Sagittarius psychological profile
Sagittarius is involved with inspired ways of knowing. Unlike Gemini, its opposite sign, Sagittarius’ inner workings do not rely on mere reason. He sees with his spirit, so while he may be intellectually rigorous, Sagittarius’ primary impulse is to animate bits of knowledge within grand, unified frameworks which he perceives vividly with his intuition.
Sagittarius has much to do with the symbolic systems which cultures need in order to perpetuate themselves. Law, religion, university curricula, and national ideologies are all ruled by this sign, for in them humanity finds a context in which Gemini’s facts and figures are endowed with meaning. While we tend to see the principles behind these institutions as self-evident, in fact they are highly relative. Sagittarius understands this to some extent and he makes an excellent traveler, delighting in the study of the world’s myriad customs.
On the other hand he is sometimes an old-fashioned bigot, unable to see beyond the narrowness of his own hard-held convictions. Usually Sagittarius is a blend of things — like many great religious figures, he can be deeply devoted to the principles of his own tradition, and yet an inspired ambassador to others’.
Sagittarius is an easy energy to spot: he looks into your eyes with a warm, inviting wink that includes you, acknowledges your existence. He approaches strangers easily and socializes comfortably with the homeless and the aristocrat alike, unafraid of saying the wrong thing — though he very well might. Sagittarius no sooner has a thought than he has blurted it out, proud to share his latest revelation. Ruled by benevolent Jupiter, Sagittarius has a bright, optimistic outlook, for his world is, in the end, a meaningful place. Buoyed by some conviction, some tradition, or some manifest destiny, Sagittarius looks to the horizon and sees a better future just beyond it.
A fire sign, Sagittarius can heat up to the boiling point when his ideals are offended. A sense of injustice can send him into a Zeus-like rage, but it soon blows over and his diplomatic smile reappears. Sagittarius is happiest when he can increase his knowledge, expand his horizons, deepen his spirituality, or be part of a movement for social justice. He needs a sense of freedom and adventure in his life, and appreciates companions who share his wide-open spirit. He is most often criticized for self-righteous holding-forth. Also, he needs to keep his feet on the ground. His wandering spirit can lead him in a million directions at once, yet end up nowhere in particular. Sagittarius needs to be centered in order to strike his chosen bullseye with the arrow of his intention.
Sometimes-paradoxical questions which will be important to Sagittarius’ long-term development are:
- “How can I balance my gift for the grand idea with careful knowledge of the details ?”
- “How can I satisfy my need for adventure and freedom while still keeping my feet on the ground? How can I focus on the future without losing the here and now?”
- “How can I be true to my own beliefs yet allow others to have theirs, so that I may learn from them?”
For more about these issues, read about Sagittarius’ opposite sign, Gemini.
Last updated on June 27, 2015 at 5:31 pm. Word Count: 528
