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LIBRA — The Sign of Cooperation (The sense of ‘You and I’)

If Libra could talk, what it would say?
“I am the one who restores the balance when things spin out of control. I
seldom initiate activity although I like to come up with proposals.
Before taking any action, I first wait to see what you are going to do.
Then I gently persuade you to do what I want instead. If I make you
angry, I’ll turn on my charm and you’ll like me all over again.”

‘I cannot tolerate what I perceive as injustice. If I think your actions
demand it, I can become argumentative and a challenging adversary.
I am assertive in relationships because I cannot let the rules we have
agreed upon be ignored and forgotten. Nevertheless, I truly am a
peaceful person. I much prefer to remain cool, calm and collected.
Still, I like to keep my options open and if our alliance falls apart, I
can walk away undaunted by defeat. Our interplay has to match my
concept of fair play or else we will never do this dance again.”

Color: Green
Motto: “Win Agreement”
Object: A contract
Activity: Dancing with a partner
Style: Social, moderate, and fair
Ancient symbol: The Scales
Mode/Element: Cardinal Air (Urgent mentality)
Anatomical part: The Kidneys (Purifiers of the body, as
relationships are the purifiers of the ego)
Famous Personalities: Ghandi, John Lennon, Dwight Eisenhower,
Deepak Chopra and Julie Andrews
Places in the World: China, Austria, Fiji, and Tibet
Excerpted from the astrology manual and forthcoming book,”Astrology is as Real as Anything Else”

Libra comes into play on the first day of autumn in the northern hemisphere. Many believe this is the most beautiful time of the year in that region of the earth, when the air is crisp and clear and nature is dressed in resplendent colors, so rich and vivid they inspire a deeper appreciation for all the good things in life. Libra represents nature in the balance when days and nights are equal, when warm and cold are concurrent and when the general population starts moving indoors to approach its affairs with a more serious frame of mind after a season of sun and fun.

Initially, Librans may appear superficial. They put a lot of emphasis on how they look and the first impression they make and they are masters at making a successful first impression. They usually adhere to social niceties and correct rules of protocol. They know how to say all the ‘appropriate things’. They are politeness personified.

As you become more familiar with the Libra personality, you realize you are in for a surprise. No matter what you dole out to them, they will meet you every step of the way. Librans are very intelligent people as a rule because they have paid attention to what passes for reality and they have done their homework. They stay well informed.

Libra is represented by the image of the scales, the only inanimate symbol in the zodiac. The connotation of this suggests that Librans are not physically active people. They certainly can be, however, they prefer graceful rather than hard hitting action. Their gait is a kind of a dance for Librans have poise. They seldom rush in without hesitation but prefer to wait and see which way the wind is blowing and then decide what move to make. When discord erupts, they placate, they cajole and they resolve differences if they can. They also lay down the law when necessary and remind everyone to play by the rules and honor the agreements that have been established.

The scales, of course, represent justice. Most often, Librans do not start out with a point-of-view; instead, they wait to hear what you have to say and then they frequently take the opposite side. It is a kind of a game that they play, although they may be dead serious about it. They are the arbiters of society, here on earth to negotiate, mediate and conciliate and to bring all things into balance, so that life does not go out of control.

To Libra, equality is a crucial component of a fair minded society. If you are puffed up, Libra wants to deflate your energy; if you are already deflated, Libra wants to pump you up again. There is nothing personal about this attitude; it is merely Libra’s way of maintaining equilibrium so that peace and harmony prevail and each member of society feels just as important as the next person.

Librans must have peace. They are social creatures, however, they will become hermits if that is the only way they can avert friction. They hold themselves partially responsible when hard feelings spoil a friendship or a long term association. They are deeply hurt when someone they trusted turns against them, especially if it is a person they particularly valued. At the same time, no sign is as capable of walking away from a relationship where they feel they have been disrespected. Often the Libra personality will enter the legal field, the field of public relations or the diplomatic service where they can work out their relationship issues in a more formal way. Librans prefer to know the ground rules from the start. If they agree to adhere to them, they expect that everyone else in the game will follow suit. How disappointed they become when this is not the case.

Charming and usually aesthetically pleasing to look at, Librans can turn into a force to be reckoned with when their sense of justice is violated. Beneath the surface charm is some degree of suppressed anger for all the foolishness they have put up with, as often in the past they have chosen to grin and bear it rather than resort to inappropriate displays of effusive emotion. As they mature, however, they are less willing to endure another person’s bad manners. Librans aspire to be the epitome of the imperturbable personality who puts everyone at ease–a good will ambassador who tells people just what they want to hear. If you push them into their angry mode, however, they will tell you the truth and that you will not want to hear because Libra knows more about you than they do about themselves. No one can tear you and your ideas down as effectively as a Libran, so it is best not to yank their chain too much or the scales will tip in the other direction. You ask, ‘how could someone who seemed so sweet one moment be so argumentative and acerbic the next.’ Just remember you are dealing with the balancing agent of the zodiac whose job here on earth is to keep everyone and everything on an even keel-running smoothly at a moderate pace and well within the bounds of reason.

VIRGO -The Sign of Service to the Earth (The sense of ‘It’)

If Virgo could talk, what it would say?

“Little things mean a lot to me. My world is at its best when it is in total order, not a hair out of place. I expect to find everything exactly where and how I left it. I usually let others get started on a project while I observe. That way I can tell them what they are doing wrong. I can drive everyone around me to distraction with my quibbling over details. I’m neat as a pin and intricate as a microchip-the pinnacle of propriety. I carry out my duties with discretion, all the while knowing that I’m practically irreplaceable. I aim to be useful and productive and live a natural and wholesome life. I can’t figure out why is everything around me is in such a mess. I guess I’ll have to clean it up all by myself.”

Color: Beige

Motto: “Get It Right”

Object: An eyedropper

Activity: Straightening out the files

Style: Analytical, selective, and competent

Ancient symbol: The Virgin Maiden

Mode/Element: Mutable Earth (Flexible practicality)

Anatomical part: The Gastro-Intestinal System (Dividing the

whole into something more physically manageable)

Famous Personalities: Mother Teresa, Elizabeth I, Werner Erhard,

Leonard Bernstein, and Lily Tomlin

Places in the World: Switzerland, Malaysia, Costa Rica, and Boston

Excerpted from the astrology manual and forthcoming book,” Astrology is as Real as Anything Else”

It has been said that more people are born on this earth at this time of year than any other. That makes a lot of sense because Virgos are here to serve the earth and keep it functioning in good working order. They are endowed with a finite consciousness and their mental process involves noticing every detail and every flaw.

Virgo consciousness focuses on keeping the physical world operating at its peak. Those individuals whose charts emphasize this energy may not always do something about the mess that other people make; however, their discerning manner of observation takes every mistake into account.

It is not always easy to be born under this sign because Virgo is extremely conscious of imperfection in a world that is far from perfect. Then again, if the world were perfect, there would be nothing to play with and nothing to do.

On a personal and social level, most Virgo people are easy to be with-they are unassuming and appropriate to the occasion. They demonstrate purity in their self-expression. Even Virgo super-achievers are usually modest about their abilities, although they can exhibit conceit if they think they have executed an assignment that matches their concept of perfection. Their extremely analytical mind, however, makes them nitpickers and they are rarely content with the results they create. After finishing a job, the next day they may want to go back to the drawing board and do it all over again.

Virgo people are willing to go over an assignment to a point of tedium that would leave the other signs with a splitting headache. They perceive every flaw and every incongruity and treat the tiniest miscalculation as if it were a major blunder. Making mountains out of molehills is their specialty while larger issues hardly faze them in the least. While they do not dismiss the possibility of a world beyond the one their five senses report to them, they prefer not to give the major part of their attention to a reality that has a non-discernable basis. Thus, Virgo is the most skeptical of signs and when you speak to them, it is best to stay on solid ground and apply a frame of reference that is obvious.

If you exhibit any sign of bravado in the presence of Virgo, they want to ignore you, for audacious boasting is the last thing they support. While their neighbor, Leo, wants to be larger than life, and their complementary opposite, Pisces, wants to blow everything up as far as it can go, Virgo wants to make things smaller because then they are easiest to grasp. Virgo wants to hold the universe in the palm of its hand. As Mother Teresa, who was born with Virgo as her sun sign said, “Do not try to do great things. Do small things with great love.”

If we consider a soul who has come here in service and who gives total attention to every defect so that the world does not completely fall apart, then it becomes clear that work is love made visible. Laboring for long hours to keep a small corner of the universe working properly is as much an act of love as anything else. Yes, it is true that Virgo’s penchant for analyzing something down to the bare bones can squeeze the heart out of a creative endeavor. On the other hand, too much heart when left unchecked by the mind’s capacity for pruning can create excess that is hard to swallow. Virgo is the editor of the material world’s passing parade, accounting for every nut and bolt and scrubbing clean every nook and cranny to make sure that the situation at hand does not get out of hand. It is a thankless job but Virgo’s secret is that they feel best about themselves once they complete it.

LEO The Sign of Self-Esteem – (The sense of ‘I for You’)

If Leo could talk, what would it say?

“I want to make my life a magnificent creation and see others light up in my presence. I exude a sense of dignity. I value my pride deeply and I feel I deserve the best. I am the center of the cyclone, the pivotal focus of everything I do. Do not be intimidated by me though–I’m really putting on a show. I’m an ace performer who makes something wonderful out of being alive and that is why others appreciate me so.”

Color: Yellow
Motto: “Show It Off”
Object: Gold
Activity: Taking center stage
Style: Generous, confident, and dramatic
Ancient symbol: The Lion
Mode/Element: Fixed Fire (Steady creativity)
Anatomical part: The Heart (At the center of it all)
Famous Personalities: Napoleon Bonaparte, Barak Obama,
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Madonna
and Lawrence of Arabia
Places in the World: Singapore, France, Hawaii, and Rome

In the sequential development of the zodiac, each new sign that is introduced both includes the consciousness of the predecessor, while at the same time, it reacts against the predecessor. This is what keeps the astrological wheel in motion.

Cancer’s deeply-rooted ability to plummet the depths of its psyche gives rise to the intense self-awareness of Leo and Leo, in turn, reacts against its predecessor’s homebody tendencies with a tremendous desire to impress its signature upon the world.

Personal identity reaches its apotheosis in this sign, but is Leo the bravest and most powerful sign in the land? It is the same thing as asking if the lion is the king of the jungle. Not really, for due to its size, every creature in the forest makes way for the elephant. Still, the Lion both looks like the king and acts like the king (or the queen.) It projects the image of the ruler, even if it is merely a performance.

The astrological Leos are mostly too intent on having a good time to be fierc–they much prefer to party; however, they do know all about self dramatization. If you demand that they blow up at you, they will do so with theatrical flair and it is down to the dungeon and off with your head. No sign gives itself as much permission to indulge in a sense of superiority if ever it is challenged.

On the other hand, no sign is as generous or as loyal as this one. When Leos love you, they will give and give and then give some more, as long as you keep loving them back. When they decide you are no longer worth their time or you do not show your adoration sufficiently, their nose goes up in the air and you are excommunicated from Planet Leo. Perhaps in another life, these souls were coerced into a subordinate role. Now they return to settle the score and to make sure that they are the ones in charge and ‘don’t you forget it’.

Lions travel in prides and pride is Leo’s trademark. Assault their dignity and they will roar. Flatter them and they will find a place for you in their life, regardless of how crowded their life may be. No sign craves admiration more than Leo. They do not just walk into a room; they make an entrance. When they have something to say, they draw attention to themselves just by the way they put their ideas across. Leos seldom follow the crowd; rather they stand out within it. No matter what their work in the world is, all Leos are in the entertainment business.

Leos have learned from the previous sign how to play the role of the authoritative parent. They can easily transfer this bossy image over to the workplace and become a commanding presence that loves telling everyone just what they need to do. They, on the other hand, bow to no one. Dominant and monopolizing are two words that describe the Leo personality, though naturally most Leos attempt to keep their overbearing sense of identity in check. It is only when they become consumed by their own importance that the notorious leonine ego loses its sense of proportion.

Leos want so much to be an important presence in the world. If they come even close to fulfilling that wish, they give it all back tenfold. The sign of Leo represents the human heart and the warmth that exudes from every pore of individuals whose charts emphasize this sign can turn a lackluster reality into a celebration of life. It is hard not to appreciate Leo because no one works as hard to earn appreciation. You will rarely be shortchanged in a relationship with them. When their heart is in what they do, they will keep doing it until they drop. If they lose interest, however, they will sooner drop what they are doing and then look for something else that is a lot more appealing. Leos do not settle for less nor do they slide into resignation. They must shout from the rooftops what is in their hearts in long, declarative sentences. They are living embodiments of the best and the worst elements of the human ego. Still, they have the choice of either showing what a wonderful tool the ego is in rising above mediocrity or what an impediment it can be in expressing one’s humanity.