“He stared up at the stars: and it seemed to him then that they were dancers, stately and graceful, performing a dance almost infinite in its complexity. He imagined he could see the very faces of the stars; pale, they were, and smiling gently, as if they had spent so much time above the world, watching the scrambling and the joy and the pain of the people below them, that they could not help being amused every time another little human believed itself the center of its world, as each of us does.”
― Neil Gaiman, Stardust
Gazing at the stars on unplanned random nights has always been a favorite memory of mine. I was never the type to purposely schedule this – those moments that happened will always be something I will always remember. I guess there’s something about fated moments, the ones you don’t plan and just happen. To the risk of sounding a bit cliche, some might say, they were written in the stars.
On reasons why I love them, let me count the ways:
1. Of Scale
There’s truly something about looking up at the heavens. I remember sometime in October last year while we are having a bonfire at my past artist residency in upstate New York, I remarked how looking at the stars calm me down. The director of the residency looked at me and said one word – “scale”.
And he is right. Scale. All my life, a feeling of peace would envelop me by just looking at the stars. And now I realized it is because of that. Scale.
That it would automatically remind me of a certain reality. The vastness of the universe highlights how infinitesimally small I am.
We as human beings tend to be anxious about everything. An ignored phone call, missing a train, unanswered smile, differences of opinion – we could go on and on.
As I look at stars, I reflect on time. Stars are ageless, I am not. I am here on borrowed time. And in the bigger scheme of things, I may matter as a person to those who love me, but my worries will not change the pattern of the universe. The sun will rise. The sun will set. The moon will move the tides. The stars have been blinking long before I was here and will continue twinkling until am gone.
So no matter what worrisome thought could grip my days, looking at stars reminds me that these worries should never be big enough to consume me. They are minute. Like me.
2. Of Quintessence
I read somewhere that Aristotle believed that human beings are made of 5 elements. And that our human psyche is made of the 5th element called quintessence. Coming from the Medieval Latin words "quinta" - five and "essentia" – essence. Quintessence is the material that fills up the region of the universe. The same matter as those of what stars are made of.
Hence, this is the reason why our souls commune to the heavens. The reason why looking at the stars provides us that inexplicable feeling of breathless connection.
It is simple. We are made of stars. They are within us.
3. Of Romance
“Star-crossed lovers, written in the stars, the stars were aligned when we met” are just some of the thousands of quotes that were coined by writers and poets alike on how lovers are connected to the will of those that twinkles in the sky.
On a personal thought, I don’t think there’s anything more romantic than looking at the stars to spend time with a loved one. I can point to a thousand chick flicks using this as a backdrop.
Maybe it's just me, but I would trade any 5-course dinner at the Ritz to just simply gaze at the stars for a date night. I guess there’s a reason for that. They give an illusion of permanence. Compared to our time, stars are almost immortal.
4. Of Hope
I remember one line before that mentions how one can never be afraid of the dark since one has grown too fondly of the stars.
And I agree.
There will always be moments of darkness in our lives. And yet, if we all look back, there are little sparkles of light in that blanket of gloom. Loved ones who gave us their time and thoughts, a smile from a stranger, a stroke of random luck, a burst of laughter, a perfect sunset. Thousands of moments filled with light that sparkles if only we choose to look at them.
During times of despair, should we try to look beyond the darkness, there will always be that light of hope. Like those stars that sparkle quietly in the darkest of nights.
5. Of Astrology
Before the rise of MBTI and Enneagram, I must have scoured over thousands of astrology articles to try and understand behavioral patterns. Not for scholastic reasons but mainly because the human mind is simply fascinating.
One can argue that there is no scientific basis for this and yet I can never count the number of times how it astounds me when it rings true.
That an Aries will always be competitive. A Taurus stubborn. A Gemini blows hot and cold (I have a sister, I should know). A Cancer clings (another sister). A Virgo has to be always right. A Libra prevaricates. A Scorpio will not get angry but will get even. A Sagittarius will call it how it is. A Capricorn will always save for a rainy day - (my mom!). Aquarians will always want to be different (ahem). And that Pisces will always have that eternal dichotomy with themselves (and yet another sister).
May be true. Or not. But we can all not deny the mystery and dare I say, fun, it brings?
6. Of Myths & Legends
I grew up in myths and legends, especially the Greek ones – hence, why I wrote the number 7 article.
From the story of Cassiopeia being placed upside down as a constellation in the heavens because of her boastfulness. On how the Milky Way was actually created by Heracles when he just was a mere baby. Or how stars are actually home of the gods or the path between earth and another world (hello, Stargate). I could spend hours reading through such stories.
Even though astronomy has explained to us scientifically that stars are actually just big balls of hot air – still, we can never deny that stars will always be great for stories. Maybe because stars have that elusive quality, that mystery, that je ne sais quoi as the French would say – that begs us to weave our imaginations around them.
7. Of Magic
I remember like it was yesterday. I was probably 9. Me and my group of little hooligans would sit outside way past our curfew looking at the stars. We would point and place bets on those random stars that seem to run after other stars – which now as an adult I learned were satellites. Oh, how adulting can ruin some of life’s wondrous mysteries.
Nevertheless, during that summer night, my cousin whom I was quite close to from our holy little group of terrors went to visit his grams. 2 weeks later, we would talk about how on that same night, we were all apparently spending time looking at the same set of stars from different cities. Sure, we can debate that to having no Netflix or Animal Crossing or Instagram to pollute our young minds at that time. I still say - it’s something more mystical than that.
Looking back at those summer nights, even though we would never admit out loud since we think we were too cool for school, but everyone would go quiet when a falling star happens to appear. I know now, everyone was whispering a wish. Because we all know. Stars are magic.
I may have personally proclaimed The Little Mermaid as my spirit animal. Yet, as long as I can remember, I have always gravitated to anything and everything about stars.
That song from the musical Les Miserables talking about its multitude and that they are sentinels – I felt that. When Robert Downey had that star conversation with that elderly Italian gentleman in that movie, yes. That Neil Gaiman book, definitely.
Their twinkle mesmerizes me. Their silence calls to me. Their quiet beauty speaks to me. And I know, the stars, they watch over me.
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