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Libra:
24 September to 23 October
Element:
Air Sign (Intellect) - 2nd Decan of the Air Trilogy
Quality:
Cardinal (Leadership, Balance, Judgement)
Polarity:
Positive, Masculine, Yang (assertive, outgoing)
Symbology:
Libra is symbolised by the scales or balance and is the only sign of
the zodiac not symbolised by a living thing. This is symbolic in
itself as Libra is the "half way" point of the zodiac where
the signs no longer manifest themselves in a personal sense, but
begin to manifest in an "external" sense. Libra also
represents the Autumn Equinox (Northern) where day and night are of
equal length (and thus perfectly balanced). Seasonally it is the time
of change from the lushness and abundance of spring and summer to the
harshness and barrenness of winter. But before winter comes autumn
with all her glorious colours, fitting for the beauty associated with
Libra. The function of Libra in the chart is to weigh all that we do,
to evaluate all sides of an issue and to see what is needed to
maintain harmony. Libra represents the need for harmony, justice and
fairness and is where we seek meaningful relationship. Libra is the
newest of the constellations and was actually part of the
constellation of Scorpio, forming the claws.
Mythology:
Legend has it that Augustus Caesar made it a new constellation in
its own right as this was the time of his own birth. The scales are
the scales of Astraea, the Goddess of Innocence, who was the daughter
of Jupiter and Themis. During the Dark Ages as mankind rejected more
and more of his gods, the gods came down from Mt Olympus less and
less. The last one to leave humanity forever was Astraea who, until
she left, would weigh the good and evil of each person on her scales
and give her findings to Jupiter for judgement.
Glyph:
The glyph for Libra represents the balance or the setting sun
(similar to the Descendant which is the point where the sun sets).
Another interpretation is that the top part of the symbol shows the
higher nature of Libra, which is the completely objective state and
the point of perfect equilibrium. The lower half of the glyph stands
for matter and subjectivity. So the symbol can be seen as humanity's
striving for balance between his higher and lower Self. The house
ruled by Libra in the chart is where you must find balance, where you
need peace and harmony at all costs and where you strive for
objectivity and justice. It is where you prefer to have relationship
with a significant other (or others) and prefer to be part of a
partnership. Libra has a relationship with the 7th house as in its
quest for harmony, there is a need for someone or something complementary.
Ruling
Planet: Venus Colour: Pastels Gemstone: Opal
Body
Rulership: Libra rules the lower back, kidneys and adrenal glands,
fallopian tubes, urethras, the skin and sense of balance.
Keyword:
Co-operation Keyphrase: "I Balance"
Other
descriptive keywords for Libra: Positive:
Courteous, gracious, charming, objective, affectionate, co-operative,
diplomatic, artistic, enthusiastic, fair, gentle, agreeable,
sociable, compromising. Negative:
Indecisive, manipulating, misleading, inconstant, extreme,
superficial, vain, artificial, materialistic, dependent, slovenly,
weak, compromising
Libra
often feels incomplete without a partner and will seek to please in
order to maintain peace and harmony. His desire to be in a
relationship will often lead him to put up with unacceptable
behaviour rather than be on his own. His sense of self worth is
dependent on other people's opinions of him, and he will ensure that
he is well liked by being charming, gracious and manipulative. His
worst fault is his indecisiveness - asking him where he would like to
go for dinner or what movie he would like to watch is like asking him
to find the solution to world peace! Because of his ability to see
all sides of an issue, his desire to please and not to ruffle
feathers, Libra finds it hard to make difficult decisions and thus is
a terrible procrastinator. He has a head-heart dilemma, which also
adds to his indecisiveness.
Libra
instinctively understands people and their motivations, and thus are
natural psychologists. He makes an excellent diplomat and counsellor
because of his ability to view all aspects of the situation
impartially and he uses natural charm and courtesy to ensure harmony
is the outcome of any negotiations he undertakes. He may use flattery
as a weapon and can be very insincere and manipulative. He may also
use justification as an excuse for bad behaviour. Libra's most
noticeable feature is that he cannot function on his own - he always
needs, if not a full-on relationship, at least someone with whom he
can share his ideas and plans. In appearance, Libra is usually
attractive, not necessarily beautiful or handsome but pleasant
looking. He often has hazel eyes and fair colouring with an
attractive body. He either has lovely skin or very bad skin and his
mannerisms are usually elegant and sophisticated. He has very good
fashion sense and is charming in his approach. Libra is ruled by
Venus, but whereas the Taurus Venus has an emphasis on beauty of
surroundings, the Libran Venus is more about relationships. Libra has
an affinity with the opposition aspect.
Allegory:
"To you Libra I give the mission of service that man may be
mindful of his duties to others. That he may learn co-operation as
well as the ability to reflect the other side of actions. I will put
you every where there is discord, and for your efforts I will give
you the gift of Love." And Libra stepped back into place.
(c)
Cecily Bazak
References:
(The above information was adapted and compiled from teacher’s
class notes, some of which comes from “The Only Way to Learn
Astrology Series”, (March and McEvers. Much of the information
on Mythology is from the Encyclopedia of Astrology (James Lewis),
Mythic Astrology (Guttman and Johnson) and Encyclopedia of Mythology
(Arthur Cotterell). |
