Aurora Northstarr

Aurora Northstarr is my pen name, but why write with a pen name? There are many reasons people write with pen names, among which are to avoid discrimination and identification, to retain some privacy, to create some mystery, etc. Each person has their reasons.

For me, the pen name is a way to test out my writings and retain some anonymity while being completely honest and genuine. I don’t want to hold back, and I am curious how it will be received.  The other side of it is that I have a very unusual name for living in Norway which makes it easy to find all my personal details. In Norway, images of you, your address, your phone numbers, income and birth date are all available to the public on demand. Thus, for my safety and privacy this blog will be written by my pen name, Aurora Northstarr.

Aurora

This is an image I took of myself dancing with and under the northern lights. It shows how I dance with the lights.

Why did I choose such a name for myself? Well, Aurora is actually part of my name, so this is a real part of me. Including Aurora in my official name was a process for me and became a reality in 2022. I have changed my name three times. I had my maiden name, my name after I got married and now my official name which I will have for the rest of my life.

Aurora has so many overlapping meanings for me. I moved to Norway from Minnesota in 2009 but didn’t fully see the northern lights (Aurora Borealis) until 2011. When I saw them for the first time, I was mesmerized! The way those beautiful glowing lights of color in the sky seemed to dance so elegantly – it awoke something in me. I was so infatuated that I started taking photos of them and become a Northern Lights photographer from 2012-2017. During my nights out alone under the stars and the dancing aurora, I never felt more alive. I felt like the aurora dancing in the sky was exactly how my soul would have looked if you could see it. I would often dance with the lights as I took pictures and it felt like an exchange of energy and joy in those beautiful nights. Therefore, it only made sense to me in 2022 to include Aurora in my official name as I felt like it was a representation of me as a person and the dance of my soul.

Northstarr

The choice of Northstarr has many meanings for me as well. I see both places I have lived as being north stars, as in guiding lights. I have lived in Minnesota and Norway, and I feel that both of these places are lights in the northern world.

The Minnesota motto is “Étoile du Nord” which in French means “star of the north.” I am so proud to be a Minnesotan, especially now in these times as I see how Minnesotans are standing up for their neighbors and communities in the face of horrible atrocities. The light in the Minnesotans is both kind, loving, warm-hearted, but also strong, resilient and enduring – all of which are qualities I see in myself.

I also see Norway as a north star. Not only because they are one of the most northern countries in the world, but because I see the Norwegians way of life as forward thinking, resilient and the starting point to better living. It is not perfect by any means, but it is another guiding light for how a government can support more balanced lives for their citizens. Norway is also the place I feel most home, it is my north star, my home, the place I always want to go back to.

In a way, I hope this blog can be that for some people. I place to feel home – to feel seen, heard and understood. A place to come for insights, critical thinking and to open their understandings and perceptions – one dance at a time.