This week the story in the sky is all about casting shadow.
February 2nd marks the halfway point in the Winter season and is known as a ‘cross quarter day.” Technically this means the Sun is closer to Equinox, or the first day of Spring, than it is to Solstice, which was the first day of Winter.
And at this time of year, the Sun is brilliant in clear blue skies, casting long shadows across the snow-covered Earth by day, while at night, the Winter Moon does the same.
Further, the Winter Moon will be Full on Tuesday this week, right next to the bright planet Jupiter. So Sun, Moon, and Jupiter are all conspiring to cast shadows across the Earth by day and by night this week.
In the United States, if the Ground Hog emerges now and sees his shadow, then we are cursed with six more weeks of Winter, even though seeing one’s shadow means skies are clear. This is an odd contradiction.
But there’s something behind the celebration of Ground Hog’s Day that suggests a deeper mystery of the Earth in its celestial environment.
Consider, the light and warmth radiating from the Sun toward the Earth doesn’t just bounce off the Earth, rather it’s ‘absorbed’ by the Earth. And when the Sun appears furthest from us, during the Winter months, then we have to rely on this inner light and warmth that was absorbed during warmer, brighter seasons.
Now, if the Ground Hog emerges from his den and sees his shadow in this season, before the light has regained dominance over the season of dark, it just might mean that the sunlight stored within has escaped too soon, and the cold will hang around for longer than it would otherwise.
The sun will rise at 8 am in the East Wednesday morning, just as the Full Winter Moon is setting with the bright planet Jupiter in the West. Make plans now to get out and find your own celestial shadow.