Leonid Meteor Shower: Catch a Falling Star

This week the Leonid Meteor shower is due to hit Earth on its yearly path, when the orbit of the Earth crosses the trail of space debris left by the Comet Tempel-Tuttle each November. Pieces of the comet, usually no bigger than a grain of sand or a pea, fall toward the surface of our planet and burn up as they enter the Earth’s atmosphere, giving us a fantastic light show in the night sky. These burning balls of light are called meteors (or “falling stars”); when a larger one survives its atmospheric entry and crash lands on the Earth’s surface, it is called a meteorite.

This year the peak meteor shower will be from midnight to dawn next Monday, November 18th. If you’re lucky enough to live in a place, like I do, in Ojai, where the night sky is dark enough to see the stars, you will likely be able to catch the heavenly appearance. 

If you trace the meteors of the Leonid shower backward, they would seem to radiate from the constellation of Leo the Lion, from the star Algieba in the area of the lion’s mane. This is called the radiant point, the area in the sky that seems to be the starting point for these particular meteors. In other words, these little specks of a comet that flash so enticingly across the sky come to us as extraterrestrial greetings, or as the ancients saw them, as gifts from heaven—lights in the sky that bring awareness of something beyond our daily existence. 

These sparkling lights in the dark night sky are a reminder that “cosmic” consciousness is a living frequency—the original “star dust” of life. When you see the dazzling display of meteors, or when a meteorite lands on earth, you are in the presence of the far-flung inhabitants of the galaxy. Mystics have always used the term “light” to represent consciousness, so it’s as if the meteor shower brings cosmic consciousness raining down on Earth. You are impacted by the vastness of space, which can seed a new awareness in your heart—an awareness that we are connected to a much larger unfolding drama than just what is happening here. 

Since meteors are seen as coming from other worlds, throughout history meteor showers have been deemed sacred and are said to hold supernatural powers. The Orionid meteor shower, composed of debris from Halley’s Comet and originating from the constellation of Orion, is believed by Australian aboriginals to form a mystical canoe that carries the spirits of the dead and sends a message to their loved ones back on earth that they have arrived safely in the land of spirit. The Chumash, the local tribe of my Ojai area, call meteors Alakiwohoch, meaning “shooting star,” which they believed was a person’s soul on its way to the afterlife, while the Wintu of northern California thought of meteors as the spirits of shamans on their way to the afterlife.

Shooting stars have been a symbol of reaching your destiny, but they also have been seen as bad omens. In Christian and Jewish traditions, falling stars are fallen angels and demons. In parts of Asia, a falling star may predict war or death. Usually, however, it’s a good omen; when you see a falling star and “put it in your pocket,” your wish will be granted, since the gods are clearly looking down and can hear your wish.

Shooting stars certainly bring an influx of energy that can be accessed for healing purposes. As can meteorites, when the falling star actually lands on earth. A meteorite can actualize your purpose here, a trusting energy that opens lines of communication and provides the strength to endure on your spiritual quest. Small pieces of meteorites can be used to strengthen the blood and tissues, and to help you merge with spirit while in the physical body. 

It is said that the rare nickel-iron meteorites (less than 1% of all meteorites) in particular help you develop the patience you need while walking the spiritual path, and stimulate the third eye and crown chakras in preparation for spiritual awakening and inner vision. These meteorites were used in ancient times to make weapons that were powered by star energy. They also stabilize “walk-ins” and give them the ability to navigate unfamiliar environments.

Stony meteorites (which make up the great majority of meteorites that have made it to Earth), have been dated to be over 4.6 billion years old, and vibrate at a frequency that is attuned to interdimensional communication with extraterrestrials. They can be programmed to store information and may contain the history of other entities in the solar system. Other types of meteorites (called Pallasites) open your heart chakra so you don’t fear expanding your consciousness beyond your body and can resonate with the universe, while helping those who are empaths to stay grounded.

So if you’re able to be out under the dark sky in the pre-dawn hours next Monday, November 18th, see if you can catch the falling stars and reap the spiritual other-worldly energies that can connect you with your higher self. You can also connect with the love from the stars and the celestial beings who can expand your consciousness and bring you into harmony with the cosmic One. And if you want to converse with ET, here is your opening!