LIBRA
Libra claims seventh house space in the zodiac ranks and is a cardinal air sign of positive polarity ruled by Venus. As we know from past articles, the general rule for air is that it brings a mental/communicative attitude to the sign. Cardinal signs are the most action-oriented and Venus, of course, is all about beauty and love. So with all this we can imagine Librans will have the gift of charm and diplomacy, with the desire to create harmony and beauty around them. Justice and accord are key objectives for people of this open-minded sign. The symbol for Libra is the scales. Here balance, equality, equanimity and objectiveness are in place for the Libra person whose motto “I balance”.
This is the sign of partnership and Librans are at their best when paired up, in twos, like the balance of the scales. Libra is the sign of consultants, and professionals who work on a one-on-one basis with others. They work hard at striking the right balance in relationship and enjoy the camaraderie of exchanging insights and bouncing ideas around. Essential oils that stimulate creativity and bring out new ideas are rosemary, ginger, peppermint, melissa, frankincense, eucalyptus, cardamom, basil and lemongrass.
Librans tend to see themselves through other people. If they are around negative people, they absorb a negative view of themselves, which is why it is very important for Librans to have good people around them whom they can trust. Other people are like mirrors to Librans, shaping their image and enabling them to see either the most positive or most negative aspects of self. Choosing an optimistic life partner is crucial to a Libran. Marriage is fundamental in their lives and they are happiest cohabitating in a peaceful and intimate home. Essential oils that fill a place with harmony and peace are chamomile, lavender, cypress, rose, sandalwood, jasmine, geranium, neroli and clary sage.
Librans avoid conflict, something they abhor. This makes them very popular with others, but can also make them seem fickle and wishy-washy, as it seems they will agree with someone’s point of view whether it is their belief or not. Balance and harmony are so important to Libra, in that he may try to find equilibrium in a situation by creating a “false” harmony that exists merely on the surface of things, rather than acknowledging and directly addressing the source of the imbalance. This is especially harmful in close personal relationships. Libra has a primal fear of being disliked. So instead of saying anything, Libra will say “I don’t mind,” letting the tension build, even when it’s obvious that something is wrong. He can be very passive aggressive. This construct leans towards the possibility of being a ‘yes’ person in order to avoid confrontation. Essential oils that support a stronger sense of self and individuation are vetiver, helichrysum, frankincense, rose wood, rosemary, black pepper, cedarwood, pine and melissa.
Being ruled by Venus, Librans have a natural love of beauty and pleasure. But rather than seeing the beauty in materialistic objects, Librans more appreciate the beauty in other people. Grace, refinement and charm are Venus’s gifts, and Librans make graceful hosts and hostesses, decorators, artists. The other side of Venus is laziness. Sometimes you will find a Libra who is sloppy as the day is long. It’s just two sides of the same coin. But whichever side they are on, Librans are always charming and adept at saying the perfect thing at the exact moment it needs to be said. They enjoy surrounding themselves with fine art, but they are much happier amidst fine people, say at the opera, theatre or at a sophisticated cocktail party where they can schmooze with the best of them. Essential oils that bring out the best in a party situation are frankincense, patchouli, ylang ylang, rosemary, peppermint, bergamot, eucalyptus and lemon.
The trick to understanding the depth of any astrological sign is to understand that every sign contains a shadow of its polar opposite. Libra’s shadow sign is Aries, the me-first sign, sign of competition and confrontation. Diplomacy is a strong characteristic of the Libran who loathes injustice, cruelty and unpleasantness. So much so, that some Librans ironically become unpleasant and cruel themselves in confronting a perceived cruelty or miscarriage of justice. The Aries shadow shows itself. However, if Libra embraces the shadow and realizes that she also has within her the gifts of Aries—courage and straightforwardness—she becomes a powerful force for truth and goodness in her world. Essential oils that promote courage are cardamom, frankincense, marjoram, elemi, cypress, cedarwood, orange and helichrysum.
Libra’s gift is the ability to create mutually beneficial situations in which each contributor also benefits in kind from the exchange. Librans strive for fairness in their assessment of a situation. They usually can see both sides of a predicament and can problem solve with both opposing sides feeling as if they have won. So if you need to find justice, harmony, fairness and diplomacy, call on a Libra for and you’ll get to see all sides of the equation.
With thanks to Molly Cliborne for her wonderful insights and for her website north-node.com.