Seeking Balance at the Autumn Equinox

The autumn equinox will happen today (Saturday Sept 22nd) at 9:54 PM Eastern time/2:54 AM Sunday 23rd UT. 

I  think most people know that Equinox means equal day - equal night. If you didn’t, now you do ! But what you may not know is that western astrology is dependant on the moment when the sun aligns with the equator. The zodiac begins the sign of Aries with this occurrence in the spring - and the second half (Life bra) begins similarly in autumn.  That is why the date of the first day of spring and fall can change from year to year, because it’s not about the specific day, as it is about the sun’ s exact position relative to the earth.

“The September equinox is the moment when the Sun appears to cross the celestial equator, heading southward. Due to differences between the calendar year and the tropical year, the September equinox can occur at any time from the 21st to the 24th day of September.Wikipedia

Originally the constellations lined up with each of the signs (sort of)  but due to earths wobble, these have shifted in relation to the earth, so we rely on the equinoxes for the timing of the  zodiac wheel. 

I bet you will sleep better knowing that fact 😉

Anyway- Autumn is about to begin. I love this time of year, with the crisp air, the golden leaves, the cooler nights. It’s the time of harvest and gathering as we prepare for the coming cold. We’ve had snow already where I live - I’m hoping we’ll still get a beautiful warm October as we often do. 

I find myself thinking about harmony and balance and the highly polarized atmosphere the world seems to be in at this time.

One of the things that is interesting when doing people’s charts, is that there are always very opposite qualities in most people. So you may have a part of you that’s very outgoing,  gregarious, cheery, and another part that’s more inward,  hermit-like and shy. 

Or, some people may see you as a strong independent leader, while you yourself bemoan the fact that you can’t make up your mind about things.

We all have these opposites in us - of Yin and Yang, masculine/feminine, light and dark. Part of an astrology reading is to look at the polarities and see how and where they can be integrated to create a more balanced whole.

This is definitely a theme right now as we move into the sign of Libra,  who’s symbol is the scales.  The word Libra  is contained in equilibrium. 

Libra seeks beauty, harmony and cooperation. The ruling planet is Venus, the goddess of love.

Venus is soon turning retrograde, so we’ll have plenty of time to reflect on our relationships and our inter connections with others, as well as how in or out of balance we feel. Do you find yourself giving too much to others, or too little? Are you caught up work or in so many social activities that you have little time for yourself, or do you wish you could get out more?

The  Full Moon on Monday is in the fiery sign of Aries, which is all about initiative and independence and doing things for ourselves. 

Libra is more codependent and attached to others. 

We’ll have plenty of chances to look at our relationships and try and find ways to balance out opposites, while we work on finding middleground. 

Like a pendulum swinging from one extreme to another, sometimes we have to swing towards something that seems at odds with our own values. In doing so,  we may gain empathy and understanding of a different point of view. The trick is to not compromise your own self in the process. That requires having a strong sense of self. The North Node/Destiny Point in Leo says Amen to that!  🙏🏻

At this Equinox moment, may you find the Beauty, Harmony and Peace that you seek. And remember, everything that you’re looking for - is already inside of you.