OCTOBER 2019 39
T
hanks to the zodiacal sign of Libra,
which spans September 23-October
23, the autumn season is always
a powerhouse time of year. The Fall
Equinox, which marks the Sun’s entrance
into Libra, occurs this year at 3:49 a.m.
EDT on September 23. Libra is classified
as a Cardinal Air sign symbolized by
the balancing scales of justice, though
in classical times it was associated with
a shopkeeper’s weighing scales that
determined how much an item cost.
Let’s take a close look at the sign of
Libra. Many years ago, I remember seeing
actress Angie Dickinson on one of the
episodes of The Merv Griffin Show, a
well-known talk show that ran in various
formats on broadcast television from 1962
to 1986. Merv Griffin, a Cancer who was
born July 6, 1925, was a great believer
in astrology, and often talked about the
subject with his guests. Angie Dickinson,
born on September 30, 1931, said that
she was a Libra and, to paraphrase, that
she was all love and hearts and flowers.
Although these are keywords associated
with Libra, it is actually one of the more
complex signs of the zodiac, one defined
by distinct astrological signatures that are
often at odds with each other.
Libra is ruled by Venus, the planet that
governs love, beauty, and money, and as a
result those people who have the big three
(Sun, Moon, or rising sign) placed there
are often blessed with physical beauty,
charm, grace, poise, and good fortune.
Venus gives Librans a deep appreciation of
all that is beautiful, artistic, and luxurious.
At the same time, it can incline them to be
somewhat snobbish and superficial, and
even at times narcissistic.
As Venus provides the ability to
navigate a variety of social situations, anaura of charisma goes along with Libra
people, wherever they go and whatever
they do. Venus energy is the main reason
Libra is in charge of romantic matters,
as well as the patron of marriage and
other long-term commitments, but Venus
is also the source of artistic tendencies
and interests as well. People of this sign
often have artistic and musical talent, are
knowledgeable about the art world, and
love going to concerts, art galleries, and
museums.
The classification of Libra as a Cardinal
sign, along with Aries, Cancer, and
Capricorn, is due to a modality defined
by its ability to initiate projects and move
forward on them. It is an active quality,
even at times aggressive, so those people
who are influenced by any of the four
Cardinal signs tend to be ambitious and
goal-oriented. They want to own their
own companies, make a lot of money,
and move far away from the modest
neighborhoods where they started life,
perhaps to an exclusive gated community,
or perhaps to a mansion. So as peaceful as
their Venus nature might make people of
this sign in many situations, when a Libra
sets his or her sights on succeeding in life,
that seemingly sweet-tempered sign can
become quite ruthless.
The first degree of each Cardinal
sign represents one of the four seasons,
Aries, the Spring Equinox; Cancer, the
Summer Solstice; Libra, the Fall Equinox;
and Capricorn, the Winter Solstice. As
a result, each of these signs imparts its
own formidable Cardinal vibrations to the
season it begins.
Libra is not just a Cardinal sign, but
is also of the Air element, along with
Gemini and Aquarius. The Air element
represents mental ability, communication,