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Air · Cardinal

Libra

The Scales, the 7th sign of the zodiac year, usually printed as 23 September – 22 October.

A hand-coloured star card of Libra: a pair of golden scales hanging from a beam, the pans tilted, with stars pricked across both dishes.
Libra · Sidney Hall · Urania's Mirror; or, A View of the Heavens, London, 1825
Element
Airintellect, communication and sociability, in the tradition
Modality
Cardinalthe signs that open a season, traditionally read as initiators
Traditional ruler
VenusAssigned before the outer planets were found
Modern ruler
VenusSame as the traditional ruler.

When the sun actually crosses

The moment the sun enters Libra and the moment it leaves for Scorpio, each year from 2015 to 2026, in UTC to the minute.

22 Sept 00:0022 Sept 06:0022 Sept 12:0022 Sept 18:0023 Sept 00:0023 Sept 06:0023 Sept 12:0020122016202020242010202622 Sept 00:0022 Sept 06:0022 Sept 12:0022 Sept 18:0023 Sept 00:0023 Sept 06:0023 Sept 12:00201220162020202420102026
Where the sun crossed into Libra, 2010–2026, in UTC. The marked years are the ones where a 29 February has fallen in between and pulled it back by most of a day.
YearSun enters LibraSun leaves for Scorpio
201523 September, 08:21 UTC23 October, 17:47 UTC
201622 September, 14:21 UTC22 October, 23:45 UTC
201722 September, 20:02 UTC23 October, 05:27 UTC
201823 September, 01:54 UTC23 October, 11:22 UTC
201923 September, 07:50 UTC23 October, 17:20 UTC
202022 September, 13:31 UTC22 October, 23:00 UTC
202122 September, 19:21 UTC23 October, 04:51 UTC
202223 September, 01:04 UTC23 October, 10:36 UTC
202323 September, 06:50 UTC23 October, 16:21 UTC
202422 September, 12:44 UTC22 October, 22:15 UTC
202522 September, 18:20 UTC23 October, 03:51 UTC
202623 September, 00:06 UTC23 October, 09:38 UTC

VSOP87, checked against published equinox and solstice times.

Which dates can be Libra

Since 1920 the sun has entered Libra on 22 September, 23 September or 24 September, and left it for Scorpio on 22 October, 23 October or 24 October (UTC). On those dates the sign depends on the year, and in a crossing year on the hour; each date's page gives every year.

In the tradition

In Western astrological tradition, Libra is classed as a cardinal air sign. Cardinal signs are the signs that open a season, traditionally read as initiators, and air signs are traditionally associated with intellect, communication and sociability. Its ruling planet in that tradition is Venus.

These are associations reported from tradition, not claims about anyone born under the sign.

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