Relationships

4 Important Things To Know Before You Start Dating A Libra

by Cosmo Luce
Ryan Tuttle

Libras are the scales of the Zodiac. These folks are society's balancers and the weighers — those who want to achieve harmony and justice. Dating a Libra man or woman has the same feeling of the season they were born in: final bursts of summer days, counterbalanced by the swirling, blustery winds of the fall to reflect the opposing weights of their sign. You'll see these weighing qualities early on in dating a Libra, when they might be hesitant about whether or not they want to be in a relationship at all. Libras take their commitments seriously, but as they are also sensitive and constantly seeing situations from other people's perspectives, they will probably try to minimize the length of their deliberation or its impact on you. And if a Libra does commit to you, your relationship can be anything from a short stint to long-lasting love.

When you are dating a Libra, the most important thing to know about them is their relationship to all four of the astrological elements: fire, earth, water, and air. This is what will impact their relationship to you, depending on the layout of your birth chart. It will also have an effect because of how each of these elements will play out in their day-to-day experience and inner life.

1. How A Libra Relates To Fire

Fire is the element of creative passion — which also means sex and desire. As an air sign, Libra gives fire its oxygen. A Libra is always invested in their partner's pleasure, viewing sex as a collaborative act. They never play games or try to suck you in with some art of seduction. Sex is a decision that two people choose to arrive at, together, because sex, after all, is about being together and entwined. That's not to say a Libra only has sex with people they want to completely join with in a long-term relationship. They are capable of their share of one-night stands and can move on quickly after a relationship ends.

A Libra is a cardinal sign, which means that they are one of the initiators of the Zodiac. People with lots of fire in their signs or in the pertinent planets in their chart can be the wild children of the Zodiac, but a Libra's equilibrium withstands them pretty well. A Libra will cheer on an Aries' efforts to be first in everything, will appreciate a Leo's ability to make quick decisions that cut through their deliberation, and will a enjoy a Sagittarius' stability. As an air sign, a Libra dating a fire sign does need to be sure that they hold enough oxygen for themselves, rather than having a relationship that consumes all of their thoughts. If a Libra doesn't have this, they will be the ones who cut the arrangement off. The sex might have been great, but a Libra will know that isn't enough.

2. How A Libra Relates To Air

Air is the element of intellect — the swirly thought patterns that can become sources of anxiety or pleasurable exercises in communication and talk for Libra, depending on whether they can keep their balance in check. As an air sign, Libras are often able to talk themselves out of their anxieties or concerns, and will create calming rituals for themselves to untangle the knot of their worries. They also will enjoy having a wide range of friends: Relationships and community are important to them. Libras enjoy all kinds of company and being close to all their friends. They will probably confide in their most trusted relationships about your relationship and use this friend-base to work out their concerns, so take careful note of whom a Libra chooses to be close with and how much you trust their judgment. But if you're jealous of one of their friends, you don't have anything to worry about. A Libra loves to connect with new people, but if you're dating a Libra, you can rest assured that you're the only one.

With dating other air signs, Libras will do well with dating other Libras or Aquarians. With Aquarius, they'll enjoy a matching intellectual wit and a flexible sense of humor that is able to keep up with Aquarius' quirks. They'll admire Aquarius' reserve and the way they seem to ascend above earthly restrictions. Relationships with mutable Geminis will be a challenge, as Libra is ruled by Venus — the planet of romantic wisdom and maturity — and Gemini is ruled by Mercury, which lacks emotional wisdom. If you are a Gemini dating a Libra, notice whether you are being more of a talker than a listener, and see if you can hold more space for your Libra to speak.

With other Libras, they'll find their scales perfectly fused into the oneness they crave. They will feel that their life challenge of finding and experiencing the other side fully was finally met, and may struggle if and when the relationship ends to continue on their journey toward ascension.

3. How A Libra Relates To Earth

Earth is the element of materiality, involving each sign's relationship to resources like finances, home, and health. Besides the scales, the sign of a Libra evokes the sun setting on the Earth. Libra joins fire and water — the elements of passion and emotion — in planning and cultivating a loving, comfortable home where they can do what feels good. They are the sign who will spend an extra $10 on fancy cheese instead of putting it in their savings account. That's OK, though. A Libra's propensity to strike balance makes sure that they will never go too much into debt. They know that keeping a happy home and body are just as important, if not more so, than having a bloated bank account, and they are able to weigh their needs proportionally.

Dating an Earth sign is a nicely grounding experience for a Libra, as Earth will counterbalance that Libra airy tendency to start swirling too much around their own head. A Libra will appreciate a Taurus' appetite, as they love to cook and provide for their lovers. A Libra might find a Capricorn's pursuit of coin a bit restrictive, but will ultimately understand that reaching great heights is important for this cardinal sign. Because they share cardinality, Capricorn will appreciate the union they have with Libra that permits them to reach the solitary summit they need to obtain in life. And a Virgo dating a Libra will be appreciated for their organizational tendency and the care they put into helping the Libra make themselves a comfortable home.

4. How A Libra Relates To Water

Water is the element of emotions and spirituality, and as an air sign, it will be important — and perhaps a challenge — for a Libra to tap into this realm and understand the influence water has over their airy thoughts. A Libra is always interested in evolving and learning more about themselves and where they come from, as it helps them strike the balance between past, future, and present. And because Libra is a gifted peacekeeper and communicator, they will know that appropriately channeling feelings through talk is important/ They will strive to cultivate this skill and become effective peacemakers and mediators.

Water signs dating a Libra will overwhelm them if their own emotions are out of balance. A Libra will be sensitive to their scale being off if a relationship is requiring too much emotional labor of them, and will do what they need to do to conserve themselves. A relationship between a Libra and a Scorpio will be a challenge for this reason: Libra might find themselves catering too much to an unevolved Scorpio's emotional outlashes, and will have to break the relationship off. A Scorpio in tune with their effect on others, though, will work with a Libra dynamic. Cancers will appreciate Libra's tenderness and care, and Libras will love talking about a Cancer's emotional observances. They'll know when to give this shy water sign space, too. Libra will adore a tender Pisces' romanticism, but this air and water sign will struggle to stay grounded and might be prone to drift away on their fantasies. But in a successful Pisces-Libra relationship, Libra's air will fill a Pisces' sails, pushing them forward on their metaphysical journey toward enlightenment.

When dating a Libra, the most important thing to know is that Libra is a sensitive sign. Their attention to balance and their ability to protect themselves might not make this readily apparent, but a Libra will always be willing to put themselves in your shoes. The key to a lasting Libra union? Let them know that they are seen and remind yourself that as clearly as they see you, they need you to see them from your side, too.

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