A parade of planets

 There is an alignment of planets in our night sky. Several of them, such as Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune will be visible to us. We could see it with the naked eye, unless there are clouds, but better still through a telescope. This big alignment is rare and also called a Planet Parade. It is like a carnival of the sky, which is a fun thing to see if you enjoy stargazing. Each planet in the solar system all travel on orbits, or individual paths, journeying around the sun. While we're here seeing them tonight lining up together, these planets are not actually doing this in space, its' just that our perspective can see them that way. The planets move at different speeds and they're the same distance away from each other as they've always been. The planet parade are not actually coming together to sit up there in the arena. It only appears this way when looking at it from down here on Earth.

So from now there will be six planets showing in the night sky. Later in February 2025 there will be a total of seven planets in the starry alignment when Mercury joins them. This also includes the moon so that makes it eight celestial bodies. This has happened at an important time, in January the first month of the Gregorian calendar and during celebrations of the Chinese New Year, significantly the Year of the Wood Snake. The planetary line will be in the form of a snake and the snake is symbolic of transformation, healing, wisdom and rebirth. 

The planetary parade has come also at the end of January after the destructive wildfires in California, unrest in the United Kingdom and the hostile events at the Gaza Strip. The planets lining together could be taken as a form of mystical time for balance. As there will be seven eventually, this is like the chakra system alignment. There's seven chakras for healing, yoga and meditation. The planet parade could also be taken as a different sort of meaning, if thinking another angle. It's not only just us looking at the planets on show, but the planets looking back at us! A symbolic event that might also be judgement. The planets (named after gods) will observe everything here on Earth.   

Storm Valkyrie 

Rain

 

The Clouds are shedding tears of joy,

They fall with rhythmic beat

Upon the earth, and soon destroy

Dust dunes and waves of heat.

Each falling drop enforcement bears

To river, lake and rill,

And sweet refreshment gladly shares

With wooded dell and hill.

Every flower, bud and leaf,

Each blossom, branch and tree

Distills the rain, 'tis my belief

To feed the honey bee.

I pity every wretch I find

Who, frowning in disdain,

Is deaf and dumb and also blind

To beauty in the rain.

Rain poem by Raymond Garfield Dandridge

Storm Valkyrie

Healing stones for the cold

While the cold winter months tend to feel forever, certain crystals help boost feeling positive. They include the clear quartz crystal, rose quartz, black tourmaline, topaz and garnet. These are just five of them. Crystals can be worn, placed in your pocket, under your pillow at night or even on your shelf. They can also work if you hold them in your hands and relax. 

Clear quartz is good at helping emotionally see the winter through as it also repels dark spirits and negativity. It heals and sooths which often encourages mental wellness during the dark cold months.

Rose quartz has many warm qualities that can help and heal through the cold, such as emotionally and physically. It's a crystal of love and compassion.

Black tourmaline is a guardian crystal that gets rid of bad dreams, also protection against evil spirits and harmful stray entities. This crystal is able to boost strength and immunity. It's a good crystal for shielding.

Topaz is strong and full of ice and fire, as the blue topaz is electric and icy, the yellow topaz is fire, which helps during winter.

Garnet is the birth stone of January and is a warm looking crystal that resembles a coal fire or a candle light. It generates a sense of comfort and also helps healing in winter that will also bring positivity.

Storm Valkyrie 

Winter stars

 

The land of Winter in the northern hemisphere finds the Auriga, the great wolf and the hunter. These appear as constant superstars in the night sky, crossing over in Winter's darkest north. Such stars appear bright and icy. In Greek mythology, the cluster of stars that make up Auriga is associated with the chariots, herds of goats and mythical beings. Its associated with hero Erichthonius of Athens, also with Myrtilus the son of Hermes, as well as Hippolytus the son of Theseus, and also Phaethon the son of Helios. These men have divine ancestry, and all of them connected to the chariot in some way. After they tragically died, they were placed among the stars. According to legend, Auriga was once a man, who was killed by his sister Medea and then scattered over the sea, appearing as the Milky Way. 

Within the house of Auriga star constellation is Capella the nymph who owned a nanny goat called Amalthea who adopted Zeus when he was an infant. Part of the Auriga is nicknamed the "kids" or Haedi, the offspring of Amalthea. There are as many as sixty stars of Auriga and its visible in winter months and seems a large pentagon shape.  

The hunter is also visible in the winter skies. This star constellation is called Orion, and his belt (also well named Orion's Belt) points towards Sirius. In Greek myth, Orion is a hunter and a giant who was the son of sea god Poseidon and a gorgon. He was set among the stars after his death, although his story is wild and epic. He threatened to destroy all animals but Gaia, the Earth goddess, struck him down with a deadly scorpion. Zeus turned Orion and the scorpion into star constellations opposing one another. 

I mentioned Sirius, one of the biggest stars of the constellation Canis Major. The constellation is called the Greater Dog, because it's beside a smaller companion of stars called Canis Minor or the Lesser Dog. Canis Major is visible in the winter northern skies, with it's sixty plus stars, the brightest being Sirius or the Dog Star (also "Wolf Star") as it's a binary star system. This constellations of Canis Major and Canis Minor are believed to be two hunting dogs belonging to Orion. Many stories and names also include one about hunting dog Laelaps chasing a fox then both became glittering stars.

Storm Valkyrie  

Sources and links:

Wikipedia

Ancient Origins site on Sirius follow the link