Autumnal Equinox

by Jeffrey Brock

With the month of September upon us again, we tend to think of returning from summer vacations, going back to school, Labor Day, the harvest season, and generally getting down to serious work again. It's interesting to note that the ancient people considered that this time — the Autumnal Equinox — of equal day and night, to be more a time of repose, relaxation and realignment, as the nights are longer than the days from the Equinox in late September (around the 21st) until the Spring Equinox (Vernal Equinox) on or about March 20th.

"We are born at a given moment, in a given place, and like vintage years of wine, we have the qualities of the year and of the season in which we are born." 
- Carl Jung

For various ancient people, the night time and Fall/Winter season was a time for inner focus and development, as the day time and Spring/Summer season was a time for external concentration and unfoldment. This would suggest that this is the time for more of an inner search and recognition of the creative and imaginative aspects of our being.

Becoming Aware

Since the time of Thomas A. Edison and the proliferation of the electric light, we, who have grown up in the technological West, have tended to be more divorced from the seasonal cycles and what they represent. As an example, how many of us could really identify the constellations of Aries or Taurus with its' red eye and the cluster known as the "Seven Sisters", and Orion with his belt pointing to the star Sirius which the ancients called the "Dog Star". All these are visible in the night sky! For those of us who live in the city, we're lucky to even see the brightest of the stars. How many of us are really aware of when the new and full moon occur each month? Many of us are out of touch with these natural cycles. From my humble experience, most feel more whole and alive from becoming aware and knowledgeable of these cosmic events and our own natural, normal connection with them.

Astrology can create the context for truly understanding the cycles of life in which you and I are now living and how to best prepare for the future — in other words how to "swim with the stream rather than swimming against the stream" in your life. Dr. Carl Jung once said, "We are born at a given moment, in a given place, and like vintage years of wine, we have the qualities of the year and of the season in which we are born." Astrology does not lay claim to anything more.

Monthly Happenings

In September, besides the Equinox, we experience a full moon called the "Harvest Full Moon". Remember that full moons bring to a climax that which was put into action at the last new moon.

Mercury turns "retrograde" in September as well. Mercury retrograde is always a time for reorganization. This is a great time to "clean house" in a metaphorical sense and prepare the way for the very important upcoming lunar and solar eclipses.

Other Predictions

Eclipses set the stage for each of us — depending on your own chart. The position of these eclipses in the natal chart will define the personal importance of the eclipse points. This is a very significant time. Pluto moved fully into Sagittarius on November 10, 1995 for the first time in 248 years. Uranus moved fully into Aquarius on January 12, 1996 for the first time in 84 years, and Saturn moved into Aries on April 7, 1996 for the first time in 29.5 years.

This is obviously a time of transition in the larger sense of things and, as the Chinese have said, "May you live in interesting times...." Well I, for one, think we do! May each of us in our own way, find the balance, harmony and peace within and externally as we greet the swing of the scale (Libra) on a cosmic and personal level this season.

Article on the Winter Solstice

Recommended book:
 
"Astrology for the Soul"
by Jan Spiller.
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About The Author

Jeffrey Brock is a Master Astrologer, teacher and hypnotherapist. Jeffrey may be reached at: 10110 SW 66 St., Miami, FL 33173. 305-279-2569.

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