The Relationship Between People and the Stars

My work allows me to embody Goddesses that come from fiction and myth. There are many Goddesses I could choose from, however since the beginning of this concept I have always been drawn towards those that have a relationship or connection to the night sky. Nyx is the goddess of the night sky, Eos brings the dawn, Selene is the goddess of the moon and Asteria the Titaness of dreams and nightly oracles. To help understand why I chose this particular area, other than the fact I like a narrative that intertwines well together, I have done some research on the history of humans and the stars.

This understanding is key to my project because the stars are largely where the project is rooted. Stars, space, and the unknown, as a form of escapism and wonder. Knowing how we have used the stars and felt about them through the centuries helps me understand how those who created these myths were using and seeing the stars, and then how those who painted the images of these Goddesses who were deities of the stars and the sky saw the stars. My images reflect a relationship between the goddesses and what they rule, and so the relationship between the 'what they rule' and the people over the years is both interesting and necessary to understand for this project.

Firstly, I believe that humans as a whole are greatly attracted to beauty, and it's arguable that the sky is the epitome of beauty. It has remained unchanged, in regards to constellations and positions of the stars, throughout our lifetime. It is a constant within our lives, which could offer a sense of security. The stars are something so far removed from what we know on earth that their mystery and their beauty becomes one.

With my research, I found that Babylonian astronomy, which was from 1800BC, was the first civilisation to document the movements and the positions of the sun and moon, keeping a detailed record of the daily, monthly and yearly positions. They used astronomy, or astrology, which at this point were not so far removed from each other, to warn the king of potentially catastrophic events.

From about 750BC, the Greeks had an influence on astronomy, with their findings even being important and relevant today. In Homer's Iliad and the Odyssey, there are mentions of things like solar eclipses, Sirius (the dog star and the most bright star to the human eye), the constellation Orion, and even star clusters such as Pleiades and Hyades. In this early time, it was still believed that the earth was the center of the universe, and planets were called the Greek equivalent of 'wandering stars'. 

In the 3rd century BC, the heliocentric model of the universe was produced, which placed the sun at the center of the universe, and had the planets orbiting the sun rather than the earth. This idea was not well received, and was laughed off by many, however it helped us get to our understanding today of the sky. 

Greek astronomers as a whole have been incredibly influential to how we perceive the sky, both spiritually and scientifically. This was later theorised once more by Copernicus, and then confirmed in 1633 when Galileo Galilei observed four moons orbiting Jupiter. 

Eratosthenes calculated the Earth's circumference, the Earth's tilt and the concept of the leap day. Pythagoras theorised the Earth is spherical, and that the movements of planets, starts and the moon can be calculated and predicted with numbers. Constellations were named after mythological figures and were accompanied by stories. And yet, we can have all of this information, but as Garrett Serviss says,

  "What Froude says of history is true also of astronomy: it is the most impressive where it transcends explanation. It is not the mathematics of astronomy, but the wonder and the mystery that seize upon the imagination."

It is the mystery and the unknown that causes us to be so amazed and at peace with the night sky.

The information we do have, however, continues to influence our daily lives. We have calendars that are based on the patterns of the sun rising and setting, and the moons shapes to determine our months. Humans have had myths and stories about constellations, the sun and the moon, that have travelled thousands of years and stuck with us, such as Orion and Scorpius. Even over 30,000 years ago, stories of the sky were carved into stone caves. Sailors, if all else fails, can still use the stars t help them navigate the seas, just as many thousands of years ago the Māori people navigated the sea from Eastern Polynesia to New Zealand with just their skills in wayfinding. Even pilots can do the same if need be. Indigo Bunting birds have been found to actually use the stars as their navigational guidance.

And then, of course, we cannot forget about a more spiritual connection. Personally, I do not believe in astrology and star signs. I believe it to be outdated and not factual, however, I still have an interest in the history of it and why people have this connection.

Astrological signs were created by early astronomers in ancient Babylon. Some use astrology to predict the future, and some believe it can show what we are pre-destined to do, or help us choose the right path. This information is said to be discovered through understanding the positions of the key astronomical bodies and understanding their relationship and position with another astronomical body, or the earth. The influence of these positions is said to differ from person to person due to where the stars were aligned at the time of our birth. Some believe that the sky is a map to ourselves, and to our souls. 

I think that the night sky offers a sense of escapism and mystery, and the reason for choosing goddesses that have a connection to this is because it creates a greater sense of otherworldiness. It's exploring something that I am already interested in, astronomy, with a different outlook and a new way of seeing things. As somebody who usually believes the scientific version of things, doesn't believe in spiritual signs, or that things happen for a reason, or that we even have souls, I think that having such a great sense of escapism and immersing myself in the unknown is a way for me to satisfy my own needs of having something else in the world other than science, in a careful and considered way. I do not have to change my beliefs, and yet I still get that sense of the world having something else to it.