Libra is the sign of Venus’s domicile, Saturn’s exaltation, the Sun’s fall and Mars’s detriment. These dignities alone provide a sound basis for understanding its symbolism in the personality of a native whose chart gives Libra prominence. In the Saturnian type, kindness and sociability are only apparent: they are not a mask concealing a passionate face, but a gentleness that allows a sharp spear to penetrate with the least resistance. Libra understands that blunt honesty is the worst means of pursuing a concealed purpose. It also possesses one of the greatest qualities: the ability to weigh everything precisely, never attempting to use force without first considering the balance of forces. Libra never acts unless every condition is exactly right. It is Libra that notices a problem and sets about correcting it. Libra is the most effective of all the signs of the zodiac because it acts consistently in accordance with the laws of nature. It never tries to intrude where it has no business, although others may think otherwise. It has calculated every possibility, and as events unfold, it will become clear that peace was its aim.
When the active elements of the horoscope occupy weak and passive signs, leaving no driving force, this concern for justice can lead to inactivity. Libra then spends all its time weighing things up, postponing action until a tomorrow that never comes. Some of the most ineffectual human beings have been born with this sign rising. The mind is so finely balanced that no thought arises without its opposite also suggesting itself. This quality gives Libra an extraordinary breadth of mind and a universal tolerance free from prejudice. Only the most active types can draw everything together and formulate a plan—one that combines the widest possible range of elements while remaining in harmony with their personal purpose—and put it into practice. A contemplative mind is very common among those born with this Ascendant.
Alongside its devotion to balance and harmony, Libra is devoted to beauty. These people are particularly disturbed by untidiness, ugliness and disorder. The Libran is highly sensitive; an upheaval such as war causes him the greatest possible anguish of spirit. He finds consolation in one thing. He tells himself that the old civilisation was dreadful, a source of misery and ugliness, and that renewal and change require the building to be razed to the ground and its foundations laid anew. His final judgement is that war is a necessary spiritual preparation for the establishment of a new era, built upon true foundations of beauty. In short, just as a storm results from an intolerable accumulation of potential energy, so the commercial and political distortions caused by overpopulation have found their release through war. This line of reasoning is highly characteristic of those with Libra rising. Every Libran instinct opposes violence, yet he will perceive it as a necessary herald of peace and give it his seal of approval.
The Libran is supremely trustworthy because he never allows personal views to become entangled with abstract ideals. If he commits a sin, it will be because he enjoys it, and he will seek no excuses. He will never deceive himself by confusing an action belonging to the body with a thought proper to the mind. If he eats meat, no argument about the sanctity of the cow will prevent him from eating a steak. In other words, he allows each part of his being to fulfil its own function according to its own nature.
Where money is concerned, Libra’s outlook is too broad to regard any single factor in the matter as important, while the airy nature of the sign runs counter to the earthiness of money. Nevertheless, his mathematical abilities are considerable, and when obliged to concern himself with financial matters, he is surprisingly precise.
The native has a particular gift for charm in speech and writing. Gentle, subtle and persuasive, he manages to carry out his intentions under a generous cloak of fairness. This type is decidedly hypocritical, but Libra instinctively feels that all is fair in love and war, and that the end justifies the means. These people are prone to dangerous controversies. They win sympathy with great skill, but their polished manner often irritates opponents until they lose their temper and place themselves at a disadvantage. Once the native has an opponent at his mercy, he can point out, with tears in his eyes, that he has been abused or mistreated, and that his opponent’s fury is merely further proof that the opponent is in the wrong.
The Libran gets along well at home thanks to his charm, manners and ability to accomplish things so subtly that no one notices. Yet he is not especially attached to the home, and although a break with the family is rare, his domestic instincts are nowhere near as strong as those of Taurus or Cancer.
In love, Libra is perhaps the most interesting temperament in the zodiac. As a cardinal air sign, Libra is decidedly masculine; as the house of Venus, it is also feminine. As a rule, the sexual nature is strongly developed, something attributed to this mingling of the sexes. Given all this, it is not unusual to find the Libran an expert in every matter of love. He instinctively understands the nature of other human beings, and his adaptability allows him to draw close to another person effortlessly. He takes particular pleasure in this, owing to his instinctive desire to rule others. With certain planetary combinations, homosexuality may develop. The Libran of this type is often highly lustful, yet at the same time refined to the utmost degree. Even where sensuality is pronounced, there is no vulgarity whatsoever. He regards love not as a matter of appetite, but as an art. Moreover, passionate though these people are, they are not especially capable of love within the limits defined by romantic literature. They rarely “live happily ever after”, for the idea of lifelong fidelity is not particularly congenial to them. Indeed, they are less happy in marriage than under conditions of greater freedom and fewer responsibilities. They are endowed with every quality calculated to please, together with considerable tact; nevertheless, for many types there come times in marriage when the partner is subjected to a searching critical analysis that few could withstand.
The Libran type is fond of children and enjoys playing with them. He will treat them fairly, with kindness and tenderness, understand their nature and never tyrannise them. He will not spoil them, and is quite capable of foreseeing a possible career for them and carefully preparing them for it. One could readily argue that this is the best parent a child could have.
Libra is so detached that it is often fascinating to observe how these natives face adversity. The Libran will endure enormous difficulties to achieve a particular result, yet even if he fails, he derives almost equal intellectual satisfaction from analysing the forces that shaped the outcome. His failure is simply another factor in the problem. Very often he will begin again and, thanks to that earlier failure, succeed in a way that would not have been possible at first. In business, these people take a conservative, commonsensical approach, yet one entirely free from prejudice against new ideas. His judgement is shrewd and his tactics ingenious, but we rarely find him enterprising. He has no interest in competition; his mind simply cannot devote itself solely to the race for money.
The less developed types can indeed be superficial and readily adopt other people’s ideas. Yet when the sign is well dignified, we find a meticulousness of judgement, an ability to weigh evidence and a capacity to reconcile apparently incompatible things that are immensely valuable to further progress. Libra is extraordinarily eclectic. It refuses to move forwards until it has first taken stock of the past. Anyone characterised by this quality will never be one-sided or excessively specialised, though this too can be a drawback.