, having taken photos of the Moon, having referred to the day itself, having mentioned shadow, having written about reflection and shadow.

Moon and clouds and Moon as transformer of repressed feelings

On 7^th July 2017 I took pictures of the changing expression of the Moon behind clouds (figure 4a) and sketched how I saw the moon (figure 4b) ending up with a note, that ‘the clouds tell the story – they model shapes which turn to associations in my mind!’(figure 4b). The clouds acted like a cloth and made the Moon become an actor on stage. Much in the same way Alexandra Harris put it, when she described Shakespeare who perceived ‘the mind is a theatre, like the sky, in which whole cities can be built up’ or transforming the Moon to an actor.^[21] Moreover for the first time I had written my perception into a drawing, which, on reflecting my experience, might have given way accepting to express my feelings openly for the first time. In retrospect this night represented a turning point in my sky journaling, because on 8^th July 2017, at 04:12 a.m. I saw Venus to the East for the first time. I was deeply touched by this encounter and felt a stream of warmth flowing through the upper part of my torso. In the language of the chakra system, I would have termed this an activation of the heart chakra (an invisible energetic vortex over the heart), as put forward by Anodea Judith, being perceived as the energetic centre of the balanced inner female and male Jungian archetypes.^[22]

Figure 4b: Nicole Montag-Keller,Montag-Keller saw the Moon through clouds on 7^th July from 22:26-22:36h with red arrow indicating the Gempen, 2017.

Figure 4a: Nicole Montag-Keller, Photo of the Moon behind clouds on 7^th July 2017 at 22:32h, around with red arrow indicating the Gempen, 2017; Figure 4b: Nicole Montag-Keller, Artistic expression of how Nicole Montag-Keller saw the Moon through clouds on 7^th July from 22:26-22:36h with red arrow indicating the Gempen, 2017.

The observation of the Moon represented a core focus of my sky journaling exercise and a question coming up repeatedly was, ‘what does the moon reflect?’ as written on 1^st, 3^rd, 4^thand 6^th July 2017. Answered from a rational and material point of view, the Moon reflects the Sunlight, but answered from a spiritual point of view, the Moon reflected my feeling of sadness as written on 4^thJuly 2017 ‘Sadness is here’.^[23] As I have written in my reflexive considerations, expressing negative feelings was a challenge to me, but acknowledging them in this report could point out, that on my journey towards becoming myself, the embracing of this shadow side of my personality is a step on my way trending towards a more united experience of my moon aspect related to the female personality attributes and my sun related male attributes as was put forward by Hajo Banzhaf.^[24] Accepting my sadness meant that I could experience an inner healing, as a consequence of embracing this shadow, according to Banzhaf and additionally that I could feel less burdened more in peace with myself.^[25]

In summarising my reflections on the expression of my feelings as a consequence of observing the Moon and asking constantly what the moon reflected to me, as well as sketching the moon on paper as I saw it added by a unique encounter of observing the Venus as a morning star, triggered the release of my repressed feelings. Being persistent in asking what the moon reflected and waiting patiently for the answer, made me feel relieved.

Weather as an experience of the sky

My feelings mostly related to the weather, expressed by noting my annoyance with high temperatures and my thankfulness about clouds. I did not expect, that I was affected by weather conditions in the way I expressed them. Figure 5 displays the day and night temperatures throughout my sky journaling project, where +25°C mark the beginning of discomfort and any temperatures higher than +30°C were experienced as distress. Overall, I felt discomforted for 19 days and distressed for 21 days. Commenting on my feelings due to the heat, read like ‘warm-hot’ on 10th June, ‘waking up unmotivated’ on 13^th June, ‘hot day’ every consecutive day from 16^th till 22^nd June, ‘having woken bad tempered, because it is far too hot in the room’ and ‘hot-humid’ on 8^th July. On 12^th July I wrote ‘the sun builds up so much heat, sedating me, benumbing me, making me angry, because I am slowing down. The heat makes me feel depressed. It is impossible to escape that heat.’^[26]

Figure 5: Nicole Montag-Keller, Day and night temperatures throughout sky journaling project, where discomfort starts at +25°C and distress at +30°C, 2017.

Reflecting upon my experience I agree with Alexandra Harris’s statement written in ‘Weatherland’, that ‘our thoughts will be affected by the kind of weather we’re in.’^[27] I felt the sun’s power as much as Crusoe mentioned in Weatherland, who ‘found on his island, that heat went straight to the head and disrupted his work.’^[28] On 9^th July I noted ‘it started to rain, thank God’ which made me aware that I referred to a supernatural entity, a God, who I felt was in charge of rain, bringing relief from the heat.^[29] I developed this thought further and found that I unconsciously might have referred to Jupiter, ‘the highest God of the Greek pantheon’, male ‘emperor over the sky, rain god and cloud baler’ as described by Jean Shinoda Bolen in her book ‘Gods in every man’.^[30] And by weaving rain and sun together I thought, that the excessive heat might have exhibited the sun God Apollo’s dark side, nature’s destructive quality ascribed to a sky God ruling over nature, which I found also mentioned in Bolen’s book.^[31]Interestingly I did not make an association with Thor, the equivalent of Jupiter in Nordic mythology put forward by Banzhaf in his introduction to Astrology pointing out, that my astronomical-cultural reference system is more tied to Greek-Roman mythology.^[32]In the night of 1^st June 2017 I noted ‘The thunder which came out of the depths of the evolving weather occurrence was very powerful. That was alive. There was something that was angry.’^[33] The experience of comparing my bodily experience with having had an encounter with the Thundergod is a vivid memory, because I was walking inside our home, when a bolt came down the sky and I was actually feeling a sizzling voltage going through my body and in my journal I wrote ‘Thunder night and I was being permeated by the bolt’.^[34] With my rational mind, I would argue, that there is no such thing as a God who sends bolts from the sky. Instead I would explain how zones of high and low pressure mix and mingle in the troposphere of the earth.

In summarising my reflections on the weather, I cite Nicolas Campion who put forward, that ‘for pre-modern cultures, the cosmos was interior as much as exterior; it was inside as much as outside us.’^[35] My experience with the ongoing high temperatures and feeling as if an angry sky good was sending thunder and bolt towards earth, confirms, that that to me, Sun and Jupiter are not only sky objects, but living entities and that I have a relationship to these rulers of the sky.

Moon as tool for measuring the sky and attributing meaning to a landscape

On 2^nd June 2017, while taking pictures of the Moon, I understood, that I needed to stand at exactly the same spot for being able to find differences of the Moon’s pathway in the sky’.^[36] Comparing my pictures from March till May (Figures 6a,b,c) and from June till August (Figures 7a,b,c), for the first time I realised, that the Moon’s rising point shifts on the horizon.

Figure 6a: Nicole Montag-Keller, Moon to the East of the Gempen hilltop (red arrow) on 10^th March 2017 at 18:20h, 2017

Figure 6b: Nicole Montag-Keller, Moon to the East of the Gempen hilltop (red arrow) on 11^th April 2017 at 21:33h, 2017

Figure 6c: Nicole Montag-Keller, Moon to the South of the Gempen hilltop (red arrow) on 9^th May 2017 at 20:22h, 2017.

Figure 7a: Nicole Montag-Keller, Moon to the South of the Gempen hilltop (red arrow) on 8^th June 2017 at 21:15h, 2017

Figure 7b: Nicole Montag-Keller, Moon to the South of the Gempen hilltop (red arrow) on 6^th July 2017 at 22:23h, 2017

Figure 7c: Nicole Montag-Keller, Moon to the South of the Gempen hilltop (red arrow) on 7^th August 2017 at 21:40h, 2017.

From March till May 2017 the Moon rose to the East of the Gempen in comparison to the months of June till August when the Moon rose South of the Gempen hilltop. Upon discovering this phenomenon, I asked myself whether I had found a pattern, which would put the Gempen hilltop into the centre of my personal cosmology. I was even inclined to promoting the Gempen into a sacred landscape, which is put forward by Edwin Bernbaum in his paper on ‘Sacred mountains: themes and teachings’.^[37] Bernbaum writes, that ‘as sacred expressions of some deeper reality, mountains have become associated with the deepest and highest values and aspirations of cultures and traditions throughout the world.’^[38] Since I singled out the peak called ‘Gempen’, I felt, that I had found a particular place of tradition and sanctity. Unfortunately I could not source literature about the Gempen hilltop in the University library of Basle, but for future reference I will need to figure out how to access the archive of the Canton’s archaeology department for being able to make any definitive statements about the Gempen. In order to support my personal cosmology of the sacredness of the Gempen a little further, I added a picture from September 2016 (Figure 8).

Figure 8: Nicole Montag-Keller, Moon on top of the Gempen hilltop on 14^th September 2017 at 19:32h, 2017.

Figure 8 shows, that on 14^th September 2016, the Moon rose over the Gempen hilltop, but I abstain from any further conclusions, because as the astronomer Wolfgang Held wrote in his booklet called ‘Sternkalender’ (star calendar), ‘no monthly run of the Moon is similar to the next’.^[39]

In summarising my reflections on the Moon as a tool for measuring the sky and attributing meaning to a landscape I plan to stick with my observations in order to better understand where and when the Moon appears in different stages of its phases over the Gempen hill ridge.

The Moon’s pathway in the sky and recurring eclipses

In the night of 7^th July 2017 I sketched three moon shadow movements using the window frame (marked by two orange lines) as the reference object (figure 9a). As Calvin wrote, ‘thanks to the fondness towards windows of new-world archaeoastronomers and towards steles of old-world archaeoastronomers…a plane floor can replace the evenly shaped horizon, if the room has a window or door to the East.’^{^[40]} I used a window frame facing East and sketched three open ended shadows lines; by marking the end point on a horizontal plane, I could apply Calvin’s home methodology to my observations, tracing pathways which eventually will lead me to being able forecasting moon eclipses when taking the summer and winter solstice points into account.

Figure 9a: Nicole Montag-Keller, Using the window frame (orange) to trace the moon shadow movement in the night observation of 7^th July 2017, blue shadow at 22:41h, red shadow at 22:51h, green shadow at 23:54h

Figure 9b: Nicole Montag-Keller, Applying geometry to my observations of 7^th July 2017 I am able to find, that the Moon’s pathway describes a curve, 2017.

In addition to my earlier mentioned observations, I am inclined to agree with Caryad, Thomas Römer and Vera Zingsem, who wrote in the book ‘Wanderer am Himmel / Planets in the Sky’, that ‘as soon as a group (of people) or community start observing these signs (movement of sun compared to horizon throughout the seasons and the lunar phases) systematically, …, they quickly will observe the cyclical reoccurrence of these sky phenomena and are able to build on these a time measuring system.’^[41] I disagree terming this process ‘quickly’, because as William H. Calvin wrote in ‘How the Shaman stole the Moon’, that it takes at least three times 18 years and 11 days, three times a so called ’saros cycle’ in order to predict eclipses.^{^[42]} Our prehistoric ancestors, as put forward by Ami Ronnberg in the Book of Symbols, must have feared the extinction of the sun of the light and felt, that demonic powers engulfed the sun when an eclipse occurred.^[43] Even today, sun or moon eclipses are making it to the media, such as the solar eclipse of 21^st August 2017, being labelled as ‘doomsday’ in the BBC’s internet appearance; see a snapshot in figure 10.^[44]

Figure 10: Nicole Montag-Keller, Snapshot of BBC internet appearance as of 14^th August 2017, labelling the solar eclipse of 21^st August 2017 as ‘doomsday’ and stirring fear, 2017.

In summarising my reflections on the moon’s pathway in the sky and recurring eclipses, I felt happy, when I was able to apply geometry to my shadow sketches which proved to me, that I was able to re-confirm astronomical knowledge that the moon describes a curved pathway in the sky. Additionally I understood the concept of how to arrive at the prediction of eclipses as put forward in Calvin. I am surprised, that eclipses are still perceived as negative sky events, because to me, these phenomena are occasions to observe a natural phenomena and I feel thankful for living in such a wonderful environment.

Sun addressed spiritually and as an expression of the healing aspect

Though I planned to observe the Sun as regularly as the Moon when proposing my project, I observed the pathway of the Sun in the sky in depth in the course of my student task, where I found out how to predict the time of the day by looking at the shadow’s location outside and inside my home through the location and length of the sun’s shadow. My approach for the sky journal then changed to my daily link with the Sun, while doing silent morning and evening meditations focusing my attention on greeting and thanking the sun (mornings/evenings) ‘for shining, glowing and permeating humanity’ throughout the fifty five days of journaling.^[45] This ritual has become a habit and is actually the outcome of studying some of the works of Rudolf Steiner. I felt, that this could be my spiritual contribution towards world peace, because from my point of view donating money represents only a material input. The idea of ‘worshipping’ the Sun in meditation stems from Steiner’s writing on ‘Anthroposophy as Cosmosophy’, that ‘this central spiritual being (Sun) was perceived as one with Christ by older humankind’ which is linked to my Christian belief system.^[46] Yet another example of how I related to the Sun can be seen in the photos I took from the sun shining through a tree, producing a colourful reflection (figure 11a) and how the shadow fell on my blank piece of drawing paper while I sat in the garden (figure 11b).

Figure 11a: Nicole Montag-Keller, ‘i-phone photograph of the afternoon sun and sun’s reflection through a tree on 18^th July 2017’, 2017; Figure 11b: Nicole Montag-Keller, ‘sun’s shadows falling on white drawing paper on 18^th July 2017’, 2017.

Because the sun’s shadow moved so quickly over the paper, I had to sketch quickly the contour lines resulting in darker straight lines, whereas I imagined the sun rays, dancing in curls over the paper. Finally I added the coloured sun reflection, which I could not see with my eyes, but was detected with 21^st century technology. The iPhone camera exhibited how the light was split in its spectral colours.

Figure 12: Nicole Montag-Keller, ‘Sun rays and sun’s shadows final expression on 19th July 2017’, 2017.

Set of word associations coming to my mind when contemplating on the drawing of the sun rays and the sun’s shadows on 19^th July 2017’, 2017:

Positive:
in die Erde versenkend, einströmend, eins, unteilbar, verdichtend,
geradlinig, formend, umhüllen,
erweckend, lebendig, warm,
bezaubernd, verändernd, schwingend,
immerfort in BewegungNegative:
erblindend, blendend, einbrennen,
gleissend, einstrahlend, erhitzend,
ermüdendNeutral: farbig, spektralfarbigCreative word:
verschmetterlingt

Figure 12 shows, that I described the sun light with 15 positive words or expressions in comparison to six negative words, further I noted two words referring to colour and invented a word, because a butterfly crossed my path as I was doing this artwork, making me smile. I argue, that light is the source of life, since being exhibited to less or no sunlight, might put human beings into Seasonal Affective Disorder as put forward by Jacob Liberman, who wrote a book about ‘light’ being ‘the medicine of the future’ because light has an influence on the morale of man.^[47] This is in line with my experience of excessively high temperatures described earlier but I want to add, that I also experienced the healing power of Sunlight back in the beginnings of 2000, when I went through a period of feeling thoroughly empty.

In summarising my reflections on the Sun which I address daily in a spiritual approach, I understand, that I exhibit New Age behaviour and utopian ideas, as put forward by Nicolas Campion who calls Alice Bailey and Rudolf Steiner ‘New Age Christians’.^[48] Furthermore I became aware, that I perceive the Sun as an expression for the power of uplifting and disturbing.

Final thoughts

As a final thought I express my surprise in what I have found to mean that the Moon meets the Sun and the Sun meets the Moon. I am relieved, that I was able to uncover my repressed feelings and I feel as if many presents were given to me, either by encountering Venus or a comet (17^th July around 23:00 h facing North) which can signifying something new is coming, as put forward in the book of symbols.^[49] Through the analysis of my sky journal I am now aware of how the split between the material and the spiritual runs through the expression of my inner and outer culture and therefore also my identity. I fully agree with Campion, that my cosmos is ‘as inside as much as outside of me.^[50] I am satisfied, that I learnt to use the Moon as a tool for measurement and I am still positive towards watching eclipses. I acknowledge, that I address the Sun daily spiritually, expressing an attitude of ‘if it doesn’t help, it won’t harm anyway’.^[51] This attitude leaves me to mention Ernest Naylor who wrote in his book ‘Moonstruck’, that ‘we live in an age when the reality of the Moon has been studied intensively’ and that we need to contrast technically derived sky events (moon landing) ‘with perceptions of the Moon (and Sun) by early humans, for whom cyclical changes in the size, shape, and position of the Moon in the sky had mystical properties’, which then ‘were formalized in lunar myths and legends among citizens of societies worldwide as in those of ancient Rome and Greece’.^[52] To me mythology signifies a cultural aspect of approaching the sky, as does the material approach.

Conclusion

The aim of this research project was to understand what Moon meets Sun and Sun meets Moon to me and how this understanding influenced and shifted my lived experience. My identity with the Moon, due to my last name, as well as a material and symbolic meaning making approach, highlighted that in the course of my own path of life I underwent developmental changes and transformation as a consequence of observing and relating to the Moon and the Sun. Though my individual world-view and meaning system are shaped constantly by how I perceive the world and to which cultural context I feel drawn to, I agree with Nicolas Campion, that I am the expression of my personal cosmology and I further agree with Freya Matthews, that cosmologies may be self-affirming or not.^[53] I arrived at what Eagleton suggested to be ‘self-realisation’, the knowing of myself better, by generating understanding through phenomenological and reflexive research.

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Steiner, Rudolf, Anthroposophie als Kosmosophie, http://fvn-archiv.net/PDF/GA/GA207.pdf [accessed 7 Aug 2017].

Wegscheider Cruse, Sharon, Another Chance – Hope and Health for the Alcoholic Family (Palo Alto: Science and Behavior Book Inc, 1989).

^[1] Nicolas Campion, Astrology and Popular Religion in the Modern West (New York: Routledge, 2012), p. 149.150; Freya Matthews, The Ecological Self (London: Routledge, 1991), p. 109.

^[2] Charlotte Aull Davies, Reflexive Ethnography: A guide to researching selves and others (London: Routledge, 1999), p.178.

^[3] Terry Eagleton, The Idea of Culture (Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2005), p. 1,6.

^[4] Monday, Oxford Dictionary Online, https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/monday (accessed 3 Aug 2017).

^[5] Martin Rees, Universe – The definitive visual guide (London: Dorling Kindersley Ltd., 2012), p.136.

^[6] Hajo Banzhaf, Tarot und der Lebensweg des Menschen (München: Verlag Hugendubel, 2005), p. 34, 38.

^[7] Caryad, Thomas Römer, Vera Zingsem, Wanderer am Himmel (Berlin: Springer Verlag, 2015), p.116.

^[8] Hajo Banzhaf, p. 158.

^[9] Hajo Banzhaf, p. 55.

^[10] Ann Phoenix, Identities and Diversities (Milton Keynes: The Open University, 2002), p.53.

^[11] Nicolas Campion, New Age in the Modern West (London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2016), p.22.

^[12] Sarah Pink, Doing Visual Ethnography (London: Sage, 2007), p. 24; Charlotte Aull-Davies, p.4-5.

^[13] Charlotte Aull Davies, p.179.

^[14] Charlotte Aull Davies, p.5.

^[15] Monique Hennink, Inge Hutter, Ajay Bailey, Qualitative Research Methods (Los Angeles: Sage, 2011), p.17.

^[16] Sharon Wegscheider Cruse, http://www.sharonwcruse.com/ (accessed 5th Aug 2017); Sharon Wegscheider Cruse, Another Chance – Hope and Health for the Alcoholic Family (Palo Alto: Science and Behavior Book Inc., 1989), p.106.

^[17] Anonymous Alcoholics paths to Spirituality, https://www.aa.org/assets/en_US/aa-literature/p-84-many-paths-to-spirituality, (accessed 7^thAug 2017).

^[18] Nicolas Campion, Astrology and Popular Religion in the Modern West, p. 149, 150; Freya Mathews, p. 109.

^[19] Charlotte Aull Davies, p. 178; Monique Hennink, Inge Hutter, Ajay Bailey, p. 17.

^[20] Terry Eagleton, p.1, 6.

^[21] Alexandra Harris, Weatherland (London: Thames and Hudson Ltd., 2016), p.14.

^[22] Anodea Judith, Eastern Body, Western Mind – Psychology and the Chakra System as path to the Self (Berkley: Celestial Arts Publishing, 1996), p.240.

^[23] ‚Traurigkeit ist da.‘ trans . Nicole Montag-Keller.

^[24] Hajo Banzhaf, p. 177, 182.

^[25] Hajo Banzhaf, p. 177.

^[26] ‘Die Sonne erzeugt so viel Wärmestau, es sediert mich, lähmt mich, macht mich wütend, da ich langsamer werde. Heruntergedrückt. Unmöglich, der Hitze zu entkommen.‘ trans. Nicole Montag-Keller.

^[27] Alexandra Harris, p.14.

^[28] Alexandra Harris, p 176.

^[29] ‚Es fing Gottseidank endlich an zu regnen.‘ trans. Nicole Montag-Keller.

^[30] Jean Shinoda Bolen, Götter in jedem Mann (München: Heyne Verlag, 1998), p.70, 71.

^[31] Jean Shinoda Bolen, p.173.

^[32] Hajo Banzhaf, Astrologie (München: Hugendubel Verlag, 2003), p. 9.

^[33]‚Der Donner der da aus der Tiefe des Wettergeschehens kam, war sehr mächtig. Das hat richtig gelebt. Da war irgendetwas wütend.‘ trans. Nicole Montag-Keller

^[34] ‘Donnernacht und ich wurde vom Blitz durchdrungen.’ trans. Nicole Montag-Keller.

^[35] Nicolas Campion, Cosmology and Religion – Measurement and Meaning (New York: New York University Press, 2012), p.6.

^[36] ‚Beim Fotografieren fiel mir auf, dass ich genau am selben Ort stehen muss, um Unterschiede in der Mondlaufbahn am Himmel zu finden.‘ trans. Nicole Montag-Keller./

^[37] Edwin Bernbaum, ‘Sacred mountains: Themes and Teachings’, Mountain Research and Development, Vol. 26, No 4, 2006, p. 304-309.

^[38] Edwin Bernbaum, p. 304.

^[39] Wolfgang Held, Sternkalender, Ostern 2017 bis Ostern 2018 (Dornach: Verlag am Goetheanum, 2016), p.133; ‚Es gleicht kein Monatslauf dem nächsten.‘ trans. Nicole Montag-Keller.

^[40] William H. Calvin, Wie der Schamane den Mond stahl (München: Carl Hanser Verlag, 1996), p.187, 189; ‘Dank der Vorliebe der Neuwelt-Archäoastronomen für Fenster und jener der Altwelt-Archäoastronomen für Stelen… ein ebener Fussboden kann praktisch den gleichförmigen Horizont ersetzen, wenn der Raum ein Fenster oder eine Tür nach Osten hat.‘ trans. Nicole Montag-Keller.

^[41] Caryad, Thomas Römer, Vera Zingsem, p.4.; ‚Sobald eine Gruppe oder Gemeinschaft diese Zeichen systematisch beobachtet – …-, wird sie schnell die zyklische Wiederkehr dieser Himmelsereignisse beobachten und kann darauf eine Zeitrechnung aufbauen.‘ trans. Nicole Montag-Keller.

^[42] William H. Calvin, p.39-40.

^[43] Ami Ronnberg, Das Buch der Symbole (Köln: Taschen GmbH, 2010 ), p. 32.

^[44] Solar Eclipse on BBC internet appearance, http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20170811-why-do-we-associate-eclipses-with-the-end-of-the-world, (accessed 14^th Aug 2017).

^[45] ‚Ich danke der Sonne, die Menschen durchscheint, durchleuchtet und durchdringt.‘ trans. Nicole Montag-Keller.

^[46] Rudolf Steiner, Anthroposophie als Kosmosophie, http://fvn-archiv.net/PDF/GA/GA207.pdf (accessed 7 Aug 2017); ‚Dieses zentrale Geistwesen empfand die Menschheit als eins mit dem Christus.‘ trans. Nicole Montag-Keller.

^[47] Jacob Liberman, Light, Medicine of the Future (Rochester: Bear and Company, 1991), p.125; Nicolas Campion, Astrology and Cosmology in the Worlds Religion (New York: New York University Press, 2012), p. 164.

^[48] Nicolas Campion, New Age in the Modern West, p.22.

^[49]Ami Ronnberg, p. 34.

^[50] Nicolas Campion, Cosmology and Religion – Measurement and Meaning, p. 6.

^[51] ‘Hilft es nicht, so schadet es nicht.’ trans. Nicole Montag-Keller.

^[52] Ernest Naylor, Moonstruck (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015), p. x-xi.

^[53] Nicolas Campion, Astrology and Popular Religion in the Modern West, p. 149, 150; Freya Mathews, p.109.

Sky and Water in Minnesota: A sky journal research report

by Jessica Heim

This paper explores the relationship between the sky and bodies of water in my home state of Minnesota, U.S.A. The aim of this research was to delve into the myriad ways in which the sky is reflected in the water and what it is like to be in this environment. Using a phenomenological approach, I regularly spent time by two bodies of water which I had a particular fondness for, recorded my observations, feelings and insights regularly during a three month summer period, and took many photographs of the water and sky. I then analyzed my findings in the context of literature discussing the value of this method of inquiry, that of immersing oneself in an experience of the sky and the natural world, giving particular attention to the writings of nineteenth century American transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau. I found that experiencing the reflection of the sky on lakes and rivers, both during the day and at night, and in a variety of weather conditions, may allow one to not only feel a part of the environment in which one is immersed, but also to connect to past times, to those who have come before, and to the larger universe as well.

Introduction

The aim of this research is to explore the relationship between sky and bodies of water in my home state of Minnesota and to consider the reflection of aspects of sky to be found in water. By reflecting the light and colors of the sky, lakes and rivers make the heavens more tangible, pulling them down to earth. This research, approached from a phenomenological perspective, involves reflection upon my own personal responses to experiencing the sky and water in various times of day and night and under differing weather conditions.

Academic Rationale

In Walden, nineteenth century American transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau reflects upon the two years (1845-1847) he spent living in a cabin he built outside Concord near Walden Pond.^[1] In this work, Thoreau writes extensively about his observations of nature and includes substantial commentary about his thoughts on Walden Pond and its reflections of its surroundings. Thus, in the tradition of Thoreau, my research aims to delve into the experiences, thoughts and reflections one may experience as a result of extended observation of sky and water.

Methodology

This research will utilize a phenomenological approach, as discussed by Christopher Tilley and Belden Lane.^[2]It will draw upon my experiences with the sky and natural bodies of water in Minnesota, USA. The majority of my observations are of the Mississippi River and the sky as seen from my backyard in central Minnesota, though some are of a small lake by my grandma’s house in northern Minnesota. As part of this research, I have kept a sky journal, in which I have written my thoughts on observations of the sky and water from June through August 2017. In addition, to provide a visual reference to this journal and to more comprehensively capture my experience in the field, I have taken photographs of the sky and water throughout this period. I made prints of my favourite images, placed them in a specially designated photo album, and selected those most relevant to this essay to include here.

Reflexive Considerations

I am a Caucasian woman, and the location which I have spent the most time for this research is an area where I have lived for most of my life (about three decades). Watching the changing reflections of the sky upon the water in various times of day, weather, and seasons is not a new experience for me. For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed watching the play of light upon the water. What is new to me for this research is the more structured aspect it has given this pastime – the heightened focus of regularly writing about my experiences with this environment and of more intense reflection on what these experiences mean to me.

Literature Review

Christopher Tilley has argued that a phenomenological approach is of much value in understanding the world and our relationship to it.^{^[3]} Phenomenology is, as Belden Lane describes, a way of interacting with the world in which one ‘listens to the place itself.’^[4]As Tilley elaborates, with a phenomenological approach, ‘We experience and perceive the world because we live in that world and are intertwined within it. We are part of it, and it is part of us.’^[5] Aspects of the world which are typically seen as inanimate, such as stones, are seen to essentially have a sense of agency, as they influence one’s consciousness. ^[6] Tim Ingold also utilizes a phenomenological perspective to consider the nature of the sky and human perception of it. He observes that without air’s transparent qualities, perception of sky, or anything at all, would be impossible.^[7] He considers the difficulty of defining ‘sky,’ but suggests, ‘the sky is the kingdom of light, sound, and air.’^[8] Thus our perception of sky is influenced by the light we see, the sounds we hear, and the movement of air we feel.

Though Thoreau does not make use of terminology such as ‘phenomenology,’ he clearly values the importance of regularly being out in the world and experiencing it first hand – obtaining knowledge from books alone is not sufficient.^[9] As he observes, ‘What is a course of history or philosophy . . . or the best society . . . compared with the discipline of looking always at what is to be seen?’^[10] Thoreau explains why he went to live at Walden Pond. He says, ‘I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately . . . and not, when I came time to die, discover that I had not lived . . . I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.’^[11] In the course of ‘living deep,’ Thoreau makes extensive observations of the natural world around him and reflects on the significance of what he sees and experiences.

Similarly, astronomy enthusiast Fred Schaaf points out the importance of naked eye observation of the sky. He notes, ‘the best way to learn them [the many features visible in the sky] is though your own personal, intimate discoveries of them. In the most ultimate sense, there is no true replacement for direct observation in astronomy.’^[12] Like Thoreau, Schaaf makes the argument that direct personal experience with the world is essential for better understanding and appreciation of it.

Field Work and Discussion

Undertaking phenomenological research on the combination of water and sky in Minnesota seemed very appropriate. The name, ‘Minnesota’ is derived from the Dakota Mni Sota Makoce, translated as ‘sky-tinted water’ or ‘the land where the waters are so clear they reflect the clouds.’^[13] The state’s nickname is ‘Land of 10,000 Lakes’ (there are actually 11,842) and the state motto is l’etoile du nord (star of the north).^[14] Given the ubiquitous presence of lakes, rivers and streams in the state, experiencing where the water meets the sky seemed like the perfect way to immerse oneself in a Minnesotan experience of sky.

A few points to note – first, I live on the west bank of the north-south flowing Mississippi River. Thus when I face the river, I face east. The same is true for my grandma’s house – the sun and moon appear to rise above the lake. Also, area where I live is near a bend in the river where the river is unusually wide compared to its width just a few miles to the north or south. Due to this, the opposite shore is quite distant, and it consequently, aside from the current, has more of the feel of being on a lake. In addition, I live several miles north of a medium sized city, thus for most of my life, the light pollution affecting the view of the sky at night was restricted to the southern part of the sky. My grandma lives in a very small town much further from larger population centers, hence, at her house, the sky is darker at night and is significantly less affected by light pollution.

Reflection, Light, and Perception

A central theme which repeatedly came up throughout this research was the idea of reflection. The water acts as a mirror which it reflects what is going on above it. As Thoreau muses, ‘Walden is the perfect forest mirror . . . Sky water.’^[15] When the skies are blue, the Mississippi is a rich hue of marine blue (Fig. 4). During stormy weather, the water turns slate grey, even darker than the storm clouds above it (Fig. 5), and it is a wonderful reflector of the light of the rising sun and moon (Fig. 6). One morning, I photographed the rising sun, and the sun’s image reflected in the water was blazingly bright! (Fig. 7) I thought of this experience when I read Thoreau’s comment about watching the sun set above Walden Pond. He notes, ‘you are obliged to employ both your hands to defend your eyes against the reflected as well as the true sun.’^[16] Similarly, the purples and pinks visible in the eastern sky at sunset are reflected upon the water (Fig. 8). As Thoreau observes, water is ‘continually receiving new life from above,’ as it reflects the quality and appearance of the air and sky which it lies beneath.^[17]

Figure 1: A sunny day in my backyard on the Mississippi River. 31 May, 2017, 3:31 p.m. . Photo: Jessica Heim.

Figure 2: An approaching storm in my backyard on the Mississippi River. 9 July, 2017, 8:47 p.m. . Photo: Jessica Heim.

Figure 3: The rising moon from my backyard on the Mississippi River. 8 July, 2017, 9:30 p.m. . Photo: Jessica Heim.

Figure 4: Sunrise seen from my backyard on the Mississippi River. 8 June, 2017, 5:52 a.m. . Photo: Jessica Heim.

Figure 5: The colors of sunset: facing east in my backyard on the Mississippi River. 1 August, 2017, 8:50 p.m. . Photo: Jessica Heim.

As beautiful as all these scenes are, the one that I found myself writing about with the most excitement was the sight of the light of the morning sun, once it has gained sufficient elevation, bouncing off the gently flowing water. As I wrote on the morning of 5 June, ‘The light sparkling on the water is so beautiful, so magical… One cannot begin the day in a better way (Figs. 6 & 7).’ Thoreau too, makes note of the play of light upon the water, noting, ‘White Pond and Walden are great crystals on the surface of the earth, Lakes of Light.’^[18] To me, the light of the rising sun or moon makes the river appear as if it is covered in thousands of sparkling diamonds. This is made possible not only by the light of the celestial body, but also by the combination of a light breeze and slight current, which causes the water to move and thus the light to sparkle. Consequently, the air and sky are both acting upon the water which in turn reflects back these stimuli to the observer. Thus is it is not only that the environment and observer can act upon each other, or as Tilley describes, ‘I touch the stone and the stone touches me,’ but also that different parts of the environment interact with one another.

In addition, while I admired the light sparkling, reflecting off the water that morning, I realized that was not all that was sparkling. I ‘noticed how the play of light was appearing not only on the water, but on the leaves of the huge cottonwood tree in our backyard. It looked like there were diamonds in the water as well as the tree.’^[19] This cottonwood tree is a tremendous presence in my backyard and its leaves rustle in the slightest breeze. I reflected further on cottonwood trees, noting, ‘It’s like they are connected to the sky in several ways – their leaves reflect the light of the sun, the wind makes this light move and sparkle (Fig. 8).’^[20]The wind blowing the leaves not only results in a beautiful display of light, but of sound as well. As I described, ‘I’ve always loved the sound of cottonwood leaves rustling in the wind. My dad (who passed away when I was in my early twenties) did too. He often commented on how he loved to hear the sound of the wind rustling the leaves of these trees. So when I hear this sound, fond memories of my dad always come to mind.’^[21] In describing the ideas of musicologist Victor Zuckerkandl, Ingold makes an observation quite pertinent to this scene, ‘in opening our eyes and ears to the sky, vision and hearing effectively become one. And they merge with feeling, too, as we bare ourselves to the wind.’^[22] This perfectly describes my experience observing the sky, river, and environs. As I wrote shortly after a description of the interaction of light and wind upon the water and the cottonwood tree, ‘Though I feel differently depending on the weather and time of day, one thing is consistent, the river makes me feel. I always feel more alive by it.’^[23] Thus in being immersed in ‘the kingdom of light, sound, and air’ – seeing the light upon the water, hearing the leaves in the wind, and feeling the breeze against my skin – in feeling these physically in my body, I feel, too, in the emotional sense of the word.^[24]

Figure 6: Light of the morning sun sparkling on the Mississippi as seen from my backyard. 5 June, 2017, 11:39 a.m. . Photo: Jessica Heim.

Figure 7: Light of the morning sun sparkling on the Mississippi with trees in the foreground, as seen from my backyard. 5 June, 2017, 11:50 a.m. . Photo: Jessica Heim.

Figure 8: The Cottonwood tree in my backyard. 5 June, 2017, 11:40 a.m. . Photo: Jessica Heim.

Time

Another theme which repeatedly surfaced in my reflections on my experience with the water and sky, was that of time and its connection to place. Particularly when observing the sky from my backyard and reflecting upon how I felt about it, I found that many memories of that same place from my childhood came to mind. As Alexandra Harris observes in her book about weather in the lives and works of English writers and artists, ‘Our weather is made up of personal memories and moods: an evening sky is full of other evenings.’^[25] During this research, I frequently recalled time spent on or near the river with my dad (Fig. 9). As I recalled, ‘We would sometimes boat up the river at night, to better enjoy the moonlight on the water (Fig. 10).’^[26] Reflecting on watching the river in the morning, I noted, ‘When I am looking at the morning light dancing as sparkles across the water, I could just as easily be five years old. It feels much the same to be with the sky, trees, and water as it did then.’^[27] Thoreau similarly remarks upon such timelessness of a place, ‘Why, here is Walden, the same woodland lake that I discovered so many years ago; . . . it is the same liquid joy and happiness.’^[28] As he goes on to describe, ‘I see by its face that it is visited by the same reflection; and I can almost say, Walden, is it you?’^[29] Thus, by being immersed in a landscape which appears relatively constant over the years, one can, in a way, connect back to a past time.

Figure 9: Boating on the Mississippi River with my dad, June 1996.
Photo: Sister Orlean Pereda.

Figure 10: My dad and me boating on the Mississippi River at night. Summer 1996.
Photo: Sister Orlean Pereda.

The idea of connecting to other times via sky observation also came up in another way during this research. When I observed the sky at night from the end of the dock (Fig. 11 – photograph taken during the day, since those I took at night did not turn out well]) at my grandma’s house, the sky was quite dark, many faint stars were easily visible, and the Milky Way stretched as a gigantic arch above me, from Sagittarius on the southern horizon, through Cygnus overhead, to Cassiopeia in the north. As I laid on my back at the end of the long dock, essentially surrounded by the water around and beneath me and by the starry expanse above me, I pondered the idea that, even more than a lake or river, the view of the night sky can be seen as a relatively unchanging place. As I wrote that night, ‘Sky is a primary source, which, when experienced as truly dark, can be experienced very similarly to how ancient people saw it. A way of connecting to the past and transcending time.’^[30] Clive Ruggles, in a discussion about striving to comprehend they way past peoples viewed the world around them and their place in it, notes the value of the sky in this endeavour, as, ‘unlike the rest of their perceived world, the sky is a part that we can visualize directly.’^[31] Thus by immersing oneself into a night-time environment such as this, one can connect more closely with the earth and sky as it was experienced long ago.

Figure 11: My grandma’s dock on the lake. 25 July, 2017, 10:21 a.m. Photo: Jessica Heim.

Darkness

When thinking about all the experiences I had with the sky, river, and lake at night this summer, the importance of darkness came to mind. For darkness at night is essential in order to continue to experience the wonder of the night sky, and in so doing, to feel a sense of connection to both those that have come before us and to the universe itself. As Tyler Nordgren points out, when we lose the night sky, ‘we lose our place in the Universe’ and ‘a direct visible connection to our ancestors . . . In short, we lose a tangible link to ourselves that gives life meaning beyond the here and now.’^[32]In my journal, I reflected upon the loss of the night sky, recalling memories of ‘Sitting on the dock with my dad – looking at the river as it grew dark. . . I remember my dad telling me how when he and my mom had first moved here, the only light visible on the opposite shore of the river was a little green light . . . I would always ask him to point out that light to me. As time went on, more lights appeared, and he was no longer able to make out that light.’^[33] As frustrating as that was, it was relatively minor compared to the recent influx of bright white LEDs which are much more effective at obliterating the view of the stars. Though the daytime view of the sky and the Mississippi remains much the same as in years past, the night-time version has changed substantially, and it is no longer possible to see the stars reflected in the waters below. In not being able to experience a dark, starry sky, I have lost the ability (unless I drive a considerable distance to a remote area) to directly experience the night-time sky in the same way – it’s akin to trying to experience what a forest is like after most of the trees have been cut down, the animals have left, and the understory plants have been trampled. Thoreau wrote in his journal, ‘I should not like to think that some demigod had come before me and picked out some of the best of the stars. I wish to know an entire heaven and an entire earth.’^[34] In my own sky journal, I found myself repeatedly expressing my frustration with the rapidly declining accessibility of the night sky and lamenting that if current trends continue, future generations will not ‘know an entire heaven.’ As astro-photographer Dietmar Hager argues, if people cannot see the stars, they will ‘have no relationship with the sky.’^[35] Consequently, something which has been a fundamental part of humans’ experience on earth, their connection to the larger cosmos, will have been lost.

Final Thoughts

Though distinct themes can be found in my sky journal, I found that when immersed in the ‘weather-world,’ as Tilley terms it, all the diverse qualities of the elements around me are intertwined and inseparable.^[36] When I see the light of the sun or moon reflected on the water, I simultaneously feel the touch of the wind and note its effects on all that I see. At the same time, I can hear the water lapping at the shore and the call of a bird soaring overhead. Thus Tilley’s understanding of sky as ‘the kingdom of light, sound, and air,’ perfectly encompasses the entirety of my experiences in this environment.

Conclusion

The aim of this research was to explore the intersection of water and sky using a phenomenological approach. The first theme discussed was how the water’s reflection of the sky changes markedly based on time of day and weather, as well as how light and the movement of air affects not only the appearance of water, but the trees at its bank and an individual immersed in this environment. The idea of place and its relationship to time was also explored. As Tilley observes, memories are an integral part of one’s experience and being in a place routinely can be seen as a series of ‘biographic encounters.’^[37] In addition, I found that viewing a dark, starry sky can serve as a means to connect one to both those who have come before and to the larger cosmos. The continued existence of dark night skies is essential in order to maintain this connection. In conclusion, to understand all facets of the relationship between sky and water, they must be able to be experienced in all conditions – in both stormy weather and fair, in both the brightness of the noontime sun and in night so dark that the stars and the Milky Way can be seen in the sky above and in the waters below.

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Hager, Dietmar, ‘Ethical Implications of Astrophotography and Stargazing,’ in The Imagined Sky: Cultural Perspectives,ed. by Darrelyn Gunzburg, pp. 305-318 (Bristol, Connecticut: Equinox Publishing Ltd., 2016).

Harris, Alexandra, Weatherland: Writers & Artists Under English Skies (New York: Thames & Hudson, 2015).

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Ingold, Tim, ‘Earth Sky, Wind, and Weather,’ The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 13(2007), 19-38.

Ingold, Tim, ‘Reach for the Stars! Light, Vision, and the Atmosphere,’ in The Imagined Sky: Cultural Perspectives,ed. by Darrelyn Gunzburg, pp. 215-233 (Bristol, Connecticut: Equinox Publishing Ltd., 2016).

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Nordgren, Tyler, Stars Above, Earth Below: A Guide to Astronomy in the National Parks(Chichester, UK: Praxis, 2010).

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^[1]Henry David Thoreau, Walden,in Walden and Civil Disobedience, Introduction and Notes by Andrew S. Trees (New York: Barnes & Noble: 2012), pp. 1- 258.

^[2]Christopher Tilley , The Materiality of Stone: Explorations in Landscape Phenomenology(Oxford: Berg, 2004); Belden C. Lane, Landscapes of the Sacred: Geography and Narrative in American Spirituality, Expanded edition (Baltimore, MD and London: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001), p. 26.

^[3]Tilley, The Materiality of Stone, p.31.

^[4]Lane, Landscapes of the Sacred, p. 44.

^[5]Tilley, The Materiality of Stone, p. 2.

^[6]Tilley, The Materiality of Stone, p. 16.

^[7]Tim Ingold, ‘Reach for the Stars! Light, Vision, and the Atmosphere,’ in The Imagined Sky: Cultural Perspectives, ed. by Darrelyn Gunzburg (Bristol, Connecticut: Equinox Publishing Ltd., 2016), p. 225.

^[8]Ingold, ‘Reach for the Stars!’ p. 231.

^[9] Thoreau, Walden, p. 86.

^[10]Thoreau, Walden, p. 86.

^[11]Thoreau, Walden, p. 20.

^[12]Fred Schaaf, The Starry Room: Naked Eye Astronomy in the Intimate Universe (New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1988), p. 2.

^[13]Warren Upham, Minnesota Place Names: a Geographical Encyclopedia,3rd edn (St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2001), p. 4; Gwen Westerman and Bruce White, Mni Sota Makoce: the Land of the Dakota (St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2012), p. 13.

^[14]Explore Minnesota Tourism, Five Ways to Enjoy Minnesota’s 10,000 Lakes,<http://www.exploreminnesota.com/travel-ideas/five-ways-to-enjoy-minnesotas-10000-lakes/> [accessed 13 August 2017]; State of Minnesota, State Motto,< https://mn.gov/portal/about-minnesota/state-symbols/flag.jsp> [accessed 13 August 2017].

^[15]Thoreau, Walden, p. 147.

^[16]Thoreau, Walden, p. 145.

^[17]Thoreau, Walden, p. 147.

^[18]Thoreau, Walden, p.155.

^[19]Jessica Heim, Sky Journal, June – August 2017, 5 June journal entry.

^[20]Heim, Sky Journal, 10 June journal entry.

^[21]Heim, Sky Journal, 5 June journal entry.

^[22]Ingold, ‘Reach for the Stars!’ p. 231.

^[23]Heim, Sky Journal, 5 June journal entry.

^[24]Ingold, ‘Reach for the Stars!’ p. 231.

^[25]Alexandra Harris, Weatherland: Writers & Artists Under English Skies (New York: Thames & Hudson, 2015), p. 13.

^[26]Heim, Sky Journal, 15July journal entry.

^[27]Heim, Sky Journal,5 June journal entry.

^[28]Thoreau, Walden, p. 150.

^[29]Thoreau, Walden, p. 150.

^[30]Heim, Sky Journal,24 July journal entry.

^[31]Clive Ruggles, Ancient Astronomy: An Encyclopedia of Cosmology and Myth, (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, Inc, 2005), p. xi.

^[32]Tyler Nordgren, Stars Above, Earth Below: A Guide to Astronomy in the National Parks(Chichester, UK: Praxis Publishing, 2010), p. 428.

^[33]Heim, Sky Journal,15 July journal entry.

^[34]Henry David Thoreau, The Journal: 1837-1861 by Henry David Thoreau, ed. by Damion Searls, Preface by John R. Stilgoe (New York: New York Review of Books, 2009), entry from March 23, 1856, p. 373.

^[35]Dietmar Hager, ‘Ethical Implications of Astrophotography and Stargazing,’ in The Imagined Sky: Cultural Perspectives,ed. by Darrelyn Gunzburg, pp. 305-318 (Bristol, Connecticut: Equinox Publishing Ltd., 2016), p. 307.

^[36] Tim Ingold, ‘Earth Sky, Wind, and Weather,’ The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 13(2007), 19-38.

^[37] Christopher Tilley, A Phenomenology of Landscape(Oxford: Berg Publishers, 1994), p. 27.