Your Guide to Sagittarius Season

Illustration: Sunny Wu

Scorpio season is one of the sexiest, most thrilling of the zodiac seasons, but also one of the most exhausting. The emotional intensity it demands of you quickly becomes draining; there’s only so much brooding a person can do. So when Sagittarius season arrives in late November, it can come as a huge relief. You’ve gazed into the dark depths of life, you’ve confronted your fears, and now you’re ready to move forward with a spirit of adventure and an inextinguishable hope.

This year, the sun moves through Sagittarius from November 21 to December 21, and during this time, it encourages us to live generously and expansively. Whereas Scorpio spurs us to deepen our understanding of the world by digging for hidden truths, Sagittarius emboldens us to broaden it — to explore and ask questions, to meet new people and try new things, to make big mistakes and learn from them. In short, to experience all that the universe has to offer. At its core, fire sign Sagittarius is driven by a hunger for knowledge, understanding, and purpose.

So while the sun is in Sagittarius, you might find yourself feeling particularly open to new experiences, unfamiliar activities, and people outside of your usual social circle. This is the sign of travel, particularly across long distances, so you might be more eager than usual to plan future trips or set off on spur-of-the-moment adventures. It could also be a time to learn about the world by reading, talking to strangers, and musing about life’s big questions. This is a season for expanding your horizons however you can.

But while all this can sound high-minded or noble, Sagittarius can be wild and reckless, too. It’s traditionally symbolized by a centaur — half rational human, half lusty, untamed animal — and both sides are apparent this season. As much as you may be interested in philosophical questions and higher knowledge now, you’re unlikely to fuss over details, or worry about the most prudent way to go about getting what you want. Instead of planning your adventures to a T, or thinking through the possible consequences of your actions, you’re more likely to jump in and trust that things will work out.

Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, planet of abundance, generosity, and luck, and during this season, you’re likely to feel more optimistic than usual. Just watch out — Jupiter’s also the planet of excess, overconfidence, and making a giant mess due to carelessness. This is a sign that tends to believe that things will “just work out.” (And sometimes, thanks to lucky Jupiter’s influence, they do!) Just be aware that it’s easy to overcommit, get an inflated perception of your own abilities, or miss important details right now.

If your life doesn’t easily accommodate variation, or if you were already feeling hemmed in by your routines and obligations, Sagittarius season can be a time of intense restlessness and desire for escape.

But if Sagittarius gives us the condition of restlessness, it also offers the strength to break free. And in Sagittarius season, escape can be a simple and straightforward thing — it doesn’t require cunning or trickery or deceit, just a direct, courageous bluntness. All we need to do is feel our desire — for purpose, for knowledge, for a life of abundance — and let that desire move us.

Sagittarius season will ask you to accept some amount of disorder, even if you tend to like things tidy and predictable. Think of this not as an inconvenience, but rather an opportunity to make your mind, your existence grow bigger. In Sagittarius season, you don’t have to plan five steps ahead; you can trust that each move you make will create extraordinary, unimagined possibilities. You can behave as if the rules that normally bind you aren’t even there. You can feel your mind and your heart expanding, reaching out toward the whole wide world.