Father Sky

I’ve spent the last couple of postings talking about direct observation of the Sun’s motion along the horizon to mark time. First using natural markers and later creating man-made markers for precise timing of certain events or ceremonies. But there is another method of tracking the Sun’s progress that is even more dramatic, the use of narrow shafts of light either hitting key time markers or only being visible at certain times of the year. The photo below by mandj98 is a wonderful example of how special this method can be.

There are numerous examples of the use of these shafts of light around the world. Here in North America the Chaco Canyon site has the famous “Sun Dagger” as an example. (as always, the true interpretation of any phenomenon is subject to some controversy, but even without precise understanding, it is fair to say these sites hold special clues to our relationship with the natural world). As I mentioned above, some shafts may be visible during much of the year and can be used to track the yearly progression along an opposite rock-face wall, much like tracking the progress of sunrises along the horizon. Perhaps even more exciting are the shafts that are able to creep through narrow cracks only at certain times of the year. When that time comes, you can imagine the thrill as nature puts on a most dramatic light show, inspiring a reverence for nature like few others.