Sagittarius Zodiac Sign: Dates, Symbol, Mythology, and Traits
Sagittarius is the ninth constellation of the zodiac. Its name is the Latin word meaning โthe archer.โ Learn more!
Quick Reference: Sagittarius
- Dates: November 22 to December 21
- Symbol: The Archer (a centaur drawing a bow), glyph ♐
- Element: Fire
- Quality: Mutable
- Ruling planet: Jupiter
- Birthstones: Topaz (November), tanzanite, zircon, and turquoise (December)
- Constellation note: Contains the galactic center of the Milky Way
- Best-known traits: Adventurous, optimistic, philosophical, restless
The Sagittarius zodiac sign covers birthdays from November 22 to December 21, the stretch of late autumn that runs straight into the winter solstice. Its sky-sign is the centaur archer, bow drawn, arrow ready to fly. Below you will find the dates, the mythology, the constellation facts, the traits commonly attached to the sign, and an honest note on where folklore ends and astronomy begins.
When Is Sagittarius Season?
Astrologically, the Sun resides in the house of Sagittarius from November 22 to December 21 each year. The window opens as the Sun leaves Scorpio and closes on the day the Sun enters Capricorn, which usually lines up with the December solstice.
Cusp birthdays (November 22 and December 21) can shift by a day from year to year because the Sun does not change signs at midnight. If your birthday falls on a cusp date, check the exact hour of the Sun’s ingress for the year you were born.
The Sagittarius Symbol: The Archer Centaur
The astrological glyph for Sagittarius is ♐, a simple arrow that points up and to the right. The figure itself is a centaur, half human and half horse, in the act of drawing a longbow. The arrow is aimed across the sky toward the bright red star Antares, the heart of Scorpius, the neighboring constellation.
Old star-lore reads the pose as a warning shot. The archer keeps the scorpion in check, holding the line between the bright summer constellations and the cooler stars of winter. It is a memorable image and an easy one to find once you know where to look.
The Mythology of Sagittarius
Sagittarius is most often associated with Chiron, son of the Titan god Cronus and a nymph named Philyra. Cronus had changed himself into a horse to escape the notice of his jealous wife, Rhea, and his son was born a centaur as a result. Chiron was said to be the wisest and most noble of all the centaurs, and he served as tutor to many epic heroes, including Heracles, Jason, and Achilles.
Chiron was also renowned as a healer, but ironically he could not heal himself after Hercules accidentally struck him with a poisoned arrow. The pain was so great that Chiron relinquished his immortality to escape it. The gods memorialized him by placing his likeness in the sky for all eternity, and that likeness is the constellation we call Sagittarius.
A second strand of the legend names a different archer. In some accounts the constellation honors Crotus, a satyr who lived on Mount Helicon with the Muses. Crotus is credited with inventing the bow and with applauding the Muses when they sang. The Muses asked Zeus to set him among the stars, and Zeus obliged. Both stories give us the same picture in the night sky, a wise creature with a drawn bow.
An older layer comes from Mesopotamia. To the ancient Babylonians, the constellation represented the god Pabilsag, a centaur-like figure with wings, two heads (a panther head and a human head), and a scorpion’s stinger. The Greek archer inherited the bow and the half-horse body from this much older figure.
Sagittarius Personality Traits
People born during this period have Sagittarius as their Sun sign. Proponents of astrological tradition believe that people born under the same Sun sign share certain character traits. Sagittarius people are most often described as confident, honest, extroverted, optimistic, lighthearted, witty, spontaneous, and open. The archer pose suggests the rest of the picture: adventurous, restless, and drawn to long-range goals.
- Adventurous and restless. Sagittarius is the traveler of the zodiac. Long trips, new places, and open road appeal more than routine.
- Optimistic and lighthearted. The sign is associated with good humor and an instinct to look on the bright side.
- Philosophical and curious. Big questions, foreign cultures, and lifelong learning are common interests.
- Honest and direct. Sometimes blunt. The arrow flies straight.
- Independent. Tight schedules and tight spaces wear on the sign quickly.
An honest note: these descriptions come from astrological tradition, not from peer-reviewed studies. We list them because readers ask. You know yourself and the Sagittarians in your life better than any star chart does. Use the descriptions as conversation pieces and family lore, not as a verdict on anyone’s character.
Constellation Sagittarius
The constellation sits in the sky between Scorpius and Ophiuchus to the west and Capricornus to the east. Other nearby constellations include Aquila, Scutum, Serpens Cauda, Corona Australis, Telescopium, and Microscopium.
The constellation contains 68 stars, twelve of which form its centaur shape, the half-man, half-horse creature from Greek mythology in the midst of shooting an arrow. Sagittarius includes 16 stars with planets orbiting them, more than any other constellation. Its brightest stars form a popular asterism, an unofficial constellation, called “the Teapot.” The Teapot is the easiest way for a beginner to spot Sagittarius. Look for a square pot with a triangular lid and a curved handle, low in the southern sky on summer evenings from the Northern Hemisphere.
Sagittarius is notable because it contains the galactic center of the Milky Way. That is the dense, bright heart of our galaxy. At its core sits Sagittarius A*, a supermassive black hole roughly four million times the mass of the Sun, confirmed in detail by the Event Horizon Telescope. You can read NASA’s primer on the galactic center at science.nasa.gov.
Because the galactic center sits inside its borders, Sagittarius is one of the richest patches of sky a backyard observer can sweep with binoculars. It contains many star clusters and nebulae, including the bright star cluster Messier 55, and three nebulae known as “the Sagittarius triplet”: the Lagoon Nebula (Messier 8), the Omega Nebula (Messier 17), and the Trifid Nebula (Messier 20).
- Best time to see: Northern Hemisphere summer, from June through August, low in the southern sky after dark.
- What to look for first: The Teapot asterism. The “steam” rising from the spout is the bright haze of the Milky Way’s core.
- Equipment: Naked eye for the Teapot. Binoculars for the Lagoon Nebula. A small telescope brings out the Trifid.
- Dark sky helps. The galactic center is washed out under heavy light pollution.
Sagittarius Compatibility
In traditional zodiac compatibility charts, Sagittarius is a fire sign and tends to pair easily with the other fire signs, Aries and Leo, and with the air signs Aquarius and Libra. The shared trait is appetite for movement and ideas.
Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) and water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) are often described as a slower or more cautious match for the archer. None of this is destiny. People are more than their Sun sign, and many of the strongest pairings break the chart altogether.
Sagittarius Birthstones
Sagittarius season straddles two birthstone months. The November birthstone is topaz, especially the warm gold “imperial” topaz that the Romans and the Russians both prized. The December birthstones are tanzanite, zircon, and turquoise, a trio that ranges from deep violet-blue to bright sky blue.
If your birthday falls in late November, topaz is the traditional pick. From December 1 onward, any of the three December stones counts. Turquoise has the longest folk history of the three, used by Persians, Egyptians, and Indigenous peoples of the American Southwest for thousands of years.
Famous Sagittarius Birthdays
Sagittarius birthdays include Mark Twain (November 30), Walt Disney (December 5), Jane Austen (December 16), and Steven Spielberg (December 18). The common thread, if you want to read one, is storytelling. None of which proves anything about the sign. Plenty of accountants and quiet librarians were born under Sagittarius too. Birth charts are a pattern people enjoy, not a prediction engine.
Astronomy vs. Astrology
One last honest note. Astronomy is the science of the night sky, the discipline that measures the distance to Sagittarius A* and maps the Trifid Nebula. Astrology is the older tradition that reads meaning into the position of the Sun, Moon, and planets at the moment of a person’s birth.
The two share a vocabulary and a star map. They do not share a method. We treat the zodiac as a calendar, a folk language for the year, and a way to find your way around the sky. We do not treat it as fortune-telling. For the longer version of that distinction, see our piece on astronomy vs. astrology. Britannica’s entry on the Sagittarius constellation is a good plain-English starting point on the astronomy side.
Join the Discussion
Have you ever picked the Teapot or the Lagoon Nebula out of a summer sky? Do you recognize any of the Sagittarius traits in yourself or in someone you love? Let us know in the comments below. We read every one.
Sagittarius FAQ
What are the Sagittarius zodiac dates?
Sagittarius runs from November 22 to December 21 in most years. The exact start and end can move by a day depending on when the Sun enters and leaves the sign.
What is the Sagittarius symbol?
The symbol is the Archer, a centaur drawing a longbow. The glyph ♐ is a simple arrow. The arrow is traditionally aimed at the heart of the neighboring constellation Scorpius.
What is the Sagittarius ruling planet?
Jupiter rules Sagittarius in traditional Western astrology. Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system, which fits the sign’s reputation for big plans and long horizons.
What element is Sagittarius?
Sagittarius is a fire sign, alongside Aries and Leo. It is also a mutable sign, which traditional astrology associates with adaptability and change of season.
What is the Sagittarius birthstone?
It depends on the day. November birthdays use topaz. December birthdays use tanzanite, zircon, or turquoise. See our November birthstone and December birthstone pages for the full story.
Where is Sagittarius in the sky?
Sagittarius sits between Scorpius and Capricornus along the southern ecliptic. From the Northern Hemisphere, look low in the southern sky on summer evenings. The Teapot asterism is the easiest landmark.
Is the galactic center really inside Sagittarius?
Yes. The center of the Milky Way galaxy lies in the direction of Sagittarius, about 26,000 light-years from Earth. The supermassive black hole at the core is called Sagittarius A*.
How do I know my zodiac sign?
Your Sun sign is determined by your birth date. Use our zodiac sign lookup to confirm yours, especially if you were born on a cusp day.
Related Articles
- Astronomy vs. Astrology
- What Is Your Zodiac Sign?
- Monthly Stargazing Guides
- November Birthstone: Topaz
- December Birthstones: Tanzanite, Zircon, and Turquoise
- Winter Solstice: First Day of Winter
Jaime McLeod
Jaime McLeod is a longtime journalist who has written for a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, and websites, including MTV.com. She enjoys the outdoors, growing and eating organic food, and is interested in all aspects of natural wellness.
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- Jaime McLeod
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