Harmonious vibrations: How to do Libra season right in Brooklyn

By Paula Henderson

Mirror mirror on the wall, which is the fairest Zodiac sign of all? To be fair, it’s Libra, the sign devoted to achieving equanimity and equilibrium — the latter even shares a linguistic root.

As we ushered in the seventh month of the astrological calendar and bid Virgo season (and the accompanying Mercury and Leo retrogrades) adieu, we found ourselves poised at the exact midpoint of our annual zodiacal journey with the September 23 equinox, which tipped us into lengthier nighttimes. And, naturally, autumn. Libra is the master of the tipping point, inherently knowing how far to push without ever going too far.

Put off by conflict, aggression and vulgarity, the elegant souls who arrived on earth during the sun’s transit of Libra diplomatically tiptoe around the rest of us in their quest for harmonious vibrations and peaceful, serene atmospheres. Angels and demons may be at play within, but Libra synthesizes opposing forces to create the smoothest of all exteriors.

Ruled by the planet Venus, Libra corresponds to the seventh astrological house. Planet, sign and house are all relational, and govern one-on-one relationships  not just the sexy kind, although certainly those too (excluding throuples or the orgiastic variety). Think partnerships — marital, professional, familial — wherever the dynamic is dualistic, the duo dynamic, you have a Libra situation.

Symbolized by the two sides of the alchemist’s scales, the Libra process is about finding the sweet spot between two polarities. This balancing takes skills such as being able to listen, compromise, consider the opposite viewpoint, or at least being able to create the illusion of doing so, a handy propensity up many a Libra’s sleeve.

So how do we seek the most harmonious vibes in Brooklyn this first month of Autumn?

Go leaf peeping
As is so often the case, astrological symbolism is rooted in nature. Those of us lucky enough to find ourselves in a part of the world where the four seasons that are the cornerstones of the tropical zodiac still basically show up when they’re supposed to need only look out the window into many a Brooklyn backyard or stroll on a tree lined street to behold the spectacular hues of the falling leaves.

Of course, our beloved Prospect Park delivers the best display in town, where daily visitors are already noticing the bursts of color signaling the season change in some of over 175 varieties of tree. Similar displays of transitional foliage can be enjoyed at parks throughout the borough. Fort Greene Park invites visitors to learn as they leaf peep with this Fort Greene Tree Trail Map to help identify each variety of leaf. For a waterside autumnal stroll, head to Owl’s Head Park just north of Bay Ridge, which offers spectacular views of the New York Harbor and Manhattan skyline for those who cannot bear to lose sight of it. Naturally, Brooklyn Botanic Garden is in sync with the cosmos, offering the most curated autumnal leaf peeping ops.

Have a dualistic day
In many ways, Brooklyn is the most duplicitous borough in New York, offering many of the trappings of urban satisfaction alongside quiet, folksy neighborhoods. Here ultra-modern shiny high-rises co-exist with historic 100-year-old homes. The Libra in your life (or in your mirror) may present a plethora of paradoxes, as all Libra roads lead to crossroads, bringing us perpetually back to the weighing up of everything on the scale, from haute to humble, wholesome to sleazy, the sublime to the ridiculous.

Spend a duplicitous day with a significant other — doesn’t have to be your boo — in Brooklyn and you’ll be doing Libra right. For example, you could go Pumpkin Picking at Green Meadows Farm at the very end of Flatbush Avenue on a Saturday (or Sunday) afternoon and then sneak out to the Dirty Circus at House of Yes (Saturday, September 30; Friday, October 6; and Saturday, October 14) after dark.

Start that evening off with posh sunset bespoke libations and eclectic Asian-inspired light bites at Harriet’s Rooftop Bar at The 1 Hotel, Brooklyn Bridge, while savoring those world-class views which happen to be in our backyard. Then swing by Kellogg’s Diner after the Dirty Circus for a late-night greasy-spoon breakfast (they have gluten-free pancakes, you can get good syrup across the street at Sunac or around the corner at Hana). Whether or not you stay up all night and hit a worship service Sunday morning, you can fall asleep knowing you’ve integrated some of the extreme social possibilities Brooklyn has to offer, doing your bit to find balance this Libra season.

Get cuffed
As stated above and all over Instagram, as well as in ancient astrology texts, Libra season is about one-on-one relationships. It is, after all, cuffing season. If you’re single, try one of the various speed dating events which are apparently going on all the time in Brooklyn. Kula Yoga offers Tantra Speed Date to help you find that special someone to awaken your kundalini on October 7 and October 14, and if you’re open to a non-monogamous encounter with a spooky stranger, Wandering Eyes presents their Spooky Strangers Drink and Draw event at Lovejoy’s, 412 Troutman Street in Bushwick. Raw Honey presents QTBIPOC speed dating for over 30s at Emblem on Graham Avenue on Thursday, September 28 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Make time for tȇte-a-tȇte
Once you’ve found someone or are focusing on spending one-on-one time with a someone you found long ago this Libra season, you’ll be ready for a tête-à-tête — technically a private conversation between two people. So Libra. So Venusian. So French, in which the term they gave the world literally means “head to head.” You could get a table for two at the Tȇte-a-Tȇte cafe in Sheepshead Bay on East 14th Street, a cherished local eatery, which is open from early morning to late night and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and all the coffees, pastries and amazing hookahs in between.

For something more symbolic, you could join me in celebrating the semi-centennial Libra solar return of one of my personal partners in musical crime, the one and only ubiquitous Smoota, trombonist extraordinaire, sideman to the stars and leader of several of his own combos. The Smoota Tȇte-a-Tȇte, who will be playing at LunÀtico in Bed-Stuy on October 11.

Learn to sing or strum in perfect harmony
Most of us will never attain a set of Dolly Parton pipes in this lifetime, but almost all of us can have a good time trying. If you’ve always wanted to sing or play an instrument but haven’t yet found the time or moxie, Libra season is really a great time to think about taking some music lessons. While we are all subject to the vibrational hum of the celestial bodies in our solar system — even though we can’t hear it — music is the earthly gift that connects us to those otherworldly harmonies. Most people I’ve ever met are somehow interested in it.

Naturally Brooklyn is home to some of the best music teachers in the world. Here you can take one-on-one lessons with world class musicians and vocalists. For singing and movement, Brooklyn performer, author and educator Pyeng Threadgill offers “The Voice Starter Lesson.” Jalopy Theatre’s music school in Gowanus near the Red Hook border offers all sorts of classes for all comers. Choose from between banjo lessons, harmonizing for all levels, plain old jamming 101 and more. If you feel more called to pick up an instrument to explore harmony, guitar is a popular one, and virtuoso Ben Tyree offers one-on-one guitar lessons for students of all levels in his home in Prospect Heights, or yours. And many musicians you see playing on a Brooklyn bandstand are approachable and will give lessons if asked. Pick one who resonates with you and give it a whirl!

Come get a free reading
Maybe it’s the Libra in my 10th house, but my very favorite part of practicing astrology is the one-on-one consultations; I also love doing relationship readings for couples. If you’d like a free Zodiac Quickie reading (great if you want to know about how your power trio, sun, moon and rising signs work together), I’ll be at Other People’s Clothes, 333 Troutman Street in Bushwick on Thursday, October 12 from 5 to 9 p.m. for Cosmic Self, a special event at which you can shop for unique upcycled clubwear couture made by Reeno for OPC Market, and sex toys and tinctures by Safe Slut. Deck yourself out for your dualicious day!

Meantime, listen to my two-part part harmonies Zodiac Soundtrack playlist for Libra season, or join me in person at Night of Joy under the Aries Full Moon on September 28 for more Libra-themed sounds.