By: Janette Dalgliesh – Confluence Daily is your daily news source for women in the know.
(For a deeper dive into the whole Equinox / Solstice thing, you might like the first half of my piece from two years ago)
September Equinox – the moment Sun moves into Libra – is just about my favourite astro event.
For one thing, I live in the Southern Hemisphere so it’s Spring Equinox for me (#sorrynotsorry if that seems like gloating, USA folks – y’all get to do this with the March Equinox as Sun moves into Aries!). Also, I have four planets in Libra so I maaaaay be a little obsessed with this sign.
But mainly, I’m a huge fan of Libra because it’s our doorway into the social signs.
This is the region, from Libra through Pisces, where we encounter other humans, where we get to grow and expand through the lens of relationships.
Why does this matter?
Because every single piece of social conditioning you’ve ever acquired came from other humans.
Every. Single. Piece.
Relationships of all kinds are the conduits for every particle of every system of oppression which has taken up residence in your head.
The individuals signs (Aries through Virgo) are famously about helping us get to know and appreciate ourselves.
But the social signs can also help us liberate ourselves from the crap we acquired from our various relationships.
In Libra, the focus is on 1:1 significant relationships, where we partner up with one human at a time, one human whose needs are just as valuable as our own.
You’ll find loads of stuff on the internet about how Libra season and/or Libra New Moon can be a time to focus on your important 1:1 relationships.
Often, you’ll see stuff about Libra seeking happiness via romance – and I’ll be honest, I think that’s a somewhat limited way of working Libra.
Does Libra do romance well? Sure!
But Venus, the ruler of Libra, is entirely self-focused. When she takes a lover, she takes him for HER benefit, not for his.
And because at heart I’m a coach and obsessed with humans being able to fully express themselves, I always like to ask ‘what’s in it for me and my own personal growth?’
We can definitely do that with Libra.
Libra yearns for beauty in all things, and has a strong dislike for that which is dissonant, unbalanced, off-centre.
Libra likes to partner up in a meeting of minds with another equally powerful individuals, a collaboration where the natural ebbs and flows of power and focus ultimately feel balanced and harmonious.
But we’ve all been socially conditioned so our brains perceive unbalanced relationships as ‘normal’.
- The skill of noticing and supporting the needs of others? Almost exclusively taught to little girls
- The skill of knowing and expressing one’s own needs? Almost exclusively taught to little boys
The patriarchal systems in which we were raised has left all of us ill-equipped for balance.
And Libra’s nature is BALANCE, not martyrdom.
It’s not actually in Libra’s nature to be a people-pleaser, despite what you might have been told. It’s Libra’s nature to seek balance – and the people-pleasing comes from all that gendered patriarchy based conditioning to which we were all exposed.
The good news? Libra knows how to be fierce in the pursuit of justice for others.
When we turn that gift towards our own self, it becomes far easier to restore balance in our 1:1 relationships.
Our brains might not feel comfortable with true balance in our 1:1 relationships, but that’s because it has been wired and trained for imbalance.
There are two 30-day practices you can implement to start restoring the balance.
For anyone raised as a girl, this Libra season try one of the following and let yourself notice any old brain addiction to imbalance in relationships. Be kind and patient with this one!
- Breaking silence – every day, write down a dot point list of the things you never said. In a lifetime, there will have been countless times you kept your trap shut in order to keep the peace or avoid hurting someone you love. That stuff builds up in the body, as a kind of toxic sludge which is exhausting to carry around with you. This practice gets it out of your body and onto the page. Absolutely do NOT share this list with anyone. For one month, give your brain and body the gift of a truly safe space to speak the truth.
- Boosting regard – every day, find all the tiny wins and milestones you achieved, and celebrate them. If you’re wired to pay attention to the needs of others, you’re also wired to constantly measure and critique yourself; and most likely you’re also wired to limit celebrations to only those things which are complete and perfect. Time to reset that habit! Go hunting for things to celebrate from your day, dot point them and do a little happy dance for each one. Teach your brain that actually, you ARE allowed to enjoy your wins along the way.
Happy Libra Season.
Exact times (US Eastern Timezone)
22 September 9:04 PM
These practices are taught in more detail in Liberation Zodiac, where members are also supported via group coaching and astrological ‘weather reports’. Membership starts at $40USD and you’re welcome to join any time.
Janette Dalgliesh is a gifted life coach and astrologer based in south-east Australia. She helps women of all kinds, from all walks of life, to set themselves free from the unconscious, toxic BS of the patriarchy in which we all grew up – through the lens of neuroscience, astrology, mythology and archetypes. Her signature membership program is Liberation Zodiac, and you will also find her at www.janettedalgliesh.com
