How to Know the Stars with Star Lore Historian Mary Stewart Adams

Mary Stewart Adams–celestial updates, dark sky advocacy, star lore historian, stories in the stars–
It’s not too soon to include the stars in your New Year’s resolutions ~ and here’s a terrific way to do it!
Four sessions on “How to Know the Stars with Star Lore Historian Mary Stewart Adams”, every Thursday in January, from 7-8:30 pm, offered online by North Central Michigan College.
Sessions are $35/each, or $125 when you register for all four. Registration at this link.

First session, January 7, 2020 ~ Hey Diddle Diddle in the Stars

Rather than being simple ditties meant to amuse children, the nursery rhymes of the middle ages reveal a practice of hiding the esoteric wisdom of the stars in verse, to sustain their influence, especially through challenging times. In this introduction toStar Lore, Mary Stewart Adams will lead us on a delightful journey of learning to know the stars through some of our most well-loved nursery rhymes, together with the history and origin of the rhymes. Register here.

Second session, January 14, 2020 ~ Once Upon a Star

Once upon a time every star had a name, and in every name was a story. In this session, we will seek the stars in cultural fairy tales from around the world, and how the practice of storytelling with the stars is used to impart moral wisdom by cultivating vivid imaginations in listeners both young and old. Register here.

Third session, January 21, 2020 ~ Star Lore and Ancient Mythologies

From rhymes to tales to mythologies, the stories we tell through the ages reveal our understanding of, and relationship to, the world around us. Nowhere is this more evident than in the dramatic mythologies of ancient cultures which were aligned to the stars overhead. We will explore the cultural mythologies of the ancient world, including those of Egypt, Greece, and others, in relation to the stars overhead now. Register here.

The Ancient Egyptian bas-relief known as the Dendera zodiac, depicts the feminine as the pillars of heaven

Fourth session, January 28 2020 ~ History of Star Knowledge from Astrology, to Astronomy, to a New Star Wisdom

From the civilization-forming influence of the stars evidenced in ancient cultures, to the dramatic shift in humanity’s relationship to the celestial world dating from the scientific revolution in the 16th century, we arrive in contemporary culture, where light pollution diminishes views of the sky for most of the world’s population.  In this session, we will consider the role of star lore in cultivating an appreciation for cultural diversity, and learn about the consequences in human culture, and for the Earth, of being cut off from the stars. Register here.

A little back story: In 2005 I started offering monthly star talks at the college, which served as a significant “seed time” for establishing what later became the 9th international dark sky park in the world here in Northern Michigan.
I am so excited to get back to the college and share what has developed over the 15 years since then, especially because the restorative effect of knowing the stars seems even more important now.
~Mary