Astrology as a Calendar of the Soul

Ursula @Lunardakini
Sep 29
6 min read

A client asked me recently how the autumn equinox affects us on a spiritual level.

The days are now as long as the nights. We are preparing for winter – from now on, the evenings and nights only grow longer until the winter solstice. We are now at the “evening” point of the year’s cycle, moving toward “night.” Everything in astrology is based on the amount of light. In the daytime we see outward, at night we see inward.

Our ancient ancestors across many cultures considered the autumn and spring equinoxes especially significant events. Stonehenge in England, Machu Picchu in Peru, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, Newgrange in Ireland, the Sphinxes and pyramids in Egypt – all of these incredible, sacred sites were built with precise calculations so that the sun shone through a specific point in the temple on a specific day, perhaps only for a few minutes, activating and blessing the sacred place dedicated to it. It was surely both a physical confirmation of time as well as a sacred ritual to receive the return of the light in spring and also to prepare for winter in autumn.

The return of sunlight must have felt, in different cultures, like the one reliable certainty in nature’s cycles, something to trust in and which also confirmed calculations of time at an era when we had not yet “invented” time itself, though we understood the seasonal cycles. We were – and still are – completely dependent on the sun. Unfortunately, we now take it for granted and mostly see it only through mechanical, scientific eyes. Yet our existence on this planet, with the sun at just the right distance to make life possible, is an incredible coincidence – perhaps even… a miracle. This is why our sun sign in astrology is so important. Through our bodies and minds we each channel and symbolize the miracle of the universe, our own solar system, in a completely unique way. We are part of the cosmos, and it is part of us.

The Autumn Equinox 2025

But this year, the autumn equinox on September 21 also happened almost simultaneously with a very powerful solar eclipse in the sign of Virgo. The effects of eclipses can last weeks or even months. This particular solar eclipse also occurred at the 29th degree of Virgo, which made it especially final. When a solar eclipse happens so close to the next sign, matters culminate and reach an extreme boiling point, and a dramatic decision in one direction or another must be made – either by us, or on our behalf.

An eclipse in Virgo can be connected to both our physical and mental health, and to everything requiring precise discernment and quality control. The way it affects us also depends a great deal on the house (life area) of the natal chart in which the eclipse occurred. A solar eclipse at the south node symbolizes its draining effect. So, we are still in a process of letting go of people, things, or places that no longer work for us, either physically or spiritually, in an authentic way.

This particular solar eclipse was in opposition to Saturn, creating enormous pressure and testing the things that no longer function, leaving behind a large empty void. This may still feel like exhaustion, restlessness, or a vague sense of grief – some even experienced a concrete loss.

Our next task, then, is to slowly begin filling this newly formed spiritual or physical void. But as I mentioned in my previous blog, where I go over the astrology of this fall more in detail, answers do not necessarily come right away, nor fully formed. Just as nature first turns leaves from green to yellow and red before dropping them to the earth, we too are asked to prepare and transform in our minds – to consider how we can authentically fill the emptied spiritual space this time. Unfortunately, our modern, technology worshipping culture makes us believe that all answers are quick, clear, and almost mechanical. But spiritual work always requires contemplation, tasting, and listening – otherwise the other option is to learn the hard way, through the deep voice of experience.

Astrology as Both a Physical and Spiritual Calendar

During Virgo’s harvest season, we have been doing the work of separating “the wheat from the chaff,” with particular intensity this autumn. We are discerning what is truly essential for the winter ahead, and what can either be discarded or postponed until spring.

Now that we have just moved into Libra season, we weigh the spiritual harvest using the scales. How do we distribute the results of the harvest fairly enough that everyone can effectively play their role in the functioning of the village (society)? This is why justice is such an important matter for Libra. In our personal lives, we can also now weigh our decisions and the weight of past events on our lives. We may notice especially how much – and more importantly, why – we give a certain amount of energy to certain things, people, and places. We may even realize that during Virgo’s harvest we cut away too harshly things from which we could still have learned more. We also notice that the harvest is truly an immense task to do entirely alone. We need other people, both physically and spiritually, to create a sense of community. This is especially true for Libra, because relationships help them reflect their own path.

When we then move into Scorpio’s world in late October and November, it becomes very clear which things are important and lasting for us, and which we are now ready to bury. Part of nature dies, part goes into hibernation, and part hides away for the winter. Scorpio is no stranger to taboos, intensity, suffering, and death – and therefore does not fear them, but helps us process them. Certain people, things, and places say farewell to us. Rituals for the departed are sacred tools of the psyche to help us understand and accept the cycles of life.

By the time we arrive in Sagittarius season in late November and December, we are already approaching the winter solstice at the end of December. The spiritual separating, weighing, and rituals of death are behind us. Now arrives philosophy, the search for life’s meaning and for new hope. We now generously share the carefully sorted and well-considered best pieces as gifts with our most important loved ones. (Zeus / Jupiter / Santa Claus rules the sign of Sagittarius.) We also spend collective time in candlelight, which creates connection to higher power and a sense of belonging to community, bringing brightness to the darkest time of the year.

At the same time, we also begin to gradually prepare the bow and arrow of Sagittarius, letting it point toward the next adventure, the next inspiring goal. As the darkness reaches its ultimate point, we seek and finally find new hope in our hearts. And as if gifted by a higher power, rewarding our faith, the nights stop lengthening on December 21, and we begin the journey toward new sunshine.

In this way, astrology is naturally connected to the seasons and the cycles of nature. As in nature, so in the human heart. As above in the stars, so below on earth.

As we live through particularly dramatic years in humanity’s history, the stars remind us that the nature of time is cyclical, not an arrow moving upward. Right now, we are at the difficult point of the cycle, still only at the mid point of difficult years.

But the message of the stars is timelessness and wisdom, that ripple like the calm stream of eternity beneath all events, and there is nothing new under the sun.

Namaste,

Ursula Lunardakini

Lunardakini.com

URANUS The Great Awakener in Gemini 2025-2033 for each sign video: