The constellation of Sagittarius represents a centaur – the half-archer, half-horse figure who (in Greek mythology) was a disruptive creature, a lover of riot. The most famous story of the centaurs has them causing havoc at the wedding of Hippodamia and Pirithous, where they attempted to carry of Hippodamia and some of her women, the aim being to free the spirit of the women! Closer to home, for me, is the fact that the theatre group I belong to is currently performing Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing - talk about free-spirited women, not to mention riotous love!
Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, the
largest of the planets in our solar system, and one that’s composed almost
entirely of gas. Not difficult to see
how Sagittarius has come by its reputation for being larger than life, full of
hot air, and a tendency to overdo things!
Jupiter is
the Roman counterpart to Zeus in the Greek pantheon - the ruler of the gods, as
well as being the god of thunder. Often shown with a lightning bolt as
his symbol, Jupiter came to represent growth, expansion, and benevolence (in
astrology, the planet is referred to as the 'greater benefic') - as well as
good humour. Jupiter was also known as Jove, giving rise to our word
'jovial'. |
| ‘Sagittarius’ ©Alison Coals |
The sign of Sagittarius sits at the other
end of the axis of information on the zodiac, opposite Gemini. Both signs carry
the quality of wanting to know what’s going on but Sagittarius takes this quest
for knowledge out into the wider world and beyond into the universe. It takes Gemini’s information and data on its
quest, searching for ways to turn that into wisdom.
Like the other Fire signs, Sagittarius is
fun-loving, cheerful, and full of energy - but that mutable energy means it can
be restless and always on the move. In cardinal Aries, we have
ignition; in fixed Leo, the fire is maintained; in mutable Sagittarius, the
fire is carried out into the world. That’s part of
being on its quest for knowledge, of course – but that doesn’t stop Sagittarius
from enjoying the journey and having adventures; just think of the Knights on
their quest for the Holy Grail!
Adventure and challenge, wide open spaces,
the freedom to roam – that’s what Sagittarius loves. It’s not just physical exploration though –
it’s also the need to expand consciousness, acquiring wisdom as well as
experience. Philosophy, religion, law –
anything that involves expansion of the mind will appeal to Sagittarius. There are shamanic associations to this sign
too – the vision quest or shamanic journey could be seen as very Sagittarian.
What happens when you overfill a balloon with hot air? It’s likely to burst. Well, this happens here too – Sagittarius is optimistic to the point of being unrealistic, promising to do more than is humanly possible and not being able to deliver. There’s a tendency to live in the future, imagining the endless possibilities, but not noticing what’s going on in front of them, on the ground. But that optimism also leads to a belief in luck and good fortune – more Jupiterian qualities!
The
image comes from my AstroArt series.
‘Sagittarius’ is a collage, using watercolour on paper and origami paper.
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