Libra

What is Libra like?

Libra is friendly, graceful and very good with people. They can calm a bad dinner party with one well-placed question. They notice who has been left out of the conversation, and they bring that person back in.

Fairness matters a great deal. Libra will give the waiter a fair hearing and the other side of the argument a fair hearing, and may still be weighing it all up on the way home. Do not mistake the politeness for softness. This is a sign that leads, and it can be very firm when something is unjust.

Beauty counts, too. Libra is the person who straightens the picture in someone else’s house. They care about how a room feels, how a sentence sounds and what goes with what, and they make the world a bit nicer to be in.

What are the weak spots of Libra?

Indecision is the old joke, and it has truth in it. A Libra can spend twenty minutes on a menu, because choosing one thing means saying no to the rest. This is not vagueness. They really can see the case for the soup.

Keeping the peace can also go too far. A Libra may agree in order to avoid a scene, then feel resentful later. People around them can be surprised to learn, months afterwards, that the Italian place was never really fine.

They also like being liked, and that can make them say yes too often. Three invitations for the same evening is a very Libra sort of problem. Learning to disappoint someone a little is the great task of this sign.

Who does Libra get on with?

Libra usually gets on best with the other air signs, Gemini and Aquarius, who love to talk things through. Leo and Sagittarius are good company too, since fire and air make for lively evenings. Aries, the opposite sign, can be a strong match: Aries decides, Libra smooths it over, and each secretly envies the other.

Earth and water signs can bring a depth that Libra enjoys but sometimes finds heavy. Cancer and Capricorn are fellow cardinal signs, so there may be a quiet contest over who is in charge. Sun signs are a small part of this, and the compatibility pages cover more of it.

What is Libra like at work?

Libra does well wherever people and good judgement come together. Law, mediation, diplomacy, design, fashion, human resources, counselling and the arts all tend to suit this sign. They are skilled at getting two people who disagree to sit down at one table.

They prefer to work with others, in pleasant surroundings. Conflict in the office costs them sleep. A Libra manager listens well and consults everyone, which is lovely, and may need a nudge to make the final call. As a colleague they remember the leaving card, and the cake.

How does Libra handle money?

Libra likes nice things and likes to be generous, so money can go on a good dinner, a lovely object or a gift for a friend. They are often sensible about it when they sit down to it, though they might put that off. Shared money is where they do best: they like an arrangement that feels fair to everyone, written down in a pleasant font.

What does the Libra symbol mean?

The symbol is the scales, and Libra is the only sign whose symbol is an object and not a living creature. In the old sky the scales were tied to the goddess of justice, who stands beside them in the form of Virgo. Some ancient star-watchers saw these stars as the claws of the scorpion next door. The glyph looks like a setting sun over a line, or a balance at rest.

Venus is the ruling planet of Libra, as it is of Taurus, but here it cares more about people than about comfort. That explains the charm. Follow its progress on the Libra horoscope, especially when Venus goes retrograde and old choices come back for review. To see what the rest of your sky adds, work out a free birth chart. You can take as long as you like to decide.