Libra

While Aries is the instinctual sense of self, Libra is "the other". The sun begins at the equator in Aries and is once again at the equator in Libra, but instead of sunrise, we have sunset.

In the myth of Tiresias, the "Blind Prophet” Tiresias was favoured by Hera, Zeus’s wife, and given a chance to watch two snakes coupling in Hera’s sacred grove. He asked the goddess which of them experienced greater pleasure, and since she didn't know, she turned him into a woman so that he could experience both sides. At the end of this transsexual initiation, he was called before both Zeus and Hera to report whether male or female experienced greater pleasure. Not wanting to offend anyone he tried diplomacy, but eventually told the truth – that the female experiences greater pleasure, whereupon the insulted Zeus struck him blind. However, with the blindness, he developed inner sight and became a prophet.

This myth correlates to polarity; male and female, good and evil, perfect and imperfect, self and other. It comes down to balancing the opposites, letting go of the idea of finding the perfect anything, and to integrating the conflicting positions within oneself.

Libra. being an aggressive sign, can fight and argue to regain the balance, even if that is not really what they want to do or even the side they will be on two days later. Beauty and harmony are the ideals. But the higher the pedestals, the harder the fall. So there is also value for Libra to make choices, and try taking a direct and clear approach.

Libra is also about love, and in fact, love has been said to be Libra's biggest lesson. The other becomes a mirror to the self’s growth and awareness of the relativity of the other’s point of view.

Return from Libra to The Signs