Sagittarius
Nov 22 – Dec 21
About this sign
Ruled by expansive Jupiter, Sagittarius is the zodiac's eternal seeker, an archer aiming arrows at distant horizons of experience, meaning and truth. You are optimistic, freedom-loving and forever curious about the bigger picture, whether through travel, study or philosophy. Your honesty is refreshing and your enthusiasm uplifting; you have a gift for inspiring others to believe that life is an adventure worth saying yes to.
That love of freedom can make you restless and allergic to constraint, sometimes promising more than you deliver or speaking bluntly without noticing the bruise you leave. You may chase the next horizon before fully arriving at this one. Your growth lies in commitment and tact: learning that depth and follow-through bring their own freedom, and that truth lands best when wrapped in kindness. Grounded, your wisdom becomes a beacon for everyone seeking the way.
Strengths
Challenges
How Sagittarius works
Fire is the element of impulse and self-expression. Fire signs act first and understand afterwards, which is a liability in a negotiation and an asset in a crisis — the hesitation other people feel simply is not there. Mutable signs close each season and carry its transition. They adapt easily, read situations quickly, and can spend a long time keeping options open rather than choosing one. Put those together and Sagittarius is the mutable face of fire — the specific combination only one sign in the zodiac has.
Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, which is the body to watch if you want to know how a Sagittarius is doing. When Jupiter is well placed, the sign's better qualities are easy to reach; when it is retrograde or under pressure, the same qualities turn brittle in a recognisable way.
Across the zodiac sits Gemini, Sagittarius's opposite sign. Opposites are not enemies in astrology — they are the missing half. Most of what Sagittarius struggles to do naturally, Gemini does without thinking, which is why the pairing is simultaneously the most difficult and the most instructive one on the wheel.
The three decans of Sagittarius
Each sign covers thirty degrees, and the three ten-degree thirds — the decans — are traditionally governed by the rulers of the three signs sharing its element. Two people born three weeks apart are both Sagittarius, but not quite the same Sagittarius. Dates are approximate and shift by about a day between years.
- 1 November 22 – December 1 · ♐ Sagittarius decan, ruled by Jupiter
The first decan is the purest expression of Sagittarius — Jupiter rules it twice over, so the sign's traits arrive undiluted.
- 2 December 2–11 · ♈ Aries decan, ruled by Mars
Mars adds a second flavour here: still Sagittarius, but with a noticeable Aries accent to how it plays out.
- 3 December 12–21 · ♌ Leo decan, ruled by Sun
The Sun adds a second flavour here: still Sagittarius, but with a noticeable Leo accent to how it plays out.
Sagittarius compatibility at a glance
Every sign scored against Sagittarius on element, angle and modality. These are sun-sign scores — a starting point for a conversation, not a verdict on a particular relationship. Follow any row for the full pairing.
- Aquarius 5/5
- Aries 5/5
- Gemini 5/5
- Leo 5/5
- Libra 5/5
- Sagittarius 4/5
- Cancer 2/5
- Capricorn 2/5
- Scorpio 2/5
- Taurus 2/5
- Virgo 2/5
- Pisces 1/5
Sagittarius questions
What are the Sagittarius dates?
Sagittarius runs from November 22 to December 21. The exact boundary shifts by up to a day between years, because the Sun does not enter a sign at the same clock time every year — if you were born within a day of either end, a birth chart is the only way to be certain.
Who is Sagittarius most compatible with?
On sun-sign scoring alone, Aquarius comes out highest, and the rest of the ranking is on this page. That said, a sun-sign score compares two twelfths of the population; it describes a tendency, not a verdict on a particular relationship.
Which sign is hardest for Sagittarius?
Pisces scores lowest here, mostly because of the element mismatch and the angle between the two signs. Difficult pairings are not doomed ones — they simply need the differences named out loud rather than assumed away.
What planet rules Sagittarius?
Jupiter. In practice that means its movements — the sign it is in, and whether it is retrograde — track the periods when a Sagittarius feels most and least like themselves.