The stars move so slowly, compared to humans, that they are on an entirely different cycle of existence. Similarly, the Big Dipper moves around the stationary North Star, marking out the seasons like a cosmic watch dial.
The yang or fire element at this level is Polaris, the Pole Star. The yin or water element is the star Vega, which is said to be the Earth’s once and future Pole Star. Vega takes turns with Polaris on cycles that are tens of thousands of years. The adept invites this natural process to awaken in his body, behind the third eye.
This level of the alchemical process also includes the “Sealing of the Five Senses,” where one energetically turns the sense organs inward to reverse the usual loss of energy. This encourages the adept to look, listen, smell, taste, and feel the internal process of the body.
-The Alchemist’s Tao Te Ching, by Andrew McCart