Equinox is here — embrace the change

Autumn officially begins today! It’s apparent in the crisp dawn air and the rapidly shifting leaf colors. I saw my breath a few mornings ago, a little shock to the system. 

The Sun entered Libra at 6:43 a.m. today and the fall season formally launched. Something primordial is triggered when I commune with the season’s change. It activates my ancestral DNA — tracking the motion of the sun. Once again, we’ve reached this midpoint of equal day and night.

Today is the equinox. The sun aligns with the equator. On Monday, it continues its yearly expedition south, to the tropic of Capricorn, for the winter solstice. Remember those lines encircling the globe from middle school? You know the ones delineating the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn? I recall being in the science nook, of the old log cabin, at the Aspen Community School, thinking, “Do I even need to know this?” Turns out they refer to something of elemental importance — the path the sun travels between the solstices. The sun arrives at the equator for both equinoxes, the median crossover line between the hemispheres. 

Libra’s an air sign, emphasizing the mental side of life — where we think, become aware and (fingers crossed) more conscious. Libra is a “serving others” sign, concerning itself with relationships. Known as the scales, Libra constantly seeks harmony, peace and balance in its interactions. The ultimate lesson for Libra is to understand itself through friendships and partnerships. This sign seeks to know its own personality, regardless of the projections from others. Not an easy task for Libra.

As the Libra sun marks the beginning of a new seasonal cycle, we naturally contract inwards, waning reflective. We gather with friends and loved ones, as we instinctively move into our warm, cozy shelters for the encroaching shorter days and longer nights. At my house, we play the annual game of chicken: “Who’s gonna cave and turn the heat on first?”

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