Ah, Libra Season. Cue the velvet curtains, the clink of champagne glasses, and the low hum of violins tuning in the pit. The Sun, that blazing orb of identity and vitality, has slipped into the sign of the Scales. We’re now in Venus’ court, where appearances matter, but so do justice, elegance, and the delicate choreography of relating to other people without losing our own reflection in the mirror.
And speaking of mirrors—let’s pull up a chair for Paris of Troy, the mythic poster child for Libra Season. His story, the infamous Judgement of Paris, captures everything we wrestle with when the Sun glides through this Venusian sign: beauty, choice, subjectivity, and the not-so-small matter of consequences.
Paris, the First Libran Contest Judge
The myth goes like this: Eris, goddess of discord, wasn’t invited to a divine wedding (typical). Furious, she tossed a golden apple into the party marked “To the Fairest.” Naturally, three goddesses claimed it: Hera (power), Athena (wisdom), and Aphrodite (desire).
The gods, in true cosmic fashion, punted the decision down to a mortal: Paris, prince of Troy. His job? Decide which goddess was the fairest. Each goddess sweetened the deal with a bribe. Hera promised political domination, Athena offered wisdom and victory, and Aphrodite dangled the prize of the most beautiful mortal woman alive—Helen of Sparta. Paris chose Aphrodite. Cue: the Trojan War.
And that, dear readers, is Libra Season in a nutshell: the burden of choice under impossible conditions, wrapped in a bow of beauty, fairness, and desire.
Libra’s Scales and Paris’ Apple
The Sun in Libra teaches us that life is not just about who we are, but how we exist in relationship to others. It’s about weighing options, considering perspectives, and searching for harmony without dissolving into codependence.
Paris’ task was archetypally Libran. He had to weigh three compelling values—power, wisdom, and beauty. Each option had merit. Each choice carried shadow. Libra knows this dance well: the difficulty isn’t in recognizing value, but in choosing when no option is without cost.
The apple in Paris’ hand? That’s the symbol of Libra Season. We’re all holding golden apples—decisions about relationships, careers, aesthetics, justice—that force us to weigh competing values. Who or what do we crown “the fairest”?
The Shadow of Libra: Peace at a Price
Paris chose Aphrodite not because it was the fairest decision, but because it was the most personally appealing. He didn’t consider consequences. He wanted beauty, and who can blame him? Aphrodite is irresistible. But that’s the Libran shadow in action: choosing harmony, beauty, or pleasure in the moment without accounting for the long game.
How often do we say yes to keep the peace, only to end up in a Trojan War later? Libra’s shadow is people-pleasing, conflict avoidance, and indecision that breeds more chaos than honesty ever would. Paris didn’t just crown Aphrodite—he crowned avoidance. And the bill came due.
Jungian Depths: The Inner Courtroom
From a Jungian perspective, Paris represents the ego caught in the grip of competing archetypes. Hera (authority), Athena (wisdom), and Aphrodite (desire) aren’t just goddesses—they’re parts of us. The Judgement of Paris is an intrapsychic trial: which archetype do we honor?
Libra Season amplifies this process. The Sun here shines a light on our inner courtroom. Whose voice do we privilege? Authority? Logic? Desire? We can’t choose all three; Libra demands discernment. And if we project the decision outward—like Paris did—the psyche responds with discord (cue Eris giggling in the corner).
The task, psychologically, is not to collapse into one option blindly but to hold the tension of opposites long enough for the transcendent function to emerge. In Jung’s terms, this means letting the psyche generate a “third thing”—a choice that transcends simple either/or and honors the whole Self.
The Solar Lesson: Choosing Cleanly
So, what’s the work of Libra Season? To learn that choices define us. Avoidance is a choice. Indecision is a choice. Even people-pleasing is a choice. Paris reminds us that what we crown as “fairest” reveals not only our values but our destiny.
The Sun in Libra wants us to stop outsourcing choices to others (or to beauty, or to temporary peace). Instead, it asks us to make clean choices—choices rooted in integrity, not convenience.
Living the Season: The Do’s and Don’ts
Libra Season isn’t about waging war or running from it; it’s about creating spaces where harmony can flourish without sacrificing truth. Here’s your field guide:
Things to Do While the Sun is in Libra
- Choose with Clarity: Make the call. Indecision drains life force faster than a vampire in a YA novel.
- Curate Beauty: Refresh your space, wardrobe, or playlist. Venus loves intentional aesthetics.
- Negotiate Fairly: Use “I” statements, listen actively, and keep agreements visible. (Libra loves a documented process.)
- Seek Collaboration: Partner up—whether for business, art, or accountability. Libra thrives in duets.
- Practice Micro-Bravery: Say no kindly but firmly. Paris could have used this skill.
- Invite Dialogue: Set the table for hard conversations that need grace.
Things to Avoid While the Sun is in Libra
- Avoiding Conflict at All Costs: Don’t crown Aphrodite just to dodge Hera’s glare.
- People-Pleasing: Saying yes to buy peace always sends the bill later.
- Decision Paralysis: Too many options? Pick one, test it, adjust. Waiting forever isn’t noble—it’s self-erasure.
- Confusing Preference with Justice: Just because you like it doesn’t mean it’s fair. Paris learned this the hard way.
- Over-Polishing: Sometimes raw honesty trumps beautiful packaging.
Paris’ Mistake and Our Redemption
Paris’ choice led to Helen’s abduction and the Trojan War. But here’s where we get mythic redemption: Libra’s true calling isn’t to repeat Paris’ error, but to choose differently.
Libra Season asks: can we balance Aphrodite’s beauty, Hera’s power, and Athena’s wisdom without collapsing into one? Can we crown fairness itself, rather than whichever archetype flatters us in the moment?
This is the Jungian task of individuation—integrating all the voices in our psyche so no single goddess hijacks the court. Paris failed. But we, armed with awareness, don’t have to.
Practical Magic for Libra Season
- The Golden Apple Ritual: Write down three competing values or options you’re weighing. Imagine them as goddesses. Ask: which am I privileging? Which am I ignoring? How do I integrate them?
- The Mirror Test: When making a decision, ask: Can I look myself in the mirror tomorrow and still respect this choice?
- Beauty as Fuel: Curate one experience of beauty per day. Not to escape, but to remind yourself that harmony is worth fighting for.
- Conflict Script: “I care about our relationship, and I need to be direct…” then state your truth in one clean sentence. (Paris needed this with the goddesses.)
The Final Scene
Libra Season is not a Hallmark movie where everyone hugs it out under soft lighting. It’s a mythic courtroom where our values go on trial. Like Paris, we hold the apple. Unlike Paris, we get to choose with foresight.
The Sun in Libra reminds us: peace without truth is war delayed. Beauty without substance is a mirage. Choices are destiny in drag.
So polish your scales, pour some prosecco, and ask yourself: What am I crowning as “the fairest” this season? Because that apple in your hand—it isn’t just gold. It’s the seed of your future.
