- Dates
- 23 September to 22 October
- Symbol
- ♎ the Scales
- Element
- Air
- Modality
- Cardinal
- Ruler
- Venus
What the Libra sign means
Libra, the Scales, is the seventh sign of the zodiac and the archetype of the diplomat: air by element, cardinal by mode, and ruled by Venus. In astrology, someone is "a Libra" when the Sun was in Libra at their birth, roughly 23 September to 22 October. Those cusp dates shift by a day some years, so if you were born near the edge, only your actual chart settles it.
The Libra temperament
Air signs run on perspective, language, and the room to think a thing through. As a cardinal sign, it initiates: it is happiest starting things and setting a direction. Put together, Libra tends towards weighing, relating, and seeking the fair balance, reluctant to decide alone, and like every sign it holds both a gift and its shadow. Vela reads none of this as a verdict on who you are, only as a lens for noticing.
If Libra is your Sun sign, where do you recognise the diplomat in yourself, and where is it a costume you have outgrown?
Read Libra in depth
Your sign is one of three placements that matter most. Read Libra as a Sun sign, your Libra Moon, and your Libra rising, see the personal planets in Libra (Venus, Mars), read today's Libra horoscope, or explore Libra compatibility.
Frequently asked
What are the Libra dates?
The Sun is in Libra from about 23 September to 22 October each year. The cusp dates move by a day some years, so if you were born near the edge, casting your chart is the only way to be sure.
What element and ruler is Libra?
Libra is air by element and cardinal by mode, ruled by Venus.
Is astrology a prediction?
Not in Vela's hands. Your sign is a lens for reflection, a way of noticing patterns in yourself, never a forecast of what you must do or become.