It's Libra season! Get to know the star sign: More on the 'classy' members of the Zodiac

Libra season is upon us. As summer melts into fall, the late September and early October sign is coming into its own.

Pleasure? Beauty? Love? That all sounds pretty good. Lucky for Libras, the star signs are known to enjoy plentiful amounts of each. The first of the October zodiac signs, Libra is the peacemaker in any group. Symbolized by the scales, they have a propensity for harmony and often give off an air of sophistication.

Take a look at your birth chart. If your Sun sign is Libra, listen up. This is what else you need to know about key personality traits and relationship styles.

Libra horoscope: Take a look at the week, and month ahead

In conversation with astrologer Narayana Montúfar, we take you on a deep dive into Libra Sun signs, how you might be able to spot one, and the way their strengths and weaknesses manifest. Montúfar is a Senior Astrologer for Horoscope.com and the author "Moon Signs: Unlock Your Inner Luminary Power."

Learn more about each Zodiac sign

Pisces | Aquarius | Capricorn | Sagittarius | Scorpio | Libra | Virgo | Leo | Cancer | Gemini | Taurus | Aries

When does Libra season start?

Libra season begins on September 23 and lasts until October 23.

Is Libra an air sign?

Yes. Libra signs are placed in the air element, one of four that account for the 12 zodiac signs.

The other air signs are Gemini and Aquarius.

Key personality traits of Libras

"When you look at zodiac signs, the number one thing you look at is which is the planet that rules that sign," Montúfar tells me. Since Libra is ruled by Venus, and Venus is the planet of pleasure, beauty and love all those are marked characteristics of Libra placements.

Montúfar describes many Libras as having very attractive physical features, being well-mannered, loving and taking on the role of the peacemaker.

They're very classy, she says, moving through life in a very sophisticated way.

The Libra symbol is the scales, like the scales of justice you often see depicted in a courtroom, so it's no surprise these signs love harmony. "They really need to feel that sense of peace," Montúfar explains, making them amazing negotiators.

This love of harmony can backfire though, as an unwillingness to rock the boat can sometimes lead to people pleasing. "They're afraid of saying something that will kind of like put the vibe off-kilter," Montúfar elaborates.

Career

A Libra sign might just be the best person to turn to for career advice. That same desire not to rock the boat allows them to help with decision-making and upward movement without offending anyone.

Libras are often at the top of their field, Montúfar explains, as their hyper-social quality and ability to be around people for long stretches help make them master networkers and manage long hours of meetings.

"They're very good at dealing with people... networking is kind of their thing," Montúfar said of Libras, adding that they're the type to have countless friends on LinkedIn.

Libras can also be good managers, as they stay pretty even-keeled.

Relationships

"They usually stay in partnerships for a long time," Montúfar tells me. Because the Libra sign rules partnerships, Libra suns function better when they are with someone.

While cautioning against over-generalization, given that a person's sun sign makes up only one component of their larger chart, Montúfar says it is more rare to see a Libra single, and often they need someone who will mirror them as they figure out their own sense of individuality from others.

Libras are excellent partners, Montúfar says. They play for keeps and remain focused on their partner.

Since they are so focused on harmony, if you are in a partnership with a Libra they might not always tell you what is bothering them, Montúfar says. Her husband has a lot of Libra in his chart, she shares, and sometimes she'll have to pull it out of him that he's upset as it's not easily volunteered.

Weaknesses

Libras can be both indecisive and overly appeasing. As Montúfar explains, every sign has a shadow side. It has a "highest vibration" and a "lower vibration." It's normal to bounce back and forth between the two, she emphasized.

When Libras are resonating with their shadow side, this is when some of their weaknesses might come out. When their desire for harmony, and to hear both sides of the story pushes them into what Montúfar calls "analysis paralysis" resulting in an inability to make a decision, their shadow side is at the helm.

"The truth is that the perfect way for a Libra to exist is being balanced," Montúfar elaborates. "Being able to make decisions without taking forever or without hiding and being able to say when they're upset or when something's wrong." If they are not in this state of balance, these things become difficult and can transform into points of weakness.

Strengths

Libras can be both optimistic and idealistic, Montúfar explains. But, she notes, this is partly because people who have Venus in their chart have certain things come easier to them. It's easier to be an optimist when things go right in your life, she says.

Venus's job is to bring pleasure, love, fun and beauty. No wonder signs ruled by this planet have a reason to look on the bright side. "It's like all the good stuff, you know?" Montúfar says.

Libras are also very aesthetically inclined. They're great people to consult on website design or interior décor, Montúfar says. Their homes are often expertly designed and have a certain artistic flare. They also give great gifts.

As an air sign, Libras are often intellectual and remain classy in all things. Their love of harmony teaches them to create it themselves, often taking on the role of the peacemaker.

Libra is a feminine sign, Montúfar says, but not in a binary male/female way. "We all have feminine and masculine within us," she explains. "So Libras will be a little bit more feminine, even Libra men will be a bit more feminine in their approach." This manifests in friendliness, gentleness, and a certain charm.

New to Astrology? We've got you covered. Explore more Zodiac coverage and find out what the stars say about you with USA TODAY's astrological sign series.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Libra zodiac sign: dates, personality traits, compatibility explored