On 22nd September is the Equinox. Once more we have reached the fulcrum of the year, that point in the solar cycle where the sun either increases or decreases in Light hours. For the Southern Hemisphere the great orb starts to increase in heat as it rises in the sky and we head towards summer. For the Northern Hemisphere Ra starts to lose his power as he descends in the sky and preparations are made for the coming winter.
The Barque of RA
Such is the symbolism of the sign of Libra, keeping a balance between the polarities of life – summer and winter, heat and cold, up and down, in and out, good and bad, black and white, day and night, you and me, boy and girl.
Sol ingresses into the Tropical sign of Libra, the sign of ‘The Balance’ or the weighing scales, on the 22nd – 23rd of September, close to the fixed star of Markeb in the constellation Argus.
Leaving Virgo, the sun passes by Markeb at 28ยบ Virgo. The Sabean symbol being of ‘An arrogant domineering military man of power.’ Who is this dominating us all? Can we see the fall of many tyrant leaders in this symbolism. The star Markeb denotes ‘piety and knowledge’ [or maybe the lack of it!]. The Sabean symbol for the first degree of Libra, the place of the Equinox is, ‘A butterfly is killed with wisdom’s pain’, [the killing of beauty to gain wisdom?]
This same Equinox, 10 years ago, brought questions of the wisdom of USA President Bush’s actions in relation to the global tensions, that is the decision to go to war. Now there is a tug of war between the two great nations of China and America, as well as tension in the Middle East.
Our very personal and self-centred wants of the previous Aries equinox March, now need to be balanced by considering other people’s welfare, which means having confidence in the portrayal of ourselves as individuals, whilst combining the effort with a striving for harmony in companionship. Nothing could be more necessary in the current times of social and economic upheaval.
A great ship such as the Argo [carrying the star Markeb] reminds us that we are all on a great journey, a journey of discovery, like ‘Jason and the Argonauts’ and before him, ‘Osiris and Isis in the barque of RA’. All are searching for that spirit of renewal symbolised in either the ‘Golden Fleece’, or in the ‘Phoenix’. Maybe like these travellers we need to seek out a new message of wisdom and spirit from the cosmos.
The Sun God RA in his boat with the Phoenix
An interesting book is ‘Hamlet’s Mill’, by Giorgio de Santillana and Hertha von Dechend; heavy reading but worth the persistence.
*NB due to an astronomical (not astrological) phenomena known as the ‘Precession of the Equinoxes’, there has occurred a shift in the alignment of the Ecliptic or Tropical Zodiac and the Zodiac of the Constellations. The Constellations near the ecliptic belt continue to share the same names as the Ecliptic Zodiac even though they are now out of alignment. As a result of this situation a fixed star may be located in a constellation zodiac sign but have a differing co-ordinate according to the Topical Zodiac.
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