Bright. Expansive. Far-sighted. Idealistic. Opportunistic. Jolly. The Sun comes out from the deep waters of Scorpio to join Mercury (thought) and Mars (action) in transiting the sign of the archer, Sagittarius, from November 22 until December 21.

The Sun represents the self we present to the external world, our vital life force, potential, ambitions, intentions, and unrealized/untapped inherent talents/skills. While the Sun in Scorpio may have been intense, careful, methodical, and concerned with longevity, in Sagittarius, the Sun is in good spirits, adventurous, open-minded, and opportunistic with big, bold ideas!

At best, the Sun in Sagittarius is lucky, wise, curious, friendly, popular, and just. At worst, non-committal, careless, and gives empty promises. Life is in the living, experiencing and growing. It's the journey, not just the destination.

Until December 7th, the Sun has Mars' energy to aid him in Sagittarius. Mars in Sagittarius is driven to act fueled by our ideals, and decisions are motivated by the idea of growth/development. Bigger. Better. Faster. Newer. Ideal. Mercury is also in Sagittarius until November 30, will retrograde (be more introspective/reflective) on December 10 and return to Sagittarius from December 18 until January 14 of the new year. This extended stay is wonderful news for Sagittarius-Suns and Risings, especially for those Sagittarians born December 11 or later, especially with Mercury linking to Uranus and Neptune during the December 21st Lunar Eclipse (more on this later). Mercury in Sagittarius is a visionary, dreams big and is good-humored. Dreams. Aspirations. Experiences. Interactions.

While the Sun is in Sagittarius, dare to dream a little ... or a lot. Allow Sagittarian ideals to stir excitement within yourself. Let yourself be okay with being unsatisfied with simply existing and living in automatic mode. Have the courage to seek out living a passionate life, where your days are filled with people and activities that make you feel like your life is fulfilling instead of just full. Entertaining such thoughts won't mean you'll be dropping everything irresponsibly for the sake what could be. It simply helps widen your horizons and perhaps enlighten you to what you truly need or want out of life, at this juncture in your life. There's no harm in dreaming :)

The Sun enters Sagittarius on November 22 at 2:17 a.m. PST / 5:15 a.m. EST and will stay through December 21. While in Sagittarius, the Sun will align with the following celestial bodies (all dates reflect North America Pacific time zone; allow +/-2 days for life span of influence):

• December 5 ~ New Moon in Sagittarius at 9:36 a.m. PST / 12:36 p.m. EST.
• December 7 ~ Sun sextile Saturn. Time to get in gear and create structure or re-establish foundation or renew commitments. Keen awareness of the the strings attached within our relationships -- may it be intimate, family, friendships, bosses, colleagues, etc. How does this knowledge make you feel?
• December 10 to 20 ~ Mercury Retrograde.
• December 16 ~ Sun square Jupiter. Dream BIG. Good moods. Overall trust in universe. Opportunities that seem too good to be true maybe are. Be mindful of not overdoing, overextending yourself, or overestimating situations.
• December 18 to 19 ~ Sun square Uranus; sextile Neptune & Chiron; and conjunct Mercury-rx. Promising. Hopefulness. Radical changes for the better. Sagittarians celebrating a birthday during this period are likely blessed to carry this hopeful energy with them until their birthday next year. Also today, retrograde-Mercury returns to Sagittarius to stay until mid-January.
• December 21 ~ Full Moon/Lunar Eclipse in Gemini at 12:13 a.m. PST / 3:13 a.m. EST, which occurs within the same day as the Sun's entrance into Capricorn at 3:38 p.m. PST / 6:38 p.m. EST. This eclipse starts off the Gemini/Sagittarius set of eclipses occurring through 2013.

How might the Sun's transit in Sagittarius manifest in your life? Look to the Sagittarius-ruled house/s in your birth chart. Match the signs with the house cusps on your birth chart. Use the list of zodiac signs below to identify the Sagittarius zodiac sign on your birth chart then click here for a brief explanation of the Sun transiting those solar and/or natal houses.


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For those without a birth chart, you may use your Sun sign or Rising/Ascendant sign, if you know it. Look for your Sun and/or Rising Sign below then click here for a brief explanation of the Sun transiting those solar and/or natal houses.

• Aries-Sun or Aries Rising ~ 9th House
• Taurus-Sun or Taurus Rising ~ 8th House
• Gemini-Sun or Gemini-Rising ~ 7th House
• Cancer-Sun or Cancer-Rising ~ 6th House
• Leo-Sun or Leo-Rising ~ 5th House
• Virgo-Sun or Virgo-Rising ~ 4th House
• Libra-Sun or Libra-Rising ~ 3rd House
• Scorpio-Sun or Scorpio-Rising ~ 2nd House
• Sagittarius-Sun or Sagittarius-Rising ~ 1st House
• Capricorn-Sun or Capricorn-Rising ~ 12th House
• Aquarius-Sun or Aquarius-Rising ~ 11th House
• Pisces-Sun or Pisces-Rising ~ 10th House

Alternatively, you may cast your own birth chart for use as reference -- birth date, time, and place required.

Are you celebrating a birthday? Schedule a session for a Solar Return (birthdays) or 3-Chart Package reading (detailed natal & overall outlook for the next 12 months). Or you might want to consider giving a loved one the gift of insight.

Have a question or need a quote for a more customized reading, ask me here. Or feel free to cruise on over to the AstroCreeps and TarotFreaks Forum* to start or join a discussion.

What significance do planets, signs, and houses have in astrology? Planets have the function, the job to do. The style/manner they will use get that job done is defined by the zodiac sign they occupy. Where in our life the job gets done is determined by the house the planet occupies/transits. So, when Mars (aggression) is in Aries (bold), he is more assertive than when he is in Cancer (sensitive). When traveling through the 10th house (professional life), he may bring his confidence and motivation in matters relating to our career. While in the 11th house (friendships), we may be more inclined to having our social calendar packed with activities. Having the foresight for what may be coming up or receiving confirmation on what may be happening now are ways astrology can be beneficial ... as above, so below.

Related articles:

• Transiting Sun in Natal Houses
• Solar Returns Explained ~ your personal year
• Current Planetary Transits
• Significance of Eclipses in Astrology
• Mercury in Sagittarius ~ November 8 to 30, 2010
• Mars in Sagittarius ~ Oct. 28/29 to Dec. 7, 2010
• Mercury Retrograde ~ December 10 to 29/30, 2010
• Mercury Returns to Sagittarius ~ December 18, 2010 to January 13, 2011

*Click here to learn more about the AstroCreeps and TarotFreaks Forum.

Orsay Archer. Photograph credit and copyright to Kathryn Gordon.