Happy Sagittarius Season! From the interior depths of Scorpionic psycho-emotional intensity, consciousness expands outward in a quest for meaning, purpose, and fulfillment. The New Moon in Sagittarius takes place on Tuesday, November 26th at 10:07am EST, and 7:07am PST, signalling a movement back out into the world. An energy of exploration and discovery, Sag invites us to immerse ourselves into all that stokes the inner fire, bringing us to life in ways that spark our spirits and ignite our hearts. This last of fire signs is inherently open to the magic of life, traversing paths of consciousness in ways that bring deeper meaning and understanding. Often described as having a "generosity of spirit," Sagittarius reminds as that "following our bliss" does have importance that goes beyond the singular self. For the more alive and vibrant we are in the world, the more brightness we bring to it. The word for this in Sanskrit is "tejas," or luminescence, luminosity, brightness. It refers to our innermost nature, that which can never be dimmed or diminished. And when we take part in activities and exercises that spark this part of our Hearts to life, we become more clear embodiments of our inner natures in the world. Its consequences are felt in our own lives and have a contagious energy that expresses itself in our families, communities, and the planet we share.

Sagittarius is represented archetypically by the gypsy, the student, and the philosopher, all characters who see life as a constant journey of exploration. Sag seeks to move in the world in ways that bring her inner life more meaning, recognizing that what she pursues on the outside holds special keys and insights that make her life more inspiring and expansive. S/he looks to experience the freedom needed to be on this quest in ways that ignite her heart and soul and keep her philosophically, spiritually, mentally, and physically engaged with what she's immersed herself into. The trick is to dive into exactly what's bringing deeper significance, then perhaps after years of exploring a specific modality or methodology, to move on to the next subject, weaving the wisdom gained from the previous topic into the current one. It's important that the darshana, or the lens through which Sag views reality, remain open even as s/he dives deeply into a specific system. The last thing Sag wants to do is pigeonhole herself into one topic that she becomes fervent about long after she's outgrown what it's had to teach her. Rather, it's important that she experience the discernment (Sanskrit:: viveka) necessary to recognize that each and every topic she delves into has something to offer, and that she can remain open to all of them even as she explores different possibilities, lest she get dogmatic in her approach. And since many of us carry the energy of Sagittarius in our charts, whether we know it or not, the movement of the Sun and Moon into the sign of the centaur will have an effect on us!

For example, those born from 1956-1959 and the end of 1985-the beginning of 1988 have natal Saturn in Sagittarius; those born from 1970-1983 have natal Neptune in Sagittarius; those born from 1982-1988 have natal Uranus in Sag; those born from 1996-2007 and parts of 2008 have natal Pluto in Sagittarius; and of course those born with a Sun or Moon in this sign of the zodiac certainly have a large showing of the energy of Sag in the birth chart, as do those who carry much 9th House activity with its inherent connection to Sagittarius! This means that the energy of the philosopher's quest for meaning and the student of life needs to be fed in the birth chart in order for one to experience the deep fulfillment mentioned here, given more shape and form by the planets located within this zodiac sign and the houses indicated by the birth chart. When the currently transiting Sun moves through the sign of Sag, these natal planets will become energized to express themselves. With the New Moon at about 4° Sag on November 26th, and the Full Moon at 20° Gemini (Sag's opposite) and the Sun 20° Sag on December 11th, those with with planets in the beginning and middle of this sign will feel this infusion even more.

Growing up, I was an avid ballet dancer. For 15 years, I poured my heart into this activity in an obsessive way, as many do, only to realize years later that my relationship with it was unhealthy and needed some mending. Life led me to the practices of yoga and meditation, where I again threw myself into what was being offered, and through these practices I discovered many pieces of healing and integration. The same is true of evolutionary astrology. It was medicine for my soul, giving me insights and tools that I had not experienced through the yoga practice and am ever grateful to have received. My dedication to these practices is still strong, yet it's been wonderful to experience how making space for new pursuits has allowed this dedication to remain steady and the relationships interesting. Now, almost 20 years after having left ballet, I'm back at it. Because my darshana has changed immensely, I'm finding joy and richness in dancing, something my mind thought would never be possible again through ballet. I thought I'd left it behind for good, dismissing it as inherently wounding for me. Yet thanks to the integrative work I've chosen to do over the years, as well as to a lovely teacher who's actually a Sagittarius sharing his brightness through teaching dance, I'm enjoying my spirit being sparked to life in ways I haven't felt in quite some time. The reason I mention this is because RE-discovery is also on the table here! Sag finds meaning in the ever-deepening dive into what brings her to life, needing to take space when it gets stale, but also having the discernment to come back when it has more to offer her.

Although there is much Capricorn energy in this Sagittarian cycle, we'll be getting to that next month with a couple Eclipses on the Cancer-Capricorn axis. In the meantime, may your unique quest be rich and deeply rewarding this Sag Season, and may it light you up from within so your spirit shines even more brightly in the world. The force is always with you. Enjoy!