Ooo thanks so much for the NASA link, Rapaire. It was posted on a Mudcat thread a couple years ago, but I lost the bookmark and I've missed it.

Emboldened by the friendly, inspiring discourse on this thread, I'd like to share this bit of "background info", which may or may not have anything to do with that shooting star "answering" my declaration of love and appreciation the other night.

I've been pondering dianavan's suggestion re stars being "souls" for the last few days. Didn't mention this before, because it means so much to me I didn't want to risk having it disrespected or ridiculed, but oh well here goes anyway ....

Something very special happened to me last Sat, the afternoon before I had the experience which inspired this thread. My son had stopped by on his way home from the airport - he'd been in France last week. The highlight of his trip was a visit to the poor, tiny farming village of Domremy - Jeanne d'Arc's birthplace and hometown. He'd retraced her footsteps from there to Rouen, where she was burned alive in 1431.

He had a few little gifts and mementos of her for me - a couple pebbles from the yard in front of her house (still standing), and another stone from the very spot the stake stood in Rouen; a roll of digital pictures; a little wood-and-metal statue of her in her armour carrying her banner; a bowl with a picture of her house and my name on it; some brochures and reading material about her ...

St Joan has been my hero for a long, long time ... she is so very special to me (and a lot of other people too I imagine). I was just blown away, moved to tears by the gifts. Spent the rest of that day reading about her, reflecting, setting up a special place in my house for her statue, holding those stones and yes, even doing a quite a bit of thanking and praising (suppose it might be called 'praying') too.

I'd gone outside to gaze at the stars before bed, so grateful for my day and all it's unexpected blessings. And then the cat woke me up at 3am, which brought me outside again ... and IT HAPPENED!

Now I'd love to know if Jeanne had something to do with it ... because that's what I'm feeling, especially in light of dianavan's words.

And I almost want to take back I said above about animals not being as "aware" as humans ... why IS it that my cat woke me up a minute before that shooting star streaked across the sky? Is that coincidence too? Or did she "know" something important (for me) was about to happen, compelling her to want out at that moment, and in so doing get my butt out that door too?

As LH said, that shooting star was on it's way already, regardless - but was it carrying a very special energy, a Message of love and wisdom for me? Hmmmm ...

There's a very, very old mossy and worn statue of Joan in Domremy. She's genuflecting (bowing on one knee), eyes gazing skyward, right hand outstretched as if in blessing. I zoomed in on that picture yesterday, wanting to see what that odd-looking lump on the hem at the bottom of her dress might be ... and lo and behold, it's a cat! A kitten, snuggled up to her leg.

:-O I wish I could post that pic here!

More coincidences. Or is it? Cats, after all, have been associated with "The Goddess" in many, many cultures, including ancient Europe ... and Joan has always been referred to as "La Pucelle" ("The Maiden").

I've had one other experience with a "star" that fell at a perfectly timed moment, as if to give me a "message". That was about 10 years ago. I'd been studying with a new-age type American religion called "Eckankar" for a couple years, attracted by their awesome teachings about dreams.

They'd invited me to take an "initiation" and join as a full member, but I was very reluctant to do that. I REALLY don't like "religions", and I'm no "joiner" - so I decided to visit their one and only "Temple" in Chanhaussen, Minnesota to get a better "feel" of the organization before I made my final decision.

It's quite the lovely temple ... take a look if you like. I walked up to it the first time at high noon on a beautiful sunny summer day. The temple wasn't open yet, so I stood there in the parking lot for a minute gazing up at that beautiful golden ziggarnaut roof .... and as I did, no word of a lie here, suddenly this HUGE bright "star" (or "star-like object") literally fell out of the clear blue sky and streaked downwards, "landing" and disappearing on the highest point of that Temple roof.

Well, talk about blow me away again! What WAS that?!? Unfortunately I was alone, on a pilgrimage sort of, with no other witnesses. So I don't know if anyone else would have seen it or not. ANd no one, even the most airy-fairy of new-age spiritual types, has ever been able to concoct an explanation that I find satisfactory! But I do know this - it was a major factor in my decision to put aside my doubts and fears and join Eckankar.

Didn't last long, though. Ecknakar is a religion, just like any other religion - and, well, I think Bing Crosby does a much better job of explaining the root of my difficulties with "organized religions" than I ever could ...

DON'T FENCE ME IN

Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above,
Don't fence me in.
Let me ride through the wide open country that I love,
Don't fence me in.
Let me be by myself in the evenin' breeze,
And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees,
Send me off forever but I ask you please,
Don't fence me in....

I want to ride to the ridge where the west commences
And gaze at the moon till I lose my senses
Can't look at hobbles and I can't stand fences
Don't fence me in."

Sorry this is so long, and thanks for listening

daylia