Dreaming of Silver Roses

The Stars in Their Courses….
Current mood: sad
Category: Life

         I went out tonight to look at the stars. Someone I love lost someone they love. I went looking for something in the stars. It reminded me of several scenes from several shows and books.

From Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer “Listening to Fear“, Season 5 87:

Willow: You know what’s weird?
Tara: Japanese commercials are weird.
Willow: Yes. And also, you know some of the stars we’re looking at … don’t even exist any more? In the time that it takes for their light to reach us, they’ve died. Exploded. (Tara turns her head to look at Willow) Poof.
Tara: Were, um … were things rough at the hospital?

Willow frowns and shrugs.

Willow: You know, I used to love to look up at them when I was little. They’re supposed to make you feel all insignificant, but … they made me feel like … like I was in space … part of the stars. (points) There’s … Canis Minor … and … (points) and Cassiopeia.
Tara: (smiles, points) And the big pineapple.
Willow frowns.
Willow: Hmm. You know, I’m not sure I remember that one.
Tara: Oh, it’s, it’s a major one. (points) See those three bright stars right over there?

Willow moves over to put her head on Tara’s shoulder and look along Tara’s pointing arm. Shot of the starry sky with Tara’s finger pointing.
Willow: Yeah.
Tara: And see those stars along there? (Shot of the stars) That’s the bottom of the pineapple.
Willow: It’s big.
Tara: Hence the name. (pause) The real ones never made sense to me, I … sort of have my own.
Willow: Teach me.
Tara: (points) See those stars over there? “Short Man looking uncomfortable.”
They both laugh softly.
Tara: Uh… (points) “Moose getting a sponge bath.” Umm… “little pile o’crackers.” (Willow frowns) Tha-that was a bit of a stretch. (They both laugh) You do it. What would you call … mm, that one? (points)
Willow: Hmm, let’s see.

Shot of the starry sky. One of the stars suddenly enlarges and streaks toward the earth, trailing a golden tail.

Willow: A huge flaming meteor about to crash into something!

-(http://www.buffy-vs-angel.com/buffy_tran_87.shtml)

From Lost in Space the movie from ’98 when Major West and Judy Robinson are talking after the crash landing on the planet. That night as they talk they make patterns on the condensation on the ships window to map out new star patterns like “Porky the wise and mighty Pig”

Madeleine L’Engle took the approach in her Crosswicks Journals that looking up at the stars made her feel significant and closer to God. She uses it in her novels Meet the Austins  and A Ring of Endless Light and Troubling a Star as a means of discussing death, purpose, loss, eternity. C.S. Lewis uses it in the Perelandra trilogy. Sara Groves uses it in her song, Maybe There’s a Loving God. Truly I can go on and on and on about references in art, literature, and music about the stars. Ask Nancy Regan or 1800′s sea captain how significant the stars in their courses are. Gene Roddenberry and Carl Sagan were star philosophers of sorts. Poets by the scores of thousands rave about them. There are scriptures about them. I could list a few off the top of my head. There are obviously myths by the tons.

     In college when you have no money, stargazing on the tailgate of a truck is entertainment! Traveling to an airport strip or camping out was a pleasure. Such peaceful times.

So tonight, I took the call. I went for a drive. Tried to pull a Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and phone a friend. No one was home. Drove back home again. And I went listening (read Many Waters, my hero L’Engle) to the stars’ song. They were silent. And I didn’t find the ‘big pineapple’ or ’Porky the Pig’ tonight.

Currently watching : Lost in Space (New Line Platinum Series) Release date: 1998-10-06