Venus in Libra

Libra is Venus's second house and, in the words of Lilly 1659, her chief one. Ashmand's footnote to his 1822 Ptolemy, following Whalley, gives Libra as her night house, while Lilly reserves that label for Taurus. Anyone looking for one ranking of the two houses will find none across these books.

Ptolemy (Ashmand's 1822 translation) assigned her this sign partly because it lies at a sextile from the houses of the luminaries. Lilly calls Libra airy, hot and moist, which meets her own moisture halfway, and allots her terms from 7 to 11. Alan Leo 1899 says people of this sign show the Venus side of their nature above all, courteous and agreeable.

Heindel 1918 gives a Venus rising in Libra artistic ability, a claim that depends on the birth hour. Modern astrology stresses partnership and fairness with this placement and carries Leo's picture of weighing and balance into the language of relationships.