The Divine Equinox

A couple of years ago, I organized a month-long stay in Bali, Indonesia. I was going through a rough period in my professional and personal life, and the idea of escaping for a while to a spiritual sanctuary sounded wonderful. I arrived in the tropical paradise very excited and committed to doing some intense inner work and healing.

In that time of immense questioning and experimentation through various spiritual and awakening techniques and methods, I decided to book an astrology reading. I wasn’t new to astrology as I had been reading and studying it for many years prior. My personal interpretation of astrology is that it is a method of self-awareness.

Astrology can provide you with an insight into your strengths and weaknesses, in order to navigate more efficiently while on your personal journey. I was not looking for predictions, but more for a fresh perspective. Maybe for something that I had missed while studying my own map, as I was way too personally involved.

After looking at my map and a quick chat, the astrologer asked me: “How do you nurture your inner Goddess? Because from what I understand, you probably have abandoned her somewhere in a dark corner and she is screaming for help and attention.”

I had no clue what he was talking about. What inner goddess? I must have looked completely lost and disoriented because he started laughing. So, we went back to the roots. To the foundation of everything. The energy of all. The coexistence and codependence of the divine masculine and the divine feminine, and their eternal fight for a balance that is the source of creation.

The presence of masculine and feminine energies in nature and spirituality has been around for thousands of years. And it is always a duality that fights for balance. The sun and the moon. Day and night. Fire and water. War and love. The mother and the father. Yin and yang. One cannot exist without the other. They exist because of each other.

And as we are our own universe, it is only natural to have these energies within us, irrespective of our gender or sexual identity. Our complex nature is a mix of masculine and feminine energies which both fight for expression. And it is our goal to accept that nature and bring the energies into balance.

According to various spiritual disciplines, the left side of our body represents our feminine side and the right side, the masculine. The left side is controlling the creative, emotional and intuitive traits while the right one, the rational and analytical. The left side is the mother moon, the recipient and the caretaker, and the right, the father sun, the giver, the provider.

So, how can astrology contribute to balancing the fight between your Inner God and your Inner Goddess? The answer is: by giving you insight on your inherited archetype of male and female, based on the positioning of the planets in your natal astrological map.

In our astrological maps the position of planet Mars, God of War in ancient greek mythology, is showing you how you express your masculine side. And the feminine side which is ruled by planet Venus, Goddess of love and beauty, is the expression of your feminine side. These two gods are the symbol of the eternal lovers, whose union created Eros, the God of Desire and of Creative Energy. And this should be the goal of our personal mission toward self-awareness and acceptance; to merge our masculine and feminine energies and fall in love with ourselves first.

The position of Mars and Venus in the signs indicates our behaviors and gives us tools to balance their sometimes conflictual needs. Let’s use an example in order to make this clear. Let’s suppose there is a person born with Venus in Scorpio and Mars in Capricorn. Venus in this position craves intimacy and surrender. A Scorpian Venus is dark and mysterious, often attracted to the occult and kink, and is passionate about deep connection and transformation through loyalty and belonging. She is the mistress, the sorceress, the enchantress. Mars in Capricorn has an earthy, committed, practical and logical approach to life. “Hard work pays off” could be a motto for this positioning of Mars. Blessed with tireless stamina and determination, the native with this position focuses on achieving status and accumulating possessions. He is the planner, the achiever, the provider. In order to balance these two energies, we need to find an activity where both of these facets could be expressed.

How about committing to a weekly tantric yoga practice? Tantric yoga is an intimate and deep practice that allows the person who practices it to express the Venusian need for sexuality and openness. And being committed to a weekly schedule is satisfying the need for structure and results, which a Mars in Capricorn is all about. Sounds like a balancing and fair compromise, no?

Since that reading in Bali, my approach towards my needs and how I satisfy them has changed drastically. I researched more and I studied my map deeper, but now with an attempt to balance the attention, I was giving to both my masculine and feminine expressions. And as years passed and I was consciously nurturing both my energies, I came to the realization that my life was becoming more and more reliable.

Stillness and stability were never my cups of tea, however, I found ways to center myself and calm my mind amid every change and new beginning. In every rough spot, in every wrong turn, in every setback, I found myself inventing a remedy for my broken heart or tormented mind. I learned to listen to my intuition but filter it through reason. I taught myself how to be resilient, while still establishing boundaries.

Of course, it is not possible to always be in balance. But learning how to respect and nurture your inner deities will always bring you back to your center. To this magnificent source of energy and love that makes each and every one of us unique and precious. To this core of creativity that will always show you the path towards your heart’s desire and your soul’s purpose.

P.S. Some articles to get you started

Find your Venus: https://cafeastrology.com/whats-my-venus-sign.html
Venus in the signs: https://cafeastrology.com/natal/venusinsigns.html
Find your Mars: https://cafeastrology.com/marssignstables.html
Mars in the signs: https://cafeastrology.com/articles/marsinsigns.html