Equinox: Equal Night, Equal Day, Galactic Cluster
Dear Friend and Reader:
The Sun’s rays now meet the equator at a right angle, and throughout the world night and day are close to equal. Therefore, Sun enters Libra, the sign of ‘the balance’, on Sunday, Sept. 22. This is always a tipping point, though this equinox serves as a reflector for planetary events forthcoming in early 2025.
In particular, Saturn and Neptune enter Aries, and will be grouped around the Aries Point into 2026. The first degree of Aries is the intersection between individual and collective events, of which there will be many more than usual.
Meanwhile, in the more immediate sense, the Sun is still clearing the last degrees of Virgo. All week long it’s been in an opposition to Neptune in late Pisces, and this aspect will be exact at 8:16 pm EDT Friday.
It’s been a rather watery week with the eclipse of the Moon in Pisces, combined with the Moon’s occultation of both Saturn and Neptune in Pisces. Sun opposite Neptune represents a kind of final rinse. It’s also a leak test to see where any containers, boundaries and borders in your life are porous. We are seeing plenty of leaks lately.
The Sun entering Libra means that it will be conjunct a massive galaxy called M87, located a shade into the second degree of Libra. This is really the focal point of all the galaxies closest to our own (sometimes called the Virgo Cluster, as it’s located in and around the star-sign [sidereal] Virgo, which overlaps with the tropical sign Libra.)
This is a lot of juice. The Virgo Cluster (which, again, is focused in the ordinary sign Libra) includes 1,300 nearby galaxies, so it’s a massive source of gravity and every other type of energy. And it is an image of the strange intensity of Libra. Often we encounter this in artists (many of the great rock stars are born with the Sun near this point) and also the events of the world.
Libra may theoretically be the sign of balance, though there is nothing whatsoever balanced about this from a scientific point of view. Early Libra is the nearest point where most of the weight, mass and gravity of galaxies is concentrated from the standpoint of Earth. And that is what we get.
So here we are again. Let’s take that ride.
Your faithful astrologer,
How to Use My Horoscopes
My horoscopes follow the classical approach to the work that I learned from Patric Walker. Yet I avoid being predictive and lean into a philosophical and thematic approach. They may speak to you more at some times and less so at others. It helps to give them a little while to develop in your mind. If there is something that seems way off, print it out, stick it on the wall or fridge or somewhere and come back in a few weeks. You might see what I was getting at.
The Awakening: Your 2025 Readings by Eric Francis – 12 Signs + Custom Live Reading Now Available.
Aries (March 20-April 19) — In a few days, the Sun joins Venus in your opposite sign Libra. And for its part, Venus is now making an opposition to Eris in your sign. The main idea of these aspects seems to be about noticing the effect that you have on your environment. It is perhaps easy to see that we are in many ways products of our surroundings. Yet you are a powerful projector, people notice you, and they respond to you. However, you may not notice this. You may have taught yourself not to care so much, because after all how people feel is their own business. But in a relationship, how everyone feels is everyone’s business — and your whole life is built of interpersonal dynamics. You have in front of you an excellent example of how others change when they tap into a certain quality about you. You don’t necessarily have to change that quality, though it would be wise to remember it’s there — and pay attention to what happens when others encounter it.
Taurus (April 19-May 20) — This weekend the Sun joins Venus in the zone of your solar chart related to wellbeing, work and service. The question is not what the world can do for you, but what you can do for the world. And there is plenty, though you would need to stop thinking about any potential benefits that might come to you: that represents a complete misunderstanding of your present dharma. The first place you can begin is to be fair. That means considering all sides of every question, and giving others the benefit of the doubt even if you might disagree with their position. Taurus has a way of camping out in being right, which is generally when you go silent. So another reversal of your position would be to speak more rather than speak less. And should you ever mention someone, in writing or in speech, you might want to give them a call and get their opinion on the matter.
Gemini (May 20-June 21) — The Sun is about to enter the most vibrant and creative angle of your chart in a few days, though it’s up to you to take advantage of the many gifts this will offer you. If you’re experiencing any emotional upset, intensity or fear, consider that creative fuel. It will be easy to convert into something that both feeds you and helps you heal. This is why the good Lord invented art. It’s here to help us to grow and thrive, though there is always that element of risk: the feeling of doing something daring or dangerous. And that something is being yourself, and relating to the world in a wholly honest way. This may be the essence of the matter for you. Kermit the Frog said it’s not easy being green, but green is who he is; for most, it’s not easy being real, but you can only be who you are, or otherwise struggle.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Though yours is the sign of cycles, you depend on emotional balance. And you’re likely to get some as the Sun moves into Libra on the 22nd. However, it’s essential that you keep practicing the art of grounding. Stay whole within yourself. Nest into your home and find your comfort there. This would be an excellent time for either spring or autumn cleaning, depending on your hemisphere. More than most people, your home is your art studio as much as your living space, so make sure that you create a room — preferably a whole room — devoted to your creative activities, where you can set up a project and then leave it there without having to pack up at the end of the day. This time in your life is about claiming your sense of place, which means space, which relates to purpose and the expression of your intelligence.
Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — You will feel a lot better when the Sun enters Libra on the 22nd, by which I mean you might decide your mind is finally working again. And some of the pressure you’ve been under will let off. Yet you will still need to think on your feet. You must make every decision consciously — judging between alternatives, and weighing the differences carefully. If you are careful, and thoughtful, you will notice that there really are distinctions between different points of view and alternate possibilities. Some will be subtle, and you will really need to listen carefully. Pay attention to the words people use and also to their tone of voice. As for the written word, read carefully with an eye for what makes you mad. When you feel a tinge of rage, that’s when to pay very close attention to what is on the page. Read thoughtfully and use context. Without context, there is no meaning.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — If you’re facing any kind of challenge or puzzle, there is an easy way through it. The main issue you face is deciphering what is true from what is not. The Sun moving past Neptune in your opposite sign Pisces is making it difficult to discern what is real from what is not. This is really all that matters. Neptune is the planet of confusion, and there is no such thing as “a little” of this. Any at all can obscure the big picture, and block you from what is real. To discern this, you would need to care about the difference, and that’s not really a thing these days. But it must be for you, and the first place you must be real and absolutely, scrupulously honest is with yourself. You might be worried about what you will discover — and that fear can be a potent source of confusion that (again) obscures all of reality.
Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — The days before the Sun enters your sign can be tense, as if you’re not quite aware that your worst fears might be true. This might be especially challenging with the Full Moon happening on the 17th, conjunct mystical, delusional Neptune in Pisces. Is there a lake, a forest, or an ocean nearby? A garden will do. Or a greenhouse. Up here in the Northern Hemisphere, this is the most glorious time of year. Be grateful that nature still exists, and that you can imbibe it in many forms — if you get up and away from the internet in all of its many forms. Try going out of the house without your phone. Ease off the weed (if such applies to you) and pay attention to what your dreams are telling you. The tension of the Full Moon into the equinox and your birthday season will pass like the astral storm that it is, and take you into new realms of awareness — if you are willing.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — Pluto has silently crept back into Capricorn, making its last 10-week stay before it finally returns more than two centuries from now. This will be a helpful arrangement if you want to solve deep mysteries that have resisted your understanding. But most of that is because you have resisted your own awareness of what is true. The theme of your astrology these days is what is driving your life from the back of the bus, where there are a lot of creepy influences and ancestors who lived their lives in agony wondering what the fuck it was all about. Skipping ahead to modern times, this manifests as an orgy of paranoia about how the world is run. And while some of those theories and rumors are true, the actual question you face is how your world is run. Is there really a secret committee of powerful men behind the scenes telling you what to do? Sort that out carefully.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — You may be obsessed with your image or your idea of what people think of you, and if so, this is misguided. The resounding message of your charts is to be true to yourself and let go of all pretense that another person’s opinion about you might matter. This goes for the people presently in your life whom you think might have something to say, and it goes for all the internalized ones in your mind who are often the more pronounced judges — though nobody can hear them except for you. In Freudian psychology, these voices comprise what is known as the “superego,” which people allegedly need to tell them right from wrong. Yet you don’t need a phantom authority structure; you need to decide what matters to you and why. And then you get to make the choice of whether you want to be honest about it or not.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — The Sun is about to cross the midheaven of your chart — your 10th solar house Libra. The 10th describes one’s leadership style, and the way you want to make your mark on the world. Once again contradicting the crusty old books, you’re not a stickler or a micromanager. You are a diplomat. You get your results by facilitating cooperation, and interrelation. You thrive not in an environment of authority but rather in one of meaningful social interaction. Most significantly, you want to be known as someone who is committed to making the world a more beautiful place with your good work. Remember all this — and be confident that it’s true. The world is in tough times right now, desperate for the want of kindness and understanding. Offer those things above all else.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — You have the power to work out a mutually acceptable arrangement sooner rather than later. Even if this seems impossible, the way is open. Emphasize principles rather than money. Stick to the spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law, though if there are details mentioned, they must be accurate and true in the context of your situation. So therefore, pay attention to the facts in question — start there — and work out a point-by-point agreement about what is right and what is true. If you find that you or someone you’re negotiating with is squirming around on the facts, come back to documented reality and stay there. There may be one specific point upon which everything turns, and if that comes up, remember that there is still room for negotiation.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — The Sun now moves into your house of contractual relationships, whether sexual or financial. That is the sign Libra, and this is the time to make sure that all your balances are correct. There are places where you will discover you need to give more. There are others where you will discover that you’re not fulfilled. However, I would remind you of this: you may think the world owes you more than it does. You may have a compromised sense of what is fair to you and what is not. Here is the test: If something is good for you, is it also good for the other person involved? By that, I mean do both of you gain in the exchange? Where you gain and someone else loses, that is not helpful to anyone. Be bold about stepping back from those situations. Fair is not about what is coming to you. Rather, it’s where you offer yourself and feel good about it — and that is all.
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