Astrological Forecasts

Happy Autumnal Equinox.  Go balance something.

Seriously.  This is one of the two days of the year when there are 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night, everywhere, all over the world.  (The other day, of course, is the vernal equinox, the first day of spring.)

On the first day of autumn, the Sun crosses the celestial equator, heading south.  The Sun rises exactly due east on the horizon, and sets due west.  Go out and look.  Be careful driving, though, because a lot of streets run due east-west, and you could get sun-blinded at sunrise or sunset.  If you’re familiar with the neighborhoods, of course, you already know this.

It also means that in the Northern Hemisphere, the days are getting shorter and the nights longer.  Being a hardcore stargazer, it pleases me to think of the nights getting longer.

This year the Moon is in the tropical sign Leo when the Sun reaches 0 degrees Libra.  In 1999, though, we had the Moon in mid-Pisces when the Sun entered Libra.  Had the Moon been nearer the end of Pisces, or at 0 degrees Aries, we would’ve had a full moon to go with the autumnal equinox.  This was close enough, though, that (in the San Francisco area at least), if you went outside at sunset you’d see the new risen Full Moon.  If you faced north (or south, I don’t care) and reached out your arms, you could “hold” the setting sun in one hand and “hold” the Full Moon in the other.  Now that’s balance!

Checking the ephemeris, it seems we won’t have another autumnal equinox Sun and (almost) Full Moon until September 2018.  For the Sun and Moon to (almost) repeat their positions in 19 years tells me that the Metonic Cycle is involved (something we normally only think about in terms of eclipses).

Enjoy having a little extra balance in the world, if only for a day!

Heads Up!
The Writer’s Astrological Almanac

by Kathy Watts

September 2011
This month begins on a Thursday (Jupiter’s day of the week)
with the Moon in Libra, entering Scorpio by early afternoon.
I take that as a trend for the month, beginning smoothly
with big plans, and ramping up as the days go by. Let’s see
how much we can get done!

Fri Sep 02 the Moon is in Scorpio when the Sun exactly
trines Jupiter. Keep your eye on the big project and don’t
get complacent if it’s going well.

Tue Sep 06 the Moon conjuncts Pluto in Capricorn. We see
this at least once a month, but it’s good for getting work
done (especially today, on a Mars day) if we can stay calm
enough to do it.

Wed Sep 07 the Moon is in Capricorn all day. It’s another
month of Wednesdays with the Moon in a cardinal sign. Start
things, but don’t let them languish. The Moon makes an
opposition to Mars in midafternoon, then goes void of
course. If you decide on a major rewrite of something, be
brave but not manic. (continue reading…)