Linda Goodman's Sun Signs (39 page)

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 Facebook. Should people be on Facebook, is it an important social networking tool or a royal waste of time? Take a fast flight around the zodiac. Pretend you're the only woman in a room with twelve handsome men. (That should be a pleasant supposition.) The discussion would run something like this:

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 subjects such as Facebook, 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 females 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 with her husband, and she's female enough to follow his lead when he wants to change his career, move to another city, or cultívate new friends. She's a partner who will help smooth the way for her spouse and be sure he thinks twice before taking impulsive actions or making an 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 gal, 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 secrets to your friends or embarrass you in front of your work colleagues. She'll probably charm them 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 women you can also count on some romantic dinners complete with cloth napkins, 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. Your Libran consort 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. She'll never brag about it, or take anything away from you—except a large part of the responsibility. Be grateful she's so dependable. She may also wear slacks most of the time instead of frilly skirts, but you can bet her lingerie will be delicate lace or slinky silk. 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 she'll never forget that basic fact. They'll get a large chunk of her heart, but she'll never allow them to steal the corner 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, she'll 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 Rosey, you'll be whistling
“Ro Ro Rosey”
by Van Morrison. If it's Melissa or Michelle, you'll happily hum “
Sweet Melissa
” or sing
“Michelle, ma belle.”
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.

“My, what a beautiful baby!” Parents of October infants hear that phrase so often, they can be forgiven for feeling smug. The little Libran does seem to be a plump, pink angel, right out of the pages of a baby book. With his sweet expression and those pleasant, well-balanced Venus features, he's quite a charmer. He seldom kicks off his blankets in red-faced, screaming rage, or punches Mommy in the nose when she tries to give him his bottle. He's too well-mannered for such wild shenanigans. When he smiles, it lights up the whole nursery. “My, what a dear, good baby! So quiet and calm. So chubby and dimpled. Surely a gracious fairy touched him with her magic kiss.”