This Autumn Catalyzes a Long-overdue Rebalancing
A few days leading up to the Autumn equinox, I could feel a big shift was coming this season. For me personally, yes… but one that was to take place on a broader & deeper scale. Now, as we’re settling into the feminine half of the year, about a week-and-a-half into Fall, and one day into Venus retrograde, I’m beginning to intuit and feel the significant rebalancing this Fall is calling for.
It started with my decision to take a week off of Instagram for a few days on either side of this Fall’s equinox, feeling the need to pull my energy back. Mirroring what Nature does this time of year, as well, as the trees and plants undergo their senescing process, drawing their energy inward and shedding the old, preparing for a time of dark restoration. This process is crucial in maintaining homeostasis, in that everything in Nature (including we humans) requires seasons of rest, and that constant energy output is not only unnatural—it’s unsustainable.
I could tell I was out of balance and was frustrated by the pressure to continuously produce and create, for so little in return. And it had me thinking a lot about how everything is an exchange of energy, and how certain exchanges (or lack thereof) weren’t working for me anymore (this is very Libra and Equinox-coded by the way, which represents the sacred threshold of equal parts light and dark).
The culture of social media reinforces messages that, in order to stay relevant, you must continue creating, with no downtime. And in this constant outward production (especially with AI everywhere), it’s no surprise that individuality, integrity and quality are often compromised. The purpose of all of the sharing in the first place—to connect—is lost.
Furthermore, the balance of give and take, genuine connection and reciprocation, and staying true to ourselves were all themes that were highlighted by the Aries Full Moon on Sept 26th, just on the other side of the equinox. The first Full Moon of Autumn, on the Libra/Aries axis of the Zodiac, asked us how we have learned to compromise our authenticity for the sake of others’ approval. It asked if the lives we were living were truly ours, and illuminated the internalized, insidious ways that we still hold ourselves back. And it prepared us for the Venus retrograde cycle now underway…
As a culture obsessed with instant gratification and one that runs on consumption, it’s no surprise that many of us struggle to settle, pay attention to our internal worlds, and move into the dark. We fear the feminine, and we have been conditioned to have an affinity for the masculine. We have been taught that to be productive is to be worthy, and that to be still is a waste of time. We have been socialized to prefer continuous interaction with others, focusing our energy outwards, than to choose time alone in quiet reflection, sitting with ourselves. And we have more distractions than ever to keep it this way…
Seasonally, this means many of us prefer the Spring and Summer months—when the Sun (i.e. solar, masculine energy) peaks, and there tends to be a lot of movement and activity. Compared to Fall and Winter, when the days are darker and our bodies want to slow down, reflect and rest (i.e. more lunar, feminine energy). Many of us don’t know what to do when we enter into the latter energetic. We’re overwhelmed by all that’s been neglected there, and by the emotion that we’re then encouraged to meet. We become exhausted when our capitalistic culture demands us to override biology, and continue going at the same rate as we did during the masculine half of the year.
Hustle culture is one expression of the disempowered, toxic masculine: the striving, forcing, pushing, and being expected to work on a linear timeline, that dishonors the body’s natural rhythms. The overarching framework of this being Patriarchy, of course—where not only is the feminine discouraged, but has been actively oppressed and erased.
It’s no surprise then, that as we moved into the feminine half of this year, and were days away from Venus’ retrograde (rx) cycle beginning (detailed below), incidences of extreme gender-based violence made headlines. The anger and rage surrounding these violations was felt by everyone, and it rippled back for generations, being held in the bodies of all women, especially. It represented the epitome of what it means to have lived in a culture that has abused and exploited the feminine for millennia. I believe that Venus’ timely retrograde during this feminine half of our year, will set the stage for a long-overdue rebalancing of the masculine & the feminine.
Venus represents the feminine in the Zodiac, and while she retrogrades through Scorpio (presently until October 24th), she’ll continue to bring forward the unspoken & what’s beneath the surface. She will review power and control dynamics, the sharing of resources, vulnerability, trust, sex—the most intimate aspects of our lives. Because Scorpio also represents the dark, inner workings of the psyche, Venus will prompt us to turn toward any areas of life that we may have struggled to reconcile for ourselves. This energy is incredibly conducive for shadow work, on both a personal & collective level, in order to truly integrate all parts of our experience.
Then, right after she meets up with the Sun on October 24th, Venus will begin the second half of her retrograde cycle in Libra, through November 14th (this will also coincide with Mercury retrograde in Scorpio). In Libra, Venus is at home, and is especially strong. She literally rules over relationships, and the constant balance we all hold in our needs as humans: to be both autonomous individuals and to tend to our closest connections. Libra demonstrates how our relationships hold up the ultimate mirror: there are aspects of ourselves that we can only know once we enter into partnership. We learn more about who we are in the ways we overlap with another, and through the contrasts, than we could ever access alone. And we learn more about the world than we ever could as an individual, in actively listening to others’ lived experiences.
We are likely going to be prompted to meet different versions of ourselves through this process, reviewing if our relationships are still in alignment with who we are now (or need to be recalibrated) & how we’re acting in accordance with our values (or not). We’ll be challenged to hold ourselves with kindness and compassion, seeing that it has always been a delicate balance to strike: to maintain our individual positions while considering the other. And we’ll also need to practice putting ourselves in another’s shoes.
As Libra also rules over law, Venus rx in Libra is likely to highlight how the legal system is a reflection of our values: what we allow and what we don’t. What we think is worthy of protecting, and when accountability is needed to right a wrong. Ruling over belonging and social norms, as well, she’ll continue to highlight the ways we’ve allowed injustice for the sake of our own comfort, or for fear of being “kicked out of the tribe.”
Ultimately, I believe the question posed to us all during this Venus retrograde cycle is: what is the cost? What’s the cost of any incongruencies in our relationships and values? What’s the cost of not being true to ourselves? What’s the cost of forcing an unfair agenda? What’s the cost of hiding versions of who we really are? What’s the cost of being driven by something we don’t actually value? What’s the cost of exploiting the Earth? What’s the cost of Patriarchy? And what’s the cost of continuing to disregard the feminine within all of us?
Often we need to understand the cost of something and what is not right for us before we can discern a more aligned, equitable way forward. We have to be met, face-to-face, with some difficult truths. But through these realizations, we can have conversations (albeit difficult), that might actually lead somewhere more balanced and just. This is the exact energy needed to usher in a new era—specifically one that’s feminine-led.
It’s not to say this Venus retrograde alone will make all of that happen (in fact, the planetary shifts don’t make anything happen—they simply reflect what’s already in motion here on Earth). It’s going to take ongoing attention & conscientiousness on all of our parts. A willingness to turn toward the things that we often would rather ignore. And the intention to work together. However, I do think that on the other side of this Autumnal season, we’ll find ourselves in a very different place.
Personally, so much is already shifting for me & my energy output—where I share of myself, how much & with whom (especially online). My values of authenticity, integrity, balance and justice have been reinforced. In all energy exchanges, I’m relearning my worth. I’ve already have a couple conversations come up in close relationships about what it means to show up in a way that feels equitable—whether it be investing emotionally or financially.
The season of life I’m in is also changing and my needs are beginning to reflect that; having been in a very social, connected & adaptive last couple years, I can feel myself settling into a chapter that’s much more internal, maternal, and creative.
In some ways, it feels like I’ve come full circle. I’m responding to past patterns and dynamics that have resurfaced in the past week differently. I’m honoring myself more now, expressing myself vulnerably yet firmly, with an unwillingness to go back to anything that feels unfair. I also have so much more compassion for younger versions of myself and feel proud of how far I’ve come. And in my career, having started as an advocate for survivors of abuse and assault, I’m now a full-time women’s empowerment coach.
I feel that much has yet to unfold, especially as I prepare to go on retreat the end of this month over Samhain. But I’m excited to see where this deepening leads... For myself, and for the world that’s on the other side.
Much love,
Sam
P.S. If you’re looking for more support during this season, my private coaching container offers a unique combination of modalities to catalyze true transformation, helping you to reclaim and own all of who you really are. Learn more here.
