History of the star: A pale emerald star marking the Northern Scale. This star, beta, Zubenelschemali, is the Northern Scale of Libra. Alpha, Zuben Algenubi, is the Southern Scale of Libra.

The early Greeks did not associate Libra's stars with a "Balance" or "Scales", to them it was the Chelae; the Claws of the Scorpion.

Zubeneshamali is Arabic Az-Zuban ash-Shamali (1), "The northern claw"; the titles were borrowed from the Greeks. Zuben el Chamali, Al Zuban al Shamaliyyah, and Vazneschemali, are variations of the spelling.

Kiffa borealis is Arabic and Latin for "the Northern Scale Tray"; Lanx septentrionalis signifies the same thing.

This star marked the 22d ecliptic constellation of Babylonia, Nuru sha-Iltanu, "the Northern Light". It was considered that under the name of the Sugi Stars, the scales were associated with Bilat, "the Lady", or Beltis; and that the Persians knew them as Crob, "the Horned"; the Sogdians knew them as Ghanwand, the "Claw-possessing", equivalent to the Khorasmian Ighnuna, and the Coptic Pritithi, "the Two Claws", — all these being lunar stations.

[Star Names, Their Lore and Meaning, Richard Hinchley Allen, 1889]. 

Robson (Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology) lists it as "Scale North" and said it is symbolically called "The Full Price" or "the price which covers". The two scales of Libra were the Price of the Deficient (Zuben Algenubi) balanced by the Price which Covers (Zubenelschemali). 

The astrological influences of the constellation given by Manilius:

"Balancing night with the length of day when after a year's space we enjoy the new vintage of the ripened grape, the Scales will bestow the employment of weights and measures and a son to emulate the talents of Palamedes, who first assigned numbers to things, and to these numbers names, fixed magnitudes, and individual symbols. He will also be acquainted with the tables of law, abstruse legal points, and words denoted by compendious signs; he will know what is permissible and the penalties incurred by doing what is forbidden; in his own house he is a people's magistrate holding lifelong office. Under no other sign would Servius [Servius Sulpicius Rufus, ca. 106-43 BC, extolled as the greatest of jurists by Cicero] more fittingly have been born, who in interpreting the law framed legislation of his own. Indeed, whatever stands in dispute and needs a ruling the pointer of the Balance will determine"  [Manilius, Astronomica, 1st century AD, book 4, p.239]

Chaldeans believed that when this star was clear the crops would be good. (Fixed Stars and Judicial Astrology, George Noonan, 1990).

The Northern Scales has a Jupiter-Mercury nature and therefore positive properties. Tied up with the MC and Ascendant or with well placed stellar bodies, the Northern Scales are credited with helping the native to gain honors and distinction. When connected with Mercury they are supposed to make the native studious. In good position, the star will arouse, above all things, spiritual and mental forces. The conjunction with Sun, Moon, or Jupiter favors civil servants, lawyers and scientists. Confiscation of possessions during times of war. Credited with bestowing an immortal name. (Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation, Elsbeth Ebertin, 1923)

If rising or culminating: Honor, preferment, good fortune. (Robson*).

With Sun: Great good fortune, high position, transitory difficulties eventually proving beneficial. (Robson*).

With Moon: Active mind, organizing ability, benefits through flew and influential friends, valuable gifts, uses friends' names to obtain money but matter is amicably settled, high position, love of respectable women. (Robson*).

With Mercury: Active, alert, favors from influential people, good position, much expenditure, benefits through writings. (Robson*).

With Venus: Social success, help from women, favorable for love affairs and marriage. (Robson*).

With Mars: High ambitions, success through energy, influential position, forceful writer and speaker. (Robson*).

With Jupiter: Philosophical mind, ecclesiastical or legal preferment, able writer or speaker, influential friends. (Robson*).

With Saturn: Cautious, reserved, studious, economical, analytical, good chemist or detective, good judge of human nature, early losses never fully recovered, favorable for gain and domestic matters, sickness to children in infancy. (Robson*).

With Uranus: Economical, great self-control, psychic, material instincts, many difficulties, good for gain but much expenditure, loss through law and enemies, help from influential friends, occasional peculiar domestic disharmony, sudden death often from heart trouble. (Robson*).

With Neptune: Occult writer or speaker, medical or chemical discoveries, practical, kind, sympathetic, alive to self interests, gain through marriage and business, disharmony with parents, grandparents or relatives, legacy obtained through litigation, suffers from accidents, death resulting from previous injury. (Robson*).

References

*(Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology , Vivian E. Robson, 1923)