The Ascendant or Rising sign is the name given to the sign on the eastern horizon during the time of birth of an individual. Having a Libra Ascendant means that during your birth, the sign of Libra was rising from above the ground, the same way that the Sun rises. People who have Libra as their rising sign, have Venus (Libra’s ruling planet) as their overall chart ruler.
Our Rising Sign is a very important astrological parameter, even though many theories are proposed by different astrologers and astrological systems. Still, most agree that the Ascendant defines our body and physical characteristics, also playing a strong role in the development of our character. This is quite natural, as the 1st house (the Ascendant being on its cusp) is responsible for our ego, self-perception and behavior.
We should keep in mind, that when the Ascendant is at the beginning of a sign, the sign’s traits are more potent than when it is placed at its end. When the next sign occupies the biggest part of the 1st house, it naturally gives a lot of its traits to the native’s character and even to his body. If your Ascendant is at the last degrees of a sign, you can consider the next sign as a co-Ascendant. Many people though, experience the next sign to behave as the Rising sign a lot more than the one which is actually rising.
Before we continue with the traits the sign grants, we should mention that depending on the geographical latitude, each sign needs slightly different time to ascend. If we are born near the equator, the differences are hardly visible. Yet, the closer we are born to any of the two poles, the better the differences between signs can be visible. This is also the reason why people born in rather extreme northern or southern latitudes can experience rather strange natal charts, with some houses being huge while some others quite small.
As always, we propose to our readers to use the Placidus system in calculating their houses, because we find it to function better both on our own charts and on the charts of other people that we have analyzed. In the northern hemisphere, Libra is rising rather slowly. When someone is born at 50 degrees Northern latitude, the sign will need two hours and forty-five minutes to rise fully. At a city placed at 60 degrees Northern latitude, the sign will need around three hours and twenty minutes. Thus, a person born in the Northern hemisphere has statistically more possibilities to have a Libra Ascendant, when the average time a sign needs to Ascend is two hours.
As we already mentioned, individuals with Libra rising will have Venus as their chart ruler. The planet of beauty and love will be very important in their lives, and also strongly connected with their physical body, vitality and appearance. Their body and self will be affected not only by transits of planets through their ascendants, but also by transits to Venus. In addition, natal aspects of other planets to Venus, while also its location in a particular house, will play a strong role. People with Libra rising, must take care to empower their Venus in healthy ways, as its functions will always have a positive or negative effect overall on their chart, touching all their life areas.
Having Libra as your Ascendant feels like having Venus in your 1st house. The native’s body is beautiful and balanced, and their appearance is usually rather appreciated by other individuals. Libra will gift the native a beautiful face with harmonic lines, and a very warm smile. Libra Ascendant people are perceived as pleasant by others, thus it makes it easy for them to make new acquaintances. Of course, this is also another weapon of the diplomatic skills that Libra as a sign can grant. Their presence can remove tension from others, smooth and soothe; they are the peacemakers in action.
Libra Ascendant individuals tend to have a slim body in the first part of their lives, gaining some weight in the second one. Still, they always preserve a well-shaped body, and even the extra pounds develop into attractive curves. They usually have a skin of the best quality, and the colors that prevail in their appearance are lighter than the average person. They also tend to have well-shaped, pearly white teeth.
When it comes to Caucasian people, Libra Ascendant can frequently gift blue eyes. A Libra Rising woman’s body will develop as the archetype of the ancient Greek goddess Aphrodite. She was the goddess of beauty, and the effects on a female body are more than obvious. As Libra is an air sign, it will make the overall presence of a Libra rising person gentle and harmonic. People with this natal placement will walk in a beautiful way, while also will usually have good dancing skills.
A Libra Rising person will adore feeling his body treated by Venusian energy. This is a trait that also Taurus Rising people have – which is quite natural as both Libra and Taurus have the same chart ruler. Even men who have this Ascendant will enjoy baths, spas, and any other treatment that makes them relax. Their body will love being cared for; no matter if another person does it or the individual himself.
Such individuals will particularly enjoy the calmness that comes during the silence of such treatments. Libra does not appreciate harsh sounds and chaotic noises; this characteristic will turn laying in a hot bath into a meditative experience. Speaking of Venusian treatments, we should not forget to say about what Venus can give to the mind, not only the body. The same way that a Libra Rising person will enjoy a spa center, he will feel himself at home at some artistic event. Indeed such individuals love to feed their mind with harmony and pleasure through all types of art, music, and everything that promotes the benefic planet’s energy.
Libra is the natural ruler of the 7th house, ruling marriage, partnerships, joining of forces, diplomacy and mediation. People who have their Ascendant in Libra, will love to intervene between two opposite sides and find solutions. They feel proud when they manage to reach a positive outcome in such a quest, as if they have brought the universe back to balance. Indeed, this is the nature of the scales; to bring fairness and equality among possible misbalances that surround it. In addition, the sign grants a lot of romantic characteristics; love and affection is definitely the realm of Venus. People with such a natal placement will see the world and especially human relations through a filter of romanticism – even if those pink sunglasses many times give a false image of reality. Actually, even the way that Libra Rising people perceive relations, may actually attract people with similar ideas towards them.
Libra Ascendant people always invest in their style and appearance, a quite expected effect of their ruler Venus. They make good choices of what to wear, creating art from their own selves. They are attracted by beautiful clothes and jewelry, yet those do not have to be expensive. Still, they will seldom show-off; Libra Ascendant individuals may be even rather shy and reserved when it comes to receiving compliments.
The sign of Libra is considered to be a rather indecisive one, stalling over decisions. The scales must weigh carefully all options, yet many times they just end up confused and will prefer others to choose for them. Their system tends to break down when pressure for quick decisions is involved. A natural defensive response of their organism is to postpone making a choice, procrastinating in the meanwhile and temporarily eradicating the dilemma from their minds.
The Libra Ascendant body is governed by Venus, so it may also experience dysfunctions connected and ruled by the sign and the planet. Libra rules our kidneys, the skin and the buttocks, while Venus is also connected with the ovaries, and the thymus gland. Thus, difficult transits to such an individual’s Ascendant or natal Venus can bring dermatological issues, or affect the other body parts mentioned above.
Always have in mind that any planet present near the Ascendant point will definitely alter both the physical appearance and the characteristics of the native. We could say that in the first 10 degrees of the first house it will have the strongest influence on the Ascendant, while also the last 5 degrees of the 12th house. The planet’s energies blend with the Ascendant ones; we can imagine the sign as a canvas while the planet as the paint that will, in the end, create the unique picture of the individual. Of course, it is possible to have more than one planets (or astrological points/ asteroids) in conjunction with the ascendant – furthermore complicating the big picture. To understand better your body, your Ego and how they function you should analyze all those planetary influences. This is why knowing your Ascendant does not necessarily mean jumping to correct conclusions about your life.
You can use our free natal chart generator, in order to understand better not only your Rising Sign but also any possible planets that are present near it. Also, do not forget to pay attention to your natal Venus placement, so that you discover the functions of your chart ruler and how it will affect your life and priorities. Finally, do not forget to read the article about natal Venus in the 1st house, as it has many similarities to having a Virgo Rising.