Venus as Morningstar
Venus as Morningstar. The bright Morningstar is Jesus Christ.
In order to understand what is meant by ‘Morningstar’ we best board a ship and go far from the coast so that light pollution does not hamper us.
We call a planet ‘Morningstar’ when it emerges over the horizon before the sun rises. The planet Venus is part of the year Morningstar: depending on the angle with the Sun, Venus is either Morningstar or Eveningstar for us. (Of course Venus is not a star at all but a planet: in ancient times people thought Venus was a star, hence the name.)
The Morningstar and the adjustment of the compass.
Navigators can calculate the exact time of the day when Venus should rise above the horizon, and also in what direction they should look to see Venus. That is very nice, because then the ship’s compass can be compared and adjusted, so that the ship can sail a true and correct course, so that it will reach the destination.
The rise of the Morningstar.
When Venus rises it shines beautifully. This is caused by the atmosphere which breaks the light of Venus into many different colors, just like the rainbow. This only happens when Venus is still very low in the skies, and Venus shines very brightly and very white. And of course it should be very dark, because in the light of the rising sun this phenomenon cannot be seen.
Once the time of rise has been calculated the navigator sharply watches the East: there the Morningstar must rise. He waits and waits: any moment now! And suddenly: there is Venus! So, even if you know when and where Venus should appear, it still takes time and you must wait till it really is visible. And with great joy you can see the beauty of the Morningstar.
The Bright Morningstar.