Libra Zodiac Sign
Libra Dates: September 23 – October 22
Symbol: The Scales
Mode + Element: Cardinal Air
Ruling Planet: Venus
House: Seventh
Mantra: I Relate
Body Parts: Lower Back & Kidneys
Colors: Ivory, Pink, & Light Blue
Day: Friday
Greatest Overall Compatibility: Aries, Sagittarius
Lucky Numbers: 4, 6, 13, 15, 24
LIBRA TRAITS & OVERVIEW
Libra is the seventh sign of the zodiac, and it’s at this point in the zodiac that we start to see a shift. While the first six signs of the zodiac focus on the individual, the last six focus on the individual’s contact with others and with the world. The Libra zodiac sign is first and foremost focused on others and how they relate to them. We can call this the sign of Partnership with a capital ‘P’ because these folks do not want to be alone!
For a Libra, everything is better if it’s done as a pair. Libras are good when paired up, too, since they epitomize balance, harmony, and a sense of fair play. While they are true team players at work, their favorite partnership is at home: marriage. Libras feel most complete when they are coupled up with their lover, forever.
LIBRA SYMBOLISM + MYTH
The Libra zodiac symbol is the Scales, named for the stellar constellation this sign corresponded to by the astrologers of the old world. The astrological symbol of the Scales is associated with the goddess Themis, who ruled over justice and the law.
She was said to be the daughter of Uranus and Gaia, and has connections to Venus and Aphrodite in Greek and Roman myth. When Themis was placed in the heavens as a stellar constellation, she originally spanned two zodiac signs, with what we call Virgo comprising her body, and her scales of justice forming the sign fi.
LIBRA ELEMENT, MODE, AND SEASON
FALL
In the western tropical zodiac, Libra season begins at the Autumn Equinox, representing the “fall” in the Northern Hemisphere into the phase of the year when solar light will begin to diminish toward the Winter Solstice. Libra season begins on September 23 and ends on October 22. The Libra archetype is one of balance, equanimity, and equality, which is symbolized in the day of Autumn Equinox holding an equal measure of daylight, and nightfall.
CARDINAL MODE
Libra is the third of the four cardinal signs of the zodiac, who all hold an elemental, initiatory energy that marks the beginning of the four seasons. Libra begins the Autumn, the source of the Scales’ affinity for taking leadership in diplomacy and social justice.
AIR ELEMENT
Libra’s element is air; a light, dispersive element, thought by ancient astrologers to be an expression of matter that represents formlessness, adaptability, and dissolution. Libra’s affinity for ease in supporting social connections and exploring the world with grace and poise are akin to the active, flowing air element.
LIBRA PLANETARY RULERSHIP
DOMICILE OF VENUS
In astrology, Venus is the planetary ruler of both Libra and Taurus. Libra was thought to be the day, or diurnal home of Venus, while Venus found a nocturnal home in earthy and abundant Taurus.
In Libra, Venus has full affinity and potency in the harmonious archetype of this sign, being able to be as peaceful, diplomatic, and loving as a planetary force as she likes to be. Venus in Libra is found in the charts of elegant, graceful, and sociable people, that have a natural affinity for negotiating and expressing an artistic flair.
EXALTATION OF SATURN
In classical astrology, Saturn, the planet of duty and discipline, is thought to be exalted in Libra, whose fair, equanimous, and peaceable qualities blend well with Saturn’s stoic, discerning nature. This can present in the lives of those with Saturn in Libra in their birth charts as people who tend to be balanced and measured when it comes to expressing the Saturnian qualities of perseverance and good judgement. The theme of taking a calm, moderating role, and acting as a law-abiding authority may emerge in their lives.