Autumnal Equinox: Astrology 9/22/2010

I had a revelation this morning… instead of getting cranky because my daughter was dawdling and sure to miss the bus… I took control of my reaction. I asked my husband in his hypnagogic state if he would drive her to school when his alarm rang, so I could make my 7 am yoga class. He was the hero, my daughter and I didn’t get into a teen/mom snit and I’m relaxed now.

We are bending towards the Autumnal Equinox. This is my favorite time of year, since I live in the NE USA. In the sound of the dying leaves touched by the wind, I hear my ancestors. They whisper: “live now” and I slough off my emotional quagmire.

The Sun enters Libra on September 22 at 11:09 pm ET if you like to ritualize the exact time. At the Autumnal Equinox we feel the pull to harvest the fruits of our labors and recycle or destroy what has outlived its worth.

The planet Saturn (which symbolizes limitations, responsibility, fear) is also in Libra and Pluto (= transformation, power) is in Capricorn (another cardinal sign). Since the zodiacal belt is a big circle around the earth, these planets make a geometric configuration to one another. There are other planets involved in this “face-off” and since this sky picture is so unusual, it creates what I call a Cardinal Catalyst. A lot of people are calling it the Cardinal Cross, or Cardinal Climax… but I see it more as a springboard than an end in itself.

This mirrors the shake-up we feel here on Earth. The changes and fissures in long-standing structures since 2008 are catalysts for growth. These are slow-moving planets, so we are going through slow-moving changes. Since the Autumnal Equinox is triggering this configuration, you may notice a lot of action this week, possibly personally but definitely on the world stage.

Uranus/Jupiter have slipped back into Pisces, providing some relief from the pressure cooker intensity of the early cardinal signs. Oh! and I hope you’ve been able to appreciate the bright light of Jupiter in the sky, as close to the Earth as it will be for another 12 years… it is gorgeous!

Because the light of the Sun is in line with Saturn in Libra and the Cardinal Catalyst, this equinox packs a punch. It is essential to evaluate relationships over the next few years, and now may be a reckoning time. There must be integrity and equality in any relationship you value, or its time to make an adjustment. The

Autumnal Equinox initiates, so the change won’t necessarily happen overnight, but the process begins.

This is a perfect time to release all attachment to perfection and embrace the rightness of “good enough”. You can write down an intention/goal to put under your pillow. This can also be a drawing or image that is meaningful to you.

I intend to keep this in mind as I juggle my important relationships, especially near my hearth and heart.