Two Suns
A week ago, the Huffington Post picked up an interview with a University of Southern Queensland physics professor about the star known as Betelgeuse going supernova and what that might mean. When it happens, which could be tonight or not for another 100,000 years, a second sun will appear in the sky and may be visible for a couple of weeks before fading. Neutrinos will bombard the earth, but supposedly have "no effect" on us.
Given how little we really know about the body, that last notion seems a tad ridiculous, but, beyond any potential physical repercussions, think of the psychological ones! Heliocentrism is the model of our universe, with the sun at the center and all the planets revolving around it. Almost all of the cells in our body mimic that model, with more or less centralized nuclei. Culturally speaking, you can find sun worshipping all over the globe. If our skies present the image of two suns for even a brief period of time, it will shake the very foundations of our world view. How could it not?
Consider what 'two' signifies: Yin and yang, partnership, duality. From an animistic world view, you would have to see the appearance of two suns as reflecting something back to us, a message. In one sense, it could be literally illuminating our dualistic mind-set, the mentality that sees mind as separate from body, people as separate from earth. What a time to be reminded of this (even as a possibility), as we confront the destruction that the dualistic mode of thinking has wrought upon the planet.
It could also be shining a light on the need for others, partners. If we take the appearance of two suns to heart, our neighbors (down the block or occupying the next continent) would cease to be the next independently functioning household over and, instead, become necessary for a healthy self-image, be it of our neighborhood or world. Friends and lovers could take on the aspect of ‘twin,' with the attendant repercussions of depth, connection and meaning that we understand about those relationships. Within ourselves, our anima or animus might stop being a figure of difficulty and discord and move toward integration.
The taijitu, better known stateside as the yin/yang symbol, represents polarity, the union of opposites, all that is, dynamism. Traditionally, the sun and the moon have been seen to embody these ideas, but two suns could be interpreted in much the same way, especially when Betelgeuse fades, as is predicted, for the taijitu is said to be born of a singularity and to create one, too. By showing us two suns and then reverting back to one, the universe could be seen to be pointing the way to the taijitu's inherent wholeness.
One half of a dualism is often seen to embody negative aspects. When many Westerners first hear that yin is dark, cold, slow, feminine, their beliefs about equality are offended. "Why do women get the crappy side?" was certainly my first thought on day one of Chinese medical school. But there is nothing inherently wrong with those attributes. In fact, they're one whole half of existence, denying which would be akin to splitting the globe down the middle or cutting off your daemon, as in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials.
In a similar way, one could choose to be suspicious about the second sun, and perhaps with good reason. Here's what a friend suggested about it: "The second sun is also like an impostor, that looks like the real sun but sheds no warmth. Also, depending on what time of the year this happens, it could be mostly visible at night. As such, it could symbolize the anti-Christ -- looks splendid like the real sun, but it is fake."
I don't resist the idea that there are anti-Christ-like forces in the universe, but I do hold to the notion that they are ultimately here for our benefit. Perhaps the second sun won't feel right in our hearts. In that case, it will be a wonderful opportunity to bow to it and say, "No thank you," affiirming the greater truth of our own dear sun. I imagine that the peace brought by such a collective act would be planet-altering.
The richness of the metaphor of two suns interests me particularly, as a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, from an esoteric point of view. In the body, the heart can be thought of as the ‘sun,' as it is often depicted as the most brightly illuminated chakra. If you apply the appearance of a second sun to the body, then you would be talking about the ‘higher heart,' the chakra associated with the thymus gland. This chakra is said to be activated as consciousness is expanded. Perhaps the appearance of two suns would indicate the ignition of Gaia's higher heart.
May it be so.
Image courtesy of NASA Goddard photo and video.
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when i read about this,
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yeah!
Deep
Are past experiences (or lack thereof) indicators?
650 Million Light Years
I always get a kick out of the different ways people get their 15 minutes of fame; and also the ways of those who hitch their own few minutes to them as a caboose. Hey, I'm doing it too!
So, here's my 5 seconds worth of fame seeking: This star is so far away that it may have gone supernova millions and millions of years ago, and the light just hasn't reached us yet.
C'mon... have we really run out of interesting ways to get someone's attention?
Second "Sun"
If Betelgeuse goes supernova, it will appear as just a dot.
That's right -- this "second sun" will just be a star that is visible during the day time. That's what they mean.
In fact, all the stars out there, that you see at night, are suns.
Leon Night - I'm intrigued.
Leon Night - I'm intrigued. What does fame-seeking have to do with the potential appearance of a second sun? Are you suggesting something about the copycatting of a second sun? Or something else? Either way, I like the reminder that time manifests in its fullness for each of us.
LionKimbro - I'm just riffing on the story behind the HuffPo link, which suggests that Betelgeuse's supernova phase will illuminate the night and be as visible as our sun during the day, though you're right that all stars are suns, depending on proximity. Reminds one to take People magazine with a grain of salt, doesn't it?
I'm not surprised...
Since it's 1300 light years away from Earth, it takes that long for the energy of its supernova to reach us. Dr. Carter said it's losing mass, which means it hasn't happened yet according to him, but how does he know... since nothing travels faster than the speed of light? It could have happened 1299 light years ago, right? (Or 1199, or 999, hell... just pick a number) Or, he admitted that, it might not happen for another 100,000 years!
So what is Dr. Carter saying, really? He's not saying anything important at all, but because he has funny little letters before and after his name, he gets to say stupid shit and get the attention he needs for another government grant. (or his 15 minutes of fame).
And what's worse, those of us without those funny little letters after our name, who are dumber than a fifth grader, naively believe this shit, and pass it on.
Hey, why not just make shit up? Because, in order to get people to believe a lie, and thereby make them look really stupid, you have to surgically implant a little element of truth in it.
In my opinion. one of the most insidious practices is the dissemination and propagation of such lies. Once people become aware that they are constantly being lied to, they become so cynical that even the truth won't phase them anymore.
We're getting close to a time in our history when truth needs our immediate attention, yet we're teaching everyone to be cynical by implying that stupid shit like this is true.
What other use does it have (other than to fool us into believing another lie) but to get the spotlight on someone so they can get their 15 minutes of fame? I'm tired of all the bullshit! It's just not helping us at all!
Metaphor
Hmm. That's interesting.
Personally, I don't really care if it's true or not. I'm intrigued by the metaphoric application to our lives and how such a metaphor might work on our individual and collective psyches. I think that anything that breaks through into our collective consciousness, as symbolized by its appearance and propagation in the mass media, says something about who we are.
But I thank you for your passion—and position. Great comment.
look at what youve brought out of me!!
1. I'd like to start by thanking Leon for pointing out that 15 mins worth of fame is dearly bought when people cant see you for who/what you are, which I admit I really couldnt, it totally escaped my attention, so captivated was my imagination by the simple idea. 2.I dont know which I find more strange, your lack of irony at denouncing this scientists 'truth' as simply lies and then stating your own, no doubt, hard won enlightenment as The Truth over which all is judged, Or my real need to cast my thoughts in this blatantly flippant attitude towards someone whose feelings I have no real knowledge of other than the miniscule amount able to be transmitted over this particular medium. Now this long winded reply of mine might seem particularly tedious, even annoying to someone worried about being judged as a fifth grader, but I freely admit its for the simple desire to grab MY 15mins of fame on this most infamous of websites, the great and mighty RealitySandwich, that I here pass on my hideously grotesque appetite, nay undisguised lust, for said popularity, you could say thanks to you that I am a newly realised/emancipated Famail-sexual(especially since im so turned on right now by your words) thanks to your beautifully evocative 5 secs. And I hereby give an impassioned call to all the shy Famails to join me in my fay-pride and to claim their God given right to shine,shine like a star, for is it not said that 'EVERY man and woman Is a Star' ? 3. As youve no doubt realised I AM one of those poor souls whose few joys in life is expressing myself safely, over this most sublime ways of primate communication methods, overly compensating for a pathetically restricted social life. So when, if bothered, by my/the ramblings of a too-much-time-to-spare devotee of this most excellent and high minded of websites, I beg now for forgiveness, for I am only giving back,to what was most generously dealt out in a most openminded manner. 4. Why are letters funny? some jokes are just behond me. Im afraid like you the ideas in question arnt of any real import. but unlike you its the inspiration to my imagination that I value, and I certainly DO value the fertile amount of thought your reply has generated in my mind. Do you realise this power you have? I say, now, with no irony, it IS a gift and I imagine when harnesed will become a force worthy of your heritage on this most amazing space-station in the known galaxy(though I may be just another sensitive soul on an insensitive planet?) 5. Being an artist, I welcome all the 'bullshit' I can take, as Ive found it a most fertile source of creativity. I only hope my thoughts here are seen/felt in this light and not in the tone of a complete arsehole, though ive done my best to walk the line, I do tend to have a tendency to go one way or the other as im sure we all do from time to time! 6. does the non-locality of quantum states count as a way to feel/sense an event as it happens? thus intruding on the unpleasantly rigid idea that light speed limits? maybe, it seems like a strong possibilty and does tend to 'explain' some of the more exotically mysterious phenomena. but im not a phisicist so cant really know for sure. 7.You say that constantly being lied to people become so cynical that even the truth wont phase them any more. I hope you can respect my telling you how I feel, for its only the third time ive replied to a reply here on R.S and I assure you that its only because im gratefull for the amount of thought you are responsible for generating in me, and that i trust you wont be phased!! If I hadnt of gotten this out it would only have festerd along with all the other rotteness in there, so again I must thank you for your gift of fertility!! 8. Just to complete the octave and start the cycle again I feel I must thank you for bringing out of me these musings, and I hope whoever reads this, enjoys it as much as ive enjoyed writing it! Im now wondering whether maybe ive wasted my time to bother writing such a long reply but i dont think so, I mean thats what were on here for right?! Im absolutely fascinated that so much can come from the mere possibilty of a dying star and in reverence and respect to the universe that inspired the names sake and the possible civilisation that may be aware or not of their impending doom I say to you BEETLEGUISE BEETLEGUISE BEETLEJUICE!!!!! Thankyou, yours famaily Erosako
P.S after checking for spelling mistakes and what not, ive concluded that I have a really nasty streak in my personality and for that I ask for forgiveness, for its not pretty and im not proud of it, but after yearning for the visions of paradise my psychedelicly inspired imagination from youth gone by did produce, and after taking copius amounts shit from people who told me I was mad and blablablabla blaaaa what not, ive concluded that the dark side, when ignored, only fucks you up all the more for such juvinile yearnings. Now im writing this because MY cynicism has been dreadfully kicked in the arse of late and it seems hope has once again managed to be caught in pandoras box before all was lost(an oldie but a goodie). So according to chaos theory even though im a recovering drugged out ex-hippie going on realist lasy bastard my little bit of truth might actually touch someone! well, at least it is the truth! maybe ;)
Betelgeus is the ancient destroyer
ayurveda
Heliocentrism of 2
Thank you for your insights. I now have a deeper understanding of something I made:
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