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 Overview & Personality Traits
Sagittarians are known for their broad vision, tolerant attitude,
freedom-loving philosophical air, and generally jovial spirits. These
recognisable traits all stem from the influence of their planetary ruler: the
expansive and magnanimous Jupiter; source of hope, optimism, confidence and
generosity. Jupiter tends to appreciate excess and abundance; the dictum 'less
is more' doesn't make much sense in his realm - better to have plenty and let a
little go to waste. Sagittarians have a gift for enlarging all that they embrace
and throw their energies into. No sign creates a better publicist. Few can so
easily take a minor matter and through their enthusiasm make it seem so
all-important. Sagittarian hearts and spirits are big; their outlook is liberal
and forgiving; their style is colourful and noisy; their passion for life
contagious.
The upwards shooting centaur aims for the higher picture and keeps its eyes
fixed to the distant horizon. Sagittarians are always planning for the future,
thinking about a bigger tomorrow, and thus they tend not to worry about the here
and now. They are blessed with fine intuition but can suffer through dismissing
critical analysis as someone else's negative outlook; sanguine in the conviction
that 'all will work out well in the end'. Sagittarians don't work well with
details, and whilst known for being intrinsically candid, they can't help
distorting everything towards a brighter light, especially if it embroiders in a
bit more colour and interest. Such buoyancy of spirit often attracts a positive
response, but like all the fire signs Sagittarians need to be wary of ignoring
the voice of caution. Downfalls that affect this sign arise from taking on too
much; becoming so enraptured in their own enthusiasm that they act without
foresight; and pursuing a vision that exceeds the limits of reality. But even in
suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune the Sagittarian copes
better than most. Being a mutable sign all change is viewed as an opportunity
for stimulation and renewed motivation.
This is a sign that rarely recognises restrictions and certainly doesn't approve
of limitations. Sagittarians adopt a 'live and let live' philosophy that recoils
from narrow mindedness. They have a natural dislike of all things 'prim and
proper' and will laugh in the face of supercilious morality. There's a 'rough
and ready' element to this sign and one of its most noticeable features is a
forthright attitude and a 'take me as you find me' approach. Pomposity and civil
niceties fail to impress, as does anything that smacks of being superficially
correct but inherently insincere. Sagittarian Mark Twain typifies the penchant
for undermining all that is disdainfully assuming, with humour, frank
observation and unnerving candour - just when everyone seems willing to take
flight into collective self-congratulation and pretentiousness, the Sagittarian
is there, ready to burst the hollow bubble with a painfully incisive reminder of
the truth. This is honesty Sagittarian style - frank, blunt, and disquietingly
valid.
Sagittarians prize themselves on their reputation for sincerity and lenience.
There is however, another side to the sign, a belligerent foundation that is
rarely acknowledged but ever present. Sagittarians are driven by a Mars-like
quality and they have a propensity to rush out with their energies, aggressively
pursuing their own ends. It's well known that Sagittarians tend to exaggerate
stories to their own advantage, and they've certainly managed to do this with
their mythological emblem, the centaur. They would have us all believe that
gentle, healing, self-sacrificing Chiron was placed in the stars to symbolise
all that the Sagittarian represents. Honoured for his unselfishness - he had no
equal when it came to performing acts of kindness - Sagittarians have
unashamedly claimed this motif of exceptional goodness and wisdom as their own.
But Sagittarians can never be trusted with the details. Centaurus, the Southern
Centaur, is the constellation figure that pays tribute to Chiron. Fierce and
competitive Sagittarius faces him from the other side of Scorpio, marked out by
the Babylonians long before the Greeks traced their nobler hero in the sky.
Chiron was remarkable, not because he symbolised typical centaur-like qualities,
but because he alone distanced himself from their wild and savage, lustful
drunken ways.
The reality is that the centaur race is marked in myth as particularly war like
and fierce. The Mesopotamians, who introduced the constellation Sagittarius and
defined it as a centaur, represented it as twin headed with a human head facing
forward and an animal head facing back, imagery which later adapted into the
presence of a cloak flying behind the head of the constellation figure. The
shadowing animal face reminds us that whilst the Sagittarian might strive
towards humane development, an underlying bestial energy exists, capable of
spontaneous brutality when the bounds of reason are not consciously applied.
Cuneiform inscriptions refer to Sagittarius as 'The Strong One', the 'Giant King
of War' and mention it as under the guardianship of Nergal, whom the
Mesopotamians identified with Mars. Even Manilius mentions his 'threatening
aspect' and there are frequent references to the 'the dreadful Sagittary', such
as that in Agamemnon's Troilus and Cressida. Historically, the sign stands as an
emblem for the invincible courage and fervent valour of Mars, tempered only by
the benevolence and wisdom of Jupiter. King Steven who usurped the English
throne in 1096 carried the centaur as his heraldic symbol for that reason.
Insight into how the centaur myth originated offers an interesting reflection on
its early basis. Evolutionalists have reasoned that it took many thousands of
years for the horse to develop into a creature large enough to be ridden by man.
It is estimated that this monumental event occurred sometime around 3000-2000
BC. The first and most effective race to use the horse in battle was the
Scythians, skilled archers who took full advantage of its speed and height to
become a race beheld in terror and awe. It is claimed that when the Greeks first
saw the Scythians they believed the horse and rider to be one, giving rise to
imaginative and fear-inspired tales of the war-like centaur. To deny the fiercer
aspects of the sign's symbolism is to deny its very basis. Traditional texts
leave no doubt as to the integral influence of its martial roots, yet modern
authors have masked it as an extremity of the effusive and sometimes vociferous
influence of Jupiter.
Either way, Sagittarians are undoubtedly choleric in their temporal humour.
Known for their exuberance and recognised as unafraid to take a risk or square
up to a confrontation, given any fair excuse to go on the offensive, this is not
a sign to hesitate or pause. The volatile influence of Mars can set their fiery
light ablaze, and quite frankly no one enjoys a good all out scrap or verbal
assault, no holds barred, like a Sagittarian does. Nor are many as quick to
forgive and forget once the fiery moment has passed. Sagittarius brings it all
out in the open and up to the surface. There is no lingering malice or
unexpressed resentment lurking among the ulterior motives of this sign. The
temptation to deal with potential confrontation, even before it can rightfully
be described as a valid problem, is much too strong and persuasive.
Thus we see the basis for the complaint that Sagittarians lack tact and
discretion. Their frankness and frequently ill-considered 'brutal honesty' is
often abrasive to others, who might normally expect a little more restraint and
delicacy before sensitive matters are subjected to the sledge hammer of public
appraisal. And that calls into question this whole issue about Sagittarius being
a sign you can trust. Candour, openness, bringing issues to a level where they
can be explored and resolved is very much a key element of the Sagittarian
temperament. But whether you can trust them to keep a confidence is another
matter. This is not a sign to divulge your darkest secrets to. They will want to
act, to change things, to take full responsibility for alleviating your problems
and involving themselves on your behalf. It's an admirable trait in many
respects, but not one you'll appreciate when all you wanted was to gain some
furtive advice so you could resolve the matter in your own good time.
Unsurprisingly, the brightest stars of the constellation Sagittarius are said to
bestow an influence akin to Jupiter and Mars combined, and the same must be said
of the planetary energies that animate this zodiac sign. There is a constant
need for challenge, stimulation and freedom of expression and movement. This can
produce restlessness in relationships and a lack of constant commitment in
professions that call for mundane, steady application. The Sagittarian has a
well reputed love of travel and an urge for exploration that calls for adventure
and space - physically, intellectually and emotionally. They are 'people'
people, and crowds adore them, but they make heavy demands on personal
relationships. 'Stability' is a restriction, 'commitment' is a limitation;
unless other factors dominate in the horoscope a Sagittarian generally has a
hard time closing down all the potential opportunities that exist in being loose
and fancy free. Even so, they pride themselves on having a firm moral basis and
try to act with integrity. Although naturally flirty and attention-seeking,
there is little reason to suspect them of being anything other than they admit
they are. Once dedicated to a long-term partnership they will battle against the
obstacles and make every endeavour to fulfil their promises. An ideal partner
would be stable and quietly confident, unafraid to let them feel liberated in
lifestyle and conduct. Possessiveness is abhorrent to them, jealousy dampens
their spirits, and emotional confinement inevitably leads to rebellion.
In career matters, Sagittarians come into their own in creative fields and areas
where the value of life-experience and good judgement is easily recognised. They
are better at working with people than abstract concepts, and areas such as
teaching, counselling and entertaining are particularly suited. There is great
ambition and a constant striving towards growth and
development, but one that incorporates the reality of
loss. It would be wrong to think of Sagittarius as a
sign that naturally gravitates to the top and stays
there: theirs is an active engagement in the
experimentation of life, and most Sagittarians who
succeed to prominent positions have done so on a
foundation that has probed the limits of disaster as
well as triumph. A Sagittarian will only feel truly
satisfied when instilling those values in others or
fulfilling them in their own work. Walt Disney and
Steven Spielberg are two examples of Sagittarians who
fully projected their vision, exceeding all realistic
expectations. The singer Tina Turner captures another
quality through exuberant and explosive performances
that fill the stage with presence. Typically a lover of
sport, the real issue for the Sagittarian is the need to
react spontaneously and intuitively; to project the
energies outwards and upwards. An instinct for acting
first and thinking later necessarily brings inconstancy
and risk, but the indefatigable Sagittarian is always
'in there', playing the game, positioning themselves at
the very heart of where the action is. Top
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