“The psyche is a self-regulating system that maintains its equilibrium just as the body does. Every process that goes too far immediately and inevitably calls forth compensations … Too little on one side results in too much on the other.”
– C.G. Jung
What our relationships say about who we are
Think about the zodiac signs as a PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT, a spiral of becoming more fully ourSELVES, as we traverse their territories.
We all have Libra somewhere in our birth charts, and that’s the area in our lives where Libran lessons are more pronounced. Still, no matter our birth chart’s configuration, we live in a world that requires us to engage with Libra’s gifts and challenges around RELATIONSHIPS.
It’s in Libra that we ENCOUNTER the OTHER as an equal. This could be from a romantic other to the other inner aspects of ourselves that we encounter through our world relationships. It’s also about relationships with different parts of life: you & work, you & yourSelf, you & nature, you & culture – wherever there’s a relationship, we’re in the realm of Libra.
Libra also starts a new season as it rules the EQUINOX. Equinox comes from Medieval Latin equinoxium, which means: equality of night and day – emphasis on equality. Thus, in Libra’s realm, we have to make adjustments, recalibrate, and find the balance in our relationships? Where do we need to assert ourselves or find a compromise?
The key in Libra is about INTERDEPENDENCE rather than a one-way street of all about me. It’s the axis of I – THOU, and how we negotiate it. In Libra, we learn that we need the other, to be in dialogue with another, as a way to learn about who we are.
The other is me
Libra teaches us essential lessons around our place in the social order beyond Self, and how, as humans, we are in a constant process of MIRRORING. The mirror is a potent symbol for Libra, too, because it teaches us how projection works in our development of Self. My gifts, my inner gold, but mostly my shadow, with both its positive and challenging aspects, get projected onto the other. It’s through a relationship with them and the mirror’s power that we see parts of ourselves.
During Libra season, we’re invited to explore the field of our relationships in more depth, while taking the stance that included in what the other reveals to me is a part of myself.
Restoring Order
Libra teaches us about nature’s desire for balance. It doesn’t mean it’s already balanced but in a constant state of RECALIBRATION. In the realm of Libra, we’re more aware of imbalances, unfairness. What is out of the natural order, thus the impulse is to bring equilibrium (remember the etymology of equinox) – things need to be in equity.
From ancient times, Libra is linked to the spirit of equilibrium of justice, truth, rightness, and beauty. The scales of Libra represent truth and fairness, and natural and human order. As such, Libra’s motivation is to restore order where there’s chaos, and it does this through relationships, often looking for points of connectivity, so to build a bridge connection and reciprocity.
Thus one of Libra’s archetypes is of The Diplomat, the Ambassador, the Mediator, and the Wise Judge. Another symbol of Libra is the DOVE, the bird of peace, and a symbol for Venus, the planetary ruler of Libra.
Connection & Reciprocity
In pop astrology, Libra has often been confined to a simplistic view as one that needs romance and love like they need water—often described as indecisive and pleasure and beauty seeking. While these may be dimensions of Libra at a certain level, if one thinks of signs as a geography of development of Self, this is a sign that teaches us how we can bring balance and harmony to the world we live in.
Its core lesson is that we’re in RECIPROCITY WITH THE WORLD. Our relationships with the Self and others affect the world around us—our inner imbalance and divisive polarity ripples out into the world. Thus during Libra season, we’re called to examine our role in our relationships and how we can mediate, find a compromise, and negotiate better terms.
This, in turn, leads to COOPERATION and brings us closer to fully grasping our INTERDEPENDENCE not only with other humans but also the non-humans of the world. Remember, it’s all about relationships – no matter what.
Libra helps us build bridges.
Bridges that we desperately need now.
If you have a friend who is a Libra, share with them this article. Sharing Astro Wisdom is also a love language.
*Main image: Hilma af Klint – The Swan – (1915)
