The Darkside of Sagittarius

Astrology is an interesting study. Not only does each person have their own natal chart (the signs at your birth) with 10 planets, two lunar nodes, ascendent/rising signs, and several asteroids, but then there are progressions (how zodiac influences have developed into the current aspects).

On top of that, the current placement of the stars and planets can have an overall effect on the world at large. This is seen more prominently in the outer, slower-changing planets (while the inner, faster-changing planets are more influential on individuals).

Each zodiac sign has it's own personality. Most zodiac descriptions focus on the positive of each sign, but each sign also has a dark side - the negative aspect of that sign.

This series explores the negative, world-effect aspects of each sign. For simplicity, I am assuming we are talking about the Sun in each sign, though most of these analyses would apply to other planetary placements, as well.

Sagittarius is a mutable fire sign, with its opposite/duality in Gemini. Sagittarius is the sign of knowledge and travel. They enjoy philosophy and experiential education, and they embrace the changes that happen in life.

Sagittarius will travel the world, but the one thing they will never be without is their trusty soapbox. The Sag is an expert in their chosen field (or two... dozen), and they have no doubt that their information is correct, so just be quiet while they share their wisdom.

Because Sag comes across as so right so often, this leads to them being unquestioned. They often forget to question how much their experiences can be generalized to others.

Unlike Leo, who can get the facts wrong, Sag often focuses on topics that are less black & white. And, as broad-minded as they are, they can mistake their few anecdotal stories for the experiences of an entire group of people. This can lead to Sagittarius making moral judgments about large and complicated issues.

This time of year, we find that many people may be more likely to take their own experiences as a universal experience (or, worse, a universal perspective), while dismissing the data that disprove such a stance. This can lead to incredibly biased or discriminatory mindsets based on rare or singular situations - think of the welfare queen myth and how many policies we push forward to prevent this imaginary person from getting away with a nearly impossible con.

But Sagittarius is, first and foremost, an intelligent and passionate activist. By keeping ourselves aware of these biases, and double-checking our assumptions, we can avoid this particular trap.

The lesson of Sagittarius is to be aware of judging based on over-generalizing our own experiences.