Dead Poets Society

As the sun enters Libra at Friday’s Fall Equinox, our focus moves beyond the minutiae of everyday life to the loftier ideals and principles that give life order and meaning.

The 1989 film Dead Poets Society has definite ideas on this subject. Set in the 1950s at an uptight boys’ prep school, the film’s opening scene shows a procession of students carrying banners emblazoned with the school’s “Four Pillars,” which are: Tradition, Honor, Discipline, Excellence. Shortly afterward, the same students mockingly recite their own version: Travesty, Horror, Decadence, Excrement.

At this time of equal balance between day and night, it’s a useful reminder of the darker potential that lurks behind even our most cherished virtues. That is, if we’re not careful to balance them out. All things in moderation.

Right now, more than ever, it’s all about balance.

Monday’s square between Mercury in Virgo and Saturn in Sagittarius reminds us that there’s a time to follow rules and a time to break them; a time for detailed analysis as well as a time to enjoy the big picture. Additionally, the recurring astrological theme of tension between opposites (day/night, Libra/Aries,Virgo/Pisces) makes this week a great time to check in with ourselves and ask where we might be overdoing one extreme or the other.

We’ll create and sustain a more beautiful life when we balance our passion with patience, and “seize the day” with a mindfulness about tomorrow.