Drawing by Philip Galiga 
written by for Venus Rising Magazine
Libra 07 Issue
Libra is the seventh sign of the zodiac, symbolized by Aphrodite (known to the Romans as Venus), the goddess of love, and its natural element is air. The energy of Libra is relational, social, and diplomatic. Libra rules beauty and the arts, and gives us a sense of aesthetics. A typical Libra motto is “We are, therefore I am.”
Drawing by Philip Galiga
Libras are always making comparisons and weighing the options. Libra gives us our social consciousness and helps us see the other side of the story. Because of this, Libras encourage us to be giving and fair. Libras are so aware of the views of others that they often have a hard time expressing anger or sticking up for their side.
Libras tend to have a softness about them that is very attractive. They also have a strong need to be surrounded by beauty and often take great care in picking out furniture, clothing, and accessories. They either have artistic ability or a great love of the arts.
Justice and equanimity are also very important to Libras, and they tend to gravitate toward careers in law, social services, or the arts.
When balanced, Libra shows us the beauty in understanding and giving to others. Libra offers us a sense of community and a social consciousness. Thus we are able to experience the joy of sharing and the ecstasy of loving relationships.
When unbalanced, Libras feel guilty, let others take advantage of their good will, and they don’t advocate for their own needs. More than any other sign, a Libra can be passive, harbor resentments, feel terribly victimized, and then manipulate behind the scenes to get what they want. Libras also have a tendency to “project” their imperfections onto their partner and then try to fix them.
When the sun is in Libra, expect to feel a need to be liked, to focus on relationships, and to be surrounded by beauty. Depending on where Libra is in your chart, you may either feel irritated by the quality of your relationships or inspired creatively and socially.
Venus is the planetary ruler of Libra (Venus also rules Taurus). The glyph for Venus is the universal symbol for female, bringing to mind a woman with open arms.
The placement of Venus in the birth chart tells us about our relationships, the type of person we fall in love with, and the way we want to be loved. For example, someone with Venus in Sagittarius would want relationships to have a spiritual or educational component and would need their partner to understand their independent and restless nature.
To find out where Libra and Venus reside in your natal chart, go to create your birth chart and enter your birth date, time of birth, and place of birth.
© 2008 Venus Rising Magazine