a note about the stars

This constellation moves with us through the scrapbook, appearing in the first few months (for June, July, and so on) before disappearing from the winter months, then reappearing in the spring. "What's going on with that?" you might ask. If you're a sharp-eyed Certamenator, you may recognize this constellation as the Pleiades, a group of stars to parallel their namesake, the mythical daughters of Atlas.

When I was planning how this scrapbook would look, I did some research on what a Roman sea voyage would look like (since that is this scrapbook's theme!). I learned that the Romans marked the start and end of sailing season using the Pleiades, so I tried to place the constellation differently in each month to show how the Romans saw them each month.

When the Pleiades are visible and high in the sky, as they are on the pages for June through October, the seas are open for business! Once they set, starting around November, the winter season makes it difficult and dangerous for ships: therefore, the Romans refrained from sailing until the spring. Starting in March, April, and May, you'll see the Pleiades rise again in the sky and in this scrapbook. And then, just like a Roman ship, CAJCL enters a new school year and starts another journey.