September has arrived bringing with it the Fall Equinox. Just as there is a Spring Equinox in March marking the official arrival of spring, there is also the Fall Equinox marking the arrival of autumn. This occurs on September 23rd at the same time that the Sun enters Libra, the sign of balance, equality, and harmony.
The Equinox comes from the Latin, meaning “equal” and “night.” Equal parts light and dark. As we progress from the Fall Equinox, we see the days become shorter and nightfall occurring earlier. This is a tipping point in the Earth’s cycle when the Moon begins to outdistance the Sun. The Moon has been chasing the Sun since spring and finally overtakes it during this time. This dance will continue until the Winter Solstice in December, when the days will slowly start to grow longer until we once again reach the Spring Equinox in March.
This cycle is the basis of the mythological story of Persephone and Demeter. As the story goes, Demeter is the Earth Mother Goddess who reigns over all of nature, ruling over grains, crops, harvest, all of agriculture, and the fertility of the earth. Demeter becomes impregnated by Zeus, who later becomes her husband, and she gives birth to her daughter Persephone, Goddess of Fertility and Spring.
Persephone was a beautiful Goddess and the love of her mother’s life. One day as Persephone is playing in a meadow, she is kidnapped, (with the helping hand of Zeus) by Haides, God of the Underworld, thereby making her Haides’ bride. When Demeter hears of the kidnapping she is distraught and heartbroken. She searches for her throughout the world until finally discovering Persephone’s fate. When she learns that Zeus had actually been a part of her precious daughter’s abduction, she becomes furious and refuses to let the Earth bear fruit, remain fertile, or flourish, until her daughter is returned. This results in Earth becoming a barren wasteland, plunging it into great famine where nothing will grow, causing humans to die. She tells Zeus that it will remain this way until he has Persephone returned to her.
Zeus consents in order to prevent disaster and commands Haides to return Persephone to her mother. However, it is a bit too late, as Persephone has already eaten the food from the Underworld, making it impossible for her to return to her mother forever. A deal is then made that Persephone will divide the year between her mother and her husband, which explains the seasonal cycle. Demeter does not allow warmth or growth of any kind while Persephone is gone, but when she returns home we see the joy, hope, and renewal that she brings with her. Her annual return to the earth brings the flowering of the meadows and forests, the growth of new grains, the promise of the regeneration of life. Herein lies the nature of the seasons and the death and rebirth cycle of nature.
With the beginning of the autumn season, we experience a slower pace as the earth tilts away from the Sun. It is a time of turning inward and surrendering to the symbolic death/rebirth phase. It’s all about releasing, moving, transforming. Meditation and other inner work is beneficial in order for you to make room inside yourself for growth and transformation. It is a time of practicing gratitude and reflecting on all you have achieved since the Spring Equinox and through the bounty of summer that will sustain you through the winter. Allow your intuition and emotions to emerge so that you can tap into your creativity and dreams for the future when you can again start a new chapter in your life come the next Spring Equinox.
The Moon that appears and is associated with the Fall Equinox is called the Harvest Moon and occurs closest to the start of autumn. It dates back to the time when farmers depended on the light of the bright Full Moon to harvest their crops late into the night. This is the first Full Moon after the Equinox and is special because at this time the interval from one moonrise to the next becomes shorter. It carries the energy of endings.
Since this Full Moon is in the sign of Aries, it carries the polarity between Aries and Libra. The goal is to find balance between the Aries Moon and Libra Sun. In other words, in finding balance between self and your relationship with others. This polarity teaches lessons about valuing your independence while keeping in mind your commitments to others. Since Aries is a very reactionary, passionate and assertive sign, learning to pause and listen before reacting is very important. Include some of the Libra qualities of compromise, cooperation and diplomacy in order to have more successful relationships and life experiences.
In order to understand how this Full Moon will affect you, it is helpful to know which area of life will be most influenced by this Moon/Sun polarity. Below is a brief insight for each zodiac sign.
YOUR HARVEST MOON HOROSCOPE:
ARIES Your state of mind during this phase is to put yourself first. It is all about asserting your independence, power, and authority. However, try to find a way to create balance between your needs and understanding the needs of other important people in your life. The challenge for you will be learning the art of collaboration and cooperation with others at this time.
TAURUS The Moon is in the house of the subconscious where you will be focused on your inner life and more spiritual pursuits. This is a time for dreams, reflection, and inspiration. Schedule some down time, including some self-care activities, and learn how to trust your intuition and passions.
GEMINI Visions that you have for your future goals are solidifying. Let the Harvest Moon guide you in planning your next best steps so that you can reap the most bounty from them. Because you tend to lose interest in things quickly, allow the Moon to illuminate what is true for you and allow yourself to see things clearly. This also shines light on the people you surround yourself with and allows you to decide on those you want to connect with and groups you want to be involved with.
CANCER The Harvest Moon is in your 10th house of career, profession, and public recognition. This is the time to get serious about whether or not you are happy in your life path and professional direction. Allow this Moon to illuminate what you should be doing in your life. This is a good time to obtain guidance regarding new opportunities within your current position or looking at a whole new career sector.
LEO The future is unknown and you have to rely on your personal beliefs and philosophies. However, this Full Moon might just have you questioning your belief systems. A mentor or teacher could go a long way in helping you to shine a light on a new path or encourage a new journey toward enlightenment or new dream. Or YOU may be the role model for inspiring or leading others by example.
VIRGO The Harvest Moon is moving through your house of deep transformations, encouraging you to release whatever has been dragging you down and prohibiting you from having a fulfilling and powerful life not only of your own, but also within your intimate relationships. This is the last of the relationship houses and this house deals with maintaining your relationships, not beginning them. Use this time to dive deep into your soul, allowing the light of the Full Moon to guide you toward powerful self-discovery regarding your needs which can lead to healing, rebirth, and renewal of what you want and need in all facets of your life.
LIBRA The Moon is transiting your natural home, the 7th house. In fact, this is the beginning of a super important period for all Libras as the eclipse axis shifted into Aries/Libra in July. Therefore, during the next 18 months be prepared for some major transformations in your life associated with relationships and how you relate to others. You can expect this particular Full Moon to begin shedding light on all relationships both personal and business. Begin to assess all one on one connections and take the opportunity to improve your relationships in some way.
SCORPIO This Full Moon is moving through your 6th house, shining a light on things that could include your health and wellness, issues in the work environment or with work colleagues, or a project that is nearing completion. Your true feelings regarding anything involving these activities will be illuminated and will help you to see the benefits of being able to work towards a job goal, a health and fitness goal, or a lifestyle habit. Use this time to make positive changes to your routines or get started on an exercise or nutrition program that you’ve been thinking about.
SAGITTARIUS The Full Moon is shining her light in your 5th house. This is the area of life that is all about the things that bring you joy and encourages you to use your creativity and self-expression. You will want to have fun during this time so put yourself out there. Creatively express yourself in some way. If you are looking to begin a new romance, try an online dating site. Plan an adventurous trip abroad. Whatever you love to do, do more of it within reason. You don’t want to go overboard, but you will definitely find the things that you love to do illuminated at this time.
CAPRICORN This Full Moon is effecting your foundational security bringing feelings regarding home, family, and emotional safety to the surface. One of the issues that may rise to the surface is the quality of your home life. Have you been spending too much time at work? Do you need to find balance between your work life and your family time? Is there a renovation project that you need to finish? Is there a family issue that needs to be healed? These are all questions that may come up at this time in order for you to strengthen your sense of belonging.
AQUARIUS The Harvest Moon is illuminating something that is occurring in your community. You may feel a certain need to teach or communicate to others what you think and feel about the situation. This is a time to think, observe, and learn regarding what is happening here and decide how you can improve on your skill sets to help find balance in the situation. During this time period, it is also important for you to get caught up on the mundane chores you have neglected over the past couple of weeks like paying bills, clutter clearing, or responding to general correspondences and communications.
PISCES The Full Moon is shining light on your self-worth and what it is that you value, as well as your financial sector. If you have been assessing your budget and deciding on a major purchase, something you have been saving for or something which could be considered a splurge item, now may be the time to allow yourself to move forward on it. The most important thing is to allow self-awareness about what is truly of value to you and what it is that reinforces your sense of foundational security.