There’s a lot going on in our solar system in August…a full moon and partial eclipse today, peak of the Perseids meteor shower on the 12th and a new moon and total solar eclipse on the 21st. “So?” I hear you ask, “What does that mean for me?”

Continuing my blog posts about finding magic in your life, connecting to the universe is an easy way to begin so let’s begin with the sun… the sun is the star at the centre of the Solar system, made up of hot plasma, whose diameter is 109 times that of the earth, consists of hydrogen and helium plus a little oxygen, carbon, neon and iron and whose mass is about 330,00 times that of the earth. Wow! A huge, almost spherical ball of energy, 149.6 million kilometres away, is the main source of energy for life on earth. And you know what? Carl Sagan said that we are made of star stuff, the death of ancient stars helping to create us.

Whether we like it or not, we are linked to the universe. We are made up of the same molecules. The universe was there before us, creating and uncreating until all the elements and conditions were aligned and life began on our earth.

Our ancestors understood their connection to the universe, you’ve only to look at the legacy they left behind to see it.

Stone circles and avenues, temples and pyramids were created and aligned, markers of the sun, moon and stars. Our ancestors linked to the past and the future, making themselves a part of a cycle of life that sustained and informed them. They knew about the seasons and the best time to plant and harvest; their link with the universe was life giving….and so can ours be today.

Tonight, like others on this amazing rock we call earth, I’ll be taking a few minutes to connect with the stars. For me, it’s about focussing on a bigger picture. We get hung up on the minutae, the earthly problems we face each day (I did it yesterday attempting to file my tax return!) and forget to look wider…we are part of a world family on a beautiful planet, abundant with diverse wildlife and we have our own star to thank for giving us the opportunity to be here in the first place. Attempting to comprehend the universe, we may be a small speck on a little planet but inside each of us is the potential to create and to open our hearts and minds to compassion, love and warmheartedness. We’re held back by the ‘old stories’ we carry, causing doubt, fear and anxiety when we attempt to break away and try something new yet, we all have the capacity to write ‘new stories’ for ourselves, living our lives full of hope, creativity and love. For me, the inspiration comes from the universe, above me, and my connection with the earth, below me.

Join me at 8.08pm for 8 minutes, linking yourself with others on the earth and to the stars from which you came.

Connecting with the stars, we connect with ourselves.