Ghia – Stars adorn the American flag. Why stars?

Kia here.

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I'm this week's host of the creative

spiritual journey podcast, where I talk

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about what I've been learning while on

this remarkable journey we call life.

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Thank you so much for listening.

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Here in this first week of July.

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Where something patriotic, something

that shows my love of country

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seemed like an appropriate topic.

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I wondered what I could share.

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As inspiration.

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I got out the rhinestone American

flag broach that I inherited

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from my grandmother, Millie.

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And I placed it on my desk.

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In her older years, the first question

she had for a new acquaintance was.

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Are you a Patriot?

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To my grandma, that was a telling

sign of a person's character.

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She did ask about political affiliation.

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She just wanted to gauge a

person's love of country.

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With her twinkling rhinestones on my

desk, I got to thinking about stars.

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Specifically stars on flags.

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In my brief scan of world flags,

it appears that the star is one of

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the most well-used of any symbol.

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And I had to ask.

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Y stars.

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I understand that on the original

American flag, there were 13 stars

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representing the 13 colonies.

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And that we now have 50

stars, one for each state.

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But why not squares or triangles?

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Japan uses a circle.

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Canada uses a leaf.

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Why stars.

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Was it George Washington

that wanted stars.

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And if so, why?

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Not surprising.

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This got me wondering about

Elizabeth, Chris come Ross

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or Betsy Ross as we call her.

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Modern historians contend that Betsy

was not the only woman involved in the

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early renditions of the American flag.

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Still Betsy has received the accolades.

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When I was a kid, I attended

a Baptist grade school.

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The school didn't think celebrating

Halloween was appropriate.

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So as a replacement, we

celebrated American history day.

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Instead of ghosts and witches, we

dressed up like famous Americans.

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We also wrote reports

and delivered speeches.

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My mother was great at making

costumes and I loved dressing up.

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So this was the day I looked

forward to every year.

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I am sad now to say that

I was never Betsy Ross.

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But so many other girls chose Betsy.

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She seemed overdone and unimaginative.

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Looking at her life now.

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She seems extraordinary to me,

quite the woman of her day.

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Let me give you a brief history.

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Betsy was the eighth of 17 children

of whom only nine survived childhood.

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As a young girl, Betsy was

taught to sew by a great aunt.

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Sarah Elizabeth Ann betsy attended

a Quaker run state school.

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And after completion was sent to

apprentice with an upholsterer.

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Which is an amazing fact because during

the colonial period, only about one fifth

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of recorded and dentures were female and

of those most were apprentice to learn.

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Housewifery.

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How unusual for Betsy

to end up in upholstery.

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During this apprenticeship,

she met John Ross

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And they eloped getting married in a Tavern and Gloucester city, New Jersey.

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Because John was not a Quaker.

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Betsy was barred from associating

with her congregation.

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Which must have been a heartbreak.

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By the end.

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Betsy had three husbands outliving all of

them along with two of her seven children.

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She ran her upholstery business

into rehearse seventies before

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turning it over to a daughter.

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She was completely blind.

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The last three years of

her life and died at 84.

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Though disputed by many historians.

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The story goes that George

Washington brought his flag

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designed to Betsy in 1776.

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And that it was Betsy who

suggested the five pointed star

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versus a star with six points.

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Supposedly the five pointed

star was easier to cut.

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I checked this detail with my

sister who was an amazing seamstress

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and she doesn't see any advantage

to cutting a five pointed star.

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My mother is sure.

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The five pointed star was picked

because it's better looking.

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But all this set me to wondering if

there might be a different reason.

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Betsy sold Washington on

the five pointed star.

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I started looking into the symbolism

of different pointed stars.

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Oh, it turns out to be a deep subject.

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I want to talk about it, but

let's save that for a moment and

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continue this historical thread.

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While historians can't 100% confirm

who produced the first American flag.

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What we do know is that the

second continental Congress.

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Passed a resolution in 1777, which said,

quote, The flag of the United States,

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B 13 stripes alternating red and white.

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That the union be 13 stars, white.

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In a blue field, representing

a new constellation.

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And quote.

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A new constellation.

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What.

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I love that.

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The circle of 13 stars

represented a constellation

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And run up a flag pole.

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It was hung in the sky.

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I never knew we had our own constellation.

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Our current flag with 50 stars

does not have quite the same

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effect as the original circle.

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But still, I love the concept.

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And yes.

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Yes.

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You might be wondering why

I haven't mentioned stripes.

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Stripes are great.

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I love them.

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I'm sure they hold lots of symbolism.

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But I chose to defer to Francis Scott Key.

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Who mentioned broad stripes when

he penned his famous Anthem.

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But opted to leave them out of the

title, referring to our American

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flag as the star Spangled banner.

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If he can focus all his

attention on stars then.

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So can I.

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So once again, why stars?

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Stars represent hope wishes, divine

guidance, protection, quality,

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navigation, direction, destiny, fortune.

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They can be a spiritual compass.

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They remind us how small we

are, but also provide a gauge

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for our own unique brilliance.

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We have stars in our eyes, stars

in our sidewalks and billions

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of stars in our universe.

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The three pointed star has referenced

to the father, son and holy ghost, as

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well as the maiden crone and mother.

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The four pointed star often

appears as the star of Bethlehem.

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A light in the darkness

representing truth and hope.

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The five pointed star is a divine

symbol of oneness providing

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harmony peace and balance.

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The six pointed star

represents the God of Israel.

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And as a symbol of protection.

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The seven pointed star is related to

the seven days of creation and, uh,

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said to be a bridge between worlds.

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The eight pointed star.

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Notes the integration

of the four elements.

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Fire water earth and air, and the four

directions north, south, east, and west.

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Creating harmony in nature.

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The nine pointed star has been known

for the nine fruits of the spirit

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mentioned in the book of Galatians.

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Love joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, gentleness.

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And self-control.

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And then the 10 pointed star

in some traditions, this star

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symbolizes the tree of life.

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So, what do you think.

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What star would you have chosen?

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Personally, I have come to believe that

the five pointed star was inspired.

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The symbol of oneness in our current

country, rife with division seems like

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a message from our founders And I pray

the star will be seen as a rallying point.

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Ancestral people spent much more time

gazing at the stars than we do now.

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Interesting enough stars are

actually more accurate for creating

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a calendar than the sun or the moon.

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They have been used anciently to

tell time, weather and direction.

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Historically star mapping has been

done with many different techniques.

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But one technique that I recently

learned at a star lecture was done.

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As two people sat in a line east

to west, a small distance apart.

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One person would record the

stars as they rose over the other

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person's head and shoulders.

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Obviously this would make for a

long and rather tedious night.

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But here's what the presenter said.

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That this technique is the

reason we say Christ has risen.

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My jaw dropped at these words.

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I always assumed he has risen meant.

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Risen from the dead coming up

out of the ground, so to speak.

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I'm sure there are different ways.

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This word can be used.

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But a deep dive into ancient

astronomy suggest it was risen

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as an iStar rising in the sky.

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I love the idea of a star being

the sign of Christ at his birth.

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And then again, as his triumph over death.

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This isn't the only place we see Christ

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calls him the bright and morning star.

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Coupled with references for

Christ as the day star or son.

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We can surmise as Jeffrey R.

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Holland says that Christ guides

us leads us, keeps and loves us.

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Through the dark of night

and into the bright of day.

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Isn't that beautiful.

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So after all this back to my

original question, why stars?

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My conclusion.

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Regardless of which God you worship.

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I believe there are stars on the

American flag because they represent the

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intention and belief of our forefathers.

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As well as our four mothers.

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That this country be based on

a belief and devotion to God.

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And that as the motto of the United

States says in God, we trust.

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If you have enjoyed this podcast,

please share it with a friend.

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And as the text that Judy

sent me this last week said,

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Good friends are like stars.

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You can't always see them,

but you know, they are there.

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Thank you for being our podcast, friends.

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Nama stay.