Astrology : Autumn Equinox – September 22, 2016

The Light that Shines in the Darkness

Capping off the eclipse season six days after the Lunar Eclipse, we arrive at the third cardinal station of the year, the Autumn Equinox, marking the halway point of the astrological year, the begining of the descent into darkness prior to the return of the light at the Vernal Equinox. H. P. Blavatsky, following Skinner and Seyfarth, writes :

“According to solar months (of thirty days, one of the calendars in use among the Hebrews) all remarkable events of the Old Testament happened on the days of the equinoxes and the solstices; for instance, the foundations and the dedications of the temples and altars” (and consecration of the tabernacle). “On the same cardinal days, the most remarkable events of the New Testament happened; for instance, the annunciation, the birth, the resurrection of Christ, and the birth of John the Baptist. And thus we learn that all remarkable epochs of the New Testament were typically sanctified a long time before by the Old Testament, beginning at the day succeeding the end of the Creation, which was the day of the vernal equinox. During the crucifixion, on the 14th day of Nisan, Dionysius Areopagita saw, in Ethiopia, an eclipse of the sun, and he said, Now, the Lord (Jehovah) is suffering something. Then Christ arose from the dead on the 22d March, 17 Nisan, Sunday, the day of the vernal equinox [Seyf., quoting Philo, de Septen]––that is, on Easter, or on the day when the sun gives new life to the earth.'' (Collected Writings, XIV, p. 136) (French Masonic Scholar  Ragon mentions that the traditional Vernal Solar Eclipse Easter symbolism corresponds to the Autumn Lunar Eclipse, La messe, P. 382).

Ragon further explains, regarding the Autumn Equinox, ''on that day, the Sun advances into the Southern Hemisphere and consequently gets farther from us who inhabit the Northern Hemisphere; also, from our standpoint, the days become shorter, the earth no longer produces, and, each day, it loses more of its color.

All these events, as natural as they are necessary, have given rise to different allegories that are very ingenius and spicy. The oldest and most universal is the battle between the Sun and the Prince of Darkness, fixed at the autumn equinox  and in which the latter gains the victory.

It is at the same period that is related the death of Osiris, of Mithra, of Bacchus, of Adonis, of Attis and all of the allegorical represetatives of the Sun, that are made to descend and sojourn in Hell, until their ressurection, fixed at the Spring Equinox. (Ragon, La Messe, p. 382)

Spacey, Argumentative Grand Cross

In the week since the lunar eclipse, most of the cranky, hazy aspects have faded somewhat, the main difference is that the Moon (in Gemini) has moved into an opposition with Saturn (in Sagittarius) neatly forming a Mutable Grand Cross with  Mercury (in Virgo) and Neptune (in Pisces). The Moon can be considered the hot angle in this configuration, giving a very social, trippy, emotional mood challenged by critical, rigid, argumentative issues from the other angles, thereby giving dynamic possibilities for dealing with relationship and social issues. Of course this configuration onlys last for a few hours, but can be quite powerful. Moreover, Mercury stationed direct only one day prior, and so the possibilities for misunderstandings, mishaps and malfunctions are still quite strong.

Old Wounds

Things get complicated though; there are two additionnal oppositions that pump up the intensity even more. There is a Moon/Mars opposition that gives a combative edge to the talkative Moon in Gemini and one can also consider Mars to be at the apex of a T-Square with a Jupiter/Sun conjunction (in Libra/Virgo) and a retrograde Chiron (in Pisces). This can indicate dealing with old wounds and self-esteem issues that will come to the surface around this time, in a very ego-centered manner. (It might be good to have some self-confidence, forgiveness and optimism-boosting strategies on hand, be it a Frank Capra film, a book of Roman Stoic sayings, a Mozart symphony,...whatever works for you.)

Creative, Cooperative Mystic Rectangle

Every cloud has a silver lining, as the saying goes, and amidst all these oppositions, we are graced with a sociable Mystic Rectangle connecting the Venus angle of the Mystical Rectangle to the Grand Cross via the Moon/Mars opposition; the other opposition of the rectangle being Venus/ Uranus (in Aries). This can mean personal relationships can become emotionally conflicted, but with the friendly Moon, Venus, Mars and Uranus Trines and Sextiles forming a favorable safety valve for original, creative, cooperative solutions. (Hopefully, this will allow UN relief efforts to enter Syria and the Peace Efforts to advance: http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/19/middleeast/syria-ceasefire-7-days/)

In about a week after this, the positive Sun, Jupiter and Mercury in Libra vibrations should kick in and the ensuing two months look to be the smoothest period of the year; so the Mystic Rectangle could be seen as an optimistic note for a calmer period prior to a stormier Winter Solstice.