The Oracle’s Library introduces the next zodiac sign—Sagittarius. The astrological sign Sagittarius holds the winter solstice when the hours of darkness shift back toward the light. In ancient times, the winter solstice resided within the cusp of Sagittarius and Capricorn to mark the moment when the Sun reached is Southernmost latitude over the Tropic of Capricorn. Sagittarius is the ‘Archer’ in Latin—the ninth sign of the Tropical Zodiac. Sagittarius spans from 240° to 270° on the Zodiac Belt, as it welcomes the light hours following the darkest nights of winter.
Sagittarius Zodiac Profile
In Sidereal Astrology, if you were born between December 16th and January 14th your Sun sign is Sagittarius. This means that the Sun transited through the constellation Sagittarius at the given time of birth. In Tropical Astrology, the sign Sagittarius is given to anyone born between the dates November 22nd and December 21st.
Sagittarius is the final Fire Sign that signifies the return of the Sun following the winter solstice. At this time, the Sun seems to stop and turn back after its long journey to the farthest southern point in the sky. Sagittarius foreshadows that the will of nature to create is soon to return back to the Earth. The tropical zodiac Sagittarius is ruled by the planet Jupiter. Those born under Sagittarius possess a friendly and approachable aura that often compliments their optimistic attitude about life. The Archer tackles each situation with an enthusiastic and freedom-loving spirit which allows them to set their sights on the most positive future outcomes.
The Myths and Legends of the Archer
In Greek legend, the constellation Sagittarius is associated with the wise Centaur—a creature with the torso and head of a man and the body of a horse. In legend, the Centaur Chiron was a skilled physician, archer, and musician who taught many greats of the past. By accident, Chiron was fatally wounded by Heracles when he was shot with an arrow. Needless to say, the great centaur could not cure himself of the poison and continued to suffer from it due to his immortality. Eventually, he gifted his services to Prometheus in exchange for release—thus upon death, the centaur was placed among the stars as the constellation Sagittarius.
In ancient Babylon, the constellation Sagittarius represented the god Nergal or Nerigal, a centaur with bow and arrow. In this early depiction, the centaur is given two heads—one panther, one human and wings. He was also sometimes referred to as the god Pabilsag of Sumeria. It comes as no surprise that Sagittarius symbolized the ‘archer’ to the ancients. Since at this time, the harsh cold caused people to turn to hunting tactics to secure food for the winter.
Stargazing the Constellation Sagittarius
The constellation Sagittarius is located near one of the brightest areas in the sky, where the Milky Way Galaxy crosses the Zodiac Belt. The arrow of archer points to the Galactic Center at the position that holds the densest collection of stars and nebulae in the galaxy often named Baade’s Window. Here at Sagittarius A resides the theoretical super-massive black hole of the Milky Way. Sagittarius holds many notable astronomical objects such as the Sagittarius triplet—the Lagoon Nebula or Hourglass Nebula, the Omega Nebula sometimes called the Horseshoe or Swan Nebula and the Trifid Nebula, a mix of young super-heated stars. Just outside the Milky Way, the Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy can be found and spotted within this constellation.
Sagittarius is located between the constellations Ophiuchus and Capricorn. To spot Sagittarius, look for the ‘teapot’ of bright stars that points its spout toward the brilliant center of the Milky Way. Use the bright star Antares in Scorpio as a reference, and look east of its position in the night sky. The constellation Sagittarius is best viewed during the summer months of the Northern Hemisphere.
Thank you for reading at the Oracle’s Library! Are you a Sagittarius? Please comment and share your experience with the Archer.