{"id":29,"date":"2020-12-16T03:47:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-16T10:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/?p=29"},"modified":"2021-02-12T12:36:36","modified_gmt":"2021-02-12T19:36:36","slug":"the-thing-about-stars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/the-thing-about-stars\/","title":{"rendered":"The Thing About Stars"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/?page_id=4\">Gail Lowe<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Winter Solstice, or Yule, will soon be upon us.&nbsp; December 21st&nbsp;will be a night of fire pushing back the cold.&nbsp; Flames dancing up from the fire pit to cast shadows over sleeping trees and snow-covered grass.&nbsp; Gravity-defying sparks breaking free from flame in a doomed attempt to join ranks with the stars above. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For one last day, darkness holds court.&nbsp;<br>And if the night is clear, we will sit beneath a blanket of stars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"676\" height=\"230\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Gail_Dec2020.jpg?resize=676%2C230&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-57\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Gail_Dec2020.jpg?w=708&amp;ssl=1 708w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Gail_Dec2020.jpg?resize=300%2C102&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Gail_Dec2020.jpg?resize=676%2C230&amp;ssl=1 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have never warmed your toes by the fire on the longest night of the year while humming&nbsp;<em>Here Comes The Sun<\/em>&nbsp;by the Beatles, this is the year to give it a try.&nbsp; We are in for a rare celestial treat:&nbsp; The Christmas Star.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Saturn and Jupiter will be rubbing shoulders on December 21st.&nbsp; You can already map these planets in our night sky as they move into position.&nbsp; These celestial giants haven\u2019t been this close to each for almost 800 years.&nbsp; Genghis Khan was alive the last time these planets were close enough to appear as one massive star. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s called the Great Conjunction and it\u2019s happening on the Winter Solstice, adding even more potency to the powerful energy Yule brings for regeneration and renewal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m taking it as a good omen.&nbsp; Something the world needs right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let the magic of the Winter Solstice into your life.&nbsp; Light candles.&nbsp; Make wishes.&nbsp; Release what no longer serves you by writing it on a piece of paper and tossing it into the fire.&nbsp; It will feel good.&nbsp; I promise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What if it\u2019s overcast and we don\u2019t get to see the Great Conjunction?&nbsp; Well, I will be disappointed, but it won\u2019t lessen the Solstice.&nbsp; That\u2019s the thing about stars.&nbsp; Even when you can\u2019t see them, they\u2019re still out there doing their thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Click on the YouTube link below for audio only of The Beatles song, Here Comes The Sun.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Here Comes The Sun (Remastered 2009)\" width=\"676\" height=\"507\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xUNqsfFUwhY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Winter Solstice, or Yule, will soon be upon us.  December 21st will be a night of fire pushing back the cold.  Flames dancing up from the fire pit to cast shadows over sleeping trees and snow-covered grass.  Gravity-defying sparks breaking free from flame in a doomed attempt to join ranks with the stars above. &#8211; Gail Lowe<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[6,15,14,13,7,4],"class_list":["post-29","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-writing","tag-gail-lowe","tag-intention","tag-magic","tag-story","tag-the-corner-lot-authors","tag-writing","post-preview"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":119,"url":"https:\/\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/tame-the-dragon\/","url_meta":{"origin":29,"position":0},"title":"Tame The Dragon","author":"Gail Lowe","date":"May 24, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I am in the process of taming my dragon. I write while it\u2019s sleeping or preoccupied with some other dragon-worthy pursuit. But eventually, it pins its fiery gaze on my work and burns words to ash. Rubbish, it snorts, slinking back into its cave, leaving me to wonder why I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Inspiration&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Inspiration","link":"https:\/\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/category\/inspiration\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Blog_Gail_Dragon2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":21,"url":"https:\/\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/writing-can-be-murder\/","url_meta":{"origin":29,"position":1},"title":"Writing Can Be Murder","author":"Gail Lowe","date":"April 27, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"by Gail Lowe \u201cHow to Commit the Perfect Murder was an old game in heaven. I always chose the icicle: the weapon melts away.\u201d\u2013 \u00a0Alice Sebold,\u00a0The Lovely Bones I\u2019m figuring out how to commit murder.\u00a0 The method and weapon still elude me although I have decided on the location and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Writing&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"photo of a black bird","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/pexels-photo-3927600.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/pexels-photo-3927600.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/pexels-photo-3927600.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/pexels-photo-3927600.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/pexels-photo-3927600.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/pexels-photo-3927600.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":133,"url":"https:\/\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/cope-its-good-for-you\/","url_meta":{"origin":29,"position":2},"title":"Cope, It\u2019s Good For You","author":"Gail Lowe","date":"June 28, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"This is my favourite Covidism: A person will come out of lockdown as a hunk, a chunk, a drunk or a monk. The first time I heard it, I laughed. The second time, I put my drink down long enough to step on the scale. Hmm, better rethink my coping\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Insight&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Insight","link":"https:\/\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/category\/insight\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Blog_Gail_Cope3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":85,"url":"https:\/\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/perfection-excuse\/","url_meta":{"origin":29,"position":3},"title":"The Perfect Excuse","author":"Gail Lowe","date":"March 21, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I thought I wanted perfect. I chased it with a list. Until I changed perspective. And found what I had missed. Perfection is the ultimate goal. That's the incoming message, isn't it? - Gail Lowe","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Fear&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Fear","link":"https:\/\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/category\/insight\/fear\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/jonathan-hoxmark-6VWTC9sWu8M-unsplash.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/jonathan-hoxmark-6VWTC9sWu8M-unsplash.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/jonathan-hoxmark-6VWTC9sWu8M-unsplash.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":74,"href":"https:\/\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29\/revisions\/74"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thecornerlotauthors.com\/GailLowe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}