Relating To Our Other Half

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Every known civilization has shared a similar concept of the Great Round of Life reflecting the living sense of an eternal rhythm of growing, flowering, decaying. The zodiac in astrology was born from the womb of such a rhythm observed in the daily rising and setting of the Sun, the monthly phasing of the Moon, and the seasonal changing of the year.  The circular frame of the chart representing the constellations along the ecliptic and the months of the year order time and space within a cyclical continuum of movement; with the beginning becoming the ending becoming the beginning.

In astrology the year begins on the Vernal Equinox, March 21, when the Earth crosses the ecliptic at 00 Aries heralding a day and night of equal portion, yet championing the strengthening of light over dark, day over night.  In spring the air is ripe with possibility, a raw willfulness “to be” thrusting forward using more brawn than brain but building the stamina to persevere with each lengthened day. And then, on the longest day of the year, the Summer Solstice, an exquisite vibrancy shines forth, the breath of summer electrified, and pulsating with the fullness of life’s potential the radiance of the Sun’s rays burst forth effervescent fireworks cascading crowns of light above our heads.

Summer’s spectacular spectacle of lights peak, life’s vitality weakens, and with daylight diminishing we on Earth prepare for Persephone’s annual descent into Hades.  On September 22, the Earth crosses the ecliptic at 00 Libra, the Autumnal Equinox heralding a day and night of equal portion, only this time, championing the strengthening of night over day, darkness over light.  We have reached the counterpoint of the cycle, and the preceding six-months spent celebrating the magnificence of individual expression demands dispersion and integration. We have harvested the fruits of our labor and feasted upon life’s fertile bounty. In Libra we offer our individuality in service with another, the celebrating of two valued more than one.  The Autumnal Equinox marks the dissolving of our separateness and the birthing of our awareness of our need to relate with others.  Not surprising that the Goddess of love, Venus, rules Libra setting the terms and conditions for a mutually fulfilling relationship. When under the influence of Libra the celestial spotlight is directing our attention to the shape, contour, and form of our style of relating with others.

Traditional astrological wisdom holds forth that in Libra we see the shadow of our inner self reflected in our experience of another, which stands to reason when we consider that we only ever see our physical self reflected back to us. The difficulty lies in our thinking that our experience of another is anything other than a reflection of our self perception. When the Sun shines in Libra this aspect within us, our propensity for projecting and reflecting, is illuminated so that we can better see from whence our experiencing of another truly comes. This Autumnal Equinox coincides with Mercury and Mars conjoined in Libra adding extra emphasis on “our perception” and “our willful action” in relationship with others. If this really is a time, as I believe it to be, when we can dissolve our separate individuality to include the individuality of another, then we are being given a celestial benediction to find a better balance and harmony in our relating by challenging us to consider how we perceive, how we act, in our relationships with each another, which ultimately will reveal how we relate to ourselves.