Fall Equinox | Libra Season 2018
Today, the Sun passes over the Earth’s equator allowing us to experience equality between day and night. The Autumnal Equinox takes place this year at 9:55 PM EST tonight, Saturday, September 22nd. From this day onward, until the Spring Equinox in March, our days become shorter (here in the northern hemisphere), our nights become longer, (and of course the opposite is true for our friends in the southern hemisphere). Today, we’re given the opportunity to honor the energy of equality and perfect balance. The word “Equinox” comes from the Latin words “equi” which means equal, and “nox” which means night. The balance of day and night can be honored as a of opposites - light and dark, the sacred feminine and masculine, yin and yang, lunar and solar, and the beautiful, endless spectrum that exists in between the polarities. The Equinox is a celebration of this.
We move from Virgo season, mutable earth, into Libra season, cardinal air. Virgo Season, a mutable sign, marked a transitional period, one of cooling from the hot summer heat of Leo Season, and processing, cleansing, organizing, and digestion from a summer filled with rough retrogrades and karmic eclipses. The grounding energy of Virgo allowed us space to clear, and the mutable, or constantly in flux, movement of the sign allowed that processing to happen. Now, we enter the 7th sign of the zodiac, one that teaches us about being balanced and centered, mirroring and socializing, beauty and aesthetics. As the 7th sign, it stands opposite the first sign, the sign of self, Aries. Therefore, Libra is the sign of the other, the partner, the mirror, the shadow. When we look at Libra as the sacred scales, we ask, what does it mean to be balanced, to be fair and just? As soul tarot reader and teacher, Lindsay Mack, says in her teachings about the Justice card in the tarot, ruled by Libra, this energy is all about honoring reality. How is it possible to be truly just, if you cannot bow down to and respect the reality and truth of the situation in front of you? Centeredness only comes with a clear and honest view of all that surrounds you.
The Fall Equinox, the passage of the Sun over the equator and into Libra, marks the beginning of the last quarter of the calendar year. From this point on, we begin to embark on a new journey, one of drawing inward, prepping for winter, when the leaves begin to fall off the trees, the temperature steadily cools, and we prepare for an energetic death that is welcomed in by Scorpio season. Libra, as a cardinal sign, begins the season of Autumn. Cardinal signs, therefore, all mark periods of change, major pivot-points on the wheel of the year. Where were you 6 months ago, at the Spring Equinox in March? What plans did you set into motion? What have you accomplished? Not just materially, but emotionally, psychologically? How is your state of being different than it was 6 months ago? I’m sure you’ve experienced massive change since then. Take today to honor that, to bless yourself for moving through all that you have this year. It’s also important to make sure you’re taking care of yourself at this time. Listen to your body, it will tell you what you need. As we turn this corner into colder weather, shorter days and longer nights, your diet, sleep schedule and general ways you take care of yourself should be shifting as well. Bow to this change, as ‘tis the season.
In Libra season, we re-enter the world of social engagements after some downtime in Virgo from processing the first half of the year. It’s when the first school dances are scheduled, when social engagements pick back up, networking events, and parties begin. It’s the premiere season for fashion, as fall is here, and we can finally wear layers! Time to show off our keen sense of style and re-introduce yourself to the world. Libra is ruled by Venus, a planet that has to do with unification, beauty, love, value, socializing, connecting, and peace. I like to call Libra Season, Cuffin Season, because it tends to be a time when people are socializing a lot more, and wanting to connect, flex, and find partners to shack up with for the winter season. Interestingly enough though, Venus will be retrograde most of Libra season this year, so it’ll be interesting to see how that affects the vibe! Venus will be in Mars’s sign, Scorpio, for the majority of fall. Venus in Scorpio isn’t as lighthearted and social as Venus is in her own sign of Libra. In Scorpio, she’s not about chit-chat and surface talk. She’s asking deeper questions, wanting to get to understand why things are happening the way they are. She’s also less interested in being aesthetically pleasing for the general public and subscribing to social norms, and more interested in embodying the darker and more sensual sides of beauty and femininity. Venus in Scorpio wears tight black leather, dark lipstick, and wears onyx and black tourmaline jewelry. She’s interested in what’s taboo and occult (what isn’t seen). I’ll go more into what Venus retrograde means in a later post, but know that this Libra season won’t be like others. Think back to this time 8 years ago, October of 2010. Can you recall what you were going through during that time? Those themes come up again this year.
Mark your calendars for the Libra New Moon on October 8th, where we can set intentions for what seeds we can plant in this area of our lives. We’ll go over all of this in a later post. Today, give thanks to the light and the dark, the day and the night, as we begin our transition into colder weather and decreased light.
Happy Fall Equinox, friends :)