GLYPH MEANING The scales symbolize the fair and objective nature of Libra.
ARCHETYPES The charmer. The diplomat. The judge.
DATES September 22–October 24*
HOUSE Seventh
POLARITY Positive
MODALITY Cardinal
ELEMENT Air
PLANETARY RULER Venus
*the dates represent the first and the last possible day when the Sun can be in Libra and may vary slightly depending on the year
CHARACTERISTICS
Libra is the seventh sign of the zodiac. As the second air sign, Libra represents a calm – a state of perfect balance in nature. In the sign of Libra, the soul is learning the art of compromise and building personal relationships. Libra helps the soul develop these traits with their intellect and excellent social graces.
The fact that Libra is right in the middle of the zodiac suggests that this sign encompasses a balance of masculine and feminine energy. As a consequence, this sign has an androgynous nature. Libra women are feminine but at the same time rational, logical, detached, which are typically considered “masculine” qualities. Libra men have typically “feminine” qualities, such as tactfulness, charm, and refinement. In general, Libra likes to be around amiable people and appreciates harmonious environments. Balance in their surroundings makes them feel balanced and grounded.
Libra is the only astrological sign that is represented by an object, which points to Libra's neutrality and objectivity. The object itself makes that very clear since it is a set of scales - the symbol of judgment. Libra’s impartial character makes them strong advocates of justice and fairness. Blessed with a combination of intelligence and grace, they are the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove. No other sign makes a more natural peacemaker, diplomat negotiator, or counselor. They are typically very sweet, kind, and graceful, as well as easy to be around, light, and cheerful. At the same time, they have a rational, logical, sensible, and analytical mind. They are intellectuals and great conversationalists, who enjoy debating with others and exchanging ideas. They are also good at finding common ground with others because they are primarily interested in relating to other people and interacting with the world around them. They have a talent for connecting people, which makes them excellent (relationship) matchmakers.
Libra has a refined aesthetic sensibility and loves culture in all its forms. They greatly enjoy food, beauty, luxury, and cultural or social events. They are also typically very artistic. They appreciate art from an intellectual side because they enjoy abstract ideas, conceptual art, reading, and learning. Harmony and balance are especially appealing to them, and they like the idea of combining seemingly incompatible elements.
In relationships, Libra is the ultimate romantic. Since they are here to experience relationships, this is a constant theme in their lives. Sometimes, however, they are more in love with the idea of being in a relationship than their partner, which means they often get disappointed in love. in general, they tend to be serial monogamists. Their primary purpose is learning how to establish relationships with others, which is why they never stay single for too long.
On the negative side, Libra is too idealistic. Their constant search for perfection can make them only see what they want to see and ignore reality. Sometimes they like the way something looks on the outside and they don't care to look deeper. Vanity and shallowness are a logical consequence of such behavior. They can also be frivolous and a little lazy, preferring fun and enjoyment to responsibility and seriousness.
Emotionally, Libra can be somewhat detached because their intellect gets in the way sometimes. Their emotions can be shallow, and sometimes they stay in a relationship for the wrong reasons, either because they are somehow benefitting from the relationship or because they are with a desirable partner. Often it's only because they don't want to be alone. Their attachment can be fleeting, and they only stay until someone better comes along. Sometimes they are insincere, and little white lies are very common with them, but only because they care about being nice and keeping cordial relations with others. They can also be manipulative, either to attract a partner or to keep a relationship going. Sometimes they have issues with codependence and wanting to be popular and well-liked.
Another common issue for Libra is vacillation. Decision making is a complicated process for Libra because they want to make everyone happy, as well as preserve harmony and peace. Often they find it easier to go with whatever the other person wants, and they compromise to keep the peace and to prevent fights or hurt feelings. These people-pleasing tendencies also cause them to bend the truth a little instead of being honest, however, glossing over problems causes them a lot of unhappiness in the long run, so they should try their best to avoid these tendencies.
The most important life lesson Libra has to learn is related to their need to be accepted by everyone. Since they are here to learn about relationships, they often try too hard to get along with everyone. They put a lot of effort into establishing a relationship with another person and forging a bond, and they often do too much to make it work. They know that a certain amount of give and take is necessary, so they try their hardest to be accommodating and cooperative, however, they often take it too far, and go from compromising to completely giving up what they want to make the other person like them. The reason for this is their secret fear that they are not enough. They worry that if they push too hard for what they want, the other person will not want to stay around.
Libra needs to look to its opposite sign Aries and learn that we must know who we are before we can connect to another person. For that, we have to work on ourselves first. Aries understands that we must develop our individuality before we can be in a relationship with another. In a relationship, two individuals come together to learn about balancing their wants, needs, and desires with those of another person. This exchange requires two separate identities coming together and blending equally, learning from each other, and balancing out each other's inadequacies. If one person doesn't have anything to offer, this kind of exchange is impossible. The only thing that can happen is that the other person is going to swallow them and become the entire equation. If Libra doesn't know who they are or what they want, they don't have anything to offer to the other person, they can only lose themselves in their partner. This is why Libra should first figure out who they are as an individual. Only then, they can establish healthy relationships in which they are contributing one equal half. If they know who they are, they know their values and their needs before they start compromising. When it's time to find the middle ground, they will know how far they are prepared to go. As a result, their relationships will be more balanced and more fulfilling for them because they will be an addition to Libra’s life, not their entire identity. Libra can become their best self when they learn that compromising means meeting the other person halfway, not on the other side.
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