Normally the Sun and some of the smaller, faster, personal planets (Mercury, Venus and Mars) are moving from the sign of Virgo to the sign of Libra at the Equinox. So normally the energy of Virgo is waning at this time of year. But the ongoing presence of Saturn in this sign means the Virgo energy will remain a factor for quite some time. The better part of the next eighteen months, to be exact. So that makes Virgo the astrological equivalent of your New Best Friend. A very precise and demanding best friend.  A relentless, Felix Unger of a friend, yes, but a true friend in that Saturn has your very best interests at heart.
 
So that makes now a real good time to revisit Virgo: all that it is trying to give you, and all that it asks of you. Virgo rules health, and Saturn here absolutely demands the restoration of it. So the biggest focus these days is on the restoration of health, returning to a state of balance. But it is more than just the health of the physical body. It is health in all levels: economic, political, career, relationships, karma, psychological, emotional, and spiritual. So it is a good time to invest in this, if you are not already.
 
Virgo also rules service, and aspects of your faith. So the biggest solution to any harvest season dilemma is to find new and better ways to serve your fellow man and the higher good. Get out of whatever your narcissistic worldview is and help another living soul. And it doesn't have to be something epic and monumental. Oftentimes simply spending time every day in meditation, or praying for the wellbeing of others is one of the most helpful things you can do to restore some semblance of health and balance to your heart and mind. 

 

 

 

Libra has the dubious distinction of being one of the most misunderstood signs of the zodiac. Seriously. Most people see the image of the scales and automatically assume that Libra means balance.  
 
It doesn't.
 
Libra represents the quest for balance. Which is an entirely different thing. It is a process.  Think about what happens when you put anything on a set of scales. They go back and forth - often quite a bit - before any semblance of calm, quiet balance is achieved. Initially, it is anything but pretty and peaceful, but that is just how the balance process works.
 
So when there is a lot of energy in Libra, there is not going to be a lot of calm, quiet balance - especially in the areas Libra rules: the hotel and wedding industries, flowers and florists, dance and dancers, kidneys and adrenals, the law and legal proceedings. And especially in the beginning of the transit. There are going to be a lot of pendulums swinging back and forth, and a lot of people swinging back and forth like them.  A lot of Sturm und Drang.  And when there are retrogrades in Libra, especially Mercury, the process of finding balance becomes exponentially more, ummmmmm, interesting.  

 

The Retrogrades of Mercury and his Planetary Pals
 
This year, the fall equinox and the harvest season are once again deeply affected by the big retrogrades of the summer.  While this summer only had four retrograding planets (Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) compared to last summer's six, it was still more than enough to get your attention. And to be a great catalyst for change. While Jupiter and Pluto went direct in early September, Mercury goes retrograde on September 24th at 12:17 a.m. PDT.  In Libra - the sign representing the quest for balance.
 
Now Mercury's Retrogrades are always a highly creative and spiritual time.  The material world shuts down, the creative and spiritual worlds open up, expand and get bigger.  So it is a natural time for people to turn to more artistic and spiritual endeavors.  And because trusting your intuition is so crucial to the theme of the season - balance - let's start there. 
 

In Greek mythology, Mercury was the messenger of the Gods - he went back and forth between the mortals and the immortals and carried information.  Because of that, he is in many ways sort of the patron saint of psychics and intuitives.  So when Mercury is retrograde, it is a much better time than others to delve inward, to explore your own intuition and how it works for you. And it is a fantastic time to hone it into a much more useful tool.  
 
Because the fall is considered by many cultures to be the time of the year when the window between the worlds is the thinnest, people are naturally more intuitive during the fall. Our dreams are more intense, and often more prophetic.  Our empathy is stronger and our telepathic abilities are more acute.   While the retrogrades do not always happen in the fall, when they do, well, all bets are off. Your intuition is just exponentially stronger.  This will be true for anyone, especially those with a Libra Sun, Moon or Rising.