CLUBSWAN STORIES – ClubSwan 50 Stella Maris

ClubSwan 50 Stella Maris described by her owner August Schram

By a funny coincidence, the emblems (flags) of two cities my family calls home in two separate countries show the same signs: A star on top and water below. Both are references to “Stella Maris”, the Name that Christian Seafarers have given to the Pleiades, a star cluster visible to the naked eye on the night sky. They were seeing in it the virgin Mary, who would guide them safely home. This invisible guidance is also what we seek, therefore we called our boat Stella Maris.

Of course the Pleiades are much older than Christianity (125 million years older). Before the Christians, the Celts used them for orientation and navigation. They devoted a character in the shape of three circles and four bars connected with a horizontal line for the Pleiades, symbolizing the three big and four smaller stars that are visually dominant in the constellation (the whole star cluster contains about 1200 stars). This Celtic sign is what you can see at the stern of Stella Maris.

Since the Celts where a deeply mythical and spiritual tribe, their symbols can have portentous impacts and are sometimes sacred and sometimes cursed. We of course made sure with the help of shamanic experts, that we do not load an invisible burden on us by putting the sign on the boat!

And it is indeed quite the opposite. As for the Christians, also for the Celts, the Pleiades were a certain point of orientation in uncertain times.