star chart

Star chart  painted with mineral pigments on tanned elk leather
The many tiny stars in the middle represent the milky way
A sacred object of the Skidi Pawnee tribe who lived in what is now Nebraska
Buffalo hunters
village livers
cosmic believers

It entered the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago in 1906
it was already between 100 and 300 years old
the north star is the largest cross

Sources:  here  and here  with thanks.

Newgrange

 
 Ned and I are in Ireland this week.  Yesterday we visited Newgrange, designated as a world heritage site by Unesco.   This is the entrance stone and the magical solar worship roof box .

It was the carvings of spirals and other archetypal symbols that moved me the most.  The fact that this huge monument was built 500 years before the pyramids of Egypt was  awe inspiring.

 The walls were covered with white quartz and a dot pattern made from water washed granite, both of which had to be brought many miles.

 Around the base of the mound are 97 curb stones - many of them carved with spirals.

It's beautiful and it's large and it's ancient and it's spiritual.  You can judge the scale by Ned's figure above.  

A link to more information about this spiritual place click here.  

The spiral carvings are what will last with me.

My writing will be spotty over the next few weeks.  

Harvest

Man is like vanity; his days are as a shadow that passeth away. In the morning he flourisheth, and sprouteth afresh;
in the evening he is cut down, and withereth. So teach us to number our days that we may get us a heart of wisdom.

The text is from the Jewish Memorial Service for the Dead.

photos from the top are:
maple leaves
bundles
sumac leaves
hawthorn
willow
colour
his bonfire