I’m biased about Libras because I am an Aries. We’re on the same axis so there are going to be ways in which our signs compliment and build into each other that make me experience a Libra differently from people whose Suns are not opposite from a Libra placement. Libra leans back, appearing nonchalant, and I lean in eagerly. Libra invites and I accept, trying my hardest to deliver against all expectations. Libras disappear and I let them know that I haven’t forgotten them.

From the outside, Libras are really smooth. That’s always been funny to me. You look at texts that Libras send (and I think that there is something about Libra that makes them communicate more through text than in person) and they’re always perfectly casual. Graceful. Artfully worded and crafted to convey the perfect affect necessary for pushing the conversation further along, to invite the other person into dialoguing more.

The reason why this is funny to me is because I have watched many a Libra actually write a text message. They write the thing but then they edit it anywhere between three to five times. They get rid of filler words and add new ones. They mess with the punctuation. They deliberate on using sentence capitalization or all lowercase. Then, when they send the message it carries the same message that it did from the beginning but appears, somehow, to be perfectly casual.

So, the outside appearance of Libra is perfectly smooth somehow. They smile in a serene way even. Nothing appears to distract them or to stick to them. They don’t even immediately react to things usually even though they are responsive, giving the appearance of putting just the right amount of thought and feeling into something and not any more or less.

But inside a Libra? They’re interrupted. Everything is staccato. There is doubt that lives inside a Libra that isn’t always conveyed outwardly. If a Libra second guesses themselves, they won’t really let you know. They’ll just practice a little zetsu and hope that you don’t notice their dilemma.

That’s another thing about Libra—their zetsu. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it’s from the anime Hunter X Hunter and it happens when someone hides their aura so that they become completely imperceptible to those who hunt them.

If you’ve seen the Hobi documentary about the making of Hope in the Box, you’ll notice the scene where Jimin, a Libra, is with Hoseok in his trailer for Lollapalooza. Jimin is relaxed and chatty until Becky G, someone Jimin doesn’t know, comes in. Then, Jimin is suddenly practicing zetsu. He stands up very straight for some reason but he becomes almost completely unrecognizable as Park Jimin even though he’s a mega superstar. In the next shot we see him in, he’s put on his sunglasses even though it’s night time and he looks like a bodyguard or staff member.

The thing is, it’s kind of hard to really describe how Libras appear from the outside because they have an ability to become imperceptible when they feel that it is necessary. This isn’t the Scorpio type of hiding where you can clearly see that someone has fallen off the map. This is Libra hiding. Libras are people who can hide from you even when they are in the same room as you.

In a group situation where things are getting a little dicey? You won’t see or notice Libra leave but, somehow, you don’t get the impression that they are paying attention or need to be brought to attention. Ask a direct question that Libra doesn’t want to answer? They won’t answer it but you also won’t notice that they never answered your question because they’ll do some artful thing that gives the impression that they did respond to your question. Suddenly subject to arrest because of something or another? The Libra will be the one under the least amount of scrutiny. No one will be able to tell how they accomplish this but they will.

It’s hard to pin a Libra down because they actually do a lot of maneuvering that is completely invisible to anyone who is not paying close attention and can even be invisible to those who are trying their best to pay close attention. What Libra is especially good at is escaping the gaze. If Libra doesn’t want you to know about something then you simply won’t know. And you also won’t know that you don’t know.

I've seen this happen many times. I ask a friend “what do you do for work anyway?” and she responds with “I know, what do any of us do for work? It’s a good question” because talking about something else. I've seen Libras show up to hard group conversations over and over again but, when I wrack my memory of what I heard them say during the actual conversation, I come up with absolutely nothing. They showed up but they became imperceptible.

From the outside, I think this ability of zetsu gives Libra the appearance of lightness and casualness. Nothing gets too heavy or weary with a Libra. You enjoy them just the right amount and they always seem to leave you happy to entertain a bit more of their presence. They’re the people who you never seem to get sick of. It’s not that Libra always says the right things or does the perfect thing. It’s simply that they are skilled at controlling the amount of attention other people are allowed to give them.

This brings me to my other point about Libra—you might have guessed by now but Libra is a sign that lives quite a bit inside of its own head.

I think that we assume that Libra is more sociable than it actually is. Sure, it can appear charming and inviting. It has a way of drawing you in so that you feel like you’re your funniest and more relaxed around this person with strong Libra placements. However, Libra is not that sociable. They are actually quite cynical.

A Libra defines themselves against things. They look at something and they know how they might relate to that thing but also how they are not that thing. Libra understands itself through its differences as well as its similarities. This means that Libra often sees a path forward and doubts it, thinking, “That’s not quite it.”

Most Libras will have a fair amount of inside jokes that they tell to themselves. They will have twists of phrases and colloquialisms that only they really make. They have their own inner slang—words that they love saying and love to pronounce the same way every time they say it. It’s the canned reaction. The canned reaction gives Libra a way to respond to something in their own special style without needing to consider how the conversation is developing too deeply. It gives them a way of responding without having to show all of their thinking.

Libras need their inner language and canned reactions to feel comfortable. What these things do is they give Libra time. Libra needs time before they are willing to expose themselves. In fact, Libras actually really hate exposing themselves which is why they are not as sociable as they often appear to be.

The best and the worst thing you can give to a Libra is attention. A Libra buckles under it. They freak out a bit. You can see me? Truly? You can see me right now? Remember—they are experts at camouflage.

Libra craves attention. They rarely ask for it—almost never. They don’t know if they love it but they crave it so much. You might have heard the line about Libras being conflict avoidant. I don’t think that’s true—a Libra will unceasingly show up to a conflict and they might even be drawn towards conflict as long as the conflict isn’t their own. Libras are extremely sensitive to attention. That’s what it is. Conflicts have a kind of drama to them and Libra senses that involvement in one might make others see them and they instinctively flinch away.

And, still, Libra wants attention. They have a deep desire for it that they foster privately and almost reverently. They sense that attention makes them feel like themselves and they jump in both terror and ecstasy when faced with themselves.

From the outside, Libra is so smooth that it can almost feel deflective. The Libra has full control over when you see them and how you see them. On the inside, Libras buckle under the weight of having so much control. They wish that they had a little less control, that they can let themselves feel as loose as the lightness with which they carry themselves.