Mightybog - Your Local Bog/Otherworld

due to personal reasons, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH

New almanac side blog post. This has been really satisfying since I learned it. I'll look up and go, yup there's south, and then idk, feel like I've successfully touched grass for the day. Highly recommended.

Navigating with Orion

Orion is a highly recognisible constellation and is most visible in December and January. For this reason it's considered one of the Winter Constellations. The stars that make up Orion are usually still visible in areas of moderate of light pollution so it's a great constellation for practicing navigation.

Find South

The line of stars that will help us find south are known as Orion's sword. Imagining Orion is another person, you'll find it as a little line below his belt on his right side (your left). As Orion travels across the sky, his sword will point roughly south. This trick is more accurate the further from the horizon and the more upright Orion is.

Find East and West

Orion's belt can also be used to find the east and west. When Orion rises, the belt rises due-east (meaning exactly east) and due-west. The most northerly star on his belt/the star on his left side (called Mintaka) provides the most accuracy, rising and setting within just a single degree of these two compass points.

Bonus Info for Your Stargazing Pleasure

The middle star of Orion's sword is not, in fact, a star, but the Orion Nebula. The reddish star on his right shoulder is Betelgeuse and is showing signs of an impending supernova.

References and Further Reading:

Collins Night Sky (Wild Guide series published 2004)

Wild Signs and Star Paths by Tristan Gooley

Tristan Gooley's website, two pages on the topic: https://www.naturalnavigator.com/news/2010/09/finding-south-with-orions-sword/ and https://www.naturalnavigator.com/find-your-way-using/stars

See, our first mistake was trying to have a civilization in northern Europe between October and February. The darkest three months of the year should be for staying home under the blankets, midwinter festivals, and getting blind drunk when the sun goes down at 4 pm like the bog gods intended.

dandelions are magic. literally tiny suns in the grass that turn into the moon and then the stars when you blow on them. fucking insane.

It wasn't meant to be.

hey if you died right now whats your ghost outfit you cant change it be honest

Guinevere's wedding dress and chainmail veil in Excalibur 1981

"The destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young man" - wdym rests? He got crushed, absolutely flattened. Destiny turned that man into a pancake

Angel Barrett