Sagittarius - Sun Sign - Dates: 18th December to 18th January
Definition: [Sun Signs - Solar Zodiac] Sagittarius, the sign of the Archer, is the 11th, sign of the Real Solar Zodiac.
Sagittarius Astrology: Below can be found the fundamentals of the astrology of Sagittarius. The quotations are from the Magnum Opus of astrology, Tetrabiblos, composed by Claudius Ptolemy [c 130 - 170 AD] - the father of Classical astrology.
| The Power of the Fixed Stars: | "Of the stars in Sagittarius, those in the point of his arrow have an effect like that of Mars and the moon; those in the bow and the grip of his hand, like that of Jupiter and Mars; the cluster in his forehead, like that of the sun and Mars; those in the cloak and his back, like that of Jupiter and, to a less degree, of Mercury; those in his feet, like that of Jupiter and Saturn; the quadrangle upon the tail, like that of Venus and, to a less degree, of Saturn. " |
| Character of the Sign: | "Bicorporeal" [now Solsticial (Cardinal) - see below] |
| Planet and House: | "Jupiter; Masculine Aspect." [now Saturn [Masculine Aspect] - see below] |
| Triangles: | First Triangle - Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius: Masculine. Ruled by the Sun in day and Jupiter at night. |
| Exaltations and Depressions: | None. |
| The Egyptian Terms: | "Jupiter = 12; Venus = 5; Merkur = 4; Saturn = 5; Mars = 4" |
| The Chaldean Terms: | "Jupiter = 8; Venus = 6; Merkur = 5; Saturn = 6; Mars = 5" |
| Countries: | "Tyrrhenia, Celtica, Spain; in the centre, Arabia Felix." |
| Effect upon the Weather: | "The sign of Sagittarius as a whole is windy; but, taken part by part, its leading portion is wet, its middle temperate, and its following part fiery. Its northern parts are windy, its southern moist and changeable." |
Movement of the Ages : Ptolemy's astrology described the heavens in the Age of Aries. However, nearly two thousand years later we are now in the Age of Pisces. Therefore, some of the astrological features noted above are no longer accurate. Sagittarius is no longer a Bicorporeal sign, but is now a Solsticial sign. In modern terminology this makes it a cardinal sign. [See Tetrabiblos Book i Chapter 11]
Which planet makes its 'house' in Sagittarius [in modern terms the planetary ruler] is even more complex. In the Age of Taurus, 4000 years ago, Leo was the Summer Solstice sign in the northern hemisphere and hence the Sun made its 'house' in Leo and the rest of the signs followed from this starting point. But by the time of Ptolemy, in the Age of Aries, Cancer was the Solstice sign and should have been assigned the Sun. However Ptolemy assigns Leo the Sun. Even Ptolemy kept out-dated astrology, as we do today. [See Tetrabiblos Book i Chapter 17] In our time at the end of the Age of Pisces, Gemini is the Solstice sign and so should be assigned the Sun. Hence in the Age of Pisces Saturn makes its 'house' in Sagittarius.
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The Powers of the Stars of Sagittarius: |
Sagittarius, the Archer. From Uranometria, Johann Bayer, Augsburg, 1603 AD. |
| Sun Sign | Meaning | Dates | |
| 01: | Pisces | the Fishes | 12 Mar to 18 Apr |
| 02: | Aries | the Ram | 19 Apr to 13 May |
| 03: | Taurus | the Bull | 14 May to 19 Jun |
| 04: | Gemini | the Twins | 20 Jun to 20 Jul |
| 05: | Cancer | the Crab | 21 Jul to 9 Aug |
| 06: | Leo | the Lion | 10 Aug to 15 Sep |
| 07: | Virgo | the Maiden | 16 Sep to 30 Oct |
| 08: | Libra | the Scales | 31 Oct to 22 Nov |
| 09: | Scorpius | the Scorpion | 23 Nov to 29 Nov |
| 10: | Ophiuchus | the Serpent Bearer | 30 Nov to 17 Dec |
| 11 | Sagittarius | the Archer | 18 Dec to 18 Jan |
| 12: | Capricornus | the Sea Goat | 19 Jan to 15 Feb |
| 13: | Aquarius | the Water Carrier | 16 Feb to 11 Mar |
| * | The Non-Zodiac Constellations | ||
© Dr Shepherd Simpson, Astrological Historian
Historical Astrology
See the new Astrological Index for the meaning of other astrological words and phrases