Robin Ivy Payton
The Sun sits directly above the earth’s equator, darkness and light share equal time, and autumn’s coolness rises as summer’s warmth lets go. The autumnal equinox arrives with the Sun’s move to Libra on September 22 at 9:04 p.m. EDT. The Sabian symbol for the first degree of Libra is a perfectly formed butterfly pinned with a dart. The juxtaposition of life to death and animate to unmoving reflect this moment of transition. The butterfly’s beauty and symmetry are the harmony of daylight and nighttime, yin and yang in balance. The dart represents our desire to hold this moment of perfection where we gather apples, squashes, and other fruits of the season and revel in the light, which soon we must let go. Autumn’s other name, fall, describes the Sun’s journey downward and our own movement inward to a time of recollection.
Autumn Astrology
At this year’s autumnal equinox, the Moon wanes toward balsamic with New Moon in Libra on September 25. Mercury retrograde in Libra is heading back to Virgo to station direct on October 2. Mercury leads personal and business partners to revisit conversations and plans. As Mercury retraces steps into practical and earthy Virgo, we begin to outline actions for the near future while maintaining flexibility through these retrograde days. Free yourself to focus more on process than results. Let go of outdated ideas and ideals to make room for something new. Autumn season and waning Moon signal this as a time for release.
Venus travels Virgo until September 29 and then moves into Libra, the sign of love and the power of two. Mercury retrograde approaches Venus first, and they meet in a Virgo kiss. This conjunction brings minds and hearts together for mutual agreements and vows. Reconnecting, reconciling, and reevaluating happens organically now, or can be sought after from New Moon through September’s end. The majority of planets in air and earth signs favor both reimagining and taking steps to rejuvenate and rebuild.
Peaceful Warrior
Libra is also a sign of justice and peace. We meet, merge, and collaborate for harmony and wholeness. Acknowledging opposites and polarities, noticing how one thing dissolves as another arises. Practice equanimity, the ability to stay centered through changing experiences. Like standing half in shadow, half in light, sensing composure and balance as you steady when the Libra scales sway in one direction or another.
The Full Moon in Aries on October 9 is the Hunter Moon, the Moon of the Warrior. While Aries Full Moon means action, initiative, and sometimes confrontation, Venus will be peacefully in Libra, her home sign. Side by side with the Sun, Venus is opposite the Moon, offering temperance and love to Full Moon circumstance and emotions. Between equinox and Full Moon, find the peaceful warrior within, the one who rallies for tranquility and equality.
Astrological Activities
The fall equinox is a time for recollection. As you harvest or enjoy the fruits of the garden and orchards, also gather mementos and memories. Begin a journal of reflections or collect photos from spring and summer festivities. Dry fall flowers for wreaths and arrangements. Align with Libra’s sense of clarity by adding clear quartz to an altar or spell. And while the Sun highlights partnership, rose quartz harmonizes relationships and encourages inner contentment.
A detoxifying cleanse pairs well with the seasonal transition. Venus will be in Virgo, sign of health and purification, during the equinox and through September 29. This planetary placement favors healthier habits as well as simple dietary shifts. Venus rules our outward appearance, our skin, and our smile. Detoxify from within by consuming warm water with lemon, decaffeinated herbal teas, and greens like parsley and cruciferous vegetables. As you cleanse and nourish your inner body, your skin may clear and appear more radiant. Intermittent fasting—such as eating all meals within eight hours each day—or replacing your usual diet with kitchari for five to seven days are other ways to calm and restore your digestive system. As always, check with a health professional to see if a cleanse is appropriate for you.
Balance external advice and information with inner wisdom with tarot reading. Gaze into cards like High Priestess and Empress, the maiden and mother whose mythology explains the oncoming winter. Other cards of the season include the Hanged Man who suggests stillness and a balance of darkness and light. Justice and Judgment show the essence of Libra as well. Arrange these intuitively, intuiting what each has to offer your journey at this time.
Face west, connecting to sunset on your evening of choice, invoking the beings or memories associated with this direction. As the sun disappears over the horizon, acknowledge that after an abundant season of activity, rest and release are essential.
As we dance, then we dream, in this continuous replenishing of life force, experiencing the Wheel of the Year as a microcosm, as darkness begins to replace the sun’s light.
Reference
“Look Up a Symbol.” Sabian Symbols by Lynda Hill. Accessed August 21, 2020. https://sabiansymbols.com/symbol-lookup/.