The Astrology of the Perseid Meteor Shower

These shooting stars want to teach you an important spiritual message

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The Perseid meteor shower is almost here! This annual event, which is also known as the Perseids, occurs every year between mid-July and late August. It’s considered to be one of the most beautiful and abundant meteor showers.

In this article, I'll explain the astrology of the Perseid meteor shower and discuss some of the lessons that we can learn from this awe-inspiring annual event. 

Perseids, Michal Mancewicz on Unsplash, August 13, 2018

What Is a Meteor Shower?

Most meteor showers are created by comets. Comets travel around our Sun. When a comet moves toward the Sun, it becomes hotter. This heat causes the comet to shed pieces of dust and rock.

When Earth's orbit passes through this field of rocky debris, some of the comet remnants enter our atmosphere. As the pieces of debris move through this area, they become very hot. This heat causes them to look like glowing points of light, or shooting stars. 

When we see many of these shooting stars at once, this is called a meteor shower. The individual pieces of comet debris are called meteors, or meteoroids. 

Fine art print showing a meteor shower, originally published as an astronomy book illustration in 1877.

What Is the Perseid Meteor Shower?

The Perseid meteor shower is the most spectacular annual meteor shower. Though it is generally visible from mid-July to late August, its strongest showing occurs near the middle of August. When this shower is visible, you might be able to see up to one hundred meteors in the period of an hour.

The meteors that make up the Perseid meteor shower come from a comet that is known as Comet 109P, or Swift-Tuttle. This is a gigantic comet with a center that is 16 miles long. It takes 133 years to travel around the Sun.

Every summer, the Earth travels through the debris that was created by Swift-Tuttle. As pieces of this debris enter our atmosphere and become meteors, the Perseid meteor shower becomes visible. 

The apparent origin point of a meteor shower is called its radiant. The Perseid meteor shower's radiant is the constellation Perseus. When viewed from Earth, the shooting stars of the Perseids appear to originate from this constellation. Although the Perseids are named for this part of the sky, the meteors come from the debris left by the Swift-Tuttle comet, not the stars that make up the Perseus constellation.

The radiant point for the Perseid meteor shower, by Sanu N - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

How Can I Watch the 2024 Perseid Meteor Shower?

The Perseids are best viewed from locations in the northern hemisphere. Experts believe that the 2024 Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak during the night of August 12 and into the early dawn of August 13.

You can find more information about how to watch the 2024 Perseid meteor shower at EarthSky.

What Does a Meteor Shower Mean in Astrology?

In the past, astrologers often viewed comets as portents of doom. Comets were frightening to ancient people because many of these cosmic visitors appeared to arrive without warning. In contrast, each meteor shower occurs at roughly the same time each year. As a result, I generally view meteor showers as annual reminders of certain themes and lessons. The messages that are associated with a specific meteor shower will depend on the type of comet that made the shower and the part of the cosmos from which the meteors appear to originate

The Vedic Concept of Meteors

The 5th-century Indian astrologer and astronomer Varahamihira wrote about meteors in Chapter 33 of the classic Brihat Samhita:

These are nothing but the forms of those who fall to be reborn after having enjoyed the fruits of their meritorious deeds in Heaven. These meteors are divided into five categories viz. Ignescent Balls, Meteors, Thunder-bolts, Lightning and Shooting Stars...

It is a tradition among Indians that those who perform meritorious deeds while living on the Earth go to Heaven for enjoying their good results. When they are exhausted, the souls come down again to the Earth to resume their mundane work. It has also been witnessed that at the departure of great souls, a bright star is seen shooting toward the heavens. (M. Ramakrishna Bhat, 2010. Varahamihira’s Brihat Samhita, Volume 1, Chapter 33. “Signs of Meteors,” p 307. Motilal Banarsidas Publishers Pvt. Ltd. Delhi. ISBN 978812081060)

In other words, in Vedic thought, meteors are viewed as the returning forms of righteous souls who performed good deeds during their past lives and are now coming back to be reborn.

Additionally, astrologers use the Vedic science of omenology to interpret the message of rare meteors. This practice, which is known as Nimitta, is an ancient art. According to Nimitta, nature’s messages are a reflection of universal law and the natural order of the world.

In the above-mentioned Chapter 33 in Brihat Samhita, Sage Varahamihira describes various sizes, colors, shapes, behaviors, astrological alignments, and geographical directions of atypical ulkas (meteors) and taras (shooting stars). Taras are usually slender and short and appear to be dragged across the sky.

In contrast, ulkas have large heads, are three-four times the size of taras, and grow larger as they fall. The influence of a tara is much less significant than an ulka in terms of Nimitta. Many varieties of ulka exist, and all of them have been traditionally used to forecast world events in mundane astrology. As an example, Sage Varahamahira says that meteors which fall in clusters from the middle of the sky portend the destruction of “king and country.”

Because the Perseids arise from a very large comet, they are known to have a lot of fireballs, which are larger explosions of light and color that persist longer than an average meteor streak. It is therefore possible that atypical taras and ulkas could fall occasionally during the Perseid Meteor Shower. According to what has been delineated by Sage Varahamahira, these would have a more significant impact and meaning.

What Does the Perseid Meteor Shower Mean Spiritually?

The astrology of the Perseid meteor shower allows us to understand the message that these shooting stars send the world every summer. 

Since the Perseids appear to originate from the constellation Perseus, we can understand the spiritual meaning of this meteor shower by learning more about the mythology behind this constellation.

In ancient mythology, Perseus is a hero who killed Medusa. According to legend, Medusa's hair was made of snakes, and everyone who looked at her turned into stone. In some versions of this myth, Perseus had the brilliant idea to use a mirror to force Medusa to look at herself. This allowed him to turn her into stone and defeat her. In the constellation, Perseus is seen holding Medusa's head in one hand and his sword in the other. 

The Perseus constellation is therefore connected to themes of beheading and violence. In other words, Perseus can remind us of the dangers of "losing our head" and engaging in reckless or thoughtless behavior. 

The Perseid meteor shower occurs toward the end of summer in the northern hemisphere, when many of us are feeling tired and worn out. During this overheated time of the year, it can be common to lose one's temper or make reckless decisions. On one level, the Perseids are a reminder from the heavens not to lose our heads or make thoughtless choices during the later summer months. 

On a deeper level, the Perseids provide us with a message of encouragement as we approach the fall season. Remember that even though the terrifying Medusa turned everyone to stone, the hero Perseus was able to use a mirror to defeat her. Perseus’s victory can remind us not to let our fears, anxiety, or other obstacles metaphorically turn us to stone and prevent us from fulfilling our dreams and goals. Instead, we should try to use new techniques and clever ways of thinking to conquer these problems and move forward.  

Learning the Lessons of the Perseid Meteor Shower

As summer draws to a close every year, the cosmos gives us an awe-inspiring display of beautiful shooting stars. While we are preparing to leave the Dog Days of Summer behind us and return to work, school, or other regular routines, the Perseids remind us that we need to continue growing and changing.

We should not let old fears, resentments, or worries keep us frozen and unmoving in the past. Instead, we can use our strength and insights to cut off the heads of our fears and move bravely into the future!

If you have an opportunity to view the Perseids this year, don’t forget to make a wish! Meteor showers are a wonderful time to set positive intentions. Our wishes will surely be amplified as heaven rains down on us with such glorious inspiration and beauty.