September 21-27, 2026 – Roots Down, Branches Up

Be prepared.
The Girl Scout motto

This week that sees the hinge moment of the Equinox plus the Full Harvest Moon, we welcome back that most contemplative of the court action heroes—the Knight of Pentacles.

The Knights are the Tarot’s champions and warriors. They are the energetic and often forceful movers and shakers of the Court. And the Pentacles correspond to the element of Earth, which concerns our physical reality: work, money, health, and home.

So with this Knight, we have a sturdy, well-grounded person (depicted as male, but who can be any gender) who is not in a big hurry. In fact, he is the only Knight in the R-W-S deck that is not in motion. “Slow and steady,” is his credo.

The Knight of Pentacles holds his treasure almost like a tool of divination. He makes careful, deliberate choices according to the concepts of investment and returns.

He may not be the fastest rider of the Tarot Knights but he is the most patient and his actions are solid, methodical, and aimed for the long term.

Every job is always handled with thoroughness. He never multitasks or leaves anything to chance. He’s careful and prudent, never wasteful.

However, he tends to be a bit stodgy and dull. He’s not known for his playful sense of humor or brilliant repartee. He finds emotional drama puzzling and usually unpleasant, preferring down-to-earth plain talk and pragmatism.

Work always comes first for him, and he can sometimes be inflexible and obsessive about little details. He doesn’t much like change or risk and tends towards pessimism, in the name of being “realistic.” This attitude works well for him, however, as he is typically comfortably well off.

He/she is a good steward of the land, often working on behalf of Nature. Who is he in your world? Could it be you?

The Stars Align for Mabon

Tuesday, the Sun moves into the sign of Libra. This threshold of 0º Libra is the celebration of Harvest Home or Mabon as it is called in many Craft traditions, for it is the Equinox.

Our Knight is an apt representative of this holy day, when we pause to assess what we have been given and then offer thanks. Not a syrupy or performative kind of gratitude, but from the deep-in-the-bones appreciation of what your physical reality in this life is worth to you.

With Autumn arriving in the Northern Hemisphere and Spring beginning below the equator, our world news astrologer expert Elisabeth Grace explains:

What you need to know about the first day of any season  — i.e., equinoxes and solstices — from an astrological point of view. The first days of Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter correspond with the first day (or first degree) of Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn, respectively (there are thirty degrees in each sign of the zodiac). Got that? Good.

These four signs are called cardinal signs. Cardinal signs initiate. They come up with the idea and put it into action, which leads to necessary change. “Cardinal” suggests (from the Latin root of the word), “that on which something turns or depends.”  So the first day/degree of a Cardinal sign is a turning point. In astrology, the technical term for the first degree of any Cardinal sign is the “Aries Point”, just to confuse people who are not professional astrologers. In other words, the first day of Cancer, Libra, Capricorn and Aries is the Aries Point.

And as famed astrologer Robert Wilkinson adds, in his comprehensive article regarding this Equinox:

This is an excellent time for looking at what has ended and what is emerging. We up North have done our Summer labor, and are reaping the harvest of what we’ve done and not done. In the Southern latitudes, they’re beginning to plant the seeds that will grow over the next 180 days.

Gazing out across the fields, holding up his auguring Pentacle, the Knight would agree.

Remember, though, the Knight of Pentacles is an action hero; we just aren’t seeing him in motion at this particular moment. But that doesn’t mean he’s not readying himself to charge.

And on Saturday the Full Harvest Moon arrives in Aries. Our magical friend Diotima Mantineia has promised an in-depth astrological assessment. Based on her preliminary suggestions found in her Autumn Equinox essay, I recommend that you subscribe, or at least keep checking her site. There is a lot going on that you will want to be aware of as the Moon illuminates our plans for the new season.

Roll Up Your Sleeves and Prepare Now

Because this Knight never starts something he isn’t determined to finish, he can be cautious and take a long while to make up his mind (a characteristic that Libra people can relate to).

A hard worker, he has tremendous stamina and dedication. Every job is always completed down to the tiniest particular. He never multitasks or leaves anything dangling unfinished. He’s careful and prudent, never wasteful.

Work comes first for him and he can be inflexible about each precise component. He doesn’t much like change or risk and might sometimes tend towards pessimism (in the name of being “realistic”).

This week, take a long, clear look at what is of value to you.

Financial experts have been sounding the alarm since the Tyrantosaurus started his inexplicable war with Iran in February. But while many of the worst scenarios have not played out (yet), indicators are still pointing to a fragile economy as the stranglehold in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine drag on. Especially with diesel fuel skyrocketing.

Now would be the time to make a budget, especially with the holidays looming in the not-so-distant future. And then stick to it. Revise your investments, reconsider where you shop, and prepare for the darker months ahead. Make sure that, as much as possible, who you give your hard-earned money to is in harmony with your personal values.

And take this week as an opportunity to find new ways to take better care of your greatest resource–your health. The Knight likes to launch new programs, and this is a great time to boost your self-care habits.

And as flu season looms and Covid cases are on the increase, be sure your immunizations are up-to-date. There are some very troubling astrological indicators for this Autumn season, so this Knight would urge you to make sure you are immunized against the most deadly contagions. And don’t forget your kids. No matter what Secretary Brain Worm is telling people, deadly measles is spreading—and frighteningly fast. Make sure you and your kids are protected.

Roots Down. Branches Up.

This knight’s challenge is to know when to be swift, flexible, and more lighthearted when needed. But his gift is to demonstrate how to be more prudent and persistent. He shows us how important it is to slow down and focus.

As many of my colleagues are reporting, there is a sense of fell changes in the wind. We are sensing omens, disturbing restlessness, and a pressing need to take extra care to stay grounded.

Our visitor this week would agree, urging us to care for our resources, pay attention to work, home, and health, and be ready to share what we have with gratitude and care. Be prepared. Be generous. Steady on.

May the Knight of Pentacles offer you his blessings of abundance, patience, and care as we cross this threshold into the season of longer nights and shorter days.