Libra is a sign that is particularly drawn to symmetry, equilibrium, and harmony. In fact, the main aim for those born under the scales is to harmonize with life itself. In the world of the symmetrical, we may marvel at the symmetry of a butterfly, the laws of nature, and the immense beauty of the world. And to the Libran, balance is pleasing to the heart, mind, and eyes. Symmetry naturally occurs through snowflakes, leaves, flowers, crystals, and the human body. The cultivation of beauty, art, and aesthetic appearances are bound up with all things that are in similarity (all ruled by the sign of Libra on those levels). Plus, there is also a great sense of what is harmonious, which can also be found in music, another pleasurable amusement. The term symmetry is Greek for ‘proportionality,’ similarity in the arrangement of its parts. Symmetry means equality and balance of the left and right. The mathematician Hermann Wey said, “man has always tried to ‘perceive’ and create order, beauty, and perfection”.
Libra’s name is Latin for weighing the scale. The Romans considered it a favored sign and associated it with the balanced seasons and equal length of both night and day. The constellation of Libra means “the balance of heaven” but most of it was taken up by the claw of death – Scorpius’ constellation invading its allotted space.
According to Mythic Astrology
The image of the scales or balance can be found in the myths of ancient Egypt, where the goddess Ma’at, guardian of justice, weighed the souls of the dead against a feather to determine how free they were of the burden of transgression…Libra, second of the airy signs, is relatively “new”, since it only made its appearance during the Hellenistic period, in the 3rd or 2nd century B.C.E. Before this, the claws of the Scorpio, which in Babylon were portrayed holding the Lamp of Illumination, encompassed this segment of the heavens. Scorpio is a sign of great passion and also vengeance, reflecting that instinctive sense of justice which demands an eye for an eye. Libra, evolving from its claws, reflects a willingness to use the faculty of reason to achieve a fair and objective judgement.
In this sign, it is said that the scales can swing wildly before a balance is achieved. In the end, though, Libra is the only sign of the zodiac which is symbolized by an inanimate object (steely and cold). Underneath all of their graciousness, likeability, and charm, is someone who will put personal feelings aside and will do what he/she thinks is the right thing. Diplomacy is an important aspect of the sign. On the whole, this is in order to achieve a greater balance. Libra thinks in ideals and about how everything should be, but this idealism can make ‘living in reality’ more difficult.
The Knot of Time: Astrology and Female Experience
The idealism of Libra makes it very hard for her in the real world which is disappointingly far from social harmony she envisages. People shock her by their aggression, intolerance, and willingness to spoil the greater pattern of harmony for their selfish concerns, and she is equally pained by this behaviour if she finds it within herself. …she hates quarrels and emotional storms which she regards as unproductive.
The zodiacal sign of Libra recognizes the essential need to create harmonious relationships, and so there is a powerful focus on others. Those with planets in Libra have the distinctive ability to see two sides of the picture, they have the power of comparison, but their life can still throw plenty of curveballs and things turn out less than ideal. In the Libran, there is a constant striving towards a middle ground, an ordering of patterns, and smoothing things out, are all things beloved to the seventh sign of the zodiac. Within the psyche, there is always an unsatisfactory element and striving for heavenly perfection. Libra is always in search of the perfect.
The seventh house (Libra’s zone) rules projection and involves a mirror image of the unconscious projected out into the environment onto others or through situations and circumstances reflected outside. It is through relationship that we also balance the male and female half of the psyche. Life itself is often viewed as an external mirror reflecting our inner-psyche back to us; moreover, the Self achieves greater awareness through others
Libra is the sign of the union of opposites, inner integration, and the inner marriage of the individual. The very art of marriage and the desired ideal always involves compromise and a meeting in the middle. Libra is seen to rule the aspect of the opposition in astrology, and those oppositional qualities are viewed as radically different. It is thought that we all secretly mirror our opposite sign’s qualities somewhere in our self. Often, the opposite sign mirrors back the exact things we need to develop for greater balance in our life. All in all, the Libran is striving for the True, the Good, and the Beautiful. Life must express itself at its most beautiful and ideal, everything must find agreement.