Celebrate Equinox

When the Sun enters Libra, day and night are in equal measure.  But this special balance soon will tip, with night growing in the Northern Hemisphere and shortening in the Southern. But at this moment, on the weeks before and after September 23, we’re encouraged to bring ourselves into balance too. This is one way to keep our lives beautiful.  Libra is the peacemaker, the graceful aerialist, the mediator, the angel of “Let’s make this beautiful.” and “Let’s find our common ground.” Her action always brings new harmony. What a great reminder as we enter a new season!

Where do you most need to regain your balance now? In your relationships? In your diet? In the way you spend your time? Most of us know exactly what we need to do to turn our lives around. But few of us realize just how much easier it is to change ourselves along with the changing season. Your body and psyche are shifting along with the natural environment around you. This is the perfect time to follow through on your intuitions about what needs to change for you.

Is there a particular relationship that feels troubled and out of balance?  What can you do to shift the activity of conflict into an experience of give-and-take? Imagine riding a teeter totter with this person on a crisp autumn day.  Sink into the movement of up and down, releasing into your partner’s rhythm as your partner surrenders into yours. Can your similarity–that your “opponent” only wants to be happy, just like you?  We’re meant to soften our rigidity in Libra, so that we might approach our “others” with a more spacious give and take.  There are no fixed opinions, no enemies in Libra’s world, only shifting points of view.  What if you interacted with everyone from this open, shifting place?

Equanimity is an important Libra practice.  This is the time to make peace—with your enemies, your loved ones, your own heart and mind.  Neither repress your emotions nor chase after them with your thoughts.  Rather, observe their momentum without attachment.  Such steady attention can, like the center beam in Libra’s scales, gradually bring you to calm.

Astrology conveys the essence of each sign with its image. For Libra, that’s the scales. Of Chaldean origin, the scales are linked to matters of fate, guilt, and punishment. Indeed in ancient myths the scales are pictured at the critical juncture between life and death, just as the soul is about to pass into the next realm. In ancient Egypt, the soul was measured against the weight of a feather. In the Persian tradition, the angel Rashu weighed souls at the Bridge of Fate, while in the Christian faith St. Michael, Archangel of the Day of Judgment, is pictured with a set of scales. And in ancient Greece, the goddess Themis, the embodiment of law, was represented with scales.

Spiritually the scales represent the process of weighing and measuring our thoughts and actions against universal ideals of truth. As these ancient images teach us, we can’t move forward until we’ve examined our intentions and come to terms with our past. To accept the scales as your guide means to take responsibility for your experiences. Accept that your health and happiness are supported by your choices. And choose a lifestyle that includes equal portions of work and pleasure, exercise and rest, a balanced diet, intellectual stimulation, and positive social interactions.

One way to celebrate the Equinox is with the following meditation: Go to a beautiful spot and imagine you are seated in the cosmic Temple of Balance.  Contemplate the image of the scales, entering deeply into the living meaning of this symbol.  Center yourself at the all-important fulcrum that holds the scales.  In this place, carefully weigh and measure your feelings.  Examine your actions, past and present.  Consider what new experiences you’d like to have. Imagine that your body is a focal point of stillness and strength.  Enjoy this feeling for as long as you need to. Close your meditation by saluting the equal hours of night and day, and resolve to enter them both with equanimity.

Get even more intimate with natural time. If you like to journal and/or muse on the meanings of the changing Sun and Moon, you may enjoy my enrolling in my Moon Workshop (by snail-mail or email). It’s designed to deepen your relationship with the guardians of natural time, the Sun, the Moon, and the zodiac belt.

© 2015 Dana Gerhardt