Father Sky

I made a new level of commitment into, “my foray into Ethnoastronomy” yesterday. For a number of years I have been hosting star parties for my church, (or attempting to do so, many have been canceled due to clouds). But this year, when the Adult Education representative came to ask me if I’d host another one this summer, I countered with a suggestion I put on a class on how early man might have seen and interpreted the night sky. He was fine with the idea and asked if I’d write something up for the summer program flier. Yesterday, I did that.

I’m calling the class, “Lessons from Ancient Astronomers”, with the description, “What cosmological mysteries did our early ancestors struggle with and how do their answers help us today?”. (I did add the comment, “Star-gazing after class if the weather cooperates”, so I don’t disappoint anyone).

So. Now I’ve done it. I’ve made the commitment to go beyond the well-beaten path of showing a handful of celestial treasures sprinkled here and there with a few interesting facts. Now I will step out of the shadow of a dark, grassy park and put myself in front of an audience, hoping I have the skills to send them back in time and with eyes open to see the world as we once did. With all it’s wonder and mystery and promise.

I’m not nervous about it… yet. As class time approaches I’ll need to find ways to have confidence in my preparation to minimize stress. In truth, it’s just a 90 minute class so I really can’t go too deep. I need to keep it fun, light, interesting. A good challenge… and (hopefully) a good step in expanding myself in this field. Wish me luck!