Happy Birthday, Sagittarius!! -- It's time to celebrate your time of the year!

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The Wandering Philosopher ...

Sagittarius is the philosopher, teacher, religious leader and moral conscience of the Zodiac. Sagittarius souls are vivacious, dynamic, and always have plenty of energy to burn. They are fueled by an adventurous, restless spirit that keeps them always on the move, going places and doing things -- often physically but for sure intellectually.

Like the long-absent and unseen father in Tennessee William's play "The Glass Menagerie," Sagittarius is in love with long distances, mental as well as geographical.

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... in love with long distances

Sagittarius is well-known for having itchy feet, wanderlust, and a yearning to see what lies beyond the far horizon, especially when those boundaries are the limits of their learning and the boundaries of the mind.

Sagittarians talk, read, write, exchange ideas, listen to lectures, participate in discussions, take a continuing education class once in a while, cruise the Internet, sample the diverse offerings of the communications media, and move around in search of new subjects to add to their many and varied interests.

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Looking for higher knowledge

What sets them apart from the other intellectual signs of the Zodiac is their habit of specializing deeply in the fields they select for study. Sagittarius folk prefer acquiring in-depth information as opposed to a smorgasbord of samplings and potpourri.

As a spiritual group, Sagittarius people apply knowledge and wisdom to the structures of the greater social order. They are interested not just in information for its own sake, but in the uses of information, in both practical and abstract contexts.

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A life of constant education

They are often involved in foreign travel, far-flung personal contacts, and different cultures because they are fascinated by various viewpoints, the ideas and theories others have accumulated and organized, and the way different people and different groups approach the greater issues and questions of their lives.

Sagittarius folks are constantly involved in self-education, whether in formal, organized classroom settings ... or through self-directed study of topics that catch their fancy and make them want to learn more. Sagittarius wants to be an expert in at least one highly specialized area -- and often one is not enough, for this sign is known for its intellectual ambition.

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Organizing knowledge from many sources

Sagittarius studies topics thoroughly, gathering knowledge wherever possible -- usually from many sources, organizing it so it can be understood and passed along, and then, of course, teaching it to others -- especially those of the next generation who will need this accumulated wisdom to manage life and make their own social advances ad infinitum into the future.

Sagittarius energy is prominently involved in the work of academics and scholars, teachers and writers, publishers and explorers. Sagittarius is also deeply concerned with improving the intellectual structures and metaphysical foundations of "Society" through the applications of law and religion.

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Pillars of civilized knowledge

They work to improve life on a grand scale and advance social evolution. These disciplines are important pillars of human civilization, which Sagittarius seeks constantly to make more solid, more useful, more inclusive.

The integration and synthesis of knowledge is also an ongoing task of Sagittarius. They offer expansive, eclectic information in conversation, in books and writing, and, more subtly, in the "rules" they choose to live by.

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Living in the higher realms of intellect

Sagittarians love to compare and contrast systems of thought, not necessarily posing one as superior to another -- just different, just interesting, just "presenting another perspective." They do it with themselves; they do it in casual conversations. They absolutely love to show off what they know, and they love the fuss and frolic of a good intellectual debate.

This of course means Sagittarius first has to know and know thoroughly these different opinions, viewpoints, theories, cultural perspectives, etc., but the idea of a huge endeavor, such as mastering a vast body of knowledge, doesn't faze these folks for a second.

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Doing nothing halfway

Sagittarians are famous -- even notorious -- for launching massive projects and undertaking huge commitments that would overwhelm a less determined soul. They are extremely enthusiastic, exuberant, and optimistic spirits who don't mind at all "getting in over their heads" and finding the way back to the surface again. For them, that's a valuable part of the whole effort.

Along the way, they accomplish work that is breath-taking in its splendor. They achieve results whose dimensions and worth would not have occurred if the endeavor's original scope had been more limited. What they do -- in whatever field -- so often produces extraordinary results, people come to expect that of them. And from their faith and willingness to extend themselves as far as they can reach ... they create undeniable miracles.

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Pursuing the search for meaning

Sagittarians deal with major issues and the "big questions" of life, constantly seeking context for what they know. They search for meaning at the deeper, more abstract, more symbolic levels. They grapple with the task of fitting pieces of knowledge into a more complete and codified system of thought.

They look for the greater vision, the deeper significance, the relationship of the piece to the larger picture. They maneuver issues of philosophy and ethics; they search quite consciously for the meaning of life.

Ask someone with prominent Sagittarius in his soul what he has learned from experience, about his personal "rules for living" ... and he'll have a ready answer. He may talk several hours without stopping.

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Always a teacher

The more tiresome types can get a little preachy. But most of them will "walk their talk," providing concrete examples of their personal philosophies with the structure and conduct of their lives. The tenets of honesty, honor, and integrity so prominently valued by all the positively expressing Fire signs reach the level of religious dogma in the Sagittarius character.

All this emphasis on doctrine and morality might get pretty tedious were it not for the wonderful sense of humor that is always part of the positively expressing Sagittarius. They are emphatically cheerful, up-beat, confident, and sincere souls who usually know the difference between "taking a stand" and "taking yourself too seriously." It lets them be the popular, informative, and splendid teachers that they are ... for us all.

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Little by little, I'm doing a set of articles that talks about all the elements in your horoscope and what they have to say about you. If you "know something" about Astrology -- or know something about your chart placements, that will help you get more from this material.

If you don't ... well, this is one place you can learn. We all have to start somewhere ... because we aren't born knowing this stuff. Meanwhile, if you've never seen your horoscope ... and don't have a clue how to work with it, maybe it's time to find out. There are lots of "chart services" on the internet -- some of whom produce decent, readable charts "for free" and some are so awful and confusing that even I can't read them easily -- and I've worked with charts for decades.

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About the art in our visual essays ...

Although sometimes the background pictures in our visual essays support the topic and text, they don't always. Sometimes the connection is clear. Sometimes it's symbolic and subtle. Sometimes, there's no connection at all.

The scenes depict landscapes and natural features, buildings and wildlife. They were chosen because they show something lovely or interesting ... or simply because the photo appealed to me.

Our spectacular and remarkable planet is changing at astonishing speed. Rarely are these changes for the better. Few people seem to know ... or care ... or have the will and power to do anything about this. It may not be long before the world humans have known and lived in for centuries is forever lost. We certainly won't be able to make repairs as fast as we destroyed it.

So a few years ago I began collecting pictures of the way things were ... and still are for now, a record of the beauty we have while it is still ours to love and honor.

The photos here are part of that collection, with sincere thanks to the artists who saw these moments ... and with their cameras ... preserved them. All of us at Enchanted Spirit are profoundly grateful to them for their generosity and skill ... and for the added grace, depth and dimension their art brings to ours.

Original images used under this Creative Commons license or this Creative Commons license and modified by added text.

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