LIBRA

Vacation Guide for Libra

Social Libra, you usually prefer to go to an exciting resort or to a big city with plenty of hip restaurants, cafþs and clubs, and a smattering of chic boutiques. Your sign has a knack for knowing "what's hot and what's not" far earlier than the rest of us do. You have an excellent radar, Libra.

You like to see and be seen, so places for Libra to consider include South Hampton, New York City, Martha's Vineyard, Palm Beach, Rio de Janeiro, the South Beach Miami or Beverly Hills. You like to go where the nightlife is hopping, where the people are beautiful, the scenery is gorgeous, the shopping lively and the city or town is culturally sophisticated. After all, luxury- loving Venus is your ruler.

Your sign does not enjoy sleeping on a small cot, pullout bed or in an RV. You'd opt for a hotel that offers a spacious room with a view, plenty of European goose down pillows, Egyptian cotton sheets and soft, snuggly comforter encased in an elegant white cotton duvet. Add beautifully scented body gel, thick terry robes, a private Jacuzzi, room service and chocolates on the pillows, and you'd be blissfully relaxed.

As much as you love to see lots of new and interesting places, you won't spend all your time sightseeing, dear Libra. Typically, you will visit people you know who live in the city you're visiting, and spend long nights getting caught up at a sidewalk restaurant or cafþ. Libra cannot imagine being alone when travelling. To you, real fun involves being part of a fun-loving crowd! Running into people you know on vacation is an exciting, serendipitous pleasure!

The Libra Man: September 23 - October 22
by Susan Miller

Libra is the natural sign of partnership, so it follows that the Libra man prefers being married (or at least living together) over flying solo. He will work toward making his union strong and happy. True justice is a very important issue with Libra, and sometimes you might find him moping around murmuring "It's not fair!" No one has yet succeeded to convince him that life in general isn't fair. Libras have a strong ideas about making life fair, and they make their decisions and arrange their actions around what they feel is the most just and equitable solution. When drawn into a dispute, your Libra lover will quickly state his position and he's done--there is no hanging on to old arguments, no poking into old wounds, and never any sarcasm. Libras are too refined and gentlemanly to fight dirty. He will expect the same from you.

Your Libra guy loves to socialize. This is one man you will not have to coax into going to or hosting a party, and, oh, the parties that they give! They are the best! Libras are the ones who know everyone, and there is sure to be a famous face or two at one of their bashes.

Your Challenge

Libra men have so many friends and are so charming themselves, that it is hard to know where you stand, at least at the beginning of a relationship. They are very loyal once they commit, but until then, this air sign tends to flit around like a butterfly and is rather hard to pin down. Initially, what you have to do is draw attention to yourself in a ladylike way and make him realize you are the companion he wants to spend his time with.

How To Handle Him

Lovemaking is something Libra will look forward to with relish--rarely will he want anything quick or rushed. He enjoys the process of seduction, something he has elevated to an art form, and he will take his time with his woman, careful to attend to her emotional needs as well as her physical ones. He is quite visual in orientation and likes his to see you dressed in elegant lingerie (Libra is a refined sign, so don't get too trashy or flashy). When you are getting ready to make love a Libra, wear your most elegant jewelry, like pretty earrings and a fine necklace, with little lacy underthings he can easily remove.

Things To Do, Gifts To Buy

Libra is ruled by Venus, who controls the arts, so music is very important to him and he will have a great stereo system at home. Buying him a good car stereo or auto CD player is a great way to make sure he always picks you up in a wonderful mood.

Here's an idea for a Libran seduction: propose a day spent touring a pretty rural locale and tuck some of his favorite music into the glove compartment. Don't forget to pack a gourmet picnic basket (Libra likes fine food and delicacies). While he is driving and his hands are full, start to touch him--before you know it, you will be pulled over on a small dirt road, the music reaching crescendo, while he makes love to you in the back seat, just like two high school teenagers. There is something devilishly lovely about doing it in the back seat of his BMW or Lexus (many Libra men are lawyers, so they can afford good cars). Later, suggest you go to a drive-in movie but don't permit any monkey business there--make him concentrate on the film. Libras appreciate subtle plotting like this. Pet him all the way home as he drives, helpless in his securely fastened seat belt. By time you are inside the door he'll be ready for you all over again!

The Libra Woman: September 23 - October 22
by Susan Miller

Libra women have busy social calendars and keep happy by surrounding themselves with adoring friends. Still, this lady wants to be married, so don't be fooled by her gadding about. Once wed, she will attend to her marriage as fiercely as her career.

Always fashionably-dressed, she favors an eclectic look, mixing designer things with antique pieces. The final effect is smart and sexy, never dowdy. This Venus-ruled beauty is beautifully groomed, and smells as good as she looks, for she never leaves the house without a light spray of something intoxicating. Her figure is usually curvy, svelte and feminine, so you don't even stand a chance of resisting her. The most memorable quality about your Libra lover is her quintessential grace; in every movement she makes, every word she utters, she is poetry in motion.

Your Challenge

Your mission 007, is to capture her heart. Not an easy task, considering the line of men waiting in line. She has no shortage of opportunities, so competition will be stiff.

How To Handle Her

She has powerful talents of persuasion and her lover may not know exactly how she gets her way, but she does every time--in the most charming fashion. Be wary of getting wrapped around her little finger, for although she may protest, she secretly likes a man who stands up to her now and then. If you are only semi-conscious most of the time, you don't stand a chance of winning her heart.

Things to do, gifts to buy

Think of the cherubs in old master paintings, flying though the air, holding branches of roses or a lovely harp. This describes your angelic lover. She'd adore anything decorative, from sweetheart roses, soft silk lingerie in a delicate colors, to perfume in a modern or gentle floral tone (nothing jarring for Libra). One of Libra's favorite gifts is jewelry, but it has to be the real thing. Costume jewelry will tarnish, just like your relationship will if you try to give her this. Robbing a bank may be your only choice to get her what she wants. She might also enjoy a beautiful mirror, framed in gold leaf. Let's pause a moment --perhaps you've just thought of something naughty? Before you get carried away, let me advise you that not all Libras like making love in front of a mirror. Venus endowed her with curves and she may be a bit self-conscious about them (silly girl.) Put the mirror up in the bedroom and let her gradually get used to it. Keep telling her how tell her how gorgeous she looks without a stitch on.

The Libra woman adores lighter foreplay activities and is a world-class kisser. If you haven't yet tapped into this aspect of her, you are missing one of life's true experiences. Corner her into a hot necking session somewhere like at the movies, where the other viewers won't care if you and she are going at one another like two kids hell bent on trouble. If you are lucky, the usher may come with her flashlight and scold you!

When you finally get her to bed she will want a slow hand, for Libra women never marry cold fish or slam-bam-thank-you-m'am types. She is highly romantic and sensitive and wants you to be that way too. Her bed usually has many fluffy pillows and the most beautiful linens she can afford. She wants music in the bedroom, but no TV (too indelicate--who wants to hear about the Congressional budget or a mugging in Queens when one is in the throes of passion?) One last hint: Libra rules the lower back and will purr like a kitten when her man massages it with a lightly scented cream. Meow!

Libra Man

This Venus-ruled man adores music, so stock up on some CD titles he has been hinting he wants, or entertain him with tickets to a classical, jazz or rock concert. Dinner out, with dancing later at a hot club, is another good choice. He might like a portable CD player for his car, or you could upgrade the quality of the speakers for his den.

Libra has great taste, so give him a gift certificate for a custom-made shirt, a set of special cuff links or go with him to buy his own tuxedo. If you find a new cologne you find sexy, give it to him--he will be intrigued. Libra has a very busy social calendar. Get him an electronic calendar, a palm sized laptop, or a Macintosh Newton to keep him on track!

Libra Woman

Libra's favorite gift is fine jewelry, so choose something elegant she wouldn't buy herself, such as a opal ring or a gorgeous sapphire necklace. Libras have a busy social lives, so if you buy her a tiny evening purse, new silk evening pumps or a silk shawl, you can be confident she'll use them often. Libra uses perfumes and body lotions as part of her allure--she can never have too many. Then too, she can't have too much sexy lingerie. Give her a new teddy or a camisole with tap pants in a soft champagne color. Her sign is ruled by Venus, planet of beauty and grace, so naturally, she will adore fresh flowers. One Libra I know skillfully dries her roses and hangs them upside down in her country French bedroom, for a soft, feminine look. She says even silk flowers if done very, very well could be beautiful.

Libra would like to have a new home accessory, such as a pot in the Libra-ruled metal: copper. Give her an elegant clock, a signed lithograph or gilt-edged mirror for her foyer. A perfectly round cut-crystal vase to hold sweetheart roses would be divine. If your Libra is a college girl, give her a graphic poster for her dorm room or something from the museum. She is a people person, so if you buy her a book, give her a riveting biography, or appeal to her funny bone, with Chuck Jones' CHUCK REDUCKS, about the creator of Bugs Bunny (Warner Books). She would also enjoy chatting away online, so pay for a year of internet service in advance.

Libra: Socialize, Beautify

In times of stress, Libras have to get out and see friends--the more the better. Libra is not a loner. A cardinal sign, Libras do not have problems accepting change--they just want to be sure their decision is the right one. As air sign, you like to "poll" people around you for an opinion. By taking a consensus you are able to define your own feelings more sharply. Libras are not the dizzy social butterflies they may appear on the surface. Highly intelligent, Libra rarely lets emotion get in the way of the analytical process. They are continually taking in new information and reprocessing it, trying, as the scale tips and dips, to find their center. Thus Libras, like Gemini, are the interviewers of the zodiac.

Libras rely heaviest on their mates and business partners (since Libra is the natural ruler of the 7th house.) You need partners to be the sounding boards to your ideas. If your significant other isn't in the mood to listen to all the details of what is bothering you, you can fall into a blue funk.

Venus-ruled Libra does best in soothing, beautiful surroundings. Take your laptop out to the garden to work, bring a bouquet of fresh flowers to your desk, add a few personal touches to your hotel room when on a business trip to soften it (a photograph or two would help). This need for harmony and beauty extends to your appearance too. That's why you will spend some time primping in front of a mirror before a big interview or tough presentation. Don't let others rag you out for this--looking good works well for Libra. When you look the best you can, you are the best you can be. A perfect thing you can do to feel better is treat yourself to a health or beauty treatment. Something luxurious, like an aromatherapy massage would be great. The place tension first strikes is your lower back (the part of the body Libra rules) so having a back rub would make very good sense.

Your sign would benefit greatly from a day at a health spa (whether deep in the countryside or a fabulous spa in town). Hopefully, it will be a place where light foods are prepared for lunch, and sports or other activities are blended with special treatments to boost your looks. If going to a spa isn't possible, you should plan a relaxing day at home where you are completely pampered by your spouse or lover. From breakfast in bed, a subsequent seaweed scrub in the shower, a gentle scalp rub and shampoo/conditioner treatment, to warm cream rubbed all over your body--a look of total refreshment will show up on that charming face of yours! (Are there any unattractive Libras? No way!) To top it off, have a memorable dinner for two in an elegant restaurant with soft lighting and flowers. Venus-ruled signs love to eat out, but Libra wants the restaurant to be special.

Some Libras enjoy a good court case since Libra rules the justice system. Find a really good court room drama to read about in a novel, or a rent a court room drama (The Verdict, Twelve Angry Men, Presumed Innocent, Inherit The Wind . . . ) at the video store. Or tune into Court TV on cable. Even if it is a silly case, it might take your mind off your own troubles.

Libra also loves beautiful scent, so finding a new cologne would give Libra an instant lift, female or male. Learning to arrange flowers or improve your gardening skills might appeal to you as well. When it comes to hearing, sensuous Libra excels, so put on whatever music suits your mood. Do you play the guitar, piano, or some other instrument? Perfect! Practice a little, even if you're rusty. Making music will rejuvenate your soul.

One final thought: since you know so many people, some of them are inevitably famous and successful. Call one or two for an introduction, reference, or just plain old advice--if anyone can do this, it's you, Libra. After all, as the saying goes, it's not what you know, but who you know!

Fitness for Libra

Your Ruling Planet: Libra is ruled by seductive, adorable Venus, planet of beauty, love, fun, and comfort.

The part of the body your sign rules: The lower back.

Your Metabolism: Low.

Your Health Profile:

Few signs are as well groomed and polished as yours. Libra generally takes good care of his or her body (crowding your shelves are body lotions, shampoos, and moisturizers), but you could be neglecting to take into account the influence of what you put into your mouth. Your weakness? Sweets. But don't banish them forever. Instead, indulge your love of quality, sensuality and flavor all at once by treating yourself to one tiny, superb Godiva chocolate daily--and savor it. Otherwise you will find yourself with both your body size and craving for treats growing exponentially out of proportion! Sneak snacking is a classic Libra diet problem.

Libra also loves to party but keeping up with hectic club scenes can make you lose track of time, and rob you of sleep. You cannot make up for lost rest and consistent self-care, you can only repair the damage. So get back home at a reasonable time for most of your nights out.

The ultimate partnering sign, Libra does best when they team up with another person in any exercise program. Tennis (doubles!), squash, basketball, golf, volleyball, square dancing, sailing and other sports and activities that require a partner are all perfect for you to try.

Finally, pay attention to the condition of your lower back. Learn calisthenics to strengthen the muscles in this area and drink lots of water and cranberry juice to stay healthy on the inside, too.

Your Biggest Asset:

Grace, balance and good coordination. Try any sport which requires them, like gymnastics, golf, ball room dancing, and platform diving.

What Drives You Crazy:

Physical ugliness in all its manifestations, from having a bad hair day, to working out in a poorly-decorated gym, to wearing a scruffy old sweatshirt will repel and depress you.

Health Risks:

Libra runs the risk of being too social at the gym, and forgetting why he or she came in the first place. Checking out attractive people, spending time at the juice bar catching up on gossip, getting involved with a clique, none of these things is helping you keep fit, Libra. But don't let your pendulum swing too far to the opposite extreme. Pushing yourself too hard until you drop from exhaustion or injury won't keep you fit either. Keep yourself in balance and harmony.