The Magic of the Night Sky

The Magic of the Night Skycomforted by the gentle lapping of the waves I begin
to realize how much I miss living in a city with its
I love the night sky. There is something comforting,incessant, invasive brightness. It is as if I am
mysterious and hopeful about standing under a canopyrediscovering an enormous part of a lost spiritual
of swirling stars. Each summer I go camping alone inheritage.
Canada’’s beautiful northland to satisfy aWhen sleep begins to engulf me and my eyes start to
hunger for solitude, wilderness and the night sky. Awayclose, I reluctantly move toward my camper not
from city lights there is nothing more awe inspiring thanwanting to miss a moment of this celestial display but
a star studded sky in the stillness of the wilderness.realizing that I can’’t resist the call to
I usually set up camp beside a lonely northern lakeslumber any longer. In the warmth of my sleeping bag I
providing me with a long horizon and an uninterruptedlet the silence and stillness lull me to sleep with the
view of the heavens. As darkness approaches I beginimmortal words of Sophocles gently echoing across
to sense an overwhelming closeness to the mysteriesthe centuries, ““ Mortal I know I am, short lived. Yet
of the universe and a strong connection to the sourcewhenever I stand beneath a multitude of swirling stars I
of all that is. I become aware of an alternate rhythm tono longer tread this earth, but rise to feast with God
life - a rhythm which is so easily lost amidst theand enjoy the food of the immortals.”” And so to
frenetic pace of contemporary existence. Embracedsleep.
by darkness, with stars too numerous to count and