Autumn

As we reach the Autumn time, we have completed half of the cycle and have arrived at the first point of balance. Each of the 12 signs of the zodiac is actually a part of six pairs which are polarities to one another. Fittingly, this first sign of balance is Libra - the scales of balance. Libra is the polarity of Aries. They represent the Self (Aries) and the Other (Libra), the sunrise and the sunset, the East and the West, expansion and contraction. Aries' season arrives at the Spring Equinox and heralds the expansion of light as the days grow longer, while Libra brings the Autumnal Equinox as the days now grow shorter.

While each sign is the balance of its opposite, Libra is perhaps the greatest teacher of this concept as it is the counterpart to one's own self. The self can only expand so far before it comes apart. It requires the other to help it have proper boundaries, to remain grounded. Seasonally, the Spring and Autumn teach us that we must value both the day and the night, the light and the dark, youth and age, life and death. Without the One, there cannot be the Other. Without the Other, there cannot be the One. This is perhaps one of the most ignored and misunderstood truths in any discipline, spiritual or otherwise. For example, spiritually, in the vast majority of spiritual practices there is an excessive focus on that which is "good" as opposed to that which is "evil." We relentlessly pursue the "good" and we seek to completely do away with any semblance of "evil." Followers dream of the time when there will be no more "evil," which is commonly understood to include everything from pain, to sadness, to illness, to old age, to death, to really any form of struggle. While the pursuit of overall wellbeing is certainly fine and good, the fact of the matter is that it is not only impractical to aspire toward the end of suffering, it is downright nonsensical and ultimately quite harmful.

To examine the topic rationally, let us ask what is "good" and what is "evil" by definition. Quickly we will find that we cannot adequately define one without referencing, at least indirectly, the other. To say that there will be a time when there is only peace, love, and tranquility is irrational. These things cannot even be defined in the absence of their counterparts. What is the day without the night? What is light without darkness? What is joy without sorrow? We cannot experience the one without having a knowledge of the other. We see this in every aspect of existence. There can be no growth, no progress, no achievement, without enduring and overcoming challenges. Our physical bodies will literally crumble if they are removed from the pressure of gravity (as has been seen in astronauts who spend too much time in space only to find they cannot even walk when they return). The pressure and hardships of suffering forge us into greater expressions of ourselves. Without the Other, there can be no Self.

The Autumn time is the counterbalance to the Spring. Now the energy of the Earth begins to turn inward. Nature has brought forth its bounty for the year and expressed its aspect of growth. This is the expansive force of Aries (the expansive East) and the creative expression of Leo (the rising South), rulers of the Yang seasons. We now enter the time of the Yin seasons of Libra (the contraction of the West) and Capricorn (the descent of the North). Libra creates the proper boundaries for Aries so that Aries doesn't grow to much and become unstable. At the same time, Aries prevents Libra from contracting too much and imploding. The Earth must grow and it must rest, in equal parts, or it will not thrive. This principle applies to all things.

Libra takes the energy of its predecessor Virgo and puts it into action toward the betterment of others. which serves then to empower Aries, the Self. Libra teaches us that all the technical abilities of Virgo are useless unless they are put into action for the world around us. Libra shows us that to truly empower the Self we must be mindful of our service toward the Other. By the same token, Aries shows us that we cannot be of true service to the Other unless we are fulfilled in the Self. In this way each of the signs builds upon the others and works together to create the complete experience of reality.

So then, as we enter this Autumn time, let us be mindful of the beauty of the Yin season of life. So much emphasis is placed on the Yang season. Growth, gain, youth, all these things are obsessed over. But without the Yin aspects, they are useless and destructive. Let us learn to enjoy and respect the times of introspection. Look within in order to see without. Learn to rest in order to grow. Enjoy the complete journey and take nothing for granted. Each season of life is a valuable teacher without which we could never reach our true potential.