Happy Sagittarius season! In Greek mythology centaurs were regarded as beasts that connected humanity to the heavens with their intellectual prowess and adventurous spirits. Their half-human, half-horse bodies served as a metaphor for the ways our natural, animal instincts can guide us to spiritual truths that are otherwise inaccessible. Many of us are struggling to reckon with the direction that our planet is headed politically and ecologically, and fiery Sagittarius season has the power to provide our bodies and minds with the vitality of a creature who knows the truth and has the power to handle it. There will be many opportunities this month for us to wield the truth in service of liberation. The new moon in Sagittarius on the 1st could provide divine inspiration—whether it is mutual aid or direct action, the power of our bodies combined as a community can move the values systems of our entire city toward more equity. Mars (our masculine relational planet) will begin its retrograde through equally fiery (but far more individualistic) Leo on the 6th, likely leading to internal inquiries around how ego-based our engagement with radical praxis is, and how we want to show up as kind and effective leaders. Venus (our feminine relational planet) will enter Leo’s sister sign Aquarius and conjunct Pluto the following day. This transit will lead to additional inquiries about who and what we wish to follow or be in service to. The full moon in Gemini on the 15th will offer joy and play, and could be one of the most delightful times of the month for people who have taken seriously these lessons around energy and virtue that Sagittarius, Leo, and Aquarius are seeking to provide. The sun will enter earthy Capricorn on the solstice on the 21st. This event marks the shortest daylight hours of the year, encouraging us to stay resilient in the face of darkness, with the knowledge that the light will always return.
ARIES
For millennia, many of our ancestors have kept each other sane all winter by telling tales to inspire the imagination during a time of scarce resources and darker days. As the sun transits your 9th house this month, you might feel called to explore narratives that put you in touch with your own fortitude. The sun’s transit through your fellow fire sign Sagittarius will teach you about adaptability, and your ruling planet Mars will continue its transit (and start its retrograde) through the third fire sign Leo. These transits will complete a fiery trifecta of lessons around boldness, reliability, and flexibility.
TAURUS
You might find that this time of year is often marked by existential fears, difficulties, and doubts. Sagittarius’ rulership of your 8th house could mean that this sun transit is about letting things go, which is likely not an easy task for someone so stubborn and grounded. We cannot prevent the leaves from falling off the trees, nor the end of commitments that have run their course. Your ruling planet Venus will enter fellow fixed sign Aquarius on the 7th, aiding you in your resolve to detach from people, places, and ideas that have become draining.
GEMINI
Geminis can be a bit tricky about relationships, because although you can be present, interesting, and self-aware, you can also be detached, inattentive, and self-deprecating. The sun will transit your 7th house and your sister sign Sagittarius this month, providing lessons around love and reciprocity and how we can show up with integrity without sacrificing our freedom and self-care. Venus, planet of love and relationships, will enter fellow air sign Aquarius on the 7th, which will support these inquiries—if you are able to embrace a more fixed, reliable approach to setting and maintaining boundaries.
CANCER
This month is an opportunity to examine your relationship with acts of care. Both giving and receiving care are central to Cancer’s karmic path, and the sun’s transit through your 6th house this month will highlight the importance of regulating your nervous system before you offer support to others. Due to your enormous capacity for empathy, burn-out can affect Cancers quite harshly. Sagittarius energy is adventurous and impulsive, and perhaps this month you could seek help, assurance, and playfulness to compensate for the toll your emotions tend to take on your body.
LEO
Mars has been transiting your sign since November 3rd, and since then you have likely been feeling more bold and self-assured. This planet will start its retrograde on the 6th, leading to repeated lessons around anger, protection, and ego. Pride is often characterized as a negative trait by our Puritan-founded hetero-patriarchal dominant culture, but it can also be a great source of joy—Black pride, queer pride, and feminism all exist to counter these forces. The sun’s transit through your 5th house of pleasure and creativity (combined with this Mars transit) are setting you up for a month of self-love and accountability.
VIRGO
Virgo and Sagittarius are both mutable signs, and your mutability will be particularly apparent this month. Sagittarius’ desires for freedom and space occupy your 4th house of home and comfort, and this placement might be at odds with your desire to be consistent. The irony is that you might find that the less you hold onto these ego-desires to be earthy, the more aligned you might feel. Perhaps consider what your life would look like if you traveled more, or took a chance pursuing a riskier but more rewarding career. The full moon in Gemini on the 15th could point you in the direction of something scary and exciting.
LIBRA
Sometimes it seems that Libras want everything to be fair so that life can be pretty and easy. Though this isn’t inherently wrong or bad, it can manifest in unhealthy ways that are untrue to a Libra’s actual beliefs. If you often find yourself seeking the approval of everyone around you during the sun’s transit through your playful and social 3rd house, you will likely find yourself at odds with other people, or even worse, with yourself. Sagittarius is a sign that demands integrity and truth, and you would be wise to embrace both if you wish to make it through this month relatively unscathed.
SCORPIO
Your financial choices this month are likely to be top of mind. The sun will be transiting your 2nd house of stability, and you might be looking at careers, investments, or political and social goals that will demand consistency all year. Try to establish solid routines this month. Mars’ continued transit (and retrograde starting on the 6th) through fellow fixed sign Leo could allow you to fuel these routines and goals with a healthy amount of rage and/or passion.
SAGITTARIUS
Happy You season, Sagittarius! The new moon in your sign on the 1st will serve as a reminder of all the positive contributions you make to your community and the world—you could be celebrated for intellectual or creative achievements, or acknowledged for your spirited and playful nature. Validation from those we trust is a beautiful thing, but inner validation can be even more beautiful. As you start this new cycle around the sun, perhaps look back at all you’ve achieved over the last year, and release attachment to your mistakes.
CAPRICORN
Your shadows are likely looming large this month, demanding to be reckoned with before they are carried into your next cycle around the sun. The sun will be transiting your 12th house, and your dreams, karmic lessons, and emotional being could blur normally clear lines about what is true and what is manufactured. The full spectrum of human experience does not fit within the lines you have drawn for yourself, and this month, if you are willing to step out of bounds, you will benefit from Sagittarius’ free-wheeling openness to spiritual concepts and experiences.
AQUARIUS
Stereotypically, Aquarius are not ooey-gooey, lovey-dovey types. There is too much to be done out of love for humanity, or self, or community, to risk experiencing the highs and lows of romantic connections. Venus’ entry into your sign on the 7th, and Mars’ transit through your sister sign Leo (the lovey-dovey-est sign, perhaps) might bring you closer to romance than you’ve ever imagined, and this could be frightening. The sun’s transit through your 11th house will counter the more carnal desires you experience as a result of Mars transiting Leo, and if you play your cards right, your vulnerability will show you new ways to embody strength.
PISCES
As your fiery mutable counterpart, Sagittarius will spend this month heating up your 10th house, activating new approaches to your public image and career. Though you may prefer to let opportunities come to you, this month something might inspire you to chase a dream that has been percolating or growing since this time last year. Your ruling planet Neptune will turn direct on the 7th, offering unconventional approaches to your already imaginative plans and goals.
illustrations by Anneliese DePano
