Embracing the The Balance of Heaven
The Scales of Justice & the Sword of Truth are occult symbols of the season
Watching the Moon grow from night to night, knowing it will soon diminish and start the cycle again, always gives me a sense of perspective…
All things change. But within that change, there’s a pattern that remains the same. Embrace the pattern, and you can keep your balance, no matter what changes the world brings.
That’s the hidden meaning of Libra season.
Consider, for a moment, that the stars in the constellation Libra aren’t very bright. With a stretch of the imagination, its boxy shape could have represented many things.
Nevertheless, Libra was known as “The Scales” more than 3,000 years ago. In ancient Sumerian times, they called it “Zib-ba An-na,” “the balance of heaven.” In China it was known as “Tien Ching,” or “the celestial balance.”
At this time in history, the Sun is in this area of the sky around the time of the northern hemisphere’s Fall equinox. In astral religions from around the globe, the Sun’s seasonal journey is a metaphor for the birth, death and rebirth of the “divine light.”
And autumn is the time when the night hours overtake the daylight ones. In other words, Libra season marks the “death” of the Sun, or of the season of light.
So, why are scales a fitting symbol for the Sun’s passage to the Underworld?
For the answer to that, we can look to the Egyptian Book of the Dead (Originally called the Book on Coming Forth by Day). After death, spirits are led by Anubis to the Hall of Truth. There, they undergo a ceremony to determine their afterlife fate.
Maat, the goddess of harmony and justice, holds the scales. A heart is placed in one pan of the scales; Maat’s feather, a symbol of truth and the divine order, is placed in the other.
If your heart is as light as a feather, you move into the divine afterlife. But if the heart is heavy with regrets for ill deeds done in life, the crocodile-headed god awaits to gobble up the heart whole.
Themis, the Greek goddess of divine order, held the Scales aloft in her left hand, while her right hand wielded a sword. Some say the sword cleaves truth from falsehood, to others it is a reminder that justice is swift and final.
Themis is often depicted standing or sitting between two pillars, representing the two poles of Nature, suggesting that “truth” is found in the “middle way.” The consort of Zeus (or Jupiter), Themis gave birth to the Horae, the goddesses of the seasons and cosmic timekeeping.
During the late Renaissance, Lady Justice first appeared blindfolded. Political philosophers of the early enlightenment believed that true Justice must be applied equally, regardless of wealth, status or class.
Clearly, the collective is still working on that last ideal. But, as we work through another week of tense astrological alignment culminating in the upcoming Full Moon this weekend, remember that while you may not be able to impact the world stage directly… you can do something to find Balance for yourself.
Just remember: balance is not a state of being, it’s an ongoing process. A lifelong process.
As conditions change, we must shift with them to maintain our equilibrium. Simplify, release, or change course as needed.
In other words, balance is the art of the endless return to center.
And sometimes that may be our only solace during times of uncertainty.
In honor of Libra season, I’m releasing my training on how to work with a pendulum. You can join the School of Magic & Mastery Coven and receive this practicum, plus a new training each month (and a whole lot more).
