The LIBRA Woman

The LIBRA Woman

She may be as dainty as a fluffy, white bunny and she may whisper with gentle persuasion. She can dress in silks and laces, and her hair can smell of fragrant cologne. She might even look like a little doll you could lift with one hand (though a Taurus or Sagittarius ascendant would make her considerably more hefty). But with all her femininity, sweet mannerisms and lovely grace, this girl wears a pair of trousers with surprising ease, and they'll fit her rather neatly. Her mental processes operate with male logic and they can match yours in any discussion you care to start. They can even top yours on occasion, although the female side of the Libra woman is usually too smart to let you catch on to that until you're safely past the honeymoon. During the mating season, she'll be careful not to beat you at chess, but she won't hide her sharp mind behind those soft dimples forever. EventuaBy, you'll be treated to a display of her brain power.

Most Libra women will air their clever wits any time a subject appears with the slightest possibility of debate. It could be anything from why you shouldn't wear button down collars to what's keeping you from getting a raise at work. (She'll feel the latter is partly your fault and partly your boss's fault. Everything with Libra ends up as six of one and half a dozen of another-just so it all comes out even.) If you refuse to rise to the bait, she'll argue with herself. A Libra girl can start a donnybrook alone, pursue it alone and finish it alone, in a grand flourish. Your only contribution may be "But why?" or "I don't think so," but sometimes that's all she needs to deliver a brilliant monologue, which may last for an hour or more. Through it all, however, you'll probably be drowning in her charm. She'll turn on that unbearably delicious smile every third sentence or so, and you'll end up changing your mind as effortlessly as she changes her sex by taking over the man's prerogative, then switching back to a cuddly love bunny. She'll convince you with pure clear logic. You won't lose much-except your pride, and you'll hardly miss that, under the spell of that gentle Libran smile. She's usually right, because her final decisions are as carefully considered as those of the Supreme Court. Libran females don't need much encouragement to start a verbal comparison going between any two points of view. A politically active season will give her lots of chances to sharpen her rhetoric and her argumentative talents. She makes a great political worker, once she's made up her mind which side and which candidate is right.

Aside from the typical Libra penchant for weighing everything twice to make sure she didn't miss a point, she can be quite a lot of woman for a man who's interested in romance or companionship or both. Her tendency to argue is really based on a sincere desire to reach an im­partial decision. It could be worse. At least she doesn't make up her own rules as she goes along, or stubbornly resist all reason, like women born under some other Sun signs. Besides, most of her opinions are presented with diplomatic tact, which somewhat softens the blow.

Perhaps the best way to get you to appreciate your Libra woman is to give you a quick rundown on what you would face with other Sun signs in a simple situation. Let's say you're discussing the subject of calling cards. Should people use them today, is it old-fashioned, and what should they look like? Take a fast flight around the zodiac. Pre­tend you're the only man in a room with twelve women. (That should be a pleasant supposition.) The discussion would run something like this:

Aries: Don't need them. I use the telephone. Taurus: It's rare that I go calling. People visit me. Gemini: Calling cards! Who has time for calling cards?

Leo: Well, if they were really wild, and impressive look­ing-

Virgo: I'll have to check Emily Post and see exactly what she says.

Sagittarius: My gawd! You mean people stffl take time for that junk?

Scorpio: If they're not home, they miss me. Ifs their loss, not mine.

Aquarius: I wonder if it's raining outside? I thought I heard thunder.

Cancer: Cards are so impersonal. I'd rather write a note.

Pisces: I always sense when people aren't there, and I only I call on them when I get a subliminal message they want to see me.

Capricorn: The custom is perfectly proper. But there's no I point in discussing the design. If it's not en-| graved, it's not a calling card.

Libra; Well, it all depends. If you want to do the correct thing, you should have them. It's a charming gesture. On the other hand, using them might seem pre­tentious today, and the modern woman is too busy to bother with them. Of course, you have to con­sider the reason behind the custom. Then again, there are people who can't afford calling cards. If if's a strain on the budget, they aren't really neces­sary. Looking at the other side of it, however, I can't help feeling the beauty and grace of yesterday is missing in today's frantic pace, so it might be money well spent. I suppose they should be en­graved. Yet, it's true that something different would reflect the individual personality. A creative person could design his own. But such individual cards might be misunderstood by very social people, you know? I mean, the Rockefellers would think it was gauche. On reflection, who calls on the Rocke­fellers? Your own friends would love your being original, but plain engraving is probably more ac­ceptable. At least I think it should be. But still-well ...

Now she's run out of pros and cons, and she frowns slightly, under the strain of sorting out her own arguments and trying to dredge up an actual, firm decision from the lot.

You can see the Libran female is nothing if not fair, and committed to balanced judgment all around. You may get a little bored with her digressions on mundane subjects such as calling cards, but you'll sincerely appreciate her efforts at fairness, and her ability to judge correctly by weighing all sides, when it comes to something that really matters. Other women might toss off opinions that reflect their own individual natures, and seldom care much about what you think, or about a fair answer. To a Libra woman, there's no such thing as what she thinks is right. Your opinion deserves as much respect as hers and Plato's, until the decision is made, based on the flaws in her arguments, yours and all the philosophers.

Most Venus girls work both before and after marriage. They seek cash for the lovely things it can buy. The Libra bird needs lots of fine feathers for her luxurious nest. She loves beautiful clothes, expensive perfumes, classical music and-did somebody say she was masculine? Yes, I did. One side of her. But you will barely notice her hard head when it wears such pretty hair-dos. Mostly, Libran women need plentiful sums of money to remove them from the squalor and ugliness of discordant surroundings, which can actually make them emotionally and physically ill. But there's another reason she works, another reason she wants money. Her man. If there's one thing a Libra female treasures above all else on this temporal earth, it's the man she's chosen to love, honor and manage.

She hates to play solitaire. Partnerships, in both business and romance, constitute her deepest .need. She doesn't like to work alone, and she's literally incapable of living alone. libra women who visit astrologers have only two questions they really care about. If it's not one, it's always the other. Either: "When will I meet someone I really love?" or "When will I find someone to go into business with me?" With her, marriage is a joint venture, and the rules are almost as strict as those in a corporate setup. You are the president of the association, and you're honored as such. She's the chairman of the board, who will keep you from making mistakes, in her own feminine, protective way. Her nature is built for teamwork. She'll want to participate in as many of your interests and activities as possible. She's willing to entertain in her husband's behalf, and she's female enough to follow his lead when he wants to change his career, move to another city, or cultivate new friends. That's all his department. She's only there to smooth the way and be sure he doesn't goof anything by impulsive actions and ill-considered judgment.

You really have to give her credit. The typical Libra woman has no desire to be a stone around her husband's neck. She simply wants to remove all the stones in his path. She's not nearly as domineering on the surface as she is inwardly, because the last thing she wants to do is make a lot of positive statements you can hold her responsible for later. She'll tread gently in most cases (unless she has an Aries ascendant-and if you're mixed up with a woman who had a double cardinal influence like that at birth, you have a sizable problem).

The average Libra female is highly intellectual and has amazing powers of analysis, which can be a real help in solving your business problems. She seldom lets her emo­tions keep her from dispassionate decision or a-balanced view, and she can usually give you better advice than your banker. Naturally, her abilities along these lines can cover a multitude of vices. Not only that, but if she's a typical Venus girl, she offers her pearls of wisdom on a silver platter of charm and amiable suggestion. Her iron hand wears a soft, velvet glove, and she can nudge you off the wrong track and in the right direction so gently, you'll swear the switch was entirely your own idea. An Aries, Scorpio, Leo or Taurus man will normally put his Libran wife on a pedestal and worship her. That's only fair, because she worships him, too. Outsiders who visit the love nest of a properly mated Libran and her husband may feel as though they were seeing Adam and Eve, before the snake came along and spoiled everything. (Two Librans wed to each other invariably become cooing lovebirds or snarling adversaries. They'll go to one extreme or the other, sometimes on a permanent basis, sometimes every other day.)

There are many rewards when you're living with a Libra female. She'll never open your mail. It simply wouldn't occur to her to be so dishonorable. She'll never reveal your business secrets to your friends or embarrass you in front of your boss. She'll probably charm him into submission, too, with the same smile she used to melt your heart when you first met her. There are some Libra women with afflicted Mars positions who may over-indulge in excessive emotions at times, or eat and drink more than is good for them, but they're few and far between. Even if a Venus female does occasionally trip over her own scales, sooner or later she'll gracefully achieve her normal state of heavenly harmony. There will be moments when you'll wonder if she's an angel or devil, but the angels fight on her side more often than not.

You probably won't complain of lack of physical proof of her love, because she's as sentimental as old lace, and as affectionate as a woman has any right to be. Although she's sincere about her billing and cooing, those sweet glances, tender touches, warm hugs and frequent kisses are also a pretty effective smokescreen for her hidden mascu­line drive. There's no law that says sincerity can't have a practical application.

Your home may look like one of those magazine ads for wall-to-wall carpeting. The colors will harmonize, and the furniture will be in good taste. Pictures will hang straight, and meals will usually be served on time. With most Venus girls you can also count on cloth napk^s, sterling silver, flowers on the table, good china, candlelight, wine, soft music and a balanced menu. Taking into consideration her clever mind and her sparkling wit, there's not a whole lot more you could ask. Being a woman is sort of a lifetime occupation to her, and she's bound to arrive at perfection somewhere along the line. The masculine side of her will rarely disturb you, unless you're one of those impossible males who want to go shouting around like King Henry

VIII and expecting the women in your life to behave like obedient consorts, fearful of losing their heads if they gay anything other than "yes" or "no." Your Libran con­sort will definitely say more than "yes" or "no." She likes to talk. But she'll also make a flattering listener, when you have a need for a good audience. This woman is both tough and soft at the same time, and it's not every female who can manage that delicate balancing act.

Her sweet manners and smooth ability to cool your fevered brow can lead you to think she's weak and helpless, or that she'll be fluttery and feminine when a crisis erupts. If so, you're much mistaken. That dear, womanly little creature is composed of nine parts steel. Just because you missed it when she was shrewdly and bravely planning to hook you during those early chess games when she kept letting you beat her, you shouldn't remain blind forever. Open your eyes wide the next time there's a family emergency, and see who keeps the boat from rocking. Who really does it, I mean. The truth needn't rob you of your masculinity. No one but you will know how much you need her helping hand at the helm when things get choppy. Shell never brag about it, or take anything away from you-except a large part of the responsibility. Be grateful she's so dependable. Besides, she looks kind of cute when she wears her slacks to garden or to the super­market, doesn't she? Women in trousers are all right, as long as they have enough sense to wear frilly organdy to parties and slinky silk in privacy. She does. One of her most valuable assets is her ability to hide her sharp, keen mind behind utter femininity.

The children will be loved and tenderly cared for by a Libra mother, but in all honesty, they will come in a poor second to you. They're junior partners, but you are the president of the company, and shell never forget that basic fact. They'll get a large chunk of her heart, but she'll never allow them to steal the comer she gave to you before they came along. If their play interferes with your rest, she can be pretty strict, and if they disobey you, shell be angrier than if they disobeyed her. The youngsters will be sweet and clean as infants, neat and polite as adults-unless you spoil them and she doesn't interfere because you're the lord and master. It's just another one of those decisions she may leave in your hands so she can avoid making the wrong judgment The Libra mother is normally gentle, yet quite firm when the need arises. Her children are never neglected or ignored, but the truth of the matter is that the reason she wanted to become a mother in the first place was so she could give you more happiness that way. One of the first things she'll teach them when they learn their prayers is to say, "God bless Daddy." She'll never permit them to disrespect their father. Still, if you get a little over­bearing, she's a pretty soft pillow for their tears, and she may sneak them a peppermint stick behind your back when you've put your foot down too severely.

It's true that she may nibble on sweets too often and get fat. She may linger too long at the dance or over the wine bottle. There may be times when she's a little bossy, and Other moments when she talks your ear off. But these things will only occur when her emotional scales are temporarily off balance. They will never fail to settle into even steadiness when the occasional dipping is over. Un­less somebody stands there with his foot on one of them, Libran scales always eventually balance themselves. If one side is a little low, add some affection and it will rise. If the other side drops from the weight of too much sad­ness, lighten it with understanding and her-beautiful har­mony will return.

What other woman could look like a princess when you take her to the ball, then turn right around, lace up her boots, zip up her red plaid lumber jacket, and help you saw logs for the fireplace? She has sweetness enough for the first and strength enough for the second. If her name is Peg, you'll be whistling "Peg-0-My-Heart." If it's Sally . or Mary, you'll happily hum "My Gal Sal" or sing "Mary Is a Grand Old Name." In case the song writers have forgotten to pay her a tribute, write your own melody in waltz time, with a good, strong beat, and dedicate it to your Libra woman. Fortissimo.

　

The LIBRA Man

The LIBRA Man

You'll get plenty of free advice from this man. Hell 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 your girlish 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 logicul 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 Roman 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 decided 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.

The word love and the word Libra are practically syn­onymous. Libra invented romance, and refined it to an art with even more finesse than Leo, Scorpio and Taurus, which is saying a lot. The delicate strategies of Cupid are inbred Libran talents. He'll use every trick with casual ease and seldom fail to get the girl. However, once he gets her, he isn't always sure what to do with her. Having thoroughly charmed her into willing submission, he hesi­tates. Should he take advantage of her helpless state or should he propose marriage? Or both? Or neither? The mental struggle begins, and life in the garden of Eden with this particular Adam becomes' considerably less than ecstatic.

He won't lose interest in the opposite sex until he's at least ninety. It may be purely an academic interest if he's happily married, but the subject will never bore him, even if he only speculates what it would be like to whirl each pretty girl he sees around an imaginary ballroom.

Since the art of love-making comes so easily-and shockingly early-to the Libra male, and since he almost always wears the crown of success on his romantic excur­sions into love's jungle, he gets tangled up with a lot of clinging vines. Libra hates to hurt anyone's feelings, though he remains blissfully unaware of the damage done when he's in an argumentative mood. He hates to say no, and seldom realizes that postponement is more unkind than an outright break of an affair which has no chance of hap­piness. In the opposite situation when the mutual feeling is as close to sublime as humans ever reach on this earth, the prolonged agony can be equally tortuous. Only an Aquarian can be more shy of making a drastic move in one direction or another. If he senses he's being unfair to someone in his own life, to you-or to someone in your recent romantic past-there will be no end to his painful indecision. Being unfair is, to him, a crime roughly on a level with murder. The reluctance to be cruel can push him into a mistaken proposal of marriage, predestined for the divorce courts •-or else his endless procrastination can cause him to miss (he love of his life. So you can see his attitude is a two-edged sword, which can either slice away true love or cut him a piece of indigestible matrimony. Tossing out false sentiment is the cure for both.

The tendency toward fickleness in Libra men can't be denied. They do tend to trifle, especially in youth. The natural Libra impulse is to to size up every third or fourth woman they come across, and weigh her possibilities of being the true soul mate. They often get friendship and love hopelessly confused. Surprisingly, it's not often that the Libran will suffer from a broken heart, for all his dabbling and experimenting. He can forget with insulting quickness, and be less apt than anyone, except perhaps a Gemini or Sagittarius male, to allow himself to regret the memory of unrequited love or a romance that was fated never to be. He may sustain a few bruised spots, but there will be no permanent damage, except in very unusual cases. Then the hurt can be devastating beyond imagina­tion. But it happens so rarely you won't find many ex­amples. It's easier to find a soft-hearted, guileless Libra man in the clutches of a passionately determined female who has made him feel that deserting her would be a sin second only to breaking all the ten commandments at once. Caught in such a net, he can be a pretty miserable prisoner of love. But both extremes are the exceptions, and most Libra men manage to keep free enough to enjoy romance to the fullest, without letting sentimental ties rope them in.

He isn't too interested in rooting out your secrets. He may seem to be, at first glance, but take a second look. Often he misses what's going on two inches under his nose.

Everyone will notice what's happening but him. Though he'll argue until hell freezes over, his purpose is not to dig out personal motives, but to dwell on abstract theories so that he can reach a balanced judgment. His questions aren't aimed at uncovering anyone's hidden neurosis. He just wants to sort the facts and assemble them in the proper places. He'll discuss pros and cons with brilliant logic and astute rationalization, and his conclusion will usually be fair, accurate, sensible and practical. Not even Solomon in all his wisdom could top a typical Libran's final, balanced decision. But he doesn't have the inclination to figure the personal nuances or emotional tangles that lie just beneath the surface. The facts and the facts alone are sufficient. The Piscean, Scorpio or Aquarian's deep penetration of character would, to his mind, muddy the crystal-clear picture he seeks. He instinctively feels that such psychological examination is out of his line. It is.

If you're extravagant, he'll simply deduce that you spend money like water; therefore you aren't a good credit risk. The fact that you seek emotional security by wasting cash isn't in his field. He's not your psychiatrist. If you're stingy, he's only interested in carefully examining your thrift to form an accurate appraisal of your customs. There's no desire to uncover your secret fear of losing your inde­pendence through poverty. Promiscuity will make him argue against its pitfalls; frigidity will, bring on even lengthier discussions about isolation from human com­panionship. But he'll avoid learning about the traumatic experiences that brought on the former, or the deep-seated feelings of inadequacy that triggered the latter. Libra is the judge. You'll see lots of judges handing down fair decisions, based on weighing the facts in the case, but you won't find many of them asking you why the color red makes you nervous, or sympathizing with your com­pulsion to lock your husband out because he wore those red-striped pajamas. Always remember that the Libran argues with only an abstract curiosity. He appears to be a prober, but he's not. Nor is he as nosy and gossipy as he seems to be. It's like breaking the seal of the confessional to pry a secret given in confidence from the typical Libran.

All this makes him terribly trustworthy, but a little hard on your feelings. You can confide in him with faith. But you'll suffer when he misses sensing your innermost needs. He wants to please you, but there's seldom enough under-standing of your silent hopes to satisfy all your longings (unless there's a water sign on the ascendant, or the Moon is in a water sign). Just because he's an expert lover technically doesn't make him the soul of empathy in relation to your moods. He has enough trouble coping with his own. Nothing can be more irritating than when you rush to him with a story about how someone has hurt you deeply. You seek sympathy, and what do you get? His first question will be, "What did you do to him (or her)?" Then he'll point out where you were just as much in the wrong, until you could scream with unsatisfied indignation. Go ahead and scream, he still won't take sides if he thinks you've been unfair, and the emotional implications will escape him.

Trouble invariably arises from this Libran lack of aware­ness of the partner's need to be understood in depth. It may seem unbelievable that he can be so intuitive about the abstract, so brilliantly logical in deduction, so capable of clear, open-minded and open-eyed deliberation, and still be so aggravatingly obtuse about what makes you ache or thrill inside. But it's one of those inconsistencies you have to live with, if you live with a Libran. His gentleness and that smile, of course, make it easier to bear.

Unless there are financial afflictions in his natal chart, he won't be tight with the budget. On the contrary, the typical Libran has a rather lavish hand with cash. He believes in spending it on objects or activities that bring beauty or happiness. Be prepared to be a good hostess, because his home will be a regular hospitality center at most any hour of the day or night (except during those times when he's resting and won't take kindly to being disturbed by doorbells, telephones or people). Don't drag him to crowded places where he's forced to feel the press of flesh and where the noise offends his sense of harmony. Crowds of strangers affect his inner equilibrium. All Librans have an instinctive distaste for physical contact with masses of humanity. His social life will be generously sprinkled with intelligent, sparkling people, but when the group expands to over a couple of dozen warm bodies, he'll Struggle for air. A Libra man can suddenly leave you alone in a crowded theater with no explanation. He doesn't hate you. He was just overcome with claustrophobia, a typical Ubran affliction.

The fastest road to the disinterest that leads to divorce Ffs a disorderly home. Keep the radio and TV sets toned down, and don't let the odor of cooking penetrate hia sensitive nostrils. If you must make onion soup and garlic bread, spray pine-scented deodorant around until the house smells like the great northern woods. A wife who serves a Libran husband bread right out of the wrapper, makes him use paper towels for napkins and leaves the milk bottle or cereal box out where he can see them is beaded for the life of a not-so-gay divorcee sooner than she may think. Hanging stockings across the shower rod is out. Forgetting to dust or make the beds can keep him in a constant state of emotional discord. Hell retreat from the disharmony with longer and longer naps and more and more nights out alone, and eventually, there will be no communication. He may be as sloppy as six pigs himself, but he'll expect you to pick up his socks and fold the papers be scatters on the floor. If the chartreuse draperies clash with a maroon rug, he can pout for years, and you'll never know why. Better keep the decor pastel. With the typical Libran kindness, he may not complain, but his secretary and her exquisite taste may look more attractive to him every day.

The Libra male hates confusion, and he really needs harmony to remain stable. His home must be a beautiful, quiet oasis from the jangling discord of the outside world, or those scales may remain permanently out of balance. Since he seldom probes motives, you'll have to be smart enough to guess why he's never home or why he sleeps all the time when he is. Remember that he's weak on intro­spection, so you must be the analyst. He'll never suspect his unhappiness stems from seeing you covered with cold cream and the youngsters covered with jelly. He may not realize he hates the orange shower curtain or that the lithograph of George Washington crossing the Delaware which hangs over the mantle goes against his artistic grain. He won't quite understand why he keeps forgetting to kiss you goodnight and good morning, but his logical mind will tell him something is off balance, and he'll suffer from it more than he lets on. Pick up the papers and toys, spruce, Up the house, dab on your best perfume, take the curlers out of your hair, turn down the television, buy some heavenly blue shower curtains and get a good Degas print to replace George over the mantle. Youll wake up some morning and find you're married to a completely new man With a .otally changed attitude.

The children will always benefit from his sense of fair­ness. He'll make sure the biggest youngsters don't take advantage of the baby, or the youngest doesn't break the oldest's bicycle spokes. Libran fathers will exercise dis­cipline with quiet authority, and they'll try to give a logical reason for punishment, which will seldom be administered in anger. Like you, the children will melt under his charm; and like you, they'll also chafe under his constant debating and challenging. Strangely, a Libra man usually doesn't look forward enthusiastically to the birth of children. But after they arrive, he weighs the advantage of their love against loneliness, plunges into fatherhood with a sincere desire to enjoy it, and normally ends up as a doting parent. However, he'll never allow parental affection to replace his romantic feelings for you. With typical Librans of both sexes, the mate comes first, offspring second. You needn't fear that his love for you will decrease as the family in­creases-assuming, of course, you got rid of those char­treuse draperies or the maroon rug, one or the other- and that the dirty dishes don't continually pile up in the sink.

One final word of astrological advice. If you're in love with a Libra man, and you're sure it's meant to be, go right ahead and propose whatever it is you want to propose, up to and including marriage. Hell be relieved that you took the initiative. But watch out for that perverse streak-which causes him to let you decide, and then when it doesn't work out, cheerfully point out that "You made the decision. I didn't." Make sure you know what you're doing, or you'll never hear the end of it. There's only one way to even the score with him. Say "Yes, I decided. If I had left it up to you, we'd still be standing under that lamppost in the rain saying 'I love you,' and we'd both have caught pneumonia." He'll argue with you, naturally, but just before or after you bounce the teapot off his head, he'll accidentally smile, and there you'll be-stand­ing under that lamppost in the rain again, saying "I love you," once more. I believe this is where I came in.

How to Recognize LIBRA

How to Recognize LIBRA

Librans hate to be rude, yet they'll straighten the crooked picture on your wall and snap off your blaring TV sfft. Librans love people, but they hate large crowds. Like gen&le doves of peace, they go around mediating and patching tip quarrels between others; still they enjoy a good argument themselves. They're goodnatured and pleasant, but th^y can also be sulky, and they balk at taking orders. Libra(is are extremely intelligent. At the same time, they're incredi­bly naive and gullible. They'll talk your ear off, yet they're wonderfully good listeners. Librans are restless people. But they seldom rush or hurry. Are you completely confused? You're not alone. There's a frustrating inconsistency to tl»is Sun sign that puzzles the Ubrans themselves as much S&it does others.

Lots of people will tell you that Libra is all love ai»d beauty and sweetness and light. That's fine, as far as it goes, but it stops a little short of accuracy. It also stops short of Eugene O'Neill. Just because the sign is symbolized by the golden scales of justice, don't ever think that LibraAS are always perfectly balanced. It seems to be a logical deduction. After all, the purpose of scales is to balano®. However, did you ever watch the balancing process on a pair of old-fashioned pharmaceutical scales? The ultimate goal is to get both sides even, but what happens? First o(ie side is low, then the other. Up and down, and they dip until there's perfect balance. Drop into a friendly neighborhood. pharmacy and watch them in action. (Just tell the druggist you're trying to find out what makes Aunt Martha tick.)

Never again will you have a mental picture of a Libran as a calm, perfectly balanced, sweet, gracious and charming individual You'll have a mental picture of a person who has that kind of disposition half the time. The other half of the time, Libra can be annoying, quarrelsome, stubborn, restless, depressed and confused. Libra is first up, then down. He swings one way, then another. Suddenly, like the scaels-perfect balance! It's heavenly. But there is always that period of weighing and dipping before the moment of heavenly balance is achieved.

The physical appearance of these people may require almost as much concentration as the personality. There's no such thing as a typical Libra feature, unless ifs the Venus dimple. Libran features are almost always even and well-balanced. They're pleasing, but not very noticeable, so it's easier to start with the dimples. There will usually be a couple in the cheeks or one in the chin. If they're not in the face, you might check to see if the knees are dimpled. Many Libran knees are. But be careful. Very few girls will believe you when you tell them you were staring at their knees "because I want to see if you were born in October." Be discreet, but check. With the men, of course, the trousers rule out that clue, unless you're on the beach or playing tennis. Don't get discouraged if you find dimples, then discover the person was not born in October. Those fetching dimples have a right to be there, because he or she will have a Libra ascendant, so your guess is still correct.

After you've ruled the Venus dimples in or out, notice the entire effect of the face. It will always wear a markedly pleasant expression. Even when the Libran is angry, some­how he or she will manage to look mild, or at the very least, neutral. Venus voices are typically sweet and clear as a bell, and these people seldom raise them to a shrill or bellowing pitch. A Libran is the only person on earth who can say, "I hate you and I'm going to punch you in the nose," and sound as if he's reciting Browning's "How Do I Love Thee?" The mouth is usually bow-shaped, and the lips would have been described in Gibson girl days as "lips like cherry wine." In fact, the typical Libra face reminds you of nothing so much as a box of bonbons. Or a sugar cookie. Some of them look like human lollipops, or a caramel sundae topped with rich, whipped cream. They like to eat those things, too, and if any Librans are reading this, they're probably weak with hunger by now.

The women are almost invariably pretty, and the men are usually handsome. Still, not all of the beautiful people in the world are Librans; Venus beauty is in a class by itself, and it's not always easy to separate it from the good looks of other Sun signs. My own secret way to recognize them is to begin by thinking about the sweet expressions of Dwight Elsenhower and Brigitte Bardot, and then go on from there. The trouble is that sometimes the women will look like Ike and the men like Bardot. You have to make allowances.

I'm not implying that the Libra woman is masculine.

Most of them are about as female as the average man can stand (unless there's an aggressive ascendant). And I cer­tainly do not imply that Libra men are feminine. They're usually quite virile male animals. But there's no denying that they have a purity of feature that keeps you from • getting them mixed up with prize fighters or wrestlers. Even the rare Libran who might be called ugly, and it will be most unusual to find one, has such a charming expres­sion you're persuaded to comment that there's real beauty of character in his (or her) face.

You'll never meet a Libran who doesn't have a smile like a soft, white cloud. That Venus smile could melt a chocolate bar at twenty paces. When it hits you full force, it has enough candle power to transfigure even plain or downright homely features-literally, not figuratively.

Most Librans are full of curves, rather than angles. Their hair is often curly. They're not necessarily fat (though a Taurus ascendant can produce some pretty plump pigeons). Still, they can fool you, go on a diet and cut quite a trim figure. But even so, the curves will be there in spots, rather like a slim hourglass shape. Using Bardot once more as an example, one certainly could not call her fat-but could one call her skinny? There's one more trick in mastering the Venus appearance and physical characteristics. You'll notice a bright, lilting laugh that rings with merriment. Once you've heard it, you won't soon forget it.

Now you might think that to be born attractive and dimpled, to seek fairness and loveliness, to be pleasing and easily pleased, is a blessing. You might imagine that gentle­ness and intelligence, grace and understanding are the gifts of a fairy godmother. You might be right. When the Libra scales are balanced, ifs utterly delightful, like meeting an angel from paradise. The problem is that fairy godmother. She keeps rapping one side of the .scales with her wand and then the other, making Libra dip back and forth. She can't seem to make up her fickle mind whether she made a mistake or not, and she passed her indecision on to Librans. First they'll talk up a storm and monopolize the conversation. Then they'll listen intently, with flattering interest. When others are fighting, theyll play the role of peacemaker, and smooth everyone's ruffled feathers. Then they'll turn right around, deliberately take the other side in discussion, and start an argument for the pure relish of it.

They seek harmony. Yet, lots of Librans indulge in excessive eating, drinking or love-making, 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. Dolittle'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. Hell 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, hell 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 hell 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 managaing 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 bladderdisturbances, 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 bard, 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 argumenta-tiveness, 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 j 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 I 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.

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 don'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

Amitabh bachan,Julie Andrews, Mahatma Gandhi, George Gershwin, Graham Greene,Alfred noble, Anita roddick,Avril lavigne, catherine zeta jones.