Astrothesia

Astrothesia (as-tro-the’-si-a): A vivid description of stars. One type of enargia.

Lode Star. Pole star. North Star. Without the stars, our ancient forebears would have had nothing to guide them across the open sea.

So much has depended on the stars—from astrology and navigation, to the story of Christ’s birth in the town of Bethlehem.

In recent centuries, noteworthy competitors are called stars: they metaphorically reign on high—Muhammad Ali, Joni Mitchell, Robin Williams—we look up to them like stars shedding their faint light from the edge of the void in night’s all-encompassing darkness, whether alive or dead, their stars shine, and prompting reflection on the stars’ excellence, we may set a course that accords with their course and, like sailors, we may find our direction on life’s open seas.

Definition courtesy of “Silva Rhetoricae” (rhetoric.byu.edu).

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