After we caught up on our sleep, we learned more about the aurora at the Museum of the North on the University of Alaska-Fairbanks campus. The lights are the result of charged particles ejected from the sun, a solar wind that takes about three days to hit the earth’s atmosphere. There they are channeled to the polar regions by the earth’s magnetic fields.

The charged particles light up the gases in the upper atmosphere 60 to 500 miles above the earth. Greenish-yellow is the aurora’s most common color, but shades of yellow, violet, red and blue are often seen as well. Because it takes the charged particles only two seconds to travel the length of the globe, the auroras form identical patterns at the northern and southern poles.

Given how spectacular the lights are, it's not surprising that cultures from around the polar regions have many myths and stories about them. In Estonia, it was believed they were magnificent horse-drawn carriages carrying heavenly guests to a party. A Finnish myth says that the lights are sparked by a creature known as a firefox, who runs so fast that its tail causes sparks to fly into the heavens. In Sweden, the lights were traditionally regarded as portents of good news (the opposite was true in southern Europe, whose residents saw the lights very rarely and viewed them as evil omens). In China, the lights might well have been part of the origin of the legends about dragons flying across the sky, and in Japan it's believed that children conceived under the aurora will have good fortune.

My favorite belief about the Northern Lights comes from the Inuit who live in northern Canada. They believe the lights are spirits entering the afterlife, whose way is lit by those who have already crossed over. I can't think of a better way to spend eternity than dancing as an aurora across the sky.

I met a number of people in Alaska who agreed that the lights have a magical, mystical quality. Even after seeing them for many years, they said they never grow tired of them. "I think part of what makes them spiritual is that they're on their own schedule," said one woman. "You can put yourself in the right spot at the right time, but you can't control when they appear or disappear, and they're never the same, no matter how many times you see them. They're a good lesson in being humble and patient. All you can do when you see them is just stand there, awestruck."  

Since returning home, I've been thinking about that connection between the lights and ancestors. It helps make sense of the renewed connection I made with my cousin on this trip. During our time together we talked a lot about our mothers and grandmother, in particular, poring over old pictures and telling stories. We laughed until we cried and I think gained some perspective that was missing before. And maybe above us all the time were our ancestors, dancing across the sky (for the aurora is always there, even during the daylight). 

We flew out of Fairbanks in the middle of the night, peering out the plane’s windows in a vain effort to see the aurora one last time. Though disappointed, we knew the northern lights keep to their own schedule and that we were fortunate to have seen them at all.

All good wishes,

Interested in doing The Soul of the Family Tree in a book group? You can find discussion questions here. 

And if you've read and enjoyed my book, I hope you'll post a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or other online sites. Your review will help other readers discover my book. 
 

Upcoming Events:

December 2, 7 pm Pacific Time, Zoom presentation on my new book sponsored by the Napa Valley, California, Genealogical Society.

December 4, noon to 4 pm, I'll lead an Advent Retreat at at Grace Episcopal Church in Galena, Illinois. Register at (815) 777-2590.

December 8, 2 pm Central Time, Zoom presentation on my new book sponsored by TRAIL of Johnson County, Iowa and the Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center