Autumn equinox - a time for balance

The autumn equinox in the Northern Hemisphere is on 23rd September at 2.03am. This is when the Sun moves South and the nights get longer for us. It is also the first day of the Sun being in Libra, so the autumn equinox is a time for finding balance. The Sun is halfway round the zodiac. The focus of this blog is going to be Libra.

Libra is the seventh sign of the zodiac and sits opposite Aries. It is typically considered to be the sign of relationship, but actually it is a lot more. It is ruled by Venus and is the natural sign of the seventh house in a chart.

Venus, the evening (or morning) star shining beautifully in the sky represents beauty, as well as love and more widely our values. Libra loves harmony and peace. These are the peacemakers of the zodiac. If Aries represents the Self, Libra represents the other. Librans can see both sides of the story and hate discord. But scales represent justice, so there is a need for things to be fair. All signs have a shadow side, and Libra is no exception. Tact and diplomacy are well and good, and most certainly have their place. We need those traits if our relationships are to be harmonious. But they can sometimes stop the truth from being told. The need to keep the peace, which Librans can very much like to do, can leave things unchallenged. You might never really know if a Libran truly likes you, or if they are just being kind.

The equinox, heralding the Sun's entry into the seventh sign of the zodiac, is a time for balance and weighing up. The Spring equinox is the start of the zodiac, with the Sun entering Aries and is all about beginnings. This one, it is looking at what the last 6 months have brought, what has worked? What would you like to keep? What would you like to release? The Aries/Libra axis is also about finding the right balance between the Self and the other. Too little Libra, and we might be too self focussed and lack consideration for others, but too much Libra and we can get lost in our relationships with others, too focussed on their needs with little thought for ourselves.

So how does this work for each one of us? How can it be more personal? To see what it means for you look at where Libra is in your chart. With your date of birth you could look and see if you have any planets in Libra.

Moon in Libra

You are instinctively Libran. You may have a different sun sign, so outwardly present something different, but inwardly you will be relational and have a desire for harmony.

Mercury in Libra

You will see both sides of the argument, and there will be a need to be fair. Libra Mercury is a tactful and diplomatic communicator.

Venus in Libra

Venus is the natural ruler of Libra, so there is great appreciation for beauty and aesthetics here. Harmonious relationships are also very important with this placement.

Mars in Libra

Mars is the natural ruler of Aries, the opposite of Libra, so doesn't work so well from Libra. The energy goes into relationships rather one's own goals and pursuits. That doesn't sound bad, but it does mean there may be less energy for other aspects of life if it is all being poured into relationships.

I have stuck with the personal planets and the Moon, as the outer planets move more slowly and are less personal. It is important to remember when looking at one planet, that is just one aspect of your personality, and other planets in different signs will also have an effect. Most chart will have some conflict in them. For example, Venus in Libra could have Mars opposite it in Aries, meaning the person has to balance their need for harmonious relationships, with the urge to put themselves forwards (Mars in Aries).

If you don't have any planets in Libra, you could look at where in your chart Libra rules, and what sign you have on the cusp of the Libra house. To do this you will need your time and place of birth. Because the Earth spins on its axis, just as the Sun rises and sets, so do all of the other planets and signs of the zodiac. This has given rise to the house system, with there being twelve houses, each denoting an area of life.

The seventh house is considered to be the Libra house, but only about 1/12th of the population will actually have Libra on the cusp of this house. The rest of us will have a different sign. Whatever sign you have will give information about how you approach relationships. In the past it was considered to be the marriage house. I think that is too excluding so I consider it to represent all relationships that involve give and take and are close meaningful relationships, that we have chosen. For example, in my natal chart I have Cancer on the cusp of the seventh house so I approach my relationships with emotional sensitivity and as a nurturer.

You can also look at which house Libra does rule in your chart, if it isn't the seventh, and for about 11/12 of us it won't be. In that area of your life you will express the Libran part of you. We all have each sign in us. In my natal chart it is the eighth house, so I approach eighth house matters as a Libran.

If you have planets in Libra, and you can look at what house they are in, that is the area of life where these traits will be most strongly expressed.

On a final note, as the days get shorter and the nights longer this is a good time to weigh up what has worked for us this year, and what we would like to release. I aim to do a blog for each sign, so will look to do a Scorpio one next month.

In the meantime enjoy equinox however you observe it.

Namaste

xx