The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Do look up! Look up and breathe.
At 9,000 feet in the Rocky Mountains, it is always possible to look to the sky for inspiration. Look up! Nine out of 10 times the sky is filled with wonder around here.
The stars shine bright and the Milky Way splashing over Whetstone in the wee hours is amazing to behold. I have relatives who brag they can see the moon and several stars through the city lights. Here, the literally millions of stars we can see on a dark night are our ‘city lights.’
The crystal blue of early morning is a regular treat that never gets old. The sunrises and sunsets are photo worthy more often than not, as evidenced by all the social media posts of the late evening red streaked sky behind Red Lady or the other peaks surrounding the valley.
Sunday’s full “blood moon” was pretty spectacular and there was no shortage of local captures posted online. The pictures that immediately popped up on local social media were great. A lunar eclipse is something to behold anytime and Sunday’s was stunning. We would take a stroll onto the deck every half hour or so and be awed in a place full of awe.
Speaking of awe – or ahhhh, crap – Mercury is in retrograde. In a town full of woo-woo belief, that’s a sky experience that might not be super cheery for many. It’s one of those one in 10 things. Mercury in retrograde started May 10 and will last until June 2. Back up your computers!
The Old Farmer’s Almanac explains that “Three times a year, the planet Mercury appears to travel backward across the sky. We refer to these periods as times when Mercury is in apparent retrograde motion, or simply, “Mercury retrograde.” To those who practice astrology, these times in particular are traditionally associated with confusion, delay and frustration. Think undelivered love letters, email blunders and frazzled travel plans! This is an excellent time to reflect on the past, however, and it’s said that intuition is high during these periods. Coincidences can be extraordinary.”
The Almanac advises that when Mercury is in retrograde, “try to remain flexible, patient and understanding (not bad advice anytime BTW). Allow extra time for travel and avoid signing onto any new contracts that you’re unsure of. Double check your email responses and check in with reservations before you take that trip.”
Horoscope.com says Mercury in retrograde doesn’t have to be all bad. “Given that Mercury retrograde isn’t a time to start something new, it makes sense that we should slow down and recalibrate our lives.”
Again, that’s not a bad thing to do every so often no matter what.
It’s sort of like the end of spring off-season. It’s the time to take a breath, not work a triple. Don’t fight it and try to turn spring into something it isn’t meant to be —like another busy tourist season in the year. Embrace what is given to you by the Universe. With the right attitude, even the spring wind can provide a lesson to perhaps get out early and accomplish things instead of trying to ride an exposed ridge at 2 in the afternoon, which I can attest, isn’t great riding.
Horoscope.com says to not pull the covers up and stay in bed when Mercury is in retrograde. “Mercury retrograde can be a rich period of creativity and connections; if you’re able to be flexible and avoid getting buried in the details, you’ll emerge without a scratch.” Good thing since it happens about three times a year.
The bottom line is that while things may feel unsettled for whatever reason you want to point to — blood moons, Mercury retrograde, blustery spring winds — now is a good time to take a breath and slow down. Look up! All hail Mr. Jingles’ birthday party. Take what the Universe gives you. Breathe.
—Mark Reaman
