What the Libra symbol ♎︎ shows
The Libra glyph ♎︎ is a pair of scales seen from the side: a curved beam above a straight base line. Libra means "scales" or "balance" in Latin, and it is the only sign of the zodiac that shows an object rather than a person or an animal.
The constellation once belonged to its neighbor. Ancient Greek astronomers saw these stars as the claws of the scorpion, and two of them still carry Arabic names meaning "southern claw" and "northern claw": Zubenelgenubi and Zubeneschamali. Over time the scales became a figure of their own.
Libra dates, element and ruler
Libra covers about September 23 to October 22 in the tropical zodiac. It starts at the September equinox, when day and night are roughly equal in length everywhere on Earth, which fits the picture of a balance. Depending on the year, the first day can be September 22 instead.
Libra is an air sign, with ♊︎ Gemini and ♒︎ Aquarius, and a cardinal sign that opens autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. Its ruler is Venus ♀︎, which it shares with ♉︎ Taurus; the same glyph serves as the female symbol.
♎︎ or ⚖︎: which Libra symbol to use
Use ♎︎ when you mean the star sign. It is short and matches the other zodiac glyphs. Use ⚖︎ (scales) when you want an actual picture of a balance, for example in posts about law, justice or fairness, or as a second icon next to ♎︎. Watch out for ≏, a math sign that looks like ♎︎ but means "difference between".
Both ♎︎ and ⚖︎ have an emoji form, so phones may show ♎︎ on a purple square and ⚖︎ as a colored scale. Copy them with Symbol style set to Text and the site adds the invisible U+FE0E that keeps them flat; switch to Emoji for the colorful version.
Libra bio ideas and typing
Symmetry fits the scales: ⚖︎ ♎︎ ⚖︎, ♡ ♎︎ ♡, ♎︎ Libra ♀︎, or ♎︎ 10.10 with your birthday. Pair the sign with aesthetic symbols like ˚₊‧ for a softer look.
To type ♎︎, search "Libra" in the emoji panel (Windows key + . on Windows or Control + Command + Space on a Mac), or type 264E in Word and press Alt + X. All twelve signs are on the zodiac sign symbols page.