RIDING A SEA OF STARS

Painting by Australian artist Hue Walter. The sun riding the seas of heaven over the entrance to New Grange in Ireland and images of petroglyphs from Chaco Canyon in the American Southwest. At the winter solstice the sun shines into the entrance New Grange. At the summer solstice the sun intersects a certain spiral in the Chaco Canyon complex. August 1 marked the beginning of the harvest season in the Irish Celtic calender. Midway between summer solstice and the autumn equinox. I suspect the apple trees were inspired by Yeat's old poem. The fire in the head is the inspiring power of the shamen and bards.

The Song of Wandering Aengus I went out to the hazel wood, Because a fire was in my head, And cut and peeled a hazel wand, And hooked a berry to a thread; And when white moths were on the wing, And moth-like stars were flickering out, I dropped the berry in a stream And caught a little silver trout. When I had laid it on the floor I went to blow the fire aflame, But something rustled on the floor, And some one called me by my name: It had become a glimmering girl With apple blossom in her hair Who called me by my name and ran And faded through the brightening air. Though I am old with wandering Through hollow lands and hilly lands, I will find out where she has gone, And kiss her lips and take her hands; And walk among long dappled grass, And pluck till time and times are done The silver apples of the moon, The golden apples of the sun.                                     William Butler Yeats