The middle of f82r as death or resurrection

[MarcoP]

This is another of the passages mentioned by Burkert (You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.).

The stars which are described as fixed in the heavens, are not, as the vulgar suppose, attached each of them to different individuals, the brighter to the rich, those that are less so to the poor, and the dim to the aged, shining according to the lot of the individual, and separately assigned to mortals; for they have neither come into existence, nor do they perish in connexion with particular persons, nor does a falling star indicate that any one is dead. We are not so closely connected with the heavens as that the shining of the stars is affected by our death. When they are supposed to shoot or fall, they throw out, by the force of their fire, as if from an excess of nutriment, the superabundance of the humour which they have absorbed, as we observe to take place from the oil in our lamps, when they are burning.

He is discussing popular beliefs, in particular the idea that each person has a corresponding star, and when one dies his star falls from the sky. Possibly, the concept of a "shooting star" might be something that one can visualize with a cannon or fire-siphon, but the Latin text does not seem to use any term directly alluding to shooting (it says "decidere" - to fall).