Fire Family Part 3: Sagittarius
Fire Series
Part Three: The Sagittarius Family
1/29/2023
Welcome back! If you are new to this blog, I do suggest reading this series for better understanding! Previously in our Fire Family Series, we looked at the Arian and Leo Clans. The ram versus the lion. Here we are moving on to Sagittarius, not an animal but rather the half man half horse creature. If the lion is more refined then the ram, then you can certainly expect a half human creature to be even more sophisticated than its king of the jungle cousin. And, chances are if you are reading this blog, then you have some strong Sagittarian themes in your own birth chart.
Jupiter-Yep, it’s a BIG Deal
Let’s start by looking at Jupiter as the ruler of Sagittarius. Jupiter is the largest planet in solar system, so you guessed it-This is big energy! According to the teachings of Steven Forrest, anything Jupiter touches in your chart becomes somehow magnified or enhanced. This can of course be a wonderful, or very challenging thing to face. But at its rawest energy, Jupiter specializes in expansion.
Steven Forrest also makes a great analogy that is worth sharing…A well know Jupitarian type is the ole Fat Man himself- that’s right. Santa Claus. In fact, the whole concept or idea of Santa Claus is very Jupitarian in nature. Hopefully if you are reading this, then you have learned by now that Santa Claus doesn’t exist in the form of a human( aside from all the mall Santas of the world). But, what does exist is the faith in some meaning that he brings to the holiday season.
As children we have faith in this idea that Santa will be bringing us presents every year. Santa is the great spirit lifter and joy bringer of the holiday season. The concept of this man really expands the fun and joy of the season. And Santa himself fits the Jupiter architype. The fact that he eats probably a million cookies in one night- overindulgence is such a Jupiter theme! Even the fact that we eventually learn this man to be a myth deals very much with this energy architype. We grow up, and if we are doing things well then naturally our perceptions shift as we obtain more knowledge and wisdom. We obtain the knowledge that Santa is not real but we hold onto this idea that our children will appreciate Santa as much as we once did.
Back to Sagittarius
Even if you know nothing about astrology- you may have intuited the idea that if the largest planet rules Sagittarius, then Sagittarian energy is also big, expansive and jovial. Your intuition is spot on. Sagittarius has also learned a lot from the Arian and Leo energies who come before him. Sag is the most mature fire sign. This sign knows how to use their fire for pure excitement and life. Think about fire dancers at the circus. To play skillfully with Fire- how Sagittarian this is!
Sagittarian energy can manifest as the traveler, the student, or the philosopher. If you have ever wondered about the meaning of life and done anything to try and discover this (reading astrology blogs counts!) then you have been in this Sagittarian energy. Sagittarius wants to see the “bigger picture”. They want to know and to understand the meaning behind ideas. Sagittarius cares deeply about moral standards and will be the one in the crowd to speak up if there is a moral issue at hand (particularly one in their own moral compass).
Speaking the Truth?
On a bad Sagittarian Sunday this archetype can look a lot like the dogmatic preacher. It does not even matter what this person is preaching- but they sure believe it and have an answer for anyone who challenges their belief. Perhaps they are a fundamentalist preaching the literal words of the Bible. They passionately believe in the words they are speaking. I know you have encountered the type, and consider for a moment that these types can take many forms. It doesn’t necessarily have to be about organized religion. But, back to our preacher. Come to find out- this person’s beliefs have never actually been challenged in meaningful way. He has never travelled to experience another culture, in fact, he has never even left his hometown! No wonder his point of view seems so narrow! Perhaps he does know every word in the Bible! And that is impressive. But, without any experience to contrast this with, then he has simply just memorized words.
Sagittarius must draw from a large range of experience to fully wrestle with the questions of life- including the million-dollar question. What is the point of all this living anyway? The Sagittarian types of the world need to pack several lifetimes worth of experience in this life to really be able to consider this question with any clarity. Sagittarius is a mutable sign- meaning that it does have the natural ability to shift and change. Imagine the fundamentalist preacher who is in fact very Sagittarian in nature, but has never left his hometown. He gets talked into some mission work at a Christian Hospital in India. He spends some of his free time on this trip exploring yoga and has some profound experiences on the mat. On the plane ride home he finds himself shaken because he isn’t sure what to make of this new experience. His whole moral compass has been spun around. He isn’t sure what true north (or for the him, the way to heaven) is anymore. He can choose to forget all about the experience or somehow shift his viewpoint to incorporate new ideas. Perhaps the dilemma of his life- and if he misses the mark, he will be back in another incarnation to deal with that karma (but don’t tell him that, he’s probably not quite ready to ponder that!)
Santa Claus and The Traveling Fundamentalist
Sagittarius on a bad day can look like our preacher friend, but it can also look like someone who has traveled, had vast experiences, has multiple educational degrees, and has many reasons to “know it all”. These types may have more insight and knowledge to share but they carry that “know it all attitude” around as well. Again, I know you have met these types as well. They can almost be abrasive in their approach to sharing all they know. And, you might not get a word in when speaking to them. They have so much to share after all. But, like we have discussed previously, these people are never doomed to a life of knowing it all (no one really likes a know it all after all). The medicine lies across the Zodiac in the third house of Gemini. The third house is all about communication, processing information and the “lower” mind. The Sagittarian gone awry simply needs to come back down to Earth. The medicine is actually zooming in a little bit and focusing on the here and the now. Perhaps this person needs to carefully examine the body language of the whoever they are speaking to. If their audience is disengaged and half listening then our friend can perhaps learn to stop and say- tell me what you think about x, y and z…Coming back down to consider another’s point of view is the elixir.
The Ninth House
We can’t talk about the Sagittarius family without focusing some time with the ninth house where Sagittarius reigns. It is important to spend some time with the house separately because signs and houses are not completely interchangeable. Think of the house as the stage where signs act out their energies. The house gives us the arena- and “sets the stage”. The energy will act a little differently depending on the “play” (or house). So then, imagine the themes that the ninth house encompasses, many of which have been touched upon already. To name a few; travel, higher education, philosophy, the “higher” mind, and religion. This is certainly not everything as each house has many layers and possibilities. Of course, everyone’s natal ninth house is also very different, but we all have a ninth house, and we all have some Sagittarian energy somewhere. The key point to remember is that in its rawest form, the Sagittarius family is begging you to expand your mind, break up routines and keep seeking. The house placement gives us the hint as to the area of life this shows up most for you.
What Now?
If you are curious about learning more about how the Sagittarian family shows up for you, I encourage you to get a copy of your natal chart. There are several websites where you can generate a free copy. Look to where Sagittarius and Jupiter show up for you. Also look at your ninth house. Even if you know very little about astrology you can get a good idea of how you deal with this pull to expand simply by looking at which sign Jupiter is in for you. A full natal chart reading by a trusted evolutionary astrologer would also be helpful. Stay tuned as I will dive into the Earth family next- starting with a personal favorite from a May baby…Taurus the Bull!