Star Gazing and Moon Watching Create a Sense of Home

"We learn to look at the sky with a clear and silent mind;

we learn to look at ourselves with the same clarity and stillness."

Joseph Goldstein

Insight Meditation: The Practice of Freedom

As a child, I found myself constantly looking up at the sky.  Living in a big city in a neighborhood of apartment buildings, one would lie down on his or her back to watch the clouds float by.  I could entertain myself endlessly, only as a creative child could,  making figures out of the lofty white clouds.  Even in the night time, there was always such comfort of watching the moon slowly move across the sky.  The moon with a back drop of stars, mesmerized me.  At a young and impressionable age, I felt a definite presence with all things randomly arranged in the sky.

Over the years, I preserved my ability to get lost in the sky, allowing myself to feel exceptional comfort.  I really didn't have working knowledge of the phases of the moon or constellations, but I treasured the silent communication waiting for me every day or night of the year no matter where I was or where I traveled.  It was one of the few constants of my life.

In today's world, I am much more aware of the meanings of the stages of the moon and the importance it has had on cultures.  The moon was somewhat of a time keeper for peoples, and ironically it is exactly the opposite for me.  When staring at the stars, absorbed by the moon, I can be indefinitely suspended in time.  When I am wandering the sky, there is no sense of time.  There is only an overwhelming sense of comfort, the warmth of being home.