Photo by Krystle Merrow
Quick emergency glossary:
Mercury = thought and communication
Mars = energy, will, anger
Retrograde = period of planet appearing to move backwards in the sky, denoting a “turning inward” on the energy of that planet
Happy Sagittarius Season!
It’s no surprise that this time of year is generally full of parties and holidays, despite being the darkest month in the Northern Hemisphere. Sagittarius teaches us to find hope, joy, and fun under all circumstances.
This year the season brings some extra energy, with both Mercury and Mars retrograde in fire signs alongside the sun, and the first weeks of Pluto’s long, long, long station in Aquarius. This is a lot of astrology about the unpredictability, about changes, about revision, about hidden anger coming to light, about justice, about truth, about confusion. This is a lot of astrology that will likely make people feel confused, frustrated, hurt, sensitive, nostalgic. This is a lot of astrology that will highlight the way that tension in our daily lives is a reflection of the larger world we live in—I’ve been thinking lots about the (now nearly twenty-year-old song) by $100 (heads know) “Paris is Burning”:
“…the men in the Commons, they keep getting taller/despite the battles we wage, they keep getting stronger/so we fight the ones we love, yeah it’s all for nothing/but the release of something that we cannot contain.”
And then there is Sagittarius: who rules Justice but not the Law. Who rules growth but not leadership. Who rules both learning and teaching. Sagittarius the competent, the energetic, the expressive.
Each of us have every one of the signs of the zodiac somewhere in our chart, with or without planetary placements. Each of us has a Sagittarius side – each of us has a part of our life about which we are adventurous, curious, and eager.. This part of ourselves (and if you have Sagittarius placements, this part will be louder) is a part of yourself you can learn from. This is a part of yourself that begs to be shared with, and begs to see, the world.
Your Sagittarius side can teach you, in the immortal words of noted Sag Britney Spears*: “I don’t need permission, make my own decisions, that’s my prerogative”.
Happy Sag season,
Amelia
*there are some forms of historical revisionism I support: one is that Britney Spears wrote the song “My Prerogative.”
Horoscopes are written using whole house calculations and are meant as inspiration and affirmation. Specific calculations are made for the rising signs, but if you don’t know your rising sign, you can read for your sun. You can access your birth chart at astro.com, café astrology, or many other apps and websites using your birth date, time, and location. You can also find out lots of personal information by booking a reading with me here.
Aries Rising
It’s a fire season, Aries folks, and your ruling planet is stationing retrograde. Despite all the fire astrology of the season, this could be a frustrating time for Aries who values directness and action. Mars retrograde tends to involve a turning inwards around anger: sitting with our feelings and getting big mad about a thing that happened awhile ago and maybe not communicating that very well. This is all happening in your fifth house of creativity and fun, so it could at least make for some spicy holiday parties. Meanwhile Mercury is also retrograde in Sagittarius, moving backwards through your ninth house of growth and expansion.
This could look like a change to news around travel, higher learning, or your growth: unexpected changes to a trip, getting into an educational program after being waitlisted, or suddenly finding yourself nostalgic for your university days. I hate to tell you that the answer is patience, Aries, but alas, that really is the thing to do. Retrogrades are a time of revision and not action, but we can trick our minds around that.
What if the action you have to do is research? Is going through your stuff? Is planning a conversation? Think about how you can reframe what action looks like to get through through a season that could potentially really irritate you.
Taurus Rising
Sagittarius rules your eight house of intimacy and entanglement, Taurus rising. This placement indicates a strong desire for growth through your intimate relationships. This month Mercury stations retrograde here meaning you might have to deal with some tricky situations to navigate this month. The eight house governs the inevitable around our intimacies – sex, death, and taxes. This house rules the way we are entangled with one another.
With Mercury stationing retrograde through this house, you may encounter things like unexpected tax issues you thought were already finished, or texts from an ex. Those are archetypal examples (if either of them actually happen please @ me) so think of what situations in your life may apply. Meanwhile Mars is stationing retrograde through your fourth house of home and family. This could be fights with the family about something that happened in the past (happy holidays 🥴) or issues around the house, particularly those involving accidents.
It’s hard to insure ourselves against this kind of astrology, so just do your best by crossing all your t’s and dotting your lower case i’s and j’s. And try not to take the bait in a fight.
Gemini Rising
Sagittarius rules your seventh house of one-on-one relationships, Gemini rising. Sag and Gemini are sibling signs and, as I often say, the party continuum of the Zodiac. Gemini says I have an idea and Sag says Let’s do it. Sagittarius sits on the part of your chart that’s about your closest partnerships, romantic and otherwise. These partnerships have the potential for you of really activating this energy (Particularly if those partners are Sagittarians). As Mercury station retrograde throughout this month, you have the potential for conflict and misunderstanding with those partners.
“I have an idea,” you say. And “wait, what are you talking about?” says the partner. “I didn’t mean it like that/Well that’s what you said/That’s not what I said/I know what I heard.”
Be prepared to be vigilant with your words. To double down on that theme, Mars (planet of conflict) is also stationing retrograde in your third house of communication. Potential fights abound. Oh dear. Gemini is a sign about communication, ruled by the planet Mercury, so communication is kind of your thing. In astrology like this you need to be cautious and prepared, but also know that sometimes conflict just happens and it’s okay when it does.
Regulate yourself and go into those family holidays with some breathing techniques.
Cancer Rising
Sagittarius rules your sixth house of day-to-day life, Cancer Rising. You may tend to prefer a daily life and job that involves a lot of growth, learning, and not so much predictability. This month Mercury is stationing retrograde through this part of your chart, which is classic astrology for scheduling conflicts and misunderstandings. Watch out for these and be extra cautious as you put plans in your agenda this month. The sixth house also rules your health, so perhaps be on the lookout for pesky colds that you thought were gone. Mars meanwhile is stationing retrograde through your second house of resources. This could mean financial conflicts coming up (particularly ones you thought were done).
Since Mercury is also retrograde, you need to be super careful about how you approach these things. I hate to say it since typically Sag season is so fun, but take things a bit cautiously this month, Cancer rising. It’s not really a good time to overindulge on substance that make you likely to be misunderstood. Mercury’s retrograde and shadow period will be completely done by the new year, and Mars stations direct on January 1st, so you can look forward to a clean start to 2025.
Leo Rising
Mercury rules your fifth house of creativity, fun, and falling in love, Leo rising. This part of the chart rules parties and having a good time, so with Mercury retrograde here, you might have some confusion or misunderstandings around these events. Be extra careful about how you schedule your fun this month, and try not to double book yourself (but as a well loved Leo, you’ll probably be forgiven if you do). Mars meanwhile is retrograde in your first house. It’s probably been pretty fun having Mars here the past few weeks—this is hot astrology. People are seeing you and thinking you’re hot!
It’s also, however, potential for conflict astrology, and as Mars stations retrograde, that’s even more so. It might feel like the spotlight is on you and how you present yourself, and like nothing you say is the right thing. Archetypally, Leo is normally a sign that loves to be the center of attention at a party, so even if that part isn’t true for you, the double whammy of confusion in your social life alongside potential conflict while you’re at it could be a bit of an ego bruise.
Be cautious, truthful, and work towards having the most integrity this month, Leo, so that even if there’s a misunderstanding, you yourself know what you mean. You get to start the new year with Mars direct in your first house again, which is a clean slate and lovely astrology.
Virgo Rising
Sagittarius rules your fourth house of home and family, Virgo rising, meaning that although you likely have the Virgo tendency of enjoying regularity, organization, and details being lined up, you also have a chaotic side that loves a lot of change and it’s likely your home and family that see that change. Do you reorganize your furniture all the time? Did you have an unpredictable upbringing? Have you moved a lot? That might be your Sag side expressing itself. This month Mercury stations retrograde here. This could be misunderstanding with the family (watch out for those holiday season get togethers) or difficulties around your actual house.
If anything goes wrong on that front, try not to commit to any permanent solutions until the new year when mercury stations direct. If you do, they’re likely to break down again. Meanwhile Mars is retrograde in your twelfth house – this is pretty spicy astrology for your inner world. Perhaps this could be particularly expressive and challenging dreams, or feeling like you’re really not getting the alone time you need. I’d recommend leaning into your Virgo side and scheduling in some alone time to write through how you’re feeling this month, Virgo rising.
You need to take care of yourself and not let yourself fall too heavily into the Virgo role of just helping everyone else and not putting your own needs at the forefront. This month you’re liable to boil over if that happens, so let’s all just avoid it and give Virgo some me time, okay?
Libra Rising
Sagittarius rules the part of your chart about your communication, Libra rising. This part is a side of yourself that is likely expressive, curious, and growth oriented – you may have been the kind of kid with a lot of questions. This month Mercury stations retrograde here, bringing you lots of potential for being misunderstood. That kind of energy is particularly hard on a Libra, when all you want is balance and for everyone to feel nice. You might need to let go of some of that tendency this month and lean into letting conflict be conflict.
This doesn’t mean being stubborn or combative, but it does mean practicing being okay with disagreement. Mars, meanwhile, stations retrograde in your 11th house which rules community and social groups. Oh dear, Libra rising, this is tricky astrology for your social life. Folks might be coming at each other, you might be seeing a lot of community conflict, and might be asked to pick sides.
Try to avoid the latter, and practice the above even more. At best, people of your sign can be excellent mediators, so lean more into the “two things can be true” side of it and less into the “can’t we all just get along”.
Scorpio rising
Sagittarius rules the part of your chart that has to do with your resources, Scorpio rising. This part of the chart governs your money but also your energetic resources and the things you own. Mercury, who rules communication, will be retrograde in this part of your chart, potentially bringing up problems around these areas of your life. This can look like money problems coming back to bite you in the ass after you thought they were done, losing possessions, or being really low energy.
This astrology requires some vigilance on your part: in the very least of it, you could potentially just wind up spending a ton of money in this typically expensive time of year. As this is happening, Mars is also retrograde in your tenth house of career and public profile. Did you recently release something publicly? Did you have a lot of eyes on you at work? The astrology denotes that something around that work isn’t quite done yet, so be prepared to be challenged on it.
This time of year is often really stressful, and this year’s astrology underscores that stress, so hang on and skate through December awaiting the new year when both these planets station direct and we start 2025 on some smoother astrology.
Sagittarius Rising or Sun
Happy you season, Sagittarius! It’s you time! Whether Sagittarius is your sun or rising, expect a lot of attention this month, a focus on your identity, and a lot of opportunities to consider your life so far. With Mercury retrograde in your sign you might be particularly nostalgic this month. I myself always get nostalgic during the holidays, and Mercury retrogrades often make us think about this past, so this month you can either work to distract yourself from that nostalgia or dive in. With mercury retrograde in your first house (for risings) or around your sun (for sun signs) you might encounter some conflict and challenges this month, more than you’d like to around a season all about *you*, but take your natural skills at understanding and diplomacy to work through them.
Meanwhile for Sag risings, Mars is stationed retrograde in your ninth house—this part of the chart is Sagittarius territory and governs travel, higher learning, and religion. It governs anything that makes you grow. A Mars retrograde here could impede your travel plans, mean that school work gets in the way of your holidays, or even mean that weird arguments about religion become part of your life.
Those are all kind of specific archetypes, but think about how the keywords conflict, anger, will, travel, religion, higher learning, and misunderstanding might apply to you this month.
Capricorn Rising
Sagittarius rules your 12th house, Capricorn rising: this part of the chart governs mental health, your dreams, your solitude, and the ~unknowable~ (think: ghosts and stuff). Cap rising folks are likely to have pretty adventurous dreams, and with Mercury retrograde in this part of the chart, I could see you having even more activity around that. Either way this retrograde might be a big tricky on your mental health. You might be even harder on yourself than usual, or find yourself doubting your instincts.
The best remedy against this is deep listening to the self, so I encourage you to schedule some time alone to take care of your own needs. While all this is happening Mars is also retrograde in your eight house—this part of the chart governs intimacy and interdependence. This part of our chart describes the way we are fundamentally, necessarily, and messily all tied up with each other.
A Mars retrograde is classic text-from-your ex astrology, but it could also have to do with money like taxes, grants, inheritances, or settlements. At best I hope you wind up with an unexpected pile of money that comes without any tragedy, and at worst I hope you can resist the call of that sexy toxic ex.
Aquarius Rising
For Aquarius Risings, Sagittarius rules the part of your chart about your social groups and communities. This part of the chart is public facing, concerned with social organization, and is Aquarian territory. It describes the way that Aquarius is paradoxically both about the individual and the group – in fact I often say that Aquarius is the sign of paradox, for this reason, and also that you rule both structure and chaos. Aquarius teaches us the unpredictability of the world, and also that there are ways to find patterns within it. With Sagittarius ruling your 11th house, you likely enjoy adventurous friend groups, and getting to know people from really different backgrounds than you.
A Mercury retrograde here likely means conflict and misunderstanding between social groups, perhaps not just in in between people, but in between groups themselves. Unions are an 11th house thing, so if you’re a union member you might see conflict there. Meanwhile Mars is also retrograde in your 7th house of one on one partnerships.
This could be sexy astrology if you’re in a relationship, but it could also be “I’ll never forget that time you said that thing” astrology. Prepare yourself for conflict the way you do best, by looking for patterns, figuring out what is objectively true, and understanding how that truth might otherwise be perceived.
Pisces Rising
Pisces Rising people have your fellow mutable sign Sagittarius on your 10th house, which has to do with your career and public profile. This underscores the way that Pisces folks are often very concerned with humanitarian efforts: Pisces wants meaningful service, and Sagittarius wants Justice. A mercury retrograde in this part of your life could mean some conflict around your work and practice, so work on (or maybe find support with) getting your words crystal clear in line with your intentions.
You also have Mars moving retrograde through your 6th house, another part of the chart that has to do with work. Where the tenth house is your greater career and public visibility, the 6th house is your daily labour and jobs. For some people these are the same thing, but for many others they differ. If they’re aligned for you, you might be facing conflict that comes out of those misunderstandings. If they’re different, you could be dealing with conflict in your job and misunderstanding in your practice, making it feel like you can’t get a minute of peace.
Either way, do what Pisces does best and work to figure out what other people are missing: Pisces often believes in things that no one else believes in, so you’re well suited to reading between the lines and helping people work through their emotions related to conflict. Whether or not we realize it, everyone relies on this Piscean quality, so take pride in it.
OMG Stars is our astrology column written by queer astrologer Amelia Ehrhardt (@amelia.np.e). At the beginning of each new astrological season, Amelia interprets the upcoming astrology with a focus on how to navigate current events (astrological and global).
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