C A T H Y W E A V E R T A Y L O R
Copyright All Content by Cathy Weaver Taylor
Everyone has probably noticed a bright blurry planet in the western sky. This is the planet Venus getting to her greatest elongation. It was described to me once as Venus shaking her hair loose, shaking it out, before she disappears as an evening star. She will reemerge in the east as a brilliant pinprick of light in the early morning hours. Then after her stay as a morning star, Venus disappears and returns again to the evening sky. Many cultures watched the planet Venus appearing, disappearing, and reappearing on the eastern and western horizons very carefully and observations and stories were told about these cycles.
Venus is very predictable. She has an 8-year cycle. Every time you have a birthday in a multiple of 8 she returns to her exact placement of the time of your birth. These are the Venus years: 8-16-24-32-40-48-56-64-72-80-88-96
She makes regular stations, appearing to be stationary in the sky from earth, and these stationary points make an exact 5-pointed star.
Venus is truly a gift of harmony.
When she disappears she is 'with the sun' and cannot be seen because of the sun's bright light. All planets and constellations go through this hidden period. Many cultures called this the 'underworld' as the planet or star was seen to 'go under' the horizon. Reappearing in the east before dawn is quite the dramatic entrance. Watching and experiencing planets going through these phases is one way to connect with the sky being alive.
This cycle started with Venus disappearing from the evening sky in June of 2012. She was seen crossing the sun during the daylight hours on June 5th of that year, a rare and special occasion. On about June 11th she reappeared in the morning sky, a very bright, tiny, shining light. She disappeared as a morning star in early March of 2013 and then reemerged as an evening star in early May of 2013.We have enjoyed her company every evening since, seeing her rise later and later after the sun goes down. Venus disappears from the evening sky in December. The degree of latitude determines this calendar for exact days.
Look to the east after sunset and see a vertical line made up of star alignments with the Pleiades at the top followed by the three stars (Orion's belt) and then Sirius the brightest star of our heavens at the bottom.
For those wanting all the details:
http://www.amazon.com/Lakota-Star-Knowledge-Studies-Theology/dp/B000J37K6U
This is a great book to own.
ECLIPSE TIME:
Full moon eclipse- very partial- penumbral-- was Oct. 18 and the new moon solar eclipse is Sunday, November 3. We will be able to see the sun be partially blocked at early morning hours at dawn. It is a total eclipse and viewing for the total is across the Atlantic Ocean, see link below for more info:
November 2014- Venus has disappeared- she will emerge as an evening star in December.
