Happy Autumnal Equinox…a perfect balance between day and night. At 3:51 AM ET, the Sun left Virgo and entered Libra, sign of the scales.

Libra is an airy, mental sign, generally concerned with relationships, social graces and with promoting fairness, justice and balance. Its ruling planet is Venus, which can be oh-so-sweet and socially gracious. Libra’s mantra is : I BALANCE. This does not mean Librans are balanced; it means they generally are seeking balance and are quite capable of swinging back and forth wildly as they search for it.

Did you know that Fox News (motto: “fair and balanced”) launched under a Libra Sun? If you’re now thinking “wow, there must be a lot more to a horoscope than just a Sun Sign,” I commend you. And that’s another  compelling reason why you should get to know your horoscope. Or have a professional explain it to you.

As sweet as Libra can be, they are not marshmallows. The term “iron fist in a velvet glove” often applies. Jimmy Carter is a Libra. So was Margaret Thatcher.  Tim Robbins, John Lithgow, Lee Harvey Oswald, Julie Andrews and Maria von Trapp (inspired casting?) — all Libras.

The Sun’s ingress into Libra means that it’s the first day of fall. Did you know that the Sun is considered to be in its fall when it’s in Libra? In the language of astrology, when a planet is in fall, it means it is traveling through a sign that is not compatible with the planet’s essential nature. The Sun is all about ego recognition, around which everything (and everyone) revolves. It needs to be this way. But Libra needs to be focused on WE, not ME. Maybe that’s why one of Libra’s traits is indecisiveness. The Sun also refers to heads of state and CEOs. [UPDATE 9/26: Adam Neumann — the CEO of WeWork is stepping down. Born on April 25, 1979 in Tel Aviv (time unknown), he has four planets in me-me-me Aries, including go-go-go Mars. Unfortunately the pioneering initiative symbolized by his Aries Mars is being challenged by the authoritative control/brick wall known as transiting Saturn. Meanwhile, his empire-building Taurus Sun is also being challenged  — by a meet-up with Uranus, disruptor of the status quo. A sudden change should not come as a surprise, with the upside potential being liberation. Apparently Neumann voted for his own ouster. Free at last — once the Saturn squeeze is behind him.]

In other news, here’s what you need to know about the first day of any season  — i.e., equinoxes and solstices — from an astrological point of view. The first days of Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter correspond with the first day (or first degree) of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn, respectively (there are thirty degrees in each sign of the zodiac). Got that? Good.

These four signs are called cardinal signs. Cardinal signs initiate. They come up with the idea and put it into action, which leads to necessary change. “Cardinal” suggests (from the Latin root of the word), “that on which something turns or depends.”  So the first day/degree of a Cardinal sign is a turning point. In astrology, the technical term for the first degree of any Cardinal sign is the “Aries Point”, just to confuse people who are not professional astrologers. In other words, the first day of Cancer, Libra, Capricorn and Aries is the Aries Point. The first day of Taurus (and the rest of the signs) is NOT at the Aries Point).

Equinoxes and solstices are also prominent. We make a fuss over them, right? In Japan, the first day of each season is actually a national holiday. How cool is that? Thus, in a horoscope, a planet or angle at the Aries Point needs to be prominent. Off the top of my head, astro twins Meryl Streep & Elizabeth Warren were born with the Sun at the Aries Point. They’re pretty prominent in everything they do, don’t you think? Ted Cruz also born with the Sun at the Aries Point, and some have observed that he can stick out like a sore thumb — which is another form of prominence.

Meanwhile…

The day is driven by the Moon in Cancer, seeking to establish emotional and homeland security. Around 1:21 PM ET, the Moon makes its weekly clash with Pluto, suggesting a power play or a emotional catharsis. I knew this was happening without even consulting my calendar, because I’m writing this from the deck of a deli on Fire Island. I was enjoying the beauty of the ocean and quiet, until the deli owner thought I really needed to listen to the Worst Radio Station of All Time. And even though I’m his only customer, he won’t turn the radio off. Power play! How are you experiencing this Moon-Pluto opposition? If it’s connecting with planets in your own personal horoscope, you are likely to feel it more than most.  The Moon goes void at 6:05 PM ET, on an easy aspect with action-hero Mars. Chill during the 11-hour void. Roll with whatever twists and flakes that may disrupt your efforts to move forward in a straight line. The rest of the week goes like this — note that the patterns among Mercury, Venus and Jupiter that are exact on Wednesday and Thursday will be reflected a few days before:

• TUESDAY — Moon enters rip roarin’ Leo at 5:19 AM ET, looking for a way to shine, shine, shine. Note the potential for an upset or clarifying revelation around 3:12 PM ET, as Moon makes its weekly clash with rebel Uranus. Information involving courts, publishing, foreign affairs, travel, education and other Jupiter concerns flows easily, as Mercury harmonizes with the planet of expansion at 5:01 PM ET. Alert the media, it’s likely to be big.
• WEDNESDAY — Moon goes void at 12:14 PM ET for the entire business day. Stick to routine tasks and don’t freak out over perceived crises. So often those that arise during Moon voids evaporate once the Moon is back in gear. Meanwhile, Venus squares Saturn at 3:12 PM ET PM. Venus refers to women, money, aesthetics and social expression. Saturn refers to authority, patriarchy, cuts, ambition and controls. The square suggests we’ll see “women of steel” making news, along with cuts to budgets and cold shoulders.
• THURSDAY –– Moon enters Virgo at 6:37 AM ET, ready to clean up the mess made by the Leo’s all-night Moon-void party. It sails without much interference through the day, aided by a ruthlessly perspicacious contact between Mercury and Pluto, exact at 7:49 PM ET. Mercury refers to how we need to think; information; Pluto refers to power, breakdown, decay and news from underground. It’s a reliable alert that a diligent investigative reporter is about to deliver the goods.
• FRIDAY — Note your dreams in the AM, as the Moon opposes Neptune at 9:22 AM ET. The Virgo’s need for perfection in every detail drives the day. Moon goes void at 11:58 PM ET, on a meet-up with Mars.
• SATURDAY — Moon enters Libra at 6:03 AM ET, but it’s not quite ready to start anything new. That won’t happen until 2:26 PM ET, when the Libra Moon meets up with the Sun. A harmony between Venus and Jupiter graces the day, exact at 7:40 PM ET. Not a bad day to buy a few lottery tickets, especially if you have planets around 18 degress of just about any sign.
• SUNDAY — Moon in Libra continues its quest for balance and harmony in relationship, with a potential speedbump around 2:40 PM ET, when Moon once again clashes with Pluto. Won’t you turn that radio off NOW, pretty please? Moon goes void at 10:06 PM ET — chill for the rest of the night.

To find out what all of this means in your own personal world, why not book a personal consultation? Here’s how to contact me.

And now, the news…

…brought to you by the third square between Jupiter (BIG) and Neptune (music, woo-woo, scandals, healing, vision, water, refugees, victims, dreams, wipeouts).

• Bursting the bubble on a dream vacation: world’s oldest travel company Thomas Cook collapses; strands 150,000 vacationers abroad. Just. Wow.
• “Dark crystals: the brutal reality behind a booming wellness craze”
• “Tropical Storm Imelda floods more than 10,000 vehicles in Southeast Texas”
• Three billion birds have been wiped out in North America since 1970
• “Pentagon Finally Admits Viral UFO Videos by Military Pilots are Authentic”

Planetary patterns are reflected in the obituary column, too.

• “Christopher Rouse, expressionist composer who won a Pulitzer Prize, dies at 70.” Mr. Rouse was known for making BIG MUSIC, as in “some of his scores were so loud that fortissimo was said to be marked with six Fs.”  Here’s a sample.
• Aron Eisenberg’s transition also made headlines. He played the Ferengi named Nog — on Star Trek: Deep Space 9

UPDATE: on Al Gore. Avid Readers may recall I looked at his horoscope last month, and anticipated that we should be hearing from him fairly soon — and here he is:  “The Climate Crisis is the Battle of Our Time, and We Can Win.” Thank you, NYT, for publishing Gore’s op-ed on the front page of the Sunday Review, on the exact Jupiter-Neptune square! Here’s another interesting thing about the timing of this op-ed. Saturn is just one degree away from 15 Capricorn, which is where Pluto was on the seventh Uranus-Pluto square on March 17, 2015. Why is this interesting? Because on that day, the NYT published an op-ed on climate change from…Al Gore. Here is the forecast from that day.   The fact that Saturn is currently activating that seventh square suggests an opportunity to get real, take responsibility and make a game plan. In 2020, Jupiter will hit 15 Capricorn — so let’s see what kind of expansion occurs on the ambitious advance presented in Gore’s most recent op-ed.

Closing with a must-watch video: climate change activist Greta Thunberg makes big impassioned speech to the United Nations General Assembly, demanding action. I’ve written about her horoscope for the next issue of Mountain Astrologer, so stay tuned. One person really can change the world! Here’s what Greta inspired over the weekend: “Millions March in Youth-Led Global Climate Strike.”   — and this morning, in Washington DC: “‘Climate rebels’ shut down intersections across the District.” 

OK — time to hit the beach, while the beach and the birds are still here.

Thank you for reading this forecast. I’ll be back in the office tomorrow.