Characteristics: adventurous, brash, commitment-phobic, easily bored, easygoing, gregarious, optimistic, outgoing, philosophical, risk-taker, spontaneous, tactless, travel-minded

Dates: November 22^nd – December 21^st

Symbol: The Centaur/Archer

Ruling Planet: Jupiter

Natural House: Ninth House

Body Parts: Hips, Thighs, Liver, Gallbladder

By the time Sagittarius rolls around, every green leaf is replaced with the colors of Thanksgiving. Do you remember that silly story you may have been told as a kid about the first Thanksgiving? The peace-making meal between the Native Americans and Pilgrims may not have been as rosy as our teachers made them out to be.¹ But it’s interesting that a day representing two different groups of people coming together occurs as the sun goes through Sagittarius. Sagittarius is all about learning through adventure and freedom and being open-minded to ways of life that differ from its own. The Sagittarius season is also when a lot of colleges and universities hold final exams and close out the fall semester. At first, the timing seems like a coincidence. Yet, it makes sense after you’ve gotten to know this sign as the sign of higher learning. The period around mid-to-late December is the final push before students leave school for winter break and slow down as Capricorn season creeps around the corner. Sagittarius’s symbol is a centaur with a bow and arrow. The archer soars to untouched lands and deeper knowledge.

Sagittarius is a big, bold sign, so it’s no surprise that giant Jupiter, named for the king of the Roman gods, is its ruler. Jupiter in the chart is where we find our luck, and where we can have a good time. There is nothing Sagittarius loves more than stretching its limits and having fun. It’s jovial, positive, and enjoys laughter and games. It has an easy time making friends, and it keeps the mood light all through the night. Sagittarius is unafraid of taking risks in life; it never recoils, giving the excuses of “I’m afraid,” “I’m scared,” “I might fail.” No. Sagittarius says, “Let’s do this.” It knows it won’t live this life forever, so it might as well enjoy itself as much as it can before it shuts its eyes for good. The last regret Sagittarius wants when lying in its deathbed is, “I wish I had done __________.” Even if Sagittarius takes a chance and fails, it won’t regret it. It’ll only shrug its shoulders, say “Ah, well. There’s always next time,” and move on to the next feat.

The Ninth House is one of my favorite houses in astrology. Sagittarius’s natural house involves foreign travel, post-secondary education, publishing, and philosophy. Six weeks ago, we read about Gemini and the Third House, which involve more concrete knowledge; things that come in handy in day-to-day life and conversation. The Third House is all about collecting bits and pieces of information from every source possible. As the house opposite the Third House, the Ninth House also deals with learning. But whereas the Third House is about concrete knowledge, the Ninth House is about abstract knowledge and larger concepts. It’s a lot harder to understand the philosophy of femininity than it is to find out Beyoncé came out with a new album. I’m sure my Ursinus pals remember a little something called Common Intellectual Experience (better known as CIE), a course that revolves all around the question, “What does it mean to be human?” CIE classes are a great example of Sagittarius territory. Sagittarius probes far into something beyond the latest fashion craze or the hot bar that just opened up last week. It’s about broadening our scope of experience and really getting involved in concepts such as religion, law, and sociology. Sagittarius’s exploratory nature gives it the incentive to go beyond what is familiar, discover what is not, and immersing itself in other ways of life in order to gain new perspectives. It’s the kind of sign you can surprise with an unexpected trip to Paris, Dublin, or Tokyo, and it will pack its bags, eager to make that flight, no questions asked. Sagittarius lives as devout pupil of life, so that it can teach wisdom to others later on.

The mutable fire energy of Sagittarius is a little like a hodgepodge of flaming arrows flying across the night sky towards the stars. Sagittarius is relaxed. It’s not a “my way, or the highway” sign, because it’s so adaptable to different situations. Sagittarius can see the reasoning behind other people’s points of view, since it’s so open-minded and accepting of them. Its affirming nature is the result of being flexible (mutable) in terms of spirit and motivation (fire) in itself and others. The downsides to Sagittarius are bluntness, recklessness, and a fear of commitment. As the sign of “go big, or go home,” it’s not afraid to tell it like it is, especially to people who come across as narrow-minded. Sometimes what Sagittarius thinks is not enough is too much for others… and, in actuality, too much for itself. What this sign needs to learn is to take it down a notch when it needs to. Any of you fellow "Always Sunny"fans remember Country Mac (Season 9, Episode 5) and what happened to him? That’s a prime representation of what happens when Sagittarius doesn’t tame itself. And if you’re trying to tame a loved one of this sign, good luck with that. As a sign that hates limits, it needs to be free, so getting it to commit to a possessive lover, a strict boss, an overbearing parent’s rules… yeah, not happening. That doesn’t meanall Sagittarius people are unfaithful and will always be cheaters; there are plenty of faithful people under this sign. But regardless of whether or not their eyes roam, they need to be given freedom to do as they please.

Sagittarius is the kind of party guest who greets everyone loudly upon entrance. It wouldn’t be far-fetched for the rest to cheer as soon as it comes in; chances are it knows everyone and everyone knows Sagittarius. It high-fives and fist-bumps its friends and instantly goes for whatever shenanigans are going on. It’s the rowdiest player in the card games, lasts the longest in beer chugging, and is the one that cannonballs into the pool. It prefers “dare” over “truth” anytime and doesn’t hesitate to play Spin the Bottle or Strip Poker (or “Strip” anything, for that matter); in fact it was probably Sagittarius’s idea to play the games in the first place. It’ll be the life of the party with next to no effort on its part. Of course, it’ll be the one to overdo it, too: the one getting arrested for streaking or disturbing the peace; the one injuring itself from jumping off the roof; the one having to be driven or lugged home because it’s wasted. Sagittarius is one sign that doesn’t have a problem talking to anyone, as long as the other person isn’t boring or rigid. It’s also a sign that’s more likely to flirt than be flirted with, although it was no problem being on the receiving end, either. An adventurous sign like that is going to have the hearts of all; at least all the more social or daring people, anyway. It might come away from the party with a new romantic interest on its arm. Whatever happens that night, whether it’s some kind of philosophical discussion or something more physical, that’s left up to fate. Whatever happens happens.

Sagittarius rules the hips, thighs, liver, and gallbladder. Sagittarian people have strong and flexible upper legs, which is good for them, because these people like to go outdoors and run, hike, climb, and do all kinds of sports and exploring. Since they’re ruled by Jupiter, luck is on their side and they’re usually in good health for most of their life. However, the sign’s sometimes (or most of the time) careless behavior can get them into a lot of messy situations. Hips break, especially as you get older, and any part of the leg can get injured if you’re not cautious, especially the thighs. Sagittarian excess can extend to food and drink as well, so they have to be vigilant about what and how much they eat and drink. Otherwise, they can face liver problems in the future. Having a poor diet can cause weight gain, which can lead to problems in the gallbladder, such as gallstones and biliary colic.

Next Article: Capricorn, the Cardinal Earth Sign