This Saturday, September 23rd, at three minutes past midnight, the Sun will cross the Earth's equator, and there will be a momentary alignment between heaven and earth.

Autumn leaf

Although we will not visually witness this event from North America because the Sun will be well below the horizon, it is one of the most ancient of heavenly records. This time represents one of the four 'cornerstones' of heaven, marking the official advent of autumn as the hours of daylight and darkness stand evenly poised with twelve hours of each. Throughout the spring and summer, the Sun has been over the northern hemisphere, with Europe, Asia and North America experiencing warmer days as the Sun stands overhead. Now, as the Sun crosses the equator, it is headed into the southern hemisphere and we will have lengthening nights, with greater cold and darkness as spring and summer are carried to the southern hemisphere and Australia and the southern portions of South America and Africa feel the heat.

  The vernal and autumnal equinoxes, better known as Spring and Fall, are when the Sun stands in balance over the equator, marking the change in two of the four seasons.

The Equinox

The term 'equinox' translates from the Latin as 'equal night', and harkens back to a time when the evening was used as the chief determinate of time. Societies which still use the lunar calendar, such as the Chinese and Hebrew, preserve the tradition of this earlier period, when the stars of the night could be used to help calibrate the motions of time. The Moon is the ruler of the night, a realm into which the Sun cannot enter. Compared to the Solstices, the Sun's latitude is moving at a relatively quick clip as it scoots across these points. During the solstices, the Sun moves to its extremes, and we mark the start of summer and winter. At these seasons, the latitude of the Sun slows down, stops, and reverses its motion, hence the Latin derivation of the term, 'sol', the Sun, sistere, 'to take a stand.'

  The autumnal equinox marks the start of Fall. Astrologically, this is the beginning of Libra, the sign of the scales, representing poise and balance. When the Sun crosses the vernal equinox, we have the commencement of Aries, a sign that deals with the self. These people are personally powerful, active, and courageous in their own cause. Libra, however, the sign opposite Aries, represents the antithesis of this energy, as they tend to be diplomatic, poised, and aware of the moods and concerns of others. Rhythm, art and harmony represent some of the attributes often found under this sign. In effect, Libra is the sign which highlights where we stand before each other.

Peace on Earth

In Rosh Hashana, the Jewish holiday of this time of the year, it is where we stand in relation before God, and of how we can atone or re-balance ourselves in that relationship.

  As we revolve through the cycle of the seasons, life is made ever anew. We stand up, move forward, fall down, get dirty, and then get up and move forward again. During Libra, life becomes something of a mirror, where we reflect on ourselves and how others see us, whether that is other people or the Creator. We consider where it is that our souls have gotten dirty, and work to clean them up.

  Libra and the autumnal equinox. A time to see ourselves as others see us, and to realign this energy in a greater universal harmony and peace.