Astrology & The Four Seasons | Part 1: Understanding how planetary rhythms interact with the energy of each season.
Noticing the Rhythm of Life
There is a quiet momentum beneath the noise of everyday life. Spring pushes green through the soil, summer stretches sunlight across the day, fall slows us with a gorgeous array of rainbow leaves, and winter presses pause, inviting stillness. These are not just weather changes; they are energetic signatures. Astrology allows us to see the seasons as more than external shifts; it reveals how planetary rhythms amplify, mirror, and guide the energy of each season.
Equinoxes, Solstices, and Cardinal Signs: Gateways of the Seasons
The year turns around four key points: the equinoxes and solstices, which mark energetic gateways between the seasons. These days aren’t just astronomical events; they are moments of heightened energy that signal beginnings, balance, and renewal. Each of these seasonal thresholds also aligns with a cardinal sign in astrology, the signs that naturally initiate change and movement: Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn.
Aries & the Spring Equinox (around March 20): The first day of Aries marks the start of spring. Day and night are in balance, and the energy invites new beginnings, courage, and planting seeds—both literal and metaphorical.
Cancer & the Summer Solstice (around June 21): The first day of Cancer coincides with the longest day of the year. Summer energy peaks, encouraging nurturing, self-expression, and celebration of growth.
Libra & the Fall Equinox (around September 22): Libra opens us to autumn. Balance is emphasized, and the season calls for harvest, reflection, and release. This energy encourages evaluation of what to keep, let go, or transform.
Capricorn & the Winter Solstice (around December 21): The first day of Capricorn season ushers in winter. The longest night encourages rest, grounding, and planning for the year ahead. Energy turns inward, supporting reflection, endurance, and preparation for renewal.
By observing these portals, you can align your personal intentions, rituals, and awareness with the natural flow of the seasons and rhythms. These moments are invitations to pause, reflect, and truly step into the energy each season holds.
Checking in with the current astrology allows you to truly embody the energy of the seasons. After observing the wheel of the year, it becomes clear when rest is innate, and when you’re astrologically supported to push forward. It creates an ebb and flow that makes life more enjoyable and more sustainable, too.
Spring: Planting Seeds and Taking Flight
Spring brings expansion and renewal. In astrology, Aries initiates, and Mercury in Gemini encourages curiosity and exploration. Now is the season for planting literal and metaphorical seeds. Which ideas, projects, or intentions are ready to grow? Herbs like nettle, dandelion, and cleavers—springtime “weeds”— support cleansing, circulation, and forward momentum, harmonizing with the season’s energy.
Summer: Expressing and Celebrating
Summer radiates outward. The Sun in Cancer and Leo, along with Venus and Mars, invites joy, creativity, and connection. Energy is abundant, and life asks us to notice what we’ve nurtured so far. This is a season for celebration, play, and presence. Summer encourages fully inhabiting our own energy, noticing how we give and receive warmth, attention, and love. Herbs like rosemary and calendula support vitality, creativity, and emotional openness.
Fall: Harvest, Reflection, and Release
Fall is a season of inward attention and letting go. The Sun moves through Libra and Scorpio, highlighting balance, evaluation, and depth. Mercury retrogrades often appear now, reminding us to pause, review, and revise. Fall is the time to harvest lessons, store energy, and release what no longer serves. Elderberry, chamomile, and cinnamon support reflection and preparation for winter’s stillness.
Winter: Rest, Grounding, and Inner Work
Winter’s contraction invites us to slow, ground, and turn inward. Capricorn and Pisces encourage structure, introspection, and connection to intuition. Planetary transits in winter often emphasize endurance, discipline, and dreamwork. Mushroom extracts like reishi, lion’s mane, and cordyceps help fortify and restore. Winter teaches us the importance of rest, patience, and listening to the subtler currents of life.
Astrology in Action: Reading Your Seasonal Rhythms
As an astrologer, I guide people to notice how planetary movements intersect with the seasons in their own lives. Each of us have all twelve zodiac signs within our own unique natal chart. Transits highlight energy concentrations, upcoming challenges, and areas of opportunity. These look different depending on your cosmic blueprint, or your astrological natal chart. When paired with seasonal awareness, astrology becomes a roadmap for intentional living.
Aligning actions with both the planetary rhythm and seasonal flow allows life to feel supported rather than scattered. Oftentimes, clients find me right before their Saturn return, a transit that happens about every 30 years or so. This season of life requires patience, boundaries, and is the culmination of decades of foundational inner work. Knowing how to navigate this transit and having a plan on how to approach its beginning, middle, and end is the key difference between having your Saturn return work with you or against you.
Gentle Invitation
Notice, honor, and work with the natural currents. Astrology is not about predicting rigid outcomes; it is a tool for awareness.
If you wish to explore your own seasonal alignment, I offer 1-on-1 astrology sessions. Together, we can map your personal rhythms, highlight planetary influences shaping your current season of life. We’re able to deconstruct limiting beliefs and help you make the decisions necessary to live a more comfortable life, supported by the cosmos, of course.
Dive into your astrology chart
Conclusion: Moving Through Life in Rhythm
Life is cyclical, not linear. By noticing external and internal shifts, we can live with greater awareness, ease, and alignment. This practice is not a performance; it’s a gentle journey of attunement.
If you feel called to explore further, you might enjoy:
Lunar Cycles: A Practice – Finding flow with the ever-changing cycles of the moon.
Seasonal Homestead & Lifestyle – Practical ways to live in harmony with the land, your home, and your body’s natural rhythm.
Embracing Seasonal Awareness – Noticing the subtle shifts in the world and your own life.
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About the Author
Hi, I’m Courtney, the voice behind Seasons of Self and the owner of The Cosmic Craft. I’ve been featured in printed publications & popular online platforms like Yahoo!, Bustle, and Pride. I’m an astroherbalist, educator, writer, and guide devoted to helping people navigate life’s changes with more steadiness and self-trust. Rooted in seasonal living, astrology, and plant wisdom, my work is shaped by a deep belief that growth happens in cycles, not straight lines. Through this newsletter, I share reflections, tools, and practices that support renewal and transformation, all while honoring accessibility, curiosity, and care. This is a space for slowing down, listening inward, and learning to live in rhythm with your own timing.