A Powerful Time for Leo: the Leonids Meteor Shower

The annual Leonids meteor shower will peak this November on the 17th and 18th, and will be visible everywhere in the world. This fierce meteor shower takes place in the constellation of Leo, so this is going to be a powerful activation for sparking passion and creativity in your life. Read on to see what this meteor shower means for you and how to work with it depending on your rising sign.

What is a Meteor Shower?

Meteors are small pieces of space dust and debris that fall at high speeds through our planet’s atmosphere. Because these little pieces of space are falling so fast they leave behind brilliant streaks of sparkling light that can be observed–often by the naked eye–from here on Earth.

What’s interesting is that these celestial events are not random, we get to see these dazzling light shows every year at about the same time each year. This is because the Earth makes its yearly rotation around all the stars, and as it does so it passes through the constellations and meteors.

Leonids and the Constellation Leo

The constellations themselves aren’t what cast off the meteors for the yearly showers, however humans have been using the stars in the night sky as a map to track the movement of celestial bodies for millennia. So the Leonids meteor shower always takes place in the part of our night sky where we see the constellation Leo!

Leo is the 2nd fire sign of the zodiac and traditionally falls right in the middle of summer (or winter if you’re in the southern hemisphere), which makes it a fixed fire sign. Leo is ruled by the sun and represented by the lion, so the common qualities attributed to this sign are creativity, heart, passion, loyalty and vivaciousness. So while meteors are falling and lighting up this fiery constellation it’s the perfect time to check in with our own inner lion and lionesses.

However, the constellations are much, much farther away than the Leonids meteor shower (emphasis on “much”); the bright streaks of brilliant light you’ll see in mid-November from this shower comes from the Temple-Tuttle comet. This comet has a 33-year rotation around the Earth (which in and of itself is a very spiritual number) and so every 33 years the regularly scheduled shower becomes a meteor storm.

Meteor Storms

Meteor storms differ from meteor showers in that the density of meteorites as well as the frequency of their falling is massively increased. A normal meteor shower is a beautiful sight to behold, but a meteor storm is far more grand with hundreds of brilliant meteors falling per hour!

The Leonid meteor storm of 1833 was so intense over North America that it is reasoned to be the modern cause for why we know the difference between a meteor storm and shower now. No one in 1833 knew what a meteor storm was; Native Americans, Christians and Mormons alike were inspired to write up peace treaties and sermons due to the awe inspiring night sky. Although it was not seen at the same magnitude outside of North America, the 1833 Leonids meteor storm was being talked about all over the world–and this storm is something we can see once every 33 years!

How to Celebrate

Of course, the first thing you should do is plan to head outside and see the light show for yourself! When it comes to seeing any celestial activity it’s always best to travel to some place where you will get the least amount of light pollution. So, if you live in a city you may want to consider driving out of town a bit and finding a spot to sit and enjoy the night sky outside of the confines of city lights.

Next, find Leo in your own natal chart to see what part of your life is being lit up this November 17th and 18th by the Leonids meteor shower.

How to Find Leo in Your Chart:

Everyone has Leo somewhere in your chart. Some of us may have Leo suns and moons, but even if you don’t have a Leo placement this fire sign is sitting on the wheel of your birth chart somewhere. I made a handy dandy list below you can use to see which house it’s in in your natal chart.

• Zodiac Signs and Astrology Characteristics

So, using your rising sign, figure out which area of your life the meteor shower will be shining a life on. For instance, if you are a Libra rising then your 11th house of community and friendship is being lit up, or if you are a Pisces rising then it is your 6th house of health, habits and work which is being highlighted.

On the night of the 17th or 18th when the Leonids will be their brightest in the night sky, plan to do a ritual that honors the Leo placements you have and/or the house that Leo sits in your chart. This can be as simple as writing an intention out on a piece of paper and burning it, or sealing it with wax and planning to open next year under the next Leonids meteor shower.

You might also want to consider doing some glamor magick since Leo is the sign of creativity and beauty, so consider doing something like dying or cutting your hair, getting a new tattoo, buying new clothes, or dolling yourself up in your favorite clothes and make up–just make sure to honor your inner lion or lioness under this meteor shower!