WHY ANDROMEDA?

Andromeda (known to cosmologists as "M31") is a spiral galaxy embedded in the centre of the Andromeda constellation of the same name. The nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way, Andromeda lies some 2.5 million light years from earth, and on a clear Autumn night is just visible to the naked eye as a fuzzy patch of light. The Andromeda galaxy measures 220,000 light years across, and contains a trillion stars.

Out in deep space, vast, silent and mysterious, Andromeda is symbolic of the human urge for knowledge, growth and fulfilment. It speaks of adventure, expansiveness and infinite potential. It invites us to explore hitherto unknown or neglected aspects of ourselves, casting light and aligning the strength which lies waiting.

In Greco-Roman mythology, Andromeda was the beautiful maiden sacrificed by her father Cepheus to pacify Poseidon, the god of the sea. Chained to a rock and at the mercy of the sea monster Cetus, Andromeda was rescued at the last moment by the hero Perseus, whom she later married, and with whom she founded the great Mycenaean dynasty. After her death Andromeda was honoured by being placed in the sky as the constellation which bears her name.

The myth of Andromeda can be interpreted as the safekeeping of psyche - the soul - in the face of outward pressure and hostility.