Libra - from the Box of Stars

Balance, moderation, harmony, beauty, justice, peace, relationship,
diplomacy, adaptability, culture, civilisation

The days and nights are of equal length, and so in the balance, or scales, which belonged to the Roman goddess of justice, when the Sun moves into Libra at the Autumn equinox.

The Sun in Libra

With the Sun in sociable and easy-going Libra, the sign that rules our one to one relationships with others, you need other people to feel whole and balanced. Your charm and grace, for which Librans are well-known, mean that, for the most part, you have no problem fitting in with those around you. But you can also find it hard to make decisions, as you always see both sides of the picture. For as Libra is an intellectual air sign, you also love to analyze emotion and you have a real sixth sense for all the subtler aspects of your own and other people's feelings.

With your good taste and eye for beauty, pleasant surroundings are essential to you and you will go to enormous lengths to avoid ugliness or conflict, as Libra is the zodiac's diplomat and justice, peace and harmony, sometimes at any price, are Libra's goals.

Libra is the second of the intellectual air signs, and the only abstract symbol amongst the zodiac of living beings.

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The Myths and Legends of Libra

Libra, the Golden Scales, the only abstract symbol amongst the zodiac of living beings, is an age old symbol of justice, harmony and balance.

The Goddess of Justice

The Romans claimed to have created Libra from the ancient Scorpion's claws. They gave the scales to Astraea, the goddess of justice, who had left the earth in disgust and now shines in the sky as Virgo, but their true origin dates back to around 2000 BC. For this was the season of the year in Babylon which was connected with the weighing of souls and with the judgement of the living and the dead. Day and night are equal at the autumn equinox, when the sun passes through Libra, and the zodiac, and the year, and so mens' souls, are in the balance.

Although they glittered in the skies of ancient Egypt, their presence was not again recorded until they were mysteriously reinvented by the star-gazers of Rome. In between, these stars were seen as the Scorpion's claws.

The stars of Libra were also seen as an altar on a mound, connected with the Tower of Babel, in the distant past, and as the lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, which appeared as a great lamp clasped between the Scorpion's claws.

Venus, Ruler of Libra

Born from the white foam of the sea, Venus is the goddess of beauty, love and pleasure. The brightest of the planets, known to us as both the Evening and the Morning Star, belongs to her. It governs harmony, friendship, affection and relatedness of every kind - as well as sensuality and lust. Its position at birth shows how you love, and whom.

While the Moon is the symbol of the mother, and of all maternal love and caring, the love goddess, Venus, is a beautiful young woman.

Venus's sign and house position, as well as the links it makes to other planets, show how you attract others to you and your attitude towards romance. It softens any planet that it touches. In a woman's chart, its sign reveals your type of femininity and sexuality, while in a man's chart it indicates what kind of woman you are drawn to. It also shows what you find beautiful, harmonious and desirable and what gives you pleasure. Venus also rules the arts and music.

The Stars

Libra's second star, Zubeneschamali, is one of the only green stars in the sky which can be seen clearly without a telescope. The round pattern of the constellation was thought to represent the circular altar of early times.

To Locate

Libra, which lies between Virgo and Scorpio on the celestial zodiac, lies north of Centaurus and south of the head of Serpens. It is best seen looking south in summer in the northern hemisphere and looking north in autumn and winter from the South.

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