THE MOOD: We All Fall Down
The clock turns, and I come to the final post in my seasons series: fall. From a brief exploration of the internet, I learned that “fall” most likely originates from “the fall of the leaf,” a phrase that English speakers used to refer to this season beginning in the 1500s.
Interestingly, in astrological parlance, “fall” refers to “planets in fall” – planets who lack appropriate resources to optimally express their core energies. While some contemporary astrologers have interpreted planets in fall more generously, they are more often associated with the negative. Planets in fall are seen as a red flag, not a benefit, in traditional astrological interpretation.
While I adore fall – in an embarrassingly Christian girl autumn way, without the Christian (and conservative) part – I have trouble with the notion of falling in both the astrological and the mundane sense. I fear losing my balance and hitting the ground; I fear making mistakes; I fear lacking the resources that I need and not being at my optimal state.
Why do we fear falling? Of course, becoming injured can be inconvenient, expensive, and in some cases, life-threatening; plus, we need adequate resources to survive and thrive. However, falling is also a part of the life cycle. Nothing living can stand forever, never become ill or injured, and exist optimally in perpetual perfection.
The season teaches us that falling is part of life – that we must slow down, that we must be gentle with ourselves, and that we must get closer to the ground to fully rest. Importantly, falling teaches us that we must lean on each other, too, in this vulnerable process. The seasonal archetypes remind us of this:
Libra encourages us to show up for, and be in right relationship with, each other. Emerging in the golden light of autumn, Libra is known for its elegant aesthetic sensibilities and charismatic social pleasantries. Its attention to harmony is not to be underestimated, however, as it serves as the relational foundation that helps us recognize and respect one another. As the scales, Libra calibrates, smooths, and balances relational bumps, paving the way for individuals to see themselves in each other – the first, and critical, step of building relationships that will help us through the season and beyond.
If Libra brings us together, Scorpio fuels and deepens our bonds, providing the glue to form our deepest ride-or-die connections. As the golden leaves sink into the ground, Scorpio ushers us through the dark processes of descent, decay, and transmutation that are necessary for new life. We must reckon with the most challenging parts of ourselves and each other to be in powerfully true and transcendent relationship. This is not an easy season, but Scorpio reminds us that our emotional ties transcend the physical plane and that our deepest relationships are energetically immortal.
If Scorpio ushers us through the intensity of death and rebirth, Sagittarius lightens the mood. Sagittarius encourages us to merry-make together and puts up sparkling lights to guide us as the days grow ever darker. Supported by the cathartic connections that Scorpio has helped form, Sagittarius rises outward and upward, reminding us to cherish freedom and self-determination while remaining in relationship with the vast world. We can travel far with hope, optimism, and trust, knowing that we have homes – the homes in each other – to return to.
Fall, in many ways, is a flirt with mortality. The season tells us that what goes up must come down. And, we’re in it together when we all fall down.