Tuesday, September 27, 2016

LIBRA Considered

 Libra by David Palladini
In his book, Astrology published 1964, Louis MacNeice, not an astrologer, but a poet and scholar, gathered together much of interest from a variety of sources, ancient and modern. On zodiac sign Libra, through which the Sun now travels, he wrote the paragraphs below, quoting from a variety of professional astrologers. This extract was not copied and pasted from elsewhere, but copy-typed by my own fair fingers; illustrations added by me.

NOTE: Mr MacNeice uses "he" rather than my preference, he/she, and his seeming separation of male and female Libra-types, in the last paragraph, could be seen as unnecessary these days.



Libra the Scales
A cardinal airy sign, ruled by Venus. One would not expect to find Venus as Libra's ruler (it has little in common with the other Venusian sign, Taurus) but Venus, as we saw in the last chapter, sands for harmony so can promote a proper balance not only between persons but also within an individual. So the Libra type is easy to get on with, being diplomatic, gentle and tolerant. Tucker comments that this type has "many of the traits common to the Chinese race." (This was before China went Red.) Being the other equinoctial sign, Libra is the opposite number to Aries, and we could well imagine that it might do Aries some good. But this is contrary to the opinion of most astrologers who think that any two signs 180 degrees apart must be opposed to each other in every sense, just as planets are when in "opposition." There are, however, a minority who think that such opposed signs would naturally complement each other, and certainly the signs of the spring and autumn equinoxes would seem to be a case in point.

Note that Libra is the only one of the signs that is inorganic; thus it seems quite fitting that Varley summarizes its "elementary notions" as follows: "Libra, independently of its appearing in the world's horoscope, to mediate the Zodiac horizontally, and to balance, as it were, the sign of Aries, has been found to signify straight lines and regular buildings, and the sublime uninterrupted horizon line of the sea; it represents also the blue color of the sky and the distances." We might add, thinking of this blue seascape, that Venus who rules Libra is more the Venus Anadyomene of Botticelli than the sensual goddess who prompted the Wife of Bath.

The picture that emerges of the Libra person is a sociable, cultured, and courteous person, perhaps only too pleased to sparkle in embassies. He seems to be humanist, empiricist, and eclectic, and almost entirely lacking in aggression. He would do most things for peace and finds it very difficult to say no. Perhaps his chief virtue is that he can see both sides of a question; his chief failing that he is too easily influenced. As for the Libra woman, she is extremely soigné:. Barbault includes among Libra types Erasmus, Katherine Mansfield, Gandhi the apostle of non-violence, and, as its typical painters, Boucher and Watteau. Libra could hardly frighten anyone. We now move on to a sign that has long had a sinister reputation.
Astrologers mentioned:
André Barbault
John Varley
WJ Tucker

"Libra could hardly frighten anyone"?
Louis MacNeice hadn't met my mother!

6 comments:

mike said...

Your assessment of "Libra could hardly frighten anyone" is much like my observations, though I've been frightened by virtually every sign. Venus-ruled, cardinal Libra is a polar match to Mars-ruled, cardinal Aries...the independent, warrior traits of Aries meet their match with the mirrored reflection of Libra. Both signs are cardinal-masculine quality, hence active initiators. Most astrologically inclined individuals view Aries as aggressive and Libra as passive, but both signs have a tendency toward passive-aggressive behavior.

As with any of the signs, Libra can display positive-negative inherent traits. Diplomacy, sweetness, sociability, and balance of power and-or justice can be subdued by dominance, self-will, and an iron-fist when needed. Seems that most Librans expend much thought in the self-reflection zone (based on interactions), but resent others' cross-examination.

Sun in the sign of Libra places the Sun in its fall; the Sun is exalted in Aries. It can be very difficult for a Sun-in-Libra individual to comprehend their own ego qualities, how their light shines, as it tends to be perceived in others (the Aries-Libra polar balance). Saturn is exalted in Libra:

"Saturn’s exaltation in Libra suggests that law, which the planet is known to wield, is about justness in relationships. The creative impulse of an individual (Sun in AR), touching the 'bounds' of the whole, meets this law of all-interrelatedness (SA in LI) which confronts the 'initiating' one with adjustments of will to will, action to reaction, rights to rights, freedom to freedom, or particular idea to comprehensive purpose. As Libra guards the horizon of Aries with the measure of the 'Other,' Saturn makes its rounds on the 'borders' of any creative source, dwelling where the expression of s/Self meets resistance — this can be the resistance of matter to Spirit, of man’s egotistic will ('Satan') to God’s will, or it may be the resistance of a person or a group’s integrity to someone’s actions or ways, or the resistance that a greater purpose opposes to human initiative throughout cosmos."
http://moniquepommier.com/books-and-articles/planetary-exaltations/the-exaltation-of-saturn-in-libra/

Twilight said...

mike ~ "Passive aggressive" is a term I was never aware of before being able to get online via my first computer. I've still not fully understood it, but have decided there are simpler ways of describing what I've found it is meant to describe. I'm sure we all exhibit symptoms of passive aggression at times, whatever astro-label is attached us us. Human nature!

All Libra-Sun people will have their unique mix of astro-flavours added to their Libra-ness. My mother, for instance, had a stellium in Cancer, from which I probably inherited my rising sign. True text-book Libra-types are probably as rare as hen's teeth.

What's fascinating to me, partly relevant to this, is how strange it seems that my first husband's birthday, 27 Sept.was one day before my mother's; my present husband's grandson has a birthday the same day as my first husband. My present husband's younger daughter has a birthday one day before my own (all years different, of course). It's as though there's some distant, interlinked astro-pattern or DNA-related pattern going on. ;-/

I didn't really understand what Monique Pommier was getting at in that quote - I'll be passive aggressive (or something) and comment that she'd do well to read a good book on the writing of Plain English. ;-)

LB said...

Twilight ~ In the past 6 months or so, I've met or become aware of 4 (maybe 5?) Libras, all of us born on the same day, different years.

All of them sell things, one (a woman) is my husband's new, always polite, hard-working, money-obsessed, corporate employer! To her credit, she does *not seem to be an ageist ~ and she's willing to work alongside her employees and to deal with any problems that come up.

Only one of the Libras with my birthday creates the things he/she sells. With the exception of this person, all of the others seemed superficially pleasant but limited, not very interested in deeper exchanges or social justice issues.

The person who creates was very generous in his sharing with me, so much so I became kind of emotionally overwhelmed. I met him right after a particularly bad experience with someone in a similar position. The contrast between the two exchanges was pretty extreme!

Since then he and I have gradually developed a more friendly relationship, which is how I discovered our shared birthday (I took a look at his chart for him). Like me, he also has a Virgo ascendant and Moon in Aquarius square Neptune in Scorpio. We definitely 'get' one another and share similar values.:)

If I'm remembering correctly, my husband's former best friend also had a birthday on or the day before mine.

In a way, I think each has mirrored some exaggerated aspect of my own psyche, showing me its strengths and weaknesses, where I've been and also where I'm lacking and may need to strike a healthier balance. For instance, at this point in my life I'm not very motivated by making money.

Twilight said...

LB ~ Nice evidence of "astro-dar" working, I reckon, LB! I definitely think, without our realising it, we do have inner antennae for astrology. My first school friend's birthday turned out to be 1 week after mine (same year) - neither of us knew astrology even existed, but we were drawn together in friendship. We still keep in touch after a long gap when we managed to lose track. We actually are not greatly alike in personality, but still...there's something.

Creativity ought to be a signature of a Libra-type, being Venus ruled. My mother was creative in some different ways - during the war (WW2) she used to knit the most complex Fair Isle patterns, when I think about them now I'm in awe! Later on she loved to mess with home decor, and was always fashion conscious. My husband's Libra Sun grandson is arty - was a university Art graduate - though has not followed through into art as a career. My first husband - hmm... far as I recall he was not arty or creative, but did have a certain style, and great taste in clothes. He wasn't in my life for long though.

LB said...

Maybe your former husband lived out his creative side by choosing *you*.:)

Twilight said...

LB ~ LOL! Yeah - very creative of him! Good thing I didn't have a drink in my hand when I read that...LOL...my keyboard would have suffered. :-)