(This is a repost of an article I wrote in 2017, updated with the astrological energy for this Autumn.)
Balance.
This is the word we reflect on at the Autumn Equinox. As we see and feel the shifting of the light and the crisping of the air, the Sun, just entering the astrological sign of Libra, continues its descent across the Southern sky, gradually weakening in light and height. This day is the day of equal day and night hours, when light and dark are not battling for the sky, but equal in strength. The equinoxes, both Spring and Autumn, are the only times when the Northern and Southern Hemispheres are equally illuminated. In the Northern Hemisphere we are now in-between the extremes of the heat of Summer with its long, languid days just past, and in anticipation of the short, dark, cold days of Winter. We are betwixt and between… a time of equilibrium, a time of balance. A time of transition. It is as though we are between a deep inhale and a powerful exhale, where the moment hangs shimmering and poignant, before it passes away.
Before we started buying our food at grocery stores and super centers, the Autumn Equinox was a celebration of the harvest – the time when, both exhausted and jubilant, we’d successfully brought in the fruits of our labors, preparing and storing them for the winter. It was a time to mark the importance of working together for a common cause, a time to revel in our community as the stronghold of our survival together. This is an idea that is central to the energy of Libra and to this time of year: equality, balance, community, peace, beauty – the peace and beauty of the dying sun, of the vibrancy of the trees in their final blaze of glory, of our relationships and what we create when we are equal together, honoring all sides, balancing all views, and coming to diplomatic solutions that strengthen and protect us all.
Equinox is from the Latin aequinoctium, meaning equal night.” Today the night is equal to the day, yet as we move through time away from the Equinox and toward the Winter Solstice, the days become shorter and and we have less light to live by. What was known to our ancestors, before technology gave us permanent days with electric light, is the part darkness plays in the work of spiritual transformation. The darkness, to which we are absolutely heading as each day passes, is a place that restores us, a space where we germinate, and regenerate. But before we reach the full darkness of the Winter Solstice, we have the opportunity to learn from the harmony and symmetry of the Equinox. We tap into the beauty of internal balance, that sense of equilibrium we
need in order to start preparing for the darkness. In this space of anticipation, when the light is gorgeous, the air is temperate and cooling to the skin, and the riotous, rich colors of ‘Nature in her Fall’ imbue our spirits with gratitude, with generosity – and because we are feeling externally delighted – we find it easy to extend ourselves in love, open to both giving and receiving. The crispness of the season is reviving to the spirit, and for as long as we dare, before the dark and cold drive us inside, we strive toward company among others, pleasures, beauty, harmony, and love. This is the message of Libra.
The particular message of this Autumn Equinox, found in the astrological chart drawn for the moment the Sun moves into Libra at 8:44 AM Eastern on September 22, 2024, carries a call to change; transitioning into a brand new paradigm of how we see ourselves as we are mirrored by others.
The feeling tone of this Equinox is compassion, empathy, and recognizing that we are all one – subtley, yet powerfully connected. With the influence of Neptune, this is a time to explore your deep spirituality, and to live through your imagination, through your creativity, and to put forth effort in powerfully visualizing a future that supports your purpose. There is a dynamic of curiosity, and stepping into the Unknown. And there is also a call to action regarding balancing the Self with Others.
Balance is always the key this time of year, and the focus of our balance this year must be that of seeing and honoring others – those we love and humanity at large – while also clearly seeing ourselves. It is the classic Aries (Self) / Libra (Other) dichotomey. How do we honor our own will, and also that of others, while creating well-being and harmony? This is the question to find answers to this Autumn.
Enjoy this transitional season! It is filled with beauty, in the light and in the shadows.
(Sun in Libra, trining Moon in Gemimi and Uranus in Taurus, trining Pluto in Capricorn, opposite Neptune in Pisces, conjuncting South Node in Virgo and oppositie North Node in Aries.)
Astrology with Michelle Gregg 