Cardinal Air and the Shifiting Equilibrium of Fall

Cardinal strength, air sign energy, and the benefic currency of Venus come together in the sign of Libra, bringing both intellectual acumen and charismatic charm to this sector of the zodiac.

Venus delights in beauty and harmony, and here, in her air sign home, Venusian inclinations favor connection, fairness, and both relational and aesthetic balance.

In Libra, we find light conversational exchange and flirtatious interplay, as well as some of the more complex deliberations that are embedded in the quest for balance. Here, in the sign of the Scales, where equilibrium and harmony are of prime importance, choices must be contemplated, weighed through mental evaluations, and judged with great consideration.

Cardinal signs have a special power. They make things happen and are filled with freshness, dynamism, and an enterprising spirit. Libra’s cardinal command leads through the sign of air, an element avoided by the Sun in its zodiacal passages throughout the summer. But under Libra’s autumnal initiations, we find ourselves called into subtler elemental frequencies where ideas, abstractions, and the intangible realities of social dynamics are of prime importance.

Placing Libra in the Seasonal Cycle (September 22 – October 22)

Libra’s time of year begins with the Autumn Equinox and moves us into a period where air sign energy sets the tempo. On the other side of Virgo’s earthy fastidiousness, we find the call to connect, share, and delight in the flow of intellectual possibility. Along with this adjustment come internal recalibrations. Facing the reality of the declining light, our personal energy shifts, and we are asked to consider what is most important.

Saturn’s exaltation in Libra makes sense when you observe the Libran role in drawing us towards the descent of winter. Libra supports the wisdom of Saturnian consciousness. The cultivation of objectivity, boundaries, and the recognition of natural limitations are buttressed by Libra’s airy graces, allowing Saturnian detachment to manifest in just and principled ways.

And, in the autumn, we calibrate (and recalibrate) to the qualities and experiences, demands, and opportunities found in part of the earthly cycle. Just as nature withdraws in response to atmospheric shifts, we too are called to the task of finding equilibrium within the reality of the declining light.

Libra Traits and Personalities: Airy, Charmers with Complex Identity Issues

Venus rules two signs, Libra being her place of diurnal rulership. Diurnal signs are masculine, so while Libra is ruled by a feminine planetary body, we find active, yang expressions of Venusian qualities in this sign.

Armed with an airy intellect, Libras are skilled communicators who love to talk, flirt, share ideas, and make new friends. Libras are strong initiators with a pioneering spirit. The influence of Venus upon this sign imbues them with social graces making Libras both bold and refined, and aware of subtle relational dynamics amid the eagerness to form connections.

Libras love pleasantries. With the combination of air sign cerebrality and the Venusian inclination toward feel-good experiences, Libras have a tendency to shy away from emotional depth. Libra’s strong suit is initiating connection and sweetening the deal. Relational discord, on the other hand, can be challenging for those with strong Libra placements.

Thus, we often find superficiality and avoidance within the Libran personality. Libras struggle to disappoint and, in this, they can be flaky, prone to waffling and circumvention rather than facing discomfort head-on. In Astrology For The Millions, Grant Lewi writes of the Libran personality, “in a deep sense, what he wants is what makes others happy. In some this makes weakness.”¹ But it is in this tendency to want what makes others happy that we see Libra’s wonderful talent for giving gifts, for noticing others, and generally bringing complimentary offerings to connections.

Libran skills include the ability to make things beautiful. Those with this sign are known for their artistic talents, as well as for the physical beauty they possess. Their intrinsic connection to Venusian attributes can also be seen through Libra’s dedication to social justice. Here we find the drive to experience the beauty and harmony of a balanced world.

Libra is full of paradox. The duality of the scales is an ever-present reality for those born under this sign. Despite their charming demeanor, Libras often struggle with insecurity. The Sun is in fall Libra and those with this Sun sign may find themselves centered around relationships yet challenged to commit. As Fred Gettings writes, Libras can be “notoriously vacillating”.² Their attitude towards connections can wobble like a scale.

Attuned to the subtle frequencies of air and the importance of intangible realities, Libras are sometimes known to have certain psychic skills. In The Influence of the Zodiac Upon Human Life, Eleanor Kirk writes, “Libra people are psychic collectors of thought”. She advises that those of this Sun sign should “make a careful study and exercise of psychic perception, with a full knowledge of the difference between intuition, outside perception, and psychic understanding.”³

Libra Decans and Tarot Correspondences

The complexity and nuance and Libra can be explored through Libra’s decanic divisions.

Libra Decan I (0-9° Libra): 2 of Swords

In Libra’s first decan, we find typically Libran themes of balance, fairness, trade, relationship, peace—and all the complex navigations that may be made in getting to this place. Libra I is ruled by the Moon, so themes involving the balance between dark and light, fullness and release, conscious and unconscious are embedded in this face.

This decan corresponds to the 2 of Swords and is given the title “Peace” in the Thoth Tarot. However, there are things to be overcome on this journey towards peace. In 36 Faces, Austin Coppock describes, “a polarity within this decan’s power, for righteousness and a love of peace are often at odds”.⁴

Libra Decan II (10-19° Libra): 3 of Swords

Saturn rules the second decan of Libra, bringing stoic and serious realities to the middle degrees of Libra. This face carries the weight of Saturnian principles and commitments.

Saturn exalts in Libra, thus we find a special power here. While this card is given the title “Sorrow” in the Thoth deck, we also find virtue and strength here. Libra II is a place where commitments are made. Coppock writes,“the promises and contracts that link people together are created and tested here”.⁵

Libra Decan III (20-29° Libra): 4 of Swords

Jupiter rules the final decan of Libra, where we find what Coppock describes as “a difficult set of contradictions”. In Libra III, we find myriad realities of the complex navigations involved in finding balance and harmony.

The contradictory energies of this face offer unique expressions to those of this decan. Coppock writes that those born with the Sun in this face are “broad minded, charming, and often wise” yet experience “an inner tension”.⁶

Final Words on The Intricacies Of Libra’s Loveliness

Libra is intimately associated with concepts of equilibrium and accord and, in a reflection of the Scales, its wobbly zodiacal symbol, a sign that is forever weighing the balance of choices and realities.

Here we find the desire for symmetry, peace, and pleasantness in all things. Through the power of Venus, Libra’s fair planetary ruler, we are granted these delights in life. And yet, the numerous deliberations involved in the cultivation of harmony bring complexity and contradiction to this sign.

Those born with the Sun in Libra must navigate a life with their solar energy in the sign of its fall, lending to unique identity issues. But perhaps these incongruities are essential to the allure of the sign. In the words of Edgar Allan Poe said, “There is no exquisite beauty… without some strangeness in the proportion.”

SOURCES

Coppock, Austin. 36 Faces: The History, Astrology, and Magic of the Decans. Three Hands Press, 2014.
Gettings, Fred. The Book of the Zodiac: An Historical Anthology of Astrology. Triune Books, 1972.
Kirk, Eleanor. The Influence of the Zodiac Upon Human Life [eBook edition]. Palala Press, 2013.
Lewi, Grant. Astrology for the Millions. Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc. 1940.