Element: Air
Mode: Cardinal
Gender: Masculine
Modern Ruler and traditional ruler: Venus
Anatomy & Illnesses: Kidneys, diabetes, and parts of the body that maintain balance

Glyph
Libra’s glyph conveys the concept of balance in a number of ways. Firstly, it represents a set of scales, indicating balance, justice and harmony. Second, it depicts the sun on the horizon again showing the theme of balance, for when the sun is either rising or setting there is equal balance between day and night, light and dark. Finally the glyph more subtly reminds us of the balance between self (subjective reality) and others (objective reality) – the bottom line is passive/internal whereas the top line is pushing up into what’s external.

Astronomy
Libra’s geometric parallelogram appears to sit just in front of the Scorpion constellation. The brightest stars in Libra are Zuben El Genubi and Zuben Eschamali, originally forming the claws of the Scorpion, but now forming the Scales. The zodiacal constellation of Libra was separated from Scorpio in Roman times. In both northern and southern hemispheres, Libra is best seen at midnight in the midheaven when the Sun is in Aries during March and April.

Theme/Quality

• Libra, the seventh zodiac sign, has always been associated with the change of seasons when the Sun is at its balance point in the sky – from summer to autumn (autumn equinox) in the northern hemisphere, and from winter to spring (spring equinox) in the southern hemisphere.
• After the harvest time, represented by the preparation and diligence of Virgo, Libra has time for other things – relating, socialising and enjoying.
• Libra loves beauty, art, and aesthetics.
• Libra represents the need to know oneself fully through relationship with others, preferring to spend time socialising or in partnership to being alone.
• Libra is just and fair, concerned with democracy, and good at mediating, negotiating and creating meeting points.
• Libra exists in a liminal state, aware of the inner and the outer simultaneously, while holding the energy of both.
• Libra can see all options and finds choice and decision-making difficult.
• Libra seeks to create balance through harmonizing polarities – e.g. yin and yang, spiritual and material, male and female, ideal and real, inner and outer.
• Whereas Aries (Libra’s opposite sign) is primarily concerned with ‘I/me’, Libra is concerned with ‘We/us’.

Traits
Social, refined, balanced, graceful, open-minded, indecisive, diplomatic, co-operative, considerate, peace-loving, fair, inconsistent, just, wise, logical, judging, charming, diplomatic, tactful, vain, superficial, dependent.