Whirlpool Galaxy and a Peaceful Intersection

I have been so fascinated by the Whirlpool Galaxy some 31 million light years away from us in the Hunting Dogs constellation. It may be because I love dogs, and hunt for my dogs in my dreams. It may be because I love the spiral, a symbol of breath, the pulsing swirl of the spirit, and life force. It may be because this galaxy is birthing stars, and who does not love the sense of that creation. We see its individual offspring as distant lights of a starry night in our Milky Way. Whatever the reason, it is the interaction of two galaxies intersecting that creates a force strong enough to compress the spiral and birth a star. For me, the potential in the intersection is magic. There has been so much opposition in the world today, whether for conflict and supremacy or for fairness and justice. Conflict is conflict, whether it is armed engagement or violent protest. If grandma's rules are correct, then you catch more bees with honey, so how do we lessen conflict and opposition? It seems to me the answer is in the heavens. We propose instead of oppose, and bring into a peaceful intersection the new with the old to regenerate. In short, we birth...new ideas, new projects, new creations, new individuals, new communities, and renewed selves. We birth to instill the perpetuity of life in our galaxy and perhaps beyond. Welcoming the end of the year and the birth of the next one, as 2011 draws to a close.

Tour the galaxy at: http://hubblesite.org/gallery/tours/tour-m51/