Cloud spotting

I'm away on holiday next week and intend to do plenty of relaxing while watching clouds drift by.

To help, I picked up The Cloudspotter's Guide by Gavin Pretor-Pinney from my local library.

Cloudspotting is not meteorology, it is the pursuit of dreamers, poets, artists and anyone else who feels joy gazing at little fluffy clouds or awe watching a storm front loom on the horizon. Nevertheless, it is also true that the more you watch clouds, the better you get at predicting the weather.

The book says:

"A cloudspotter is not a cataloguer - meteorologists are busy indexing the different genera, species and varieties of clouds on your behalf. They call it work. Yours is a far more gentle and reflective pursuit - one that will lead to a deeper understanding of the physical, emotional and spiritual world."

I think cloudspotting is a very pagan pursuit - both practical and imaginative.

Clouds float in the space between the earthly realm and the heavens. It is not surprising so many gods and goddesses are depicted reclining there - or chucking thunderbolts from them.


The Cloudspotter's Guide