From November 22nd to December 21st each year the Sun is in the sign of Sagittarius, a fire sign in the mutable mode.
The fire of Aries is a burst of initiative energy with bravery and readiness for battle. The fire of Leo is the steady hearth fire that brings warmth and joy to all those around it. The fire of Sagittarius illuminates through inspiration and expansion.
Sagittarius is ruled by the planet Jupiter, the expansive bringer of light who teaches through faith and wisdom. Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system and it moves through the zodiac in a regal and dignified way, spending exactly one year in each of the twelve zodiacal signs.
Sagittarius is a dual sign, both animal and human. The horse part is full of strength and energy, but also subject to the base desires of lust, anger, greed and gluttony. The human part is the archer, the philosopher, the traveller, who seeks a greater viewpoint to arrive at a synthesis, an ideal.
After Scorpio brings in the Autumn season and the darkening of days, Sagittarius draws us into the deepest part of winter, the time of celebration of lights in many religions.
While Scorpio moves fearlessly into the depths of our darkness to retrieve the light of the consciousness. Sagittarius takes this light and shares it through teaching, publishing, traveling, language, philosophy and religion.
Sagittarius also has the ability to heal by sharing this excavated wisdom and light.
The last day the Sun is in Sagittarius coincides with the Winter Solstice, followed shortly after by the mysteries of Christmas when the Sun enters Capricorn.
Sagittarius ushers in the holiday season, and all of the cultural phenomenon related to the weeks building up until Christmas are very much influenced by Sagittarius: the spirit of generosity with gifts, opulent lights, and acts of charity. The dark side of this sense of expansion is unchecked spending, greed and materialism.
During this time we also see the appearance of religious themes that are often latent the rest of the year, bringing the possibility of renewed faith and tolerance of all religions, but also religious dogmatism. The key of Sagittarius is in seeking always the highest ideal with enthusiasm and joy and not settling for a false concept of truth.
“The Sagittarian develops by forgetting his stallion body in his passion -because, as Leonardo da Vinci said, “passion of the spirit excludes passion of the senses”- and this body becomes white and serene; it turns into a unicorn, ancient symbol of chastity. He is the mythological centaur Chiron then, too, teacher of Asclepius the god of healing, and many heroes such as Hercules, Jason and Achilles. He also becomes the Hermit of the ninth Tarot card who, as the wandering wise man, lights the way of others with his lamp of instruction.”
– Johfra Bosschart