‘The Fair Toxophiles’ By William Powell Frith 1871 {{PD}}

The Archer wanders far and wide as a matter of course; seeking both knowledge and something new, Sagittarius as the rising sign designates the person with an expansive outlook, the one who knows or will find out, the one who’s always willing to go on a walkabout, just to see, to gain information—and this is so even if Sag never leaves the place she was born. The spirit of Sagittarius is so willing to explore, to learn, and then to teach, that she can come to be seen as something of a go-to when others need to know—which can both use positively some of Sag’s most characteristic talents, and place our Sag in a role of service that may or may not mesh with the bigger natal picture (and when it doesn’t fit, may devolve into know-it-all-ness, gossip as sport, or a pressure that results in made-up ‘facts’).

Others observe a competent and active individual with Sagittarius rising, but looking from the inside out, Sag may be seeking knowledge, or to teach others, as a form of security. There may have been an early environment that penalized those who didn’t have necessary information or that relied heavily on the Sag individual to provide this for others, who then sheltered or fed Sag. Knowledge, religious ritual and expression, or the ability to ‘get the word out’ for others may have been treated as currency in Sag’s early world, and this may have left a persistent attitude that causes him to wield info, ‘the facts’, or her belief system as reward or weapon, or to substitute beliefs for facts when it gets them what they want . Others, then, may find themselves surprised at Sag’s controlling approach to knowledge, the insistence that ‘they know’, as well as at his tendency to bolt for the far horizon when things don’t go his way.

Survival in the early environment may have hinged on gregariousness and optimism for Sag rising, and this can lead to an inclination to ignore problems; even when Sag has the answers (and with all that attention to information, who else is so well equipped?) she may fail to connect the dots. Compartmentalizing of knowledge, or painting scenes with too wide and sweeping a brush, can cause Sagittarius to falter and efforts to fail—often almost inexplicably. With so much energy focused outwardly, Sag may not do the kind of Self-analysis that other signs fall to naturally when things don’t go well; Sag may instead scan the horizon for what’s to blame, and miss a chance to up their game. This highlights how Sag can be completely Self-contained and yet yearn for others, as she needs an audience or someone to hear what she’s sharing. The trend in these two opposing directions can cause a lot of internal conflict for the Archer, as she struggles between retreating and charging out to look for a receptive someone; she finds her cure in adopting a willingness to value social interaction, networking, and light information exchange (the qualities of opposing sign Gemini) as much as she respects the acquisition and sharing of knowledge, religion, and philosophy. In other words, when she lightens up, she wins.

You can be sure that Sagittarius Rising always knows the landscape—that is, he knows it unless his attention has already moved on to the next destination. Sometimes the attention is in an otherworldly place (the religious connection), sometimes it’s a place where he can learn more (the education connection), and sometimes it (and the action) are entirely in Sag’s head; he may find a selectively perceived world that reflects his own philosophies preferable to having to deal with reality—and this marks one of the Archer’s biggest weaknesses, his reluctance to stay focused, in the present, in one place (mentally or otherwise), for very long—knowing is always ‘over there’—but that persistent curiosity, openness, and willingness to share are also his greatest strengths.

Sagittarius can come across to others as too aggressive or assertive, a byproduct of the love of knowledge and philosophizing and the natural inclination to spread these, compounded by Sag’s Fire element and the ‘action’ orientation it confers. Enthusiasm that overwhelms others, and a fondness for exaggeration or ‘doing it big’ can also be detriments, but we all need that person who gets excited and goes above and beyond, who exceeds and excels and so fosters optimism and hope in others: Sag rising individuals are essential to speculative ventures and persistent efforts, both of which are vital components of success.

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