Linda Goodman's Sun Signs

by Linda Goodman

  They seek harmony. Yet, lots of Librans indulge in excessive eating, drinking or lovemaking, completely upsetting the cookie cart, not to mention throwing harmony out of kilter. In fact, you’ll come across a few Librans who will remind you of Dr. Doolittle’s “push me-pull you” animal.

  The Sun sign itself is known as Lazy Libra, and that’s another inconsistency. For days, weeks or months on end, Librans can be too busy to play. They’ll burn gallons of midnight oil, then rise and shine in time to hear the rooster crow. It wears you out just to watch them. Suddenly, they’ll plop down into a chair, say, “I’m bushed,” and give the best imitation of laziness you’ve ever seen (especially after all that frenzied activity). Once they’ve plopped, you won’t catch them moving a muscle if they can help it. It will be an effort for them to pick up a spoon or raise a glass (though they will manage). If there’s anyone around who’s willing, they’ll expect to be waited on, hand and foot. When the scales have dipped down toward lethargy, you couldn’t move Libra with a steam shovel. He’ll talk, read, yawn, snooze, watch TV or stare out the window, and seem barely able to make it into the bedroom (though he’ll manage). All the nagging and shouting in the world won’t impress him. It’s as if he were in another world. After a period, when he’s recouped his forces, he’ll feel a spurt of energy, get up, and start chugging down the track again. His nose will go back to the grindstone, and his hands and feet will fly. Once more, he’ll work like a mule in harness, keeping a miraculous balance and a steady, even pace, as he harmoniously plans his chores with efficient ease. Although Libra is not a dual sign, most of their friends think they know two different people. Try to tell someone who has frequently seen a Libran in the midst of an upswing that Libra is lazy, and he’ll stare at you blankly. Conversely, if you try to tell someone who has been exposed to the Libra lassitude that this creature is a bundle of powerful drive, he’ll retort with, “That lazy bum? You must be kidding.”

  Librans know instinctively that to restore harmony to the body, they must alternate their active spells with complete rest. Their personal arrangement of genes and cells and electrical impulses demand it, and most of them are pretty adept at managing this delicate physical balance. However, harmony of the mind and emotions isn’t always as instinctive with them. They can weep with overflowing sentiment, turn sharply sarcastic, then be as bright and cheerful as the first robin in spring. It’s not at all the duality of Gemini. The Libran is constantly dipping deeply into one emotion and then the other by turns, which isn’t the same thing as the complete change of character of the Gemini twins. There’s a deep richness to Libra’s emotions, no matter which emotion is high or low at a given moment, and a philosophic approach to both sorrows and joys that seldom fails to smooth things out eventually.

  An instinct for sanity keeps most Librans mentally healthy and physically fit. Usually, they avoid serious breakdowns of body and mind. The biggest threat to their health is over indulgence of some kind. Eating sweets can bring on obesity, stomach disorders and mottled skin. Excessive use of alcohol can cause severe kidney and bladder disturbances, which in turn result in violent headaches of migraine intensity. Giving in to depression can cause itchy sensations in the skin and even boils. The breast area is a sensitive part of the body, and sometimes there are foot problems and intestinal disorders though these aren’t as common. Ulcers beset many a Libran, not from worry as much as from abuse of the digestive system and the topsy-turvy emotional make-up. Generally, Librans are healthier than most people, unless they push themselves too hard, and forget to take those necessary rest periods. The effect of peace and harmony on Venus health is miraculous. When they’re ill, they need enormous amounts of prolonged rest, with no discordant emotional situations to plague them, pleasant books, soft music and soothing words. Such an atmosphere rarely fails to put the typical Libran back on his feet quickly.

  The Libra character is made up of just about equal parts of kindness, gentleness, fairness, plain cussed argumentativeness, stubborn refusal to capitulate, philosophical logic and indecision. It’s best to examine these ingredients in detail. The argumentativeness, for instance. A Libran will argue with you about what time it is, if he thinks your watch is two seconds off. Don’t try to get away with a generalization like: “Teenagers are ruining the country.” You’ll get a logical, careful dissertation about the Peace Corps and how many wonderful youngsters there are in the world, even if his own children are defiant drop-outs. Make a remark like, “The law is so corrupt today that all judges and lawyers are dishonest,” and he’ll go on for hours about the divine protection of justice in this country, the virtues of the jury system and the problems of law-makers, going back to Roman law and continuing through the Code Napoleon. Never say casually, “It’s foolish to live in the city when you can live in the country. There’s no comparison.” That last phrase especially is a huge mistake. Just mention the word comparison, and the average Libran is off and running. He can compare all night long, with refreshments at intervals. He’ll extol the beauties and advantages of the cities compared to rural areas: describe the bright lights, honking taxi horns, theaters, museums and parks in glowing terms—even if he himself lives in suburbia and you couldn’t blast him out with dynamite. It wouldn’t make a bit of difference if you took the opposite view in any of these cases. The Libran would then expound on the rising teenage crime rate, the corruption of the courts and the joys of country living. He doesn’t really care which side he takes in a good argument, as long as it’s the other side. Sometimes, if he gets bored, he can switch sides in the middle. Tell him you like a movie and he’ll tell you what’s wrong with it. Criticize it and he’ll praise it. Rave about a new book and he’ll list its shortcomings. If you found it dull, he’ll point out its virtues. Throughout all this constant, logical deduction, the Libran will try to remain fair. Libra dreads the appearance of prejudice, unjust accusation and blind faith equally. What he seeks is the real truth, the exact balance that gives the correct answer, after weighing all possibilities.

  It’s an admirable trait, of course, but all that weighing can drive a positive person simply wild. It can drive the Libran himself into a state of constant indecision. Even the most controlled Venus men and women dislike making instant decisions without taking all the possibilities into consideration. Fairness can be a fetish. The Libran general, with his qualities of balanced, harmonious judgment, makes an excellent strategist, and thoughtful planning can win a battle before it’s fought. His ability to see all sides, to smooth nerves and calm angry tempers can make him the finest kind of mediator, bringing people who hate and mistrust each other together, and getting them to work in harmonious cooperation. However, war makes all Librans secretly heartsick. They hate bloodshed. An October-born officer in the armed services will let someone else make instant decisions under fire, while he brilliantly charts the strategic maneuvers that will save thousands of lives in the long run and still win for his side.

  This antipathy to making a decision can turn into quite a stalemate with the ones who have adverse afflictions between their planets at birth. There are some who can’t decide which shoe to put on first in the morning, let alone which side of the bed to get out of. Even the average Libran you meet at the office or at a party will always reflect to some degree this tendency to weigh things back and forth until you get the jitters, and the time for decision is long past. They’ll say, “If I do this, such and such will happen. On the other hand” (which is one of their all-time very favorite phrases) “if I do that, then such and such could occur.” Those scales can dip crazily up and down like a see-saw. Nothing is more painful to watch than a doubtful Libran trying to make up his mind why, wherefore, and whether to. He doesn’t like to be hurried or pushed while he’s deciding, either. An impatient person can turn the airy Libran into a sudden spell of earth stubbornness that would make Taurus, the bull, look like a gullible pushover. Impatience is one quality most Librans can’t stand. Flighty, rash, impulsive people, who do
n’t stop to consider the consequences give them the jitters.

  It’s amusing that Librans will always immediately deny their indecisiveness. The first thing they’ll say when you’re describing their Sun sign will be, “I’m not indecisive at all. That’s not accurate. It certainly doesn’t describe me.” Hide your smile. Translated, his denial means that, although he takes a devilishly long time to make up his mind (which he very conveniently forgets), once he’s reached a conclusion, he’s quite gung-ho about it. If he’s been allowed sufficient time, his eventual, final decision will be carried out with such forceful conviction that it misleads him into thinking he’s firm and decisive. Don’t let it mislead you. Anyway, when he tells you he has no trouble making up his mind, he’s just starting a typical Libran argument, and you can tell him so. It will do him good to realize that, even in the midst of his objections to his astrological traits, he’s proving the truth of his Sun sign. When he denies your analysis of him, just say smugly, “I expected you to take that attitude. Librans always argue every point.” It will drive him crackers, but it may help him realize the truth, and the truth is what he seeks. He’s bound to see the logic in that. Telling him he’s being unfair and refusing to consider both sides will take him down a notch or two, also.

  Very few Librans are markedly eccentric or show-offs. Most of them are as wholesome and as well-balanced as a neat field of wheat, swaying back and forth gracefully in the wind. They’re normally scrupulously honest in business deals, and there’s very little carelessness about them. Libra would rather take his time and get it right, than make a false start and have to repeat the process. They hate exaggeration, and they’re repelled by embarrassing displays of anger and passion, though they themselves can be guilty of both extremes if they’re pressed beyond their endurance. Most Librans have a fantastic ability to concentrate and to ponder deep subjects. They are born with an affection for books, and such a respect for the printed word that many of them scorn paperbacks. They feel it’s not a book unless it’s a hardcover, and smells and feels like a book. You’re almost sure to find an extensive library in every Libran home.

  They love the harmony of sounds, colors, poetry and the proper use of words, both written and spoken. Rarely do they escape the influence of the arts. A Libran is a gentle, tender lover of all that’s good and clean and lovely underneath whatever image he may project when that fairy godmother raps one side of his scales. He’s an artistic soul at heart, who enjoys spreading the soft blue and pastel shades of Venus at parties and cultural occasions. Soft light, mellow music, interesting conversation, good food and fine wines turn him on. His mind has both the brilliance of the diamond and the smoothness of the opal. He moves in the changing element of air and reflects the usefulness of copper, his harmonizing metal. There’s a touch of the cool, Libran mint in his alert reasoning and his sharp sense of honor, and six dimensions of peace shine down on him from Venus.

  To truly understand Libra, you must understand the riddle of the scales; one side heaped high with October’s vivid, golden leaves, suggesting brisk, autumn weather—the other side holding sky blue bunches of shy violets, drenched in the fresh scent of April rain. When the scales dip, bright optimism turns into silent panic, weighed down with lonely depression. When they balance, they produce a perfect harmony between his rich, crackling intellect and his affectionate, sympathetic heart. The seasons hold Libra’s secret. Winter is too cold for him. Summer is too hot. He must blend them both into a perfect fall and spring.

  Famous Libra Personalities

  Julie Andrews Rita Hayworth Luciano Pavarotti

  David Ben-Gurion Timothy Leary Vladimir Putin

  Jimmy Carter John Lennon Mario Puzo

  Miguel de Cervantes Mickey Mantle Eleanor Roosevelt

  Michael Douglas Marcello Mastroianni Susan Sarandon

  Dwight Eisenhower Arthur Miller Margaret Thatcher

  William Faulkner Roger Moore Gore Vidal

  Mahatma Gandhi Martina Navratilova Kate Winslet

  George Gershwin Friedrich Nietzsche Oscar Wilde

  Richard Harris Gwyneth Paltrow Catharine Zeta-Jones

  The LIBRA Man

  “In my youth” said his Father, “I took to the law.

  And argued each case with my wife;

  And the muscular strength, which it gave to my jaw,

  Has lasted the rest of my life.”

  You’ll get plenty of free advice from this man. He’ll have the perfect solution to all your problems and an answer for every question you ask. But there’s no use expecting him to be the answer to all of your dreams. He’ll change some of them and argue with others. A Libra male can be as cranky as a crocodile with poison ivy, and his habit of rationalizing everything, including love, will drive you to frenzy—or leave you limp with defeat.

  Still, I must warn you that once you’re caught and enmeshed in the Libran charm, it won’t be easy to break away. Trying to escape from a bear trap is a cinch, compared to liberating yourself from a Libran man. If you try to run, he’ll persuade you to stay with such logical, intelligent arguments you couldn’t hope to top them unless you graduated from Harvard Law School. In addition to using his unmatched reasoning powers on you, he’ll turn so sweet and gentle, you’ll forget the frustrating inconsistencies of his nature that upset you before. Then he’ll smile at you and something will happen inside. Your heart will turn over.

  From that moment on, the battle will be lost. His dreams will be your dreams, and nothing will matter so much as making him happy. You’ll seek that smile and need it to survive the way a thirsty traveler needs water. Only a really hard-hearted Hannah could resist a Libran smile, and she’d have to summon all her determination to avoid being magnetized by its purity. The Libran charm is not like the hypnotic persuasion of the Scorpio. The attraction of Libra is logical and real, not supernatural in any sense. There’s no black magic about it, just common sense submission to his heavenly aura.

  On the other hand, to use his favorite catch phrase, there will be times when those Libra scales dip back and forth with crazy contradiction. You’ll have to shout at him, push him into the lake, or stand on your head to get his attention and force him to make a move. Don’t be so naive as to think love will be smooth and eternally tranquil, even if he is ruled by Venus. If you’re up on your Greek mythology, you’re aware that Venus had her off days. Still, when the scales balance, life with Libra can be as intoxicating as a goblet of golden ambrosia, with lots of laughs and a casual freedom known only to the gods who cavort on Olympus.

  Making up his mind is a chore no less strenuous to the average Libran male than taming a wild buffalo, and once he’s made it up, he’s liable to change it with no warning if he suspects he’s made a mistake. There’s a woman I know who hoped to go into a business partnership with a Libran, and she learned the hard way about this legendary Libra idiosyncrasy. They had a breakfast appointment together one summer morning, and both of them were full of enthusiastic, optimistic plans for the future. After he dropped her off on the way to his office, she began to worry. His promises were almost too good to be true, so she phoned him, just to make sure she hadn’t been dreaming. He was still excited, he repeated all his promises and ambitious plans, and they made a date to get together again the following week. Before they hung up, he guessed what was on her mind and reassured her. “By the way,” he remarked, “I want to say something, since I won’t see you again for a few days.” He hesitated slightly (she missed that clue), then continued with conviction. “I wanted to tell you that, well—I guess what I wanted to say is don’t worry. I won’t change my mind. We’ll go through with it, just the way we planned.”

  The next week, when he didn’t call, she phoned him again. “Were you out of town?” she asked. “No,” he said slowly. “I didn’t call you because I wanted to think it over.” A long pause. “I think I should try something with a smaller budget first. We’ll get together on our project next spring. I promise. It’s just that, well, I’ve dec
ided it’s best to wait until then, and put it on the shelf for a while, you know?”

  Filled with natural resentment and disappointment after such an unexpected letdown, she made a decision of her own. She would never speak to him again. The man was obviously undependable, untrustworthy and cruel, besides. A month later she passed him on the street, and he stopped to say hello. Caught off guard, she stammered an aloof, cool sentence or two of greeting, and instantly regretted that she hadn’t cut him dead. Then he smiled. That did it. She was once more his strongest booster. He could do no wrong, even to her. To this day she defends him fiercely, and if she hears that one of his dreams got shattered, she has an illogical desire to help him pick up the pieces, so he’ll smile again.

  Now, if that could occur when a woman is involved with a Libra man only in a business way, can you imagine your state of mind and your ability to insulate yourself if you should happen to fall in love with one of these impossible charmers? You simply can’t be too careful. Steel yourself to turn your head when he smiles. Stuff cotton in your ears when he starts his convincing arguments in that smooth-as-silk voice that makes the back of your neck tingle.