What happens when fair and just Libra collides with dark and powerful Scorpio?

When you feel things getting serious and dark and spooky as the days get shorter and cooler, it seems that you’re feeling it in your bones that Scorpio season is upon us. It’s a good time for focusing on integration, intimacy, and depth as we descend into Scorpio’s underworld after making idle cocktail conversations under Libra.

“It’s no accident that Halloween falls early in the Scorpio season,” says Stefanie Iris Weiss, astrologer and co-author of Surviving Saturn’s Return: Overcoming the Most Tumultuous Time of Your Life. “The thinning of the veils between worlds feels a whole lot like stepping from the airy sweetness of Libra into the sometimes scary, endless intensity of Scorpio.”

But if you’re someone who’s born on the Libra-Scorpio cusp dates—meaning at the very tail end of Libra season or the very beginning of Scorpio (or born on or near the dates of October 22-23)—what does that say about you and your personality? First, it’s worth clarifying that when you’re on the cusp, you do belong to one sun sign or another, meaning you’re either a Libra or a Scorpio, but you may be influenced by traits of your neighboring sign.

“The Libra-Scorpio cusp, which I view as the last five degrees of Libra and first five degrees of Scorpio, is one of the most intimate places on the zodiac wheel,” says Taylor Jackson, a New York-based tarot reader and intuitive astrologer of Black Satin Venus. “Cultures around the world focus on the inner and spiritual worlds this time of year. For people born during this window, that collective energy is often expressed through their personalities.” Below, Weiss and Jackson speak to how that may look for you.

Libras seek balance, and, as such, can analyze any situation with objectivity. However, because they can see both sides of a story with an almost-too-fair sense of justice, getting them on your side no matter what is tough to accomplish. As a typical air sign, Libra seeks the truth in all situations. They can be personable, charming, and engaging when it comes to highly intellectual conversations.

Since they’re ruled by Venus, Libras also often have a preoccupation with keeping up appearances and a romantic streak that usually points to them being coupled up.

“On the more powerful end of the Libra cusp, Scorpios are characteristically intense, passionate, guarded, and always striving to dive deeper. They tend to have a dark streak that can lead to a possessive and vindictive nature.

“Scorpio energy is detective energy; it wants to know everything about everything, specifically about human behavior so that it can connect to other humans without boundaries,” Weiss says. “The secret to Scorpio is that they hold everything close to the vest and only sting when someone gets close to their vulnerability.”

What Does It Mean To Be Born on the Libra-Scorpio Cusp?

If you’re on the Libra side of the scale, there’s a tension between maintaining the image of balance and needing to go the more cloak-and-dagger route. “Late-degree Libras wear their Scorpio flavor beneath a veneer of flawlessness,” Weiss says. “They look good, sound good, and know how to play the game without giving away their intentions or their fears. This is a femme fatale character who looks like pure sweetness, but cross her, and you’ll realize that she’s been in control the entire time.”

Early-season Scorpios are a bit less interested in appearances, and sometimes they show their cards out of a longing to connect. They maintain a love of art and beauty because of their closeness to the Libra cusp, and they find it to be a soothing balm to their more prickly side.

On the human-connection front, cusp-season Scorpios skew less exclusive than their later-in-the-month peers. “Scorpios born later in the sign prefer one-on-one interactions with those who’ll dive to the depths with them, but cusp babies can get a lot of juice out of socializing with a larger group as well,” Weiss says. “Just don’t be surprised if your early Scorpio friend hangs off to the side, observing everyone with laser-beam intensity. She’s just taking notes for navigating her own relationships.”

The Strongest Libra-Scorpio Cusp Personality Traits

1. They feel all the feels

People born on the Libra Scorpio cusp feel deeply. “These are highly sensitive people who pick up on the subtlest energies and mood shifts,” Jackson says. “They can intuit others’ wants and needs easily but have a hard time finding clarity in their own feelings.”

2. They’re all about the romance

Love is in the air for a Libra Scorpio cusp, big time. Here’s why: “In this zone, the planetary rulership shifts from Venus to Mars—both planets are associated with love and desire,” Jackson says. So, “when it comes to love, people born on the Libra Scorpio cusp want the works: dozens of red roses, kisses in the rain, lofty poetry, anything that makes the heart sing.”

3. They have a spiritual side

Being so highly intuitive, Libra Scorpio cuspers often immerse themselves in all things spiritual and metaphysical. “This could mean embracing traditional religion, dabbling with astrology and tarot, or charting their own course in divine connection,” Jackson says.

4. They’re charming as can be

“Here at the Libra Scorpio cusp, you’ll find the zodiac’s smooth operators,” Jackson says. “These natives are naturally charming and magnetic. Their powers of seduction often flow unintentionally.” With that in mind, Jackson’s tip for Libra Scorpio cusps is to try not to flirt with people who are already coupled up.

5. They’re incredibly smart

Intelligence is another Libra Scorpio trait. “They’re able to shift quickly from air sign mental intelligence to water sign emotional intelligence,” Jackson explains. She adds that because these folks also take pride in aesthetics, other people may underestimate their intellect. However, this is a pattern they can use in their favor.

Libra-Scorpio Cusp Strengths and Weaknesses

Like all zodiac signs, Libra Scorpio cuspers also have strengths and weaknesses. “Loyalty and diplomacy are some of Libra Scorpio cusps’ best strengths,” Jackson says. “These people know how to keep a secret. They are excellent negotiators and can face the most unsavory topics with ease and grace.” In other words, everyone needs a Libra Scorpio cusp on their team.

That said, although a Libra Scorpio cusp will go to bat for you when it comes to negotiations, they also tend to avoid conflict and suppress their emotions. “They often gloss over strong feelings, which can cause them emotional distress and leave their closest connections feeling undervalued,” Jackson says.

Libra Scorpio Cusp Compatibility

Because cuspers live on the border of airy Libra and watery Scorpio, Jackson says they need lots of grounding energy from steady earth signs such as Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. And, she adds, a Libra Scorpio’s cusp’s ideal partners should have a fire or water moon or Venus to keep things exciting for them.

How Libra-Scorpio Cusps Handle Different Areas of Life

Sex and Love

Again, cuspers are all about romance, so it’s no surprise that they go big when it comes to sex and love, sometimes too much. “Libra Scorpio cusps are fully immersed in love and sometimes approach it like an addiction,” Jackson says. “They are either solidly paired up or living in a dating reality show—nothing in between.”

Career

Libra Scorpio cusps are passionate with a capital P and thus tend to “excel when they find a creative career that inspires emotional investment,” Jackson says. However, when the passion is lacking in their careers, that’s a different story. “These natives won’t do anything they don’t believe in,” Jackson adds. “So if their work doesn’t connect to a higher purpose, they’ll only give the bare minimum.”

Friendships and Family Relationships

As with their careers, cuspers are either all in or all out regarding non-romantic relationships. “Friendships and family relationships can be very black and white for Libra Scorpio cusps,” Jackson says. “They either see you as a ride or die or look at you with an ‘I don’t know you like that.'” Her advice: Be open to exploring the gray area of casual connections, too.