It’s Sagittarius season – time to eat, drink and adventure

After witchy woo Scorpio (and its parade of Halloween hijinks and hobgoblins), we now usher in Sagittarius, whose element is fire, whose essence is mutable, and whose energy is generous, adventurous, and maximal in volume.

Ruled by jolly Jupiter, our most benefic planet, but one whose influence can make us prone to excess in food, drink, spending, and philandering, Sagittarians are gamblers at heart. Las Vegas is their spirit animal.

So, over the next few weeks, you may find yourself feeling lucky about love and life (thanks Jupiter/Sagittarius). Or maybe more optimistic about the upcoming year (thanks again you two). Or, maybe you start behaving a bit too riskily and lose all your savings on an ill-informed cryptocurrency lark.

This latter example indicates the shadow side of Sagittarius (astrology always has its shadow side). Be on guard, therefore, regarding confidence curdling to arrogance; eagerness extending to excessiveness; and, worst of all, liberty leading to license. In other words, this is a season we can get carried away. Sagittarians will give you the shirt off their back; but make sure you don’t lose your shirt to a sharper.

We would be remiss, however, not to mention that Sagittarius season also betokens a time for intensified spiritual longing. When it comes to our natal birth chart, it’s the sign that rules over our 9th House, which deals with higher education, travel, and religious awakening.

It may be hard to square spiritual Sagittarius with that of its risk-loving glitziness, but we mustn’t forget that the symbol of this sign is the Centaur – a half-beast, half-human hybrid whose duality is meant to capture the eternal conflict in us between wanting to blow all our hard-earned Christmas dough at the track (exorbitant animality) and sitting in a little chapel in Meath at dusk praying to the Godhead (noble humanity).

So, as we gear up for the Christmas (and Sagittarius) season, let us be mindful of the following transits that may push us toward the heavenly aspect of this sign or toward its low, horsey instincts.

Sagittarius season dates of note

On November 24th, warlike Mars (all full of spleen and vinegar and spite) enters into Sagittarius, joining the Sun there to kick off the season with some planetary gusto. Mars brings strife, so this is definitely a day to watch out for. On our scale of heavenly or horsey, November 24th definitely suggests randy horsiness. Mars creates tension. But it also drives sexual appetite. Saddle up.

But then, we get a lovely Full Moon in Gemini on November 27th. Like Sagittarius, Gemini is a mutable sign. Light, breezy, easygoing. Here, we have a lovely night for flirting. Nothing heavy. No major decisions. This is the Chardonnay of Moons. Toast to it.

And what about charming Venus entering goth Scorpio on December 4th? Libidinal Mars rules Scorpio, so whenever Venus enters this sign, it gets a bit more X-rated in its influence. This is your prime day of the month for nocturnal naughtiness with a help-mate. Again: saddle up.

As we move to mid-December (12th), we encounter a New Moon in Sagittarius. New Moons are for setting intentions. To align with this lunation, make sure that these are Sagittarius-themed: travel, learning, church-going. To return to our horse/heaven scale: definitely a more heavenly-oriented transit, take advantage.

Finally, Dec 13th. Alas. A Mercury retrograde awaits. Mercury governs over communication, but a retrograde weakens a planet’s influence or turns it inside out. Expect to be misunderstood. This isn’t a day to ask for increases in salary or hands in marriage. Wait until this transit passes to do your heavy lifting on the communication front.