Also known as: The Little Dipper, Ursa Minor, The Little Bear, The Lesser Bear, The Smaller Bear, The Seven Sages of Greece, The Phoenician(because Thales of Miletus who introduced the constellation to the Greeks was thought to be Phoenician.
Ursa Minor becomes The Pinecones.
This being the first constellation—the one attached to the North Star, Polaris—I think the Lodgepole Pine is a perfect symbol for holding up the night sky. They’re tall, straight, uniform trees that have been used by indigenous people for a long time to build dwellings and other structures. Their inner bark is nutrient rich and can be used to make bread; their needles make a good tea; their resin can be used as a base for medicines treating muscle pain and colds. They have a quiet and humble majesty to them. Additionally, the pinecones from these trees are sealed tight and don’t open and release their seeds unless activated by heat — like a fire. As a result, these trees have become reliant on the natural forest cycles that include drought and fire to reproduce. You can say that they grow on the ashes of the past. As I begin this new cycle of reconstellation, they’re a good reminder that cycles of destruction and creation are linked, and each one always naturally leads into to the other.
Since this my the first new constellation, I decided to even forego the usual connect-the-dots style constellation and instead allow each star to be a pinecone, complete in itself, and also part of a set, and also the parent of a new set of trees when the next fire comes along and opens them up.
The pinecones we can see within this constellation on any given night are the pinecones that have caught fire and are opening up, birthing constellations throughout the rest of the night sky.
History
Ursa Minor, illustrated
Ursa Minor, the constellation
Ursa Minor, deconstellated and ready for reconstellation.
Ask new questions
If a fire is a time when core beliefs and assumptions about the world are challenged or completely toppled over: Is there a fire happening right now? Was there a fire recently? Has there been drought that might indicate a fire in the near future?
What are your lodgepole pines? If they were burned down, what might grow from their seeds?
What would you build with what you have in front of you today even if you knew it would be eventually lost?
Associations and etymology
Historical:
Cynosura:“dog’s tail” in Greek, became cynosure which means“guiding star” in English
Little Dipper, Wagon/Wain, Plow, Coffin
Little Bear / Lesser Bear:
One of the nymphs, Ida, who hid Zeus from Kronos when he was a baby.
In a different story, Arcas(son of Zeus and Callisto) was turned into a little bear along with his mother by Hera.
It never dips below the horizon and is visible year-round. Apparently Hera did this as punishment so they would not be able to drink water.
Long tail stretched out because of spinning around the pole for so long.
The North Star:
Polaris, pole star, polar star. The northern axis of the Earth points to it.
A navigation tool for sailors and travelers
Top 50 bright star
Will be closest to true north in 2105.
Pherkad(al-farkadan: two calves) and Kochab(kaukab: star) were also known as Guards or Guardians of the Pole and imagined by Arabs as two calves.
+45 - Year of Reconstellation: Reconstellation #1
Ursa Minor becomes The Pinecones.
History
Ask new questions
Associations and etymology