The Archer, The Fishes, and Their Boss: Jupiter.

The Sun is currently romping through zodiac sign Sagittarius once again. What follows is an edited version of something I came up with for Sagittarius (and sister-sign Pisces) years ago. I still enjoy reading and refreshing the information; perhaps other passing readers, who haven't seen it before might like to do so....

Sagittarius and Pisces are traditionally both ruled by planet Jupiter. 20th century American astrologer Carl Payne Tobey in his book An Astrology Primer for the Millions (1965) defines similarities and differences between the two.

This author focuses on something to which I hadn't previously given much thought: links between pairs of zodiac signs with a common planetary ruler in traditional astrology.

The Sun is now in one of Jupiter's governorships: Sagittarius. All Sagittarius-types qualify as Jupiter's people, as do Pisces-types - i.e. people with heavy emphasis on these signs via Sun, cluster of planets, Moon or rising sign. Sagittarius and Pisces, it has to be remembered, are zodiac signs, not people - that's the reason for my addition of "-types". Too often we see people referred to as "a Sagittarius" or "a Pisces" (or "a....." - any other of the 12 zodiac signs). It's a bad habit, it breeds misunderstandings of what astrology is all about.

Whereas Gemini-types and Virgo-types (Mercury's People) are said to be linked strongly to their nervous systems, Sagittarius and Pisces, the signs, Carl Payne Tobey tells us, are connected to

.....something beyond the nervous system, which is in some way connected to it. These signs relate to some of the phenomena, that orthodox science and academicians are afraid to investigate.The psychic powers are related to Pisces while intuition is related to Sagittarius.

Mr Tobey points out that, in modern astrological doctrine, Pisces is ruled by Neptune and Sagittarius by Jupiter. Traditionally, though, both came under rulership of Jupiter, hence some similarities.

Both of these signs have a strong curiosity about the unknown and something akin to a religious interest, although it may not be a church type of interest. The consciousness of both signs goes beyond the usual, everyday affairs of life. Survival and money making isn't enough.

Some similarities between the two signs:
They are less inclined to live by rules and regulations, not inclined to be atheists, less likely to doubt life after death, or existence in form prior to this life, both recognise the vastness of the unknown and less likely to accept what authorities say about it. Both signs like to travel and explore. Yet in other respects, these two signs are the opposite of each other.

Sagittarius is direct and to the point, outspoken with no heed for consequences-

.....plain simple honesty, the sort of thing society requests, but can't take. The Sagittarian is in a constant state of evolution. Seldom do we find one of these people who remains within the church in which he was brought up. Not easily brainwashed, truth is more important to them than loyalty to any church, family or heredity. Interested in all branches of knowledge, anything to do with hidden truth. The average Sagittarian is more jovial than other signs. If you need help he won't walk by. If you are down he will want to cheer you up, and he may then try to indocrinate you with his philosophy, not to indoctrinate you but to cheer you up and give you a better, more optimistic outlook...

Pisces is the opposite of Sagittarius in many respects. In place of intuition it is likely to have psychic powers. It may dream things before they happen. It lives partly in some other, unknown world. It can have mental and emotional problems that Sagittarius is not likely to know about, unless it has some very negative Neptunian afflictions. In place of outspokenness, Pisces is secretive. Instead of wanting to tell the truth, it will tell you what it thinks will have the best effect on you, or the effect that it desires. Nobody ever knows just what the Pisces person thinks because it never tells its true thoughts to anyone .....because it knows that society is too brainwashed to to be able to face the truth. Pisces people are sympathetic and compassionate, like Sagittarian folk they have a good sense of humour, Piscean humour is subtle though."

Whereas Pisces recognises that most moral codes are strictly phoney and born of hypocrisy, it doesn't try to change them, it goes around them and does what it wishes, secretly. Sagittarius on the other hand crusades to change the laws and is too apt to mistake hypocisy for ignorance. It can't really believe that human nature is dishonest because its own nature is not dishonest.