Rural Banter

Author: ERICA GOODMAN

As the Christmas story tells us, the three magi followed a "yonder star" over two millennia ago. They brought offerings of gold, frankincense and myrrh, but the gift they sought lay beneath the Star of Bethlehem, guiding them "across a midnight clear."

Unquestionably, the celestial symbol of the star is celebrated by many of the world's major religions. In Judaism, the Star of David is thought to bring good luck. The internationally recognized symbol of Islam is a star half-encircled by a crescent moon. Stars are often encountered as esoteric symbols in Buddhism and Hinduism, the meaning dependent on the number and orientation of its points. Science, which sometimes complements but often contradicts our religious traditions, has found its own divinity in the night sky. Astronomers have charted the heavens for centuries. Even Peter Pan promised eternal youth in an ascent to the second star to the right and straight on until morning.

Man has always looked above for answers to life here on earth. The mystery of the night is humbling. We have rocketed men into outer space but still do not know all that the universe has hidden behind her black curtain. The great unknown in the vast expanse above our heads has offered hope, with the stars adding a glimmer of light to an otherwise bleak backdrop.

We are fortunate to spend the winter months in a place that still permits the dancing brilliance of stars. There are very few areas in the Northeast that are truly dark enough to allow us to admire the celestial landscape. Artificial light has come to dominate the night sky in densely populated areas. Light pollution not only adds to energy waste, it blinds us. From Washington D.C. to Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and Boston, the gleam of street lights, florescent skyscrapers and car headlights deprive our eyes of one of our most revered sensory freedoms. The concern over "sky glow" is an issue in rural areas as well. Although the Panther field hockey and lacrosse teams would appreciate a lit turf field, town ordinances limit the construction of large lighting. There is concern in Vermont, too, of the results of night-skiing on adding to light pollution.

The long-term affects of too much artificial light seem minor when compared to other environmental issues that plague our world. An increase in star-gazing is not the answer to society's ills. But without stars, man is spiritually impoverished. In the silence of a winter night, standing in an empty field and staring in wonder at the startling majesty and beauty of the heavens, the stars offer the gift which men have eternally pursued. They offer a sense of hope, a liberty and ecstasy we gain only by looking to the sky unknown.