Tag Archives: Astronomy

To Coincide with a Full Moon

Posted on February 7, 2016 by David

“Ordinary people were much more aware of the heavenly bodies than they are today. It is artificial lighting, in street and house, which has made us less conscious of their endless mutations. Few dwellers in large cities now know what … Continue reading →

Posted in Quotation | Tagged Astronomy, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic | Leave a comment

Fill Yourself with Substance

Posted on July 2, 2015 by David

I’m a big proponent of self-driven learning. For a writer, I think that’s essential. So here are some of the non-fiction books I’ve read in the last couple of months. Leibniz: An Intellectual Biography. I had never heard of Gottfried … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged A History of Venice, Amihai Mazar, Archaeology, Astronomy, Azazal, Byzantium, Cancer, Capricorn, Isaac Newton, Israel Finkelstein, John Julius Norwich, Leibniz, Leviticus, Maria Rosa Antognazza, Neal Stephenson, Richard Allen, Star Names, The Bible, The Quest for the Historical Israel, Venice | Leave a comment

Myth and Cult in Native America

Posted on March 18, 2015 by David

Astronomer-mythologist John Lundwall shares Native American tales that tie into initiation ritual, astronomy, and storytelling.

Posted in How to Write | Tagged Archaeoastronomy, Astronomy, Chumash, Hero's Journey, John Lundwall, Lakota Sioux, Navajo | Leave a comment

The Fascination

Posted on August 14, 2014 by David

“[T]he fascination of the heavens is as old as man’s ability to think; as ancient as his capacity to wonder and to dream.” — Robert Burnham, Jr., Burnham’s Celestial Handbook

Posted in Quotation | Tagged Astronomy, Burnham's Celestial Handbook, Robert Burnham Jr. | Leave a comment

Cosmic Cities

Posted on August 2, 2014 by David

“The cosmos itself is what mattered to our ancestors. Their lives, their beliefs, their destinies–all were part of this bigger pageant. Just as the environment of their temples was made sacred by the metaphors of cosmic order, entire cities and … Continue reading →

Posted in Quotation | Tagged Archaeoastronomy, Astronomy, Cosmos, E.C. Krupp, Echoes of the Ancient Skies | Leave a comment

No Culture But Our Own

Posted on July 31, 2014 by David

“[I]n the history of the world no culture but our own–and then only very recently–has chosen the path of pursuing the ideology of an infinite space-time that frames colossal cataclysmic events, with humanity relegated to the role of insignificant bystander.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Quotation | Tagged Anthony Aveni, Astronomy, Science, Stairways to the Stars | Leave a comment

Bookshelf: Hamlet’s Mill

Posted on July 23, 2014 by David

I’ve just finished re-reading Hamlet’s Mill, for the fourth time. That makes it the third-most-reread book in my library, I think, and the most-reread work of scholarly nonfiction. Hamlet’s Mill is about mythology. The authors argue that myth, and its … Continue reading →

Posted in Bookshelf | Tagged Astrology, Astronomy, Gilgamesh, Giorgio de Santillana, Hamlet, Hamlet's Mill, Hertha von Dechend, Myth, Mythology, Worldbuilding | Leave a comment

Ancient Earth & Sky

Posted on July 14, 2014 by David

My friend John Lundwall has a couple of animated lectures posted on-line that deal with the astronomy and cosmology encoded in the mythology of oral societies. The lectures cover some of the same ground as John’s forthcoming book on the … Continue reading →