6th House in Libra

Libra on the cusp of work and the body

The sixth house covers daily work, the body's upkeep, illness and recovery, service, employees and small animals. Libra on the cusp makes that daily life a matter of balance. Cardinal air begins by relating, so the working day depends on the people in it, fairness weighs heavily, and a pleasant space does more for output than pressure does. Libra sits next to Virgo, the sixth's natural sign, and brings charm to what Virgo does carefully.

Venus rules Libra, so the lesser benefic sits behind a house the Hellenistic tradition called Bad Fortune, and softens it. Saturn is exalted in Libra, which gives the cusp more discipline than it first shows, and Mars, who has his joy in the sixth, is in detriment here, so open conflict at work is the weak point. The Tarot gives Libra Justice: the scales and the sword. With equal houses this cusp implies Taurus rising, an approximation, since quadrant houses can differ and signs can be intercepted.

Work, balance and the shared workplace

You work best beside someone, whether a partner, a team or a client who is easy to deal with. Disagreement tires you, and you may spend more energy keeping the peace than doing the job. The habit worth building is raising the uncomfortable point early and plainly. Unfairness is what you notice first, and you often become the one who sorts out who owes what to whom.

Fields that reward tact, taste and fairness, such as law, design, mediation, counselling, retail, public relations and the beauty trades, are tendencies and not prescriptions. As a manager you consult before you decide, and sometimes take too long to decide. As an employee you are an agreeable colleague who is slow to say no.

Tradition links Libra with the kidneys and the lower back, and with the body's balance of fluids and sugars, so tension in the lower back, tiredness from hours of keeping the peace and an irregular rhythm of rest are the classic signs. Water, moderate habits and regular rest help, and none of this replaces proper medical care.

Venus as ruler of the sixth

Libra is ruled by Venus, so read Venus next. In Libra or Taurus she is at home, and the working day is a pleasant, fair arrangement. In Pisces she is exalted and the work has a service-minded warmth. In Aries or Scorpio she is in detriment and charm gives way to sharper dealings, and in Virgo she is in fall and may demand too much of herself.

Venus's house shows where daily work finds its pleasure. Venus in the sixth makes colleagues companions and the workplace attractive. In the seventh she links work to a partner or a client, in the second to income earned with grace, in the tenth to public recognition. Mars aspects add decisiveness, Saturn aspects add structure and Jupiter aspects widen the reach. Saturn, exalted in Libra, shows how much backbone the cusp has, and Mars shows where it avoids a fight.