Astrophilia: “Love of and/or obsession with planets, stars, and outer space;” someone who has an abundance of love for astronomy or gazes at the stars fairly often.
Anybody who has a sense of astrophilia seems to find a deep curiosity for things beyond human understanding and beyond the universe, but astrophilia is not the same thing as astronauts and honestly has nothing to do with them.
Yes, astronauts could experience astrophilia, which might even be why they choose their career path, but anybody can be astrophilic, even you.
The root word “astro” is a Greek root which means stars, and “philia” means love and/or infinity. Astrophilia is more so an emotion that becomes a habit that you can’t escape, sort of like an addiction that takes over your mind and draws you to the sky.
Is it the calming feeling, the ability to lose sense of reality for a moment, or the wonder that fills the minds of those who experience it? Well, that’s something we might never know because everybody has their different reasons for loving the stars and space, but according to Darin Anthony from City Astronomy, “ancestors took notice of the stars…both physically and intellectually. Gazing upon these familiar lights at the end of the day placed wonder in their minds and evoked a need for satisfaction from the explainable.”
Greek philosopher Pythagoras believed the soul was connected to the stars, and some even believe humanity originated from the stars and were sent to Earth to learn valuable and important lessons.
So, maybe there is something hidden behind those beautiful dots in the sky that sometimes fill the human mind with extreme joy. And, maybe one day, that astrophile just might find out what it is hidden within them. No matter what, allow your mind to drift away and venture far above up there, in peace.