The Equinox Welcomes in Libra Season
Cultivating Balance
As the autumnal equinox arrives on September 22 and the leaves start to turn shades of gold, auburn, and red, we enter Libra season, which spans this year from September 22nd to October 22nd. Libra, symbolized by the scales, is ruled by Venus, the planet of love, beauty, harmony, and justice. Known for its association with balance, fairness, and partnership, Libra is an air sign that values equilibrium in both relationships and the self.
This Libra season carries us through the end of the 2nd and final eclipse season of 2024. The first of the two eclipses of this season happened on September 17, as the full harvest moon in Pisces was partially eclipsed by the Earth’s shadow. The second occurs in Libra on October 2, a new moon solar eclipse that could bring sudden shifts to one-on-one relationships, money, beauty, and what you value, all elements under the domain of Venus and the scales. Eclipse portals are about surrendering control to larger forces at play while grounding and balancing yourself into the present moment and your current place on Earth.
Beyond the intellectual and emotional balance that Libra season inspires, this sign is also traditionally connected to specific parts of the body—namely, the lower back, kidneys, and skin. Understanding the significance of these body parts can provide a deeper insight into the holistic nature of Libra energy and how it manifests physically.
Libra in the Body: The Lower Back, Kidneys, and Skin
The lower back, ruled by Libra, serves as the body's physical center of balance and support. Just as Libra seeks harmony, the lower back is crucial in maintaining physical stability and posture. When the spine is aligned, we feel grounded and stable, reflecting the internal harmony Libra strives for in relationships and personal decisions. However, the lower back can become a site of discomfort or pain when out of balance—whether through stress, poor posture, or tension.
In this way, the lower back reminds us of Libra's lesson: equilibrium is essential, but it requires constant adjustment and care. Those born under Libra may find themselves particularly sensitive to stress in this area or may experience discomfort when they are out of balance in their personal lives. Stretching, yoga, and exercises that strengthen the core can help support this area, just as Libra needs to engage in emotional and mental practices that balance their inner scales.
The kidneys, another body part associated with Libra, play a crucial role in maintaining internal balance by filtering toxins and maintaining fluid equilibrium. They regulate hydration and ensure that the body’s chemistry remains in harmony. From an astrological perspective, this parallels Libra's focus on balance and fairness in relationships and decision-making.
Kidneys also symbolize relationships because they work in pairs, reflecting the duality and partnership that Libra represents. Libra energy encourages us to create healthy, balanced partnerships—whether in love, friendship, or business. Just as the kidneys work together to maintain the body’s internal environment, Libra individuals often seek harmony in their external relationships, favoring peace and diplomacy over conflict.
When out of balance, the kidneys can suffer from dehydration or toxin buildup, just as a Libra can become drained or overwhelmed when relationships become unbalanced or toxic. Staying hydrated, maintaining a healthy diet, and regularly detoxifying the body can support kidney health, just as practicing good communication and boundary-setting can support Libra’s emotional and relational balance.
As the body’s largest organ, the skin is also traditionally associated with Libra. Skin serves as both a barrier and a reflection of what’s happening internally, particularly with your kidney health. Glowing, healthy skin is often a sign of overall well-being, while imbalances in diet, hydration, or stress levels can lead to breakouts, rashes, or dryness. Similarly, Libra energy seeks to present a harmonious and beautiful exterior, often reflecting how one feels internally.
For those born under Libra, the skin can be particularly sensitive to emotional or physical stress. Just as Libra thrives in peaceful, beautiful environments, the skin often mirrors the level of self-care and serenity in a person’s life. A mindful skincare routine, balanced nutrition, and stress management are essential for physical well-being and maintaining Libra’s sense of inner and outer harmony.
Libra in the Life Cycle: The glorious mid-life of our late 30s and early 40’s
As we reach the second half of the Zodiac, associating the stage of the human life cycle with the signs grows more complicated than in the first half, as life spans differ significantly from person to person. I use the United Nations Population Fund’s data of an average global lifespan of 73.5 (but I am well aware that in 1800, no region had a life expectancy higher than 40 years!)
Using the UN’s average 73.5 as the total life cycle, I would place signs as the following:
● Aries: Birth & Infancy (0-2),
● Taurus: The Sensory World of Toddlerhood (2-4),
● Gemini: Chatty Childhood (5-11),
● Cancer: Adolescence in the Shell (12-18),
● Leo: Our Roaring 20’s (19-27),
● Virgo: Saturn Return and It’s Aftermath (28-35),
● Libra: Mid-Life Crisis Years (late 30s-early 40s),
● Scorpio: The Intimate Depths (late 40s- early 50s),
● Sagittarius: Empty Nester/Wanderluster (late 50s-early 60s),
● Capricorn: The Peak of the Career/Impact Mountain (Late 60s)
● Aquarius: The Eccentric Old Cat Lady (jk, jk…:) (70s & up)
● Pisces: End of Life/the Liminal Space After Death and Before Rebirth.
Of course, many of us live much longer than this (and many of us quite a bit shorter due to various circumstances), so these are a basic guideline for breaking the wheel of life up into Zodiac signs.
I just turned 41 a week ago, so following the above breakdown, I’m square in the middle of my life’s Libra era. I call this the Mid-Life Crisis years because, according to the average life expectancy, it is the middle of life, and also because several astrological transits occur during the late 30s and early 40s that align with the upheaval, questioning, and desire for balance and harmony that is resonant with the sign of Libra. These so-called midlife transits occur when the outer planets (Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) make strong aspects to the place where the planet was when you were born. These mid-life transits are:
● Pluto square natal Pluto- late 30s (themes of meeting your shadows and hidden sides of yourself, upheavals, power dynamics, and regeneration)
● Neptune square natal Neptune- early 40s (themes of imagination, delusion, fantasy, and spiritual growth)
● Uranus opposition to natal Uranus- late 30s to early 40s (themes of breaking free from restrictions and routines, asserting your independence, and exploring new ideas and experiences)
In my Virgo Era (aka my Saturn Return and It’s Aftermath), I survived a near-death experience in a house fire (Saturn return in my 4th house in Scorpio, on the nose!), started and scaled a tech company, got married, and had a baby. Talk about milestones of the post-Saturn Return GYST (Get-Your-Shit-Together) years!
In my Libra Era of successive outer-planet midlife-transits, I got divorced, left my company, moved back to my hometown, experienced life anew through the eyes of my little one, met my soul-mate, and intensified my interests and studies in Astrology, the I’Ching, Qi Gong, breathwork, and other cyclic and profound esoteric systems. When I look back at the past several years, Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus have shown up in major ways!
Just like the Libra-ruled kidneys filter toxins and balance the fluids in our bodies and our skin provides a boundary between our organs and the outer world, the era of Libra in the life cycle is a time of powerful balancing and boundary-setting. The underworldly, ethereal, and radical themes that arise in our internal worlds during our late 30s and early 40s are cues to finding true harmony within the learnings of our pasts before we set forth toward the fall and winter of our lives.
As we tip the scales back and forth between our outer and inner worlds and our pasts and futures, our late 30s and early 40s are also periods of deepening into relationships with others. Libra represents a time of recognizing that as powerful as our sovereign, independent Virgo-hood can be, we can’t do this life alone. In mid-life, whether we’re spending more time with our aging elders, our young children, our romantic partners, or groups of friends, the notion of true community and partnership comes to the forefront during the season of life symbolized by the scales.
Libra’s Call for Holistic Balance
Libra season serves as a reminder that balance is not just a mental or emotional concept—it is a physical one as well. The areas of the body ruled by Libra—the lower back, kidneys, and skin—symbolize the importance of maintaining equilibrium in all aspects of life. Just as these body parts function best when in balance, our lives thrive when we find harmony between work and rest, self-care and care for others, and independence and partnership. Libra season is a time that might make you more aware of issues of imbalance and injustice in both your personal life and in the larger world.
As we move through Libra season, it’s a time to check in with both our physical and emotional health. Are we carrying too much stress in our lower back? Are our kidneys overworked due to poor hydration or diet? Is our skin reflecting the need for more self-care or relaxation? By paying attention to these body parts, we can tune into the lessons of Libra—striving for balance in every area of our lives.
This season, focus on cultivating balance not only in your relationships and decisions but in your physical well-being. Libra’s energy encourages us to find harmony between our inner and outer worlds, creating a life that feels beautiful, fair, and in balance.
A Guided Meditation for Libra Season
As always, I’ve created a guided body scan meditation you can use anytime during the Libra season to promote peace and alignment.
Thanks for reading, lovely humans! I’ll be with you again next month as Spooky season begins with the underworldly realms of Scorpio season!
Be well - Alison
Alison Dale is an artist, ecological astrologer, and somatic guide based in the traditional lands of the Tewa people, known today as Santa Fe, NM. She is also the host of the podcast Cycles of Time (Instagram: @cyclesoftimepodcast). Learn more about her work and current offerings at alisonmariedale.com or on Instagram at @astro.somatics.
Oh how my lower back needs a massage right now!
Thank you for this and the reminder of my Scorpio phase ;-)
This was very well done.