What does Astro Mean?
"Astro”, from Greek astron or aster
Prefix
as·tro | \ˈastrō \
Definition of astro (from Cambridge):
:relating to space, the planets, stars, or other objects in space, or to a structure in the shape of a star
My favorite movie of all time begins like this:
“A philosopher once asked, ‘Are we Human because we gaze at the Stars, or do we gaze at them because we are Human?’”
Now, I don’t know whether it was just the iconic timbre of Ian McKellen’s voice, but this line made a huge impression on me. It was my Facebook tagline for years, and still rings through my mind while I am outside looking up. However, it doesn’t quite end there, with the narration continuing:
“Pointless really. ‘Do the stars gaze back’? Now, that’s a question!”
While what follows is one of the most epic of fantasy films, Stardust, this intro points to something quite factual. Long before the dawn of civilization, human beings began looking up day and night in continuous attempt to understand the mechanics and meaning of the pattern of lights there, and a quest to do so distinguished us from other life on planet Earth. Without math, or even writing yet invented, it was up to the first Stargazers to find a way to preserve their discoveries. They did so successfully through the use of story, with personifications of the planets and constellations as deities, engaging in fantastical adventures in their heavenly abodes. Learning these tall tales helped people gain true power over the natural world on Earth, leading to the development of agriculture, societal culture, and technology.
Lunar Eclipse rising over Los Angeles, May 15, 2022
As a prefix, Astro- encapsulates all these various ways that humans interact with the sky, and when paired with various suffixes, these activities are made more clear:
Astro-Photography: the art of taking pictures of the stars, and other objects in space
Astronaut: a person who leaves Earth’s atmosphere to “sail” among the stars
Astronomy: the science of understanding the mechanics of the stars
Astronym: the practice of naming stars and constellations
Astrognosy: Knowledge of the Stars
Astromythology: Stories about the stars and constellations
Astrology: the language of the stars, especially in regards to their effects on earthly affairs
Astrometry: Divination using the stars
Astrolatry: Worship of the stars
Astrophobia: an intense fear of the stars and outer space
Astrophilla: an intense love of the stars and outer space
Conclusion
So, the “Astro” in Annular Astro relates to all these ideas. We seek to improve your knowledge of the stars (Astrognosy), by delving into their scientific mechanics (Astronomy), learning about the various names given to them (Astronyms), the historical stories told about them by different cultures (Astromythology), and the various ways people have used all these features to interpret what they see in the sky in relation to life (Astrology), how the heavens have been incorporated into religions and spiritual practices (Astrolatry) and even made predictions based on future alignments (Astrometry), as to promote a deeper love and wonder for the natural world above us (Astrophilla) and displace fears around it (Astrophobia).
It is up to you to answer the question of whether the “stars gaze back” for yourself. But our belief is that Knowledge is Power, and promise to remain clear as day in distinguishing whether what is discussed in this setting is factual, fictional, or somewhere in the vast space between the two. We respect and remain ever-curious about the entire range of human experience that comes from gazing up at the stars in awe. ⭕️