Sagittarius

Sagittarius at a Glance

Zodiac Symbol: The Archer
Duality: Positive
Triplicity: Fire
Quadruplicity: Mutable
Opposite Sign: Gemini
Constellation: Sagittarius
Domicile: Jupiter
Detriment: Mercury
Exaltation: South Node
Fall: North Node
Day: Thursday
Numbers: 6, 9
Birth Dates (Tropical): November 22 - December 21
Birth Dates (Sidereal): December 16 - January 13
Birth Dates (Solar): December 18 - January 18

Sagittarius in Depth

Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter, has a masculine creativity and active intellect and is full of aspirations. They are open and caring, and genuinely interested in finding out what makes people tick. The influence of Jupiter enables them to express themselves in an expansive, larger-than-life manner. Independent and proud, they need plenty of space, at work and in relationships, and they cannot bear their lives to be confined or controlled. If they feel hemmed in, they panic and can become verbally aggressive, self-pitying, self-destructive and uncontrollable. However, if given freedom, they are warm, affectionate, funny, and interesting companions. Funnily enough, when they are offered an escape route, most Sagittarians are happy to stay where they are - but this is part of the mystery of the duality of this mutable sign.

They are highly adaptable, and as such are able to take on more than one project at a time. Their love of variety and change makes them fascinating but somewhat unreliable: what was important to them last week has been forgotten this week. They listen intently to advice but rarely follow it - they have a mind of their own and go through life learning things the hard way. However, Sagittarians always seem to land on their feet, and are considered the luckiest sign of the Zodiac.

Diplomacy is a foreign word to them, and they will give you their opinion in no uncertain terms. They are renowned for their bluntness and what they perceive as plain honesty. This can make them unintentionally hurtful or rude. When hurt or thwarted they will complain bitterly, then simply pick themselves up, and move on to the next adventure. Fortunately, they are easily able to forgive and forget - tears or tantrums turn to fun and laughter within a short space of time, and when Sagittarians smile or laugh, their happiness is infectious. The sunny aspect of their nature turns even the angriest tide in their favour.

Sagittarius is often associated with the mythological figure of Chiron, a centaur who tutored and taught a number of heroes in Greek myth. It is also associated with the Greco-Roman god Zeus (Jupiter) and sometimes the Norse god Thor and the goddess Tyche (Fortuna).

At Play

Sagittarians are creative, restless and adventurous, and they hate the thought of sitting still. They make enthusiastic and optimistic team-mates and enjoy team games such as cricket, football and rugby. They also enjoy equestrian sports such as horse-racing, polo, and hunting.

As excellent communicators, they enjoy reading and storytelling. Target sports such as archery, rifle-shooting, and darts appeal to their sharp mental ability, but although they may be highly talented, many Sagittarians fail to win awards in sport because of sudden lapses in their concentration.

At Work

Sagittarians dislike being trapped in a routine, and are happiest in a job with variety and freedom to complete tasks at their own convenience. They have sociable natures and love to communicate and combine these qualities with an enthusiastic approach to life. They can be eager in the initial phases of a project and then quickly lose interest and need to move on to something else. However, they will often return to what they were doing in the first place. If their minds are occupied with different activities, and they are given plenty of time and freedom, they will finish the job - although sometimes it can be too late.

Careers that involve variety, travel, communication and selling are ideally suited to their temperament. They might take up work as an import-export trader, short-story writer, ambassador, professor, travel representative, entertainer or photographer.

Health

Sagittarians have a fairly strong constitution but overindulgence in pleasures such as food, drink, sex and exercise, can cause health problems from middle age onward. Too much drink is particularly bad for them as their livers are highly susceptible to alcohol. Similarly, too much fat in the diet can also be dangerous. Most Sagittarians take part in vigorous sporting activities and usually have strong legs but their thighs are often weak in some way.