Sagittarius I: The Passing of the Flame
By Rowan Oliver
The transition from brooding and investigative Scorpio to optimistic and forward-thinking Sagittarius passes the solar flame from underground tunnels to the racetrack, moving out of the depths and into the light. Metamorphosis becomes mutable as we find ourselves ready to enact the changes we know are necessary after a season of soul-searching. The time for action begins again.
The Race is On!
If we imagine the Sun traveling the zodiac as a baton in a relay race, or as the Olympic torch passed from one to the next, we find ourselves in the moments before the final lap that begins at the solstice, entering one of the darkest times of the year. In the first decan of the sign of the Archer, traditionally governed by Mercury, we see the Centaur pick up the torch from the Scorpion and continue running it to its final destination as we begin the transition from fall to winter in the northern hemisphere. The Scorpion, both fierce and tiny, transfers that light to the Centaur, who gallops their way towards the next hurdle to cross. And gods, do they move fast. A second wind picks up, one not likely seen since summer, and the speed of the days and the pace of the runner increases.
The torch passing is not without its drawbacks, however - Austin Coppock, in his seminal work 36 Faces, describes the first decan of Sagittarius as “The Poisoned Arrow”. When moving from darkness to light, we cannot forget where we came from, and wounds may still sting. This is not a time to lick them and recover, but a time to improve and power through to the destination.
Sagittarius, as a whole, is our mutable fire sign, tasked with transmuting and adapting the efforts begun by Aries and stabilized by Leo earlier in the year to finish strong. The creative spark has successfully created the hearth’s fire, and now the Archer lights the arrow of Jupiter to send that fire out into the world.
Mercury, our decan lord, is traditionally weak in the sign of Sagittarius, but holds special privileges in this sector of the zodiac. Here, Mercury is the messenger of the gods - a common delineation of the Trickster in the signs of God (which is, to say, Mercury in a Jupiter-ruled sign). This decan looks to the Trickster God for its direction and purpose. Often, messages from Gods come down as omens, or as other non-linear messages. These messages strike quickly, with resounding impact, but ripple out to reveal their true meanings over time. Riddles are understood but not solved here.
The 8 of Wands
The Smith-Waite tarot card we use to illustrate this decan is the 8 of Wands - the only card traditionally drawn without any human or animal imagery. Instead, we see exactly what is on the tin of the card, so to speak – eight wands in motion, with nothing to direct them, yet moving in sync with one another. This lack of direction, at least on the surface, can be jarring and disorienting at first glance. When speed picks up on a rollercoaster, the body has a visceral jolt before settling into its new experience of inertia. This is Sagittarius I - the feeling of movement within your blood and bones, and knowing things are moving because you cannot experience anything else in that moment but movement.
Stupid Horse, I Just Fell Out of the Porsche
Mercury, our messenger, our mover and shaker, speaks through these omens and jumbled missives to make itself known to the world here. The methods of communication through Sagittarius I are not meant to be understood at first glance. Expressions through music, sometimes discordant and jarring, provide an outlet for this decan’s natives to produce great works. To me, nobody exemplifies this quite like the frontwoman of 100 Gecs, Laura Les, who has her chart ruler Mercury in this decan.
The first time you listen to a 100 gecs song (or much of the hyperpop of the early 2020s), I would bet real money your first reaction would be “what the hell is this”. If you are new to the genre and style, you’d be right to think that! Les’ music is discordant and wild, unadulterated by traditional norms for what “sounds good” or “makes sense”. As Les sings in “xXXi_wud_nvrstøp_ÜXXx”, “Baby, you know that I got you/I would never stop you/I could never stop you”, the motion of this decan does not stop. Energy is not created nor destroyed here, rather swiftly transferred from one place to the next in the held hands of Jupiter and Mercury.
This transfer of energy and mutability that is so inherent to Mercury, and this decan, also shows in Les’ transness. Transness is mutability, the ability to shapeshift and make meaning through changing and metamorphosing into the Self. In her music, Les uses a vocal filter and heavy autotune, in part to create her very specific sound, and in part to feminize her voice on her tracks. She uses metaphor and irony in her lyricism to say one thing while meaning another, dropping omens in place of linear storytelling. This is Mercury, this is transness, this is mutability - shifting and changing to become something new and viscerally moving.
Mercury’s influence on this decan leaves its mark as the frantic, jumbled, excited, and post-realistic enthusiasm that hyperpop strove to be from 2020-2022 in its highest heyday. This decan asks us to stop making sense and start living life. Though the moment can be short-lived, the influence stays and transfers onto the next project, ready to be born again in the next cycle of culture and seasons.
Trotting Forward
With Sagittarius’ domicile lord Jupiter in its detriment in Gemini for most of this year, planets traversing Sagittarius have less support from their host than they may desire at this time. However, in the first decan of Sagittarius, we honor the lack of grounding and stable footing and jump head-first into the next chapter. It may be especially difficult to see the forest for the trees this coming month, and that is okay. You do not need to be on top of planning and scheduling - leave that to Virgo, she likes it - at all times. Sometimes, this time, it is okay to let the chips fall where they may and move where the winds take you.
We have already had our call to adventure in Aries, the re-stoking of the fire in Leo, and now we find ourselves in the home stretch, where plans can be executed with swiftness, and sometimes messiness, in hopes that the hero’s journey will reach its joyous end. As we see the days get shorter and the nights longer, it is my hope you pick up the torch and mount the Centaur’s back, ready to move in the direction Their hooves have planned for you.
About the Author
Rowan Oliver (they/them) is a queer traditional astrologer and co-founder of the astrology journaling app, StarScribe. Rowan uses astrology as a tool to weave together the threads of time to identify where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going. Their practice is rooted in the techniques of Hellenistic astrology, with an emphasis on conscious observation, self-empowerment, and storytelling.
Instagram: rowastrology
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Website: rowastrology.com
References
Coppock, A. (2014). 36 Faces: The History, Astrology, and Magic of the Decans. Three Hands Press
100 Gecs, Laura Les, Dylan Brady (2019). “xXXi_wud_nvrstøp_ÜXXx.” 1000 gecs. Dog Show Records