Fortune Cookies
Mention scales, and the figures that usually come to mind are Nemesis and Themis. But another mythological figure holds them, too: Kairos, god of luck and the opportune moment. Why does he need scales? He measures out good fortune to those who deserve it. Fair and impartial, pure in spirit and honest—he shares all these qualities with Libra.
Let's put Libra's qualities on one pan: fairness, intelligence, agility, rationality, and a desire for harmony. On the other, let's place a precious or semiprecious stone that could become this sign's talisman: opal, lapis lazuli, diamond, amethyst, malachite, jade, citrine, peridot, clear quartz, carnelian, rhodonite, or beryl. We can weigh the wordplay, too. Libra has an excellent sense of humor.
Opal
Kairos, god of good fortune, recommends opal to Libra himself. Libra needs luck, especially when there is no time to lose and decisions must be followed by swift action. Roman legionaries understood that: they equipped themselves with opal talismans as well as swords and armor.
"O Venice, city of lovers," goes a song in Truffaldino from Bergamo. "And of melancholics," we might add. Why else would medieval Venetians have turned to opal for protection against melancholy? Winter, dampness, rumors of epidemics, faces hidden behind masks—it isn't hard to understand. In our time, epidemics have been brought under control, but the struggle with melancholy continues. Libra is sensitive to sadness. To keep the blues from taking hold, follow the Venetians and Roman legionaries: acquire an opal talisman.
Lapis Lazuli
Lapis lazuli helps Libra succeed and protects against depression. Perhaps that's why it is said to restore youth: someone with a joyful heart is always young!
With lapis lazuli, love and well-being come to Libra, according to Western tradition, along with the prosperity promised by the wise East.
Diamond
"Countless diamonds lie in caves of stone," sings the Indian Guest in the opera Sadko. It's a familiar line, just as familiar as the claim that diamond favors every zodiac sign. Libra, though, comes first.
As Nikolai Gumilev wrote, "A diamond shield rose above the sea." Diamond protects Libra in those moments when they don't know what to do and indecision leaves them vulnerable. Libra needs time to decide, or at least to get used to a situation. Once they have a plan, the diamond shield continues to shelter them from the blows of fate.
Amethyst
Amethyst is regarded as Libra's own stone! Alexander Blok included a poem called "Amethyst" in his Ante Lucem cycle. Libra may not write poetry like the great Russian poet, but love intoxicates their heart just as surely, bathing the world in violet twilight when it arrives.
Amethyst protects Libra from false passion and unhappy love. With this magical talisman, they can find the love of a lifetime.
Malachite
When Libra hesitates, malachite settles onto the pan that represents the right decision. Along with a sound choice, Libra gains health and strength of spirit. Malachite brings a cheerful mood, bright as the mallow growing on Greek hillsides from which the stone takes its name.
Jade
The old astrological work The Book of the Jade Casket describes the help each zodiac sign can expect from jade. This talisman suits kind, fair-minded people who value honesty and persistence in the pursuit of knowledge—all Libra qualities.
A peach carved from jade promises Libra longevity. A mandarin duck in the form of a jade figurine helps bring success in love.
Citrine
We all sometimes find ourselves unable to decide, however carefully we weigh the options. That uncertainty resembles fog and heavy clouds, when no one knows whether the weather will hold or the rain will come. When it's time to take a chance, citrine gives Libra courage and determination and strengthens eloquence.
Thoughts can be expressed through music and mathematical symbols as well as words. Sometimes a glance or a tone of voice is enough to be understood. A citrine talisman helps Libra excel at all of these.
Peridot
Peridot was considered a talisman of lawyers and crusaders. Lawyers believed it helped untangle complicated cases. Crusaders had Archbishop Marbodius' assurance that it protected against evil spirits—a considerable comfort on campaigns where everything seemed hostile: people, nature, even the legends. In our progressive age, peridot has also gained a reputation for increasing the power of love.
Libra will certainly investigate. To what they already know about the stone's advantages, they'll add its ability to protect property from fire and thieves. When the time comes to choose a talisman, the scales will tip toward peridot.
Clear Quartz
The ancient Japanese chronicle Nihongi tells of the fearsome three-clawed dragon Yamata no Orochi. In poetic descriptions of the guardian spirits of the four directions, the Japanese say, "If there is a stream in the east, the Blue Dragon guards it." The benevolent dragon god Ryujin watches over Japan. In this same tradition, clear quartz is considered a dragon's frozen breath.
With clear quartz, Libra gains discipline, fairness, and the desire to protect the weak.
Carnelian
Libra can seem indecisive. But only until a decision is made—then there's no stopping them! Especially in love. "Love means persistence to the end," says a character in Lope de Vega's The Dog in the Manger.
Carnelian helps Libra impress the person of their dreams. This talisman reveals their talents and gives them charm and courage. Who could resist such appeal?
Rhodonite
Astronomical circumstances leave Libra swinging between joy and melancholy. Rhodonite helps them avoid depression. The talisman throws it overboard like ballast, and Libra's mood shoots upward like a hot-air balloon.
Self-belief, supported by rhodonite, encourages Libra to try something new. As Evgeny Gladkov's song "The Birth of Gulliver" puts it, you've been given an extraordinary chance—assume there won't be another.
Beryl
Libra has a keen sense of justice but is modest by nature. Beryl helps them speak convincingly. Society has a place for Libra's honesty. They put their faith in what Lope de Vega called intelligence, a zeal for learning, and the pen—and they win. Beryl also helps them attain material comfort: honest employees and partners are always valued.
Libra Stones at a Glance
- Opal brings Libra luck and protects against melancholy, sadness, and the blues.
- Lapis lazuli helps achieve success, protects against depression, restores youth, and brings love, well-being, and prosperity.
- Diamond protects Libra in moments of indecision and shields them from the blows of fate.
- Amethyst protects against false passion and unhappy love, helping Libra find a lifelong love.
- Malachite supports the right choice, gives health and strength of spirit, and lifts the mood.
- Jade gives Libra longevity and success in love.
- Citrine brings courage, determination, and eloquence, helping Libra be understood.
- Peridot increases the power of love and protects property from fire and thieves.
- Clear quartz strengthens fairness and the desire to protect the weak.
- Carnelian makes Libra more attractive.
- Rhodonite gives Libra faith in their own abilities.
- Beryl strengthens Libra's powers of persuasion.
The Best Stone Colors for Libra
Green and Blue
Thoughtful, peace-loving Venus invites Libra to discover the properties of green and blue stones and choose a dependable helper among them.
- Aquamarine helps Libra decide to set out on a journey and guards them from misfortune and dangerous people along the way. This talisman helps resolve doubts and avoid stress.
- Tourmaline gives Libra the inspiration to conceive an undertaking, the strength to carry it through, and the sense of humor to take possible misunderstandings in stride.
- Green jasper strengthens the heart and makes it brave, improves vision and helps spot ill intentions, heals the stomach, and gives the strength to accept the inevitable.
Stones Libra Should Avoid
Libra draws up a plan of action, but indecision often brings things to a halt. They believe they can do it, yet hesitate because uncertainty frightens them. They could move mountains, though sometimes they can't be bothered to move at all. Libra knows when someone is wrong but tries not to criticize. Philosophers by nature, they reflect on all of this and find their balance. To preserve it, they should avoid stones that don't suit their sign.
- Ruby is a warrior's stone, while Libra is peace-loving. They won't always be able to channel aggression usefully and will feel ashamed of angry outbursts.
- Onyx is sometimes called the "stone of sadness." Libra is already prone to melancholy and needs no extra reason for the blues.
- Red jasper stops bleeding, but emotionally it can incline Libra toward inaction.
Gold and Silver in Libra Jewelry
Silver
For Libra, silver means the pans on which they weigh their own thoughts and other people's opinions. It means a troy ounce and honesty, silver inlay on an astrolabe and diligence in the pursuit of knowledge, bells ringing for weddings. Silver gives Libra confidence and helps them support their views and prove their point.
Gold
Gold means the nuggets weighed by prospectors and grains of knowledge won through hard work. It means the gold standard and unshakable principles; a golden key to a city, symbolizing the power and judgment of a wise ruler; a firebird Libra hopes merely to glimpse, seeing no reason to cage it. It is their lucky break and the golden pen with which they will write their own destiny, because they are used to relying on themselves. Gold jewelry brings Libra closer to harmony.
Libra knows how heavy a feather can be and how light a fragment of marble. They can weigh the blue and red of a rainbow, understand human weakness without condemning it. Wisdom is the lever of their scales. And a sense of humor, of course.
More Libra horoscopes:
