It’s written in the Stars

“If the stars should appear but one night every thousand years how man would marvel and adore.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

On a recent trip with my husband to Big Sur, I was utterly mesmerized by the vast and picturesque surroundings we found ourselves in.  It truly felt like Heaven on earth. I had the great opportunity of being in a magical place not marred by pollution and artificial lights, and I was able to see a sliver of true splendor—even if it was just a hint of the ultimate magnificence of our world—it was an indication and a reminder of what actually does exist out there, beyond the limitations of our senses.

I found myself feeling small and humbled as I looked at the expansive redwood trees; witnessed the perfection of the sunset; and being able to examine the planets that rotate above us.  The wide sprawling night sky glittering with floating stars inspired something deep within me.  In fact, the feeling was so unexpected, I was astonished by the impact it actually had on me!  Clearly I’ve been away from nature too long! *NOTE TO SELF* MUST GO TO BIG SUR MORE OFTEN!

Have you ever gazed through the eye of a telescope for an extended period of time?  Planets literally move out of your sightline in a matter of minutes.  In order to focus their beauty you constantly need to readjust your sightline—your perspective—or you will miss it.  The same holds true in life. The world is in constant motion; we are forever in a state of flux where nothing stands still, not even for a moment.  Everything is forever rotating, moving, adjusting and acclimating. Everything is changing, and one of the greatest reminders of this fact is simply above us in the cosmic expanse of the Universe.

The night sky has inspired some of the world’s greatest philosophers, physicists and poets alike.  Which is a pretty startling phenomenon when you consider that most of it is virtually unseen to the naked eye.  There is so much more to the sky above us than what we see, at a glance.  Again, much like in LIFE.  Beyond our vision, with the aid of a telescope we are capable of seeing the galaxies, stars, planets, moons and celestial bodies bursting forth in space.

It may be something you’ve heard before, but did you know that Venus is by far the easiest planet to see with the naked eye? It shines with a brilliant white light, which sometimes even has a slightly bluish tint. It’s the brightest planet in the night sky and when it is visible, it outshines all the other planets and stars (except Sirius, which is known as the brightest star in our galaxy) – only the Sun and the Moon are brighter.  However, there are times when Venus is confused with Jupiter, because Jupiter shines just as brightly depending on the time of year and season.  But on this particular night Jupiter seemed dull in comparison.  But was it really?

In Kabbalah there is a concept known as the 99% and the 1% realm, whereby what we see and experience is fully reliant and limited to and by our five senses.  Essentially what we see is only 1% of what is actually out there.  Although these two planets look like they’re only a few centimeters apart just by looking at them, they are actually 670 million km apart.  The Earth’s rotation in relation to the other planets and stars affects our view of them.  Just because we only see them at night does not mean they only exist at night.  It’s simply perspective that alters.  Life tends to respond to our outlook to shape itself to meet our expectations.

What we see is often not as it actually is.  Far too often our ego gets in the way, marring the simple beauties and gifts of life – much like the smog and fumes of daily living contrasted with bright artificial lights, which shroud the night sky twinkling above us. We place judgments on people based on our ego, forgetting the fact that one never knows exactly what is going on OUT there.  Blessings come disguised in packages that seem unsightly, unwarranted and unwanted and we find it difficult to surpass the superficiality of it, and to “see” beyond.

Like two sisters, who may seem similar – or close, but in no way are any two things the same.  There is a world way beyond our simple perception and it takes perspective to grasp those variances.  This was revealed to me as I sat under the night sky looking at the stars and planets in contrast to one another and I felt part of something, something far beyond what I could see, something way bigger than myself.

We are so reliant on our five senses, and yet so very limited by them.  The old adage is:  seeing is believing, but in essence believing is seeing. What we need is to have unbridled certainty.  And sometimes we need to be reminded of that.  There is so much more than meets the eye, in life, in the stars – in every experience.  Everything that happens for you in this world is an aid to help you grow.  When you doubt that, when you find it a challenge to believe, look up to the night sky and remind yourself that there is so much more.  When we doubt God, divinity, divine inspiration, or whomever you pray to or believe in (whatever you choose to call it) it only limits us – our potential as well as our purpose – because when we doubt what lies beyond we miss out on what’s right in front of us.  What we need is to constantly alter our position and perspective—just as the Solar System itself does—to reveal what’s on the other side.

JOURNAL:

1. Remember that consciousness is everything and that life tends to respond to our outlook to shape itself to meet our expectations.
2. Remind yourself that nothing is as it seems.
3. Practice your certainty in what lies on the other side – I know it’s a challenge – but in letting go (when we surrender) and trusting in the Universe, that is when the Light truly comes in.