… but perhaps the biggest adventure of all was that they were several hours late for bed. This so inflated them that they did various dodgy things to get staying up still longer, such as demanding bandages.…
Both of these Sun Signs like to stay up late. They’re afraid they might miss something. That’s why they’re reluctant to retire early, leave parties early—or walk past two strangers fighting in the street. Rams and Archers are forever being advised by well-meaning friends, Stay out of it. Mind your own business. It’s not your concern. It’s a lost cause. This last warning is a mistake. These two would walk a thousand miles for any cause, and if it’s a lost cause, they simply can’t bear to stand by without trying to save it. The fact that it’s none of their business only makes it more intriguing, since both signs are infused with excessive amounts of curiosity, as well as a determined opinion that they know all the answers.
As for demanding bandages, Aries and Sagittarius are also the most accident prone in the zodiac (with Aquarius running a close third). For obvious reasons. Not only on account of the traits just mentioned, but because Aries men and women are always ramming their horns into places where angels fear to tread—or even tiptoe. Sagittarians (symbolized by the Centaur, with bow and arrow) are all just naturally born a little clumsy. It isn’t easy to balance a body that’s half horse, half man. Neither is it easy to balance a personality that’s half philosopher, half clown.
Aries and Sagittarius get along pretty well most of the time, because they have so much in common—like their noticeable abundance of idealism. No one is more idealistic than the naive Ram, with the childlike faith that wishing will make it so, unless it’s the Archers, who aim their arrows toward some galaxy unseen by mortal man or woman.
Of course, today, with less idealistic people poisoning the Earth and its atmosphere, the Jupiter arrows can get stuck in a mass of solid pollution before they get past a low-hanging cloud. Rams and Archers aren’t the only people with good intentions, but they’re usually too busy, especially as a team pushing their ideas of Utopia (often running in concentric circles) to be sidetracked by personal or political greed.
Another thing Aries and Sagittarius have in common is their fondness for heated discussion. Only a Libra has more fun starting arguments. But logical Libra is driven by a desire to be fair and see justice done. Rams and Archers are simply constitutionally unable to ignore a verbal challenge for other reasons. Aries argues because someone has dared to tell them they’re wrong, when the Rams know they’re always infallibly right. Sagittarius argues because truth isn’t being told, and if there’s anything an Archer can’t stand, it’s to hear truth distorted.
The fable about the Emperor’s new clothes is an excellent example. There they were, all those brainwashed subjects, thousands of gullible people—standing in the ditches, and cheering their insane Emperor as he paraded by in his carriage—stark nude. Because he was their leader, and could therefore do no wrong, they saw him draped in luxurious satins and velvets, sparkling with precious stones. See how beautiful the Emperor’s clothes are!
There’s no telling what might have happened to that mythical kingdom, if a small child (who could only have been a little Virgo girl with the Moon in Sag—or a young boy Archer with the Moon in Virgo) hadn’t shot an arrow of truth into the crowd and called out (in modern idiom), Hey! Dig that! The old dude is as naked as a jay bird! I don’t remember what happened to the child in the fable, but I hope the youngster wasn’t picked up by the Emperor’s guards for interrogation. That would have been rough on the guards.
Anyone who has a Sagittarian for a friend has submitted to a certain amount of verbal surgery. This cheerful, friendly puppy dog approaches you on the street, whacks you on the back and opens up with, Well, hello there—how are you! My gawd, it’s good to see you again, but I almost didn’t recognize you. Boy, are you skinny! Then comes the usual Sagittarian apology for the rudeness, because these people are basically kind-hearted, and only the occasional, unevolved Archer would wound you deliberately. Oh, no, I’ve done it again, haven’t I? Stuck my big foot in my mouth. You’re probably sensitive about being skinny, right?
Or maybe this scene: How are things going, old chum? Listen, I hear you got fired because you’ve been hitting the bottle too much. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. Look at President Andrew Johnson. He was an alky, and they tried to fire him too. Did you ever think of getting a job as a wine taster? Now, there’s a career where you could really go places! Say, how about bringing that married woman you’ve been dating and dropping over to the house tonight? Don’t worry, I’ll tell my wife to hide the liquor. You know what St. Patrick said. God invented whiskey to keep the Irish from ruling the world!
Aries normally admires and defends Sagittarian honesty, since Rams also pride themselves on telling the truth. But they draw the line at hearing the truth about themselves. That’s a marked difference between Aries and Sag. The Archer is nearly as blunt in making unflattering statements about himself—or herself—as in telling others their faults. The Ram champions the truth only up to the point where it begins to sting, or come too close to home. Aries people aren’t noted for easily recognizing or accepting their shortcomings and flaws.
Although most Sagittarian arrows are shot in good faith, with no real intent to be malicious, an occasional unevolved and unenlightened Centaur will blast a Ram with a cutting and cruel remark that bears no relation to truth, guided only by a desire to hurt. (All traits of all twelve Sun Signs can be, at times, expressed through their negative polarity.) While such a brutal Sag may get away with this sort of behavior with most people, he or she will discover it isn’t very smart to so attempt to shoot down a Ram of either sex. The arrow will be shot right back, with the added Martian thrust of righteous outrage, not always hitting its mark immediately (Aries aim is not as true as the Archer’s) but eventually finding its fiery way home. Jupiter is a large and powerful star, but even in the sky, Jupiter remains a healthy distance away from the warlike Mars, ruler of Aries. To fail to defend against attack would disgrace the Mars reputation for fearlessness, and topple the entire astrological structure. It will never happen.
But this is a 5-9 vibrational association, and the frequent friction between these two can be smoothed with the quick regret and open forgiveness both Sun Signs are capable of demonstrating when they’ve been naughty or unkind toward each other. Neither Sag nor Aries is able to contain anger for long periods of time, and neither Sun Sign bears ill will beyond the passion of the moment—unless one of them happens to have a Scorpio Moon Sign. Then the injury might be remembered for more than a few days. Even so, the Sun is more powerful than the Moon’s lighter influence, and eventually, the sunny dispositions of the Ram and the Centaur will restore harmony between them.
Many careers and activities attract the wandering, restless Sagittarian, from jungle safaris to gambling dens or the stock market, the biggest gambling den of them all—from horse breeding or dog training to religion—from medicine and the law to higher education—as long as the Archer is free to move around, and talk—to take a chance, and find a thrill.
Many careers and activities attract the gregarious Aries too. Just pick a profession, and the Ram will be happy to run it for you. They’re not choosy, as long as they can be boss. Aries is a Cardinal Sign of leadership. Sag is a Mutable Sign, and less inclined to seek authority. Intuitively, the Archer knows the boss is tied down to the desk, often being unable to take as many vacations as his or her employees—and Sag does love those vacations! Actually, both of them prefer being their own boss, and gravitate toward occupations or professions where nobody tells them what to do, or when to do it.
Although the Ram and the Archer are both essentially extroverts, both born under the Positive, Masculine Day Forces, you’ll meet more quiet Archers than quiet Rams. Perhaps that’s because the more philosophically oriented Sagittarians have discovered the hard way—and I do mean the hard way—that you learn more when you’re listening than when you’re talking. After all, Jupiter does rule higher education (among other things), and it’s only natural that the Jupiter-ruled gradually become adept at self-education. Archers are all naturally intuitive, and the meaning of in-tuition is to be taught from within.
To understand the basic difference between Sag and Aries, it’s necessary to understand the differences between the two planets that rule them, Jupiter and Mars. These two people are so much alike, on the surface, that it may be hard to detect any differences, but there are.
Jupiter influences the Sagittarian man, child, woman, boy or girl to be expansive (often to exaggerate experiences and feelings, but seldom the facts)—to be brutally honest and extremely experimental, in all areas of life. Jupiter’s vibration also creates a great wanderlust in Sag, and blesses the Archers with occasional flashes of prophetic vision. Symbolized by the Centaur, which is half horse, half man, the Archer has far more personal confidence and assurance than the Ram (never mind the Aries surface brashness) because Sag contains the total experience of both human and beast.
Mars influences the Aries man, child, woman, boy or girl to be forceful and direct in all ways—to fiercely defend themselves against attack—and to be bravest in an emergency or a crisis. Such defense from the vibration of Mars is necessary for the Aries person, because Aries is symbolized by the Infant, newborn, and like the human infant, Aries would, quite literally, die without affection and care, unless Mars protected.
Not as wisely prophetic as Sag, Aries, nonetheless, sees straight through to the heart of all things, being blessed with a combination of Mars penetration to the core and the Infant’s innocence and naivete, which is the purest wisdom of all. The most vital difference between these two, however, is that the Ram is far more vulnerable to cruelty and neglect. Also, there is never maliciousness in the Aries intent, for, like the newborn, Aries comprehends, essentially, only goodness—whereas Sagittarius has lived long enough (soulwise) to have developed more cynicism and worldly-wise attitudes.
Great idealism and striving are present in Sag, but seldom innocence. Sagittarius has learned to think, to use the intellect, to prophesy and to philosophize. Aries comprehends no other path to happiness than the newborn instinctive emotional reaction to love and kindness. Only the fierce protection of Mars keeps the Ram from being totally helpless in the hands of stronger people. Wasn’t it wise of our co-Creators, in arranging to keep the karmic plan in order through astrology, to insure that the Infant of the karmic wheel would be watched over and protected by the devoted warrior (and lover of Venus) Mars?
This is the graced-by-the-gods 5-9 Sun Sign Pattern, making compatibility between the Ram and the Archer relatively easy to achieve. Both the rare, quiet Arians and Sagittarians—and the more common, typical, extroverted types—are far happier when they’re both mentally and physically active, learning. Like the proverbial prophets, Sag frequently fares better away from the place of birth, and delights in traveling to get there (with little nostalgia for the roots left behind). Aries suffers painful heart tugs from the memory of the safety left behind, but nevertheless bravely joins the Archer, trying to match the faster pace of the Centaur’s canter. When the Ram joins Sag, and they travel together, the trip may be a little noisy, but never dull, and they’ll energetically defend each other against any baddies who threaten them. Despite their frequent squabbles, the unquenchable idealism of Sagittarius will forever move Aries to spontaneous affection and an unaccustomed compassion—just as the Archer will forever be touched by the naivete and honesty of Aries, knowing that here is someone who can be trusted never to be hypocritical or disloyal. After all the smoke has cleared away, these two will still be standing there, smiling at each other with their hearts. You might say that the Ram and the Archer are combustible, but compatible.
Aries Woman and Sagittarius Man
The Never bird saw at once what he was up to, and screamed.…
To face an astrological truth bluntly and candidly, as Archers like to do, a Sagittarius male is more likely than any other (with the exception of Gemini) to be unfaithful in some way, if not physically, then mentally, through harmless flirting.
Naturally, that’s a generality, certainly not true in every single case, with every single Centaur. But it’s true often enough to make a love affair between a female Ram and an even mildly promiscuous male Archer about as much fun as skipping rope in sandals with cherry bombs strapped to the heels. Any man who thinks it would be a good challenge to play that kind of romantic Russian roulette with an Aries female should think again. If you should run across a Mars-ruled woman who claims she isn’t jealous in the smallest way of her man’s attentions to other women, and theirs to him, she is either lying (because she has an afflicted Mars or Mercury in her nativity) or she’s adopted, and her parents didn’t tell her her true birth date. You can wager on it, and win. You have astrology’s guarantee.
Of course, there’s always the chance that she’s not in love with the man who doesn’t arouse her jealousy (jealousy of all types being merely a deep-seated fear of rejection), and she simply doesn’t care. Aries ice. In fact, that’s an excellent barometer of the female Ram’s feelings. If she’s casual or detached regarding her lover or husband’s flirtations, she’s no longer in love, and he’ll be told soon enough that she’s stopped caring. It’s the earliest Mars warning signal of romantic dissatisfaction, and very little time will elapse between such a signal and the final goodbye wave from this woman.
Aries and Sag are both Fire Signs, and fire attracts nearby fire, simply by a spark leaping from one flame to another, sometimes many feet through the air, let alone across a room. Therefore, the Sagittarian man will be drawn to the Aries woman almost from the first time they meet, for the purpose of either love or friendship. Being influenced by the 5-9 Sun Sign Pattern, their natal Suns are trined, and so they are, in a word—sympatico. It might be better if he aims for friendship, instead of love, if he isn’t quite yet ready to settle down to being a one-woman-man. He may have enjoyed the four-in-a-bed scene in the American film Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice, and accepted it all in a spirit of fun and laughs—but she’s the one who walked out on the scene, and tossed her buttered popcorn in the usher’s face as she left the theatre. (As I’ve said elsewhere in this book, Aries anger is never discriminatory.)
One thing to be said in defense of a typical male Archer is that, if he’s tempted to succumb to the charms of a new love, he’s as likely as the Aries woman to confess it almost immediately. Basically the Jupiter-ruled male is both sincere and honest. Neither of these two will ever carry on a long-term deception. Admittedly, with an Aries woman, he’d be better off not being quite so truthful. He shouldn’t feel obliged to report to her every single wink he receives from the predatory females who abound these days, urged as they continually are from so many directions to be sure they aren’t deprived of their share of multiple sexual adventures, with no rules to the game except variety. The Mars woman’s imagination supplies her with more than enough images of infidelity, without his adding the burden of meaningless winks to her feelings, and to their relationship.
It seems strange for a woman with such apparent self-confidence, who is so openly independent, to be so emotionally vulnerable. But she is, and she suffers greatly through her inner fear of being hurt or deceived in love. Aries is a masculine sign, and so the female Ram is never quite certain of her femininity. This makes her secretly believe that even women who are clearly less intelligent and less attractive than she, are nevertheless more desirable to the man she loves, if for no other reason than their outward feminine manners. Wondering about a thing like this can be an indescribable private torture. Yet, unfortunately, her outbursts of jealousy will often receive little real sympathy or compassion from an Archer, who places a high value on personal freedom and mutual trust between two people in love.
Such an attitude is all well and good, but if he doesn’t train himself to be somewhat more gentle with this woman’s basic nature, and try to handle her hidden fears with more tender concern—being willing to talk things over with her now and then, to ease her mind—he’ll lose her more quickly than he found her. And the emptiness she leaves in his heart may not be as easy as he thinks to fill. There’s always a terrible feeling of loneliness on both sides when a man and woman whose natal Suns are trined, and who truly loved each other, separate. If the feeling they thought was love was only friendship, and was, therefore, inaccurately defined by them from the beginning, the parting will be less painful—and they may even be friends again later. But not if they deeply loved. The pain is too great, then, to transmute former affection into a casual friendship.
If mutual trust can be established between them, from the start, an Aries woman has an excellent chance for emotional harmony with a Sagittarian man, and he with her. Many Archers are sexually stable and reliable, and with those who are, love between these two can be eternally exciting and always stimulating—emotions which, in an odd sort of way, bring peace and contentment to the hearts of those born under Fire Signs. Peace and contentment within, you see, are not achieved in exactly the same manner by everyone.
Both these lovers are optimistic, open-hearted, warm and friendly. They’re also both visionaries, but his visions are more practical, since Sagittarius, unlike Aries, has the prophetic ability to foresee the outcome of his dreams from their inception, as well as the self-honesty to separate them from mere fantasies, based on delusion. Although they’re both expert at tossing pie-in-the-sky, his pies are seldom half-baked.
When this man and woman fall in love, the blend of her Mars enthusiasm with his Jupiter daring, gives them an insurance against boredom. Love seldom grows cold between two people who share a mutual excitement for new ideas, and an eternal youthfulness of spirit. They’ll probably even vote alike, because it’s an extremely exceptional Ram or Archer who isn’t politically liberal. There are occasional conservatives born under both Sun Signs, of course, although the odds are that a Sag more than Aries will lean slightly to the Right. Even so, the rare conservative Sagittarian will be motivated by political idealism. Since they both feel strongly about the burning issues of the day, this is more important than it may seem as a contributing factor to their compatibility.
It’s only fair to warn the Aries woman that a Sagittarian man is more likely to remain a bachelor than any other Sun Sign, except Virgo and Aquarius. His affectionate, impulsive nature (very much like her own) allows him to slide into a romance easily, and he can be precipitated by her Mars force into a commitment he’s not ready to keep. Since most Archers refuse to lie at the altar, broken engagements and disappearing grooms are not uncommon with this Sun Sign. They’re not cruel—just honest. I know one Sagittarian man who’s been promising to marry a charming widow for more years than either of them can remember. She’s still waiting, with Cancerian tenacity. If she were an Aries, she’d tell him to go dunk his donuts in someone else’s coffee, lock her door and change her telephone number. Sudden action like this often brings an Archer to his senses, if he really loves the woman. If he doesn’t, she has only herself to blame. He probably never actually told her he loved her. Sagittarian men are usually quite careful not to say I love you, unless they mean it, and they have plenty of dodgy verbal tricks to get out of it, without arousing suspicion. Here are a couple that every red-blooded male Archer has used, at one time or another. Pay close attention to the exact words.
| WOMAN: | Darling, you do love me, don’t you? |
| ARCHER: | (hurt and angry): How can you ask me a ridiculous question like that? You don’t know how I feel by now? |
| (or perhaps …) | |
| WOMAN: | Do you really love me? Do you really? |
| ARCHER: | What do you think, sweetheart? I don’t see how you can wonder. (Showering her immediately with passionate kisses.) |
Later, she’ll accuse him of emotional breach of promise, but she didn’t listen carefully. He didn’t lie to her. Sagittarians never lie. Didn’t you know that?
Normally, this man is not the domestic type. Look at the way he treats his own family—casually. And the way he loves his own relatives—from a distance. But the female Ram isn’t tied down to the heart either, so she won’t mind his wandering, as long as he takes her with him. If she gives him miles of rope and lets him know that she, too, believes in personal freedom, the Archer can be a generous and stimulating partner, in or out of wedlock. She should learn to love animals, because sooner or later, this man will bring home a dog or a horse. If they live in a small apartment, let’s hope it’s a dog.
He may spend lots of time at the stables, in the woods, hiking or camping—involving himself in sports as a participant or spectator—or involving himself in the theatre as a participant or spectator. The more intellectual type of Archer will substitute books and philosophy for nature, sports or the stage, but whatever, his interests will frequently be outside the home. It doesn’t mean he isn’t in love with her, and the Aries woman must realize that, if she wants to hold him for keeps.
Their sexual adjustment is almost automatic. Both of them are deeply affectionate, and passion is never lacking, since they’re both Fire Signs. His approach to physical lovemaking may be slightly more casual and detached than hers, and not quite so intense, but it will be no less sincere, and certainly no less idealistic. Each is capable of a warm response, which can make their intimacies wonderfully fulfilling, although perhaps not completely free of sexual selfishness (one of the most common causes of sexual disharmony). They may both have to learn that real happiness comes from an inner need to love—not to be loved. The lesson shouldn’t be too difficult, because the sense of giving is strong in both their natures. Since they’re also mentally and emotionally well mated, the physical relationship between them (barring jealousy and unfaithfulness) can be ideal in every sense.
She won’t like it when he sometimes makes promises he can’t keep, for Archers often impulsively reach out farther than their arms can stretch. She may explode into angry tears when he carelessly blurts out an unpleasant truth, without regard for her sensitive feelings. And she could become annoyed with his clumsy attempts at humor, which can be poorly timed. Sagittarians are half clown, you know, and the antics of clowns are never subtle. She’s stuck with a jester, so why not accept his peanuts and cotton candy, laugh and enjoy it? Although he may occasionally resent her claims on his freedom and her demands on his time, he’ll admire her bright mind and respect her independence.
As for the possibility that his Jupiter tendency to promiscuity will ignite her Mars jealousy, don’t overlook the Archer’s strong sense of honor and personal integrity. He’ll behave the way he’s expected and trusted to behave. There’s an old metaphysical formula, so magical, it works wonders. A friend of mine, Hank Fort, once wrote a song, with lyrics that sum up this infallible Universal Law, and they say, in part …
give makes give—greed makes greed
flower makes flower—and weed
makes weed clean makes clean—dust makes dust
doubting makes doubting—and trust makes trust
The Aries woman in love with an Archer, who repeats that last line over and over again when her heart is troubled, will discover that it’s truly a miracle mantra that will bring her more reasons to rejoice than to cry. For truth makes truth, you see—and lie makes lie.
Aries Man and Sagittarius Woman
… and then Peter gripped her and began to draw her toward the window.
Let me go! she ordered him … … Of course she was very pleased to be asked.
A Sagittarian woman who’s attracted to an Aries man is only doing what comes naturally. She admires courage, craves excitement, likes to have fun—and the Ram is certainly not a stick-in-the-mud. True he’s somewhat bossy, and inclined to insist on getting his own way. But he’s eternally a sentimental romanticist, and that’s what she’s looking for, even though this woman may not recognize her own goal until someone points it out to her. Once she is made to realize it, however, she’ll gather a goodly number of scars from looking for it in all the wrong places and ways. But she’ll cover them, often with the mask of the clown. Sag always tells a joke when Jupiter’s idealism has been struck. It’s a defense mechanism. This woman desperately needs romance, because only romance can heal her instinctive cynicism. She was born somewhat skeptical, and her excursions into love frequently do nothing to soften it, but instead, only sharpen it—and her wit.
Not being overly sensitive (unless his Moon is in a Water Sign, or his birth chart contains an extremely well-aspected Neptune), the average Aries man isn’t greatly perceptive when it comes to analyzing human nature. He more or less takes people as he finds them and may therefore find her need for romance difficult to conceive when she comes on to him like a comic Valentine, with a cynical laugh, defying him to possess her. Or when she wears one of her other Sagittarian theatrical masks that disguise her as a wacky, wriggling puppy—or as a shy, withdrawn spinster.
In her heart, the Sagittarian woman longs for an intelligent, honest man, who will take her into his warm arms and protect her forever—from herself. Before he can do that, the Ram will have to gently remove her greasepaint, and tell her firmly that the musical comedy is over. She’ll protest, because she loves the theatre and she also shares Cinderella’s fear of the midnight curfew, when her coach turns into a pumpkin. Nevertheless, it must be done. A female Archer is much easier to handle when she’s sitting in a pumpkin, barefoot and humble, than when she’s flying around at the ball, flirting and flapping her defiance at a man. Once she’s been properly bent into submission (a task about as easy as trying to pass a race horse while riding a turtle), she can be the sweetest woman in the world. But the Aries man will need a quick turtle to catch the Sagittarius mare.
He can comfort himself with the thought that this woman is not only slightly clumsy in a physical sense (despite her graceful walk and bearing)—she’s also a little clumsy emotionally. Sooner or later, she’ll stumble. Then he can pick her up in his warm, understanding arms, plunk her down in that pumpkin, and demonstrate the facts of life to her—the facts of life being that he is a man and she is a woman. (Sag is a masculine sign, you know.) He could find this even more of a challenge than taming the Aries female, because a female Archer, being half horse, can run faster than a Ram. If he can convince her that she can trust him to love her completely (unlike those other phony hypocrites who broke her heart), she’ll reward him with freedom, stimulating conversation, devoted friendship, affection, humor, warmth and generosity. All that is surely worth a little trouble at the starting gate.
In the beginning, the Ram will be outraged by her blunt speech and lack of consideration for his tender male ego. Neither will he be happy with her sheer luck in winning all the Monopoly games by intuitively grabbing up Boardwalk and Park Place, and in general, making him look foolish in front of his friends with her frankness. Aries men are determined to retain their masculine superiority, independence and personal freedom at any cost. If he has trouble communicating this to her, he might try a little history. Baby, do you know who wrote the greatest statement of freedom the world has ever known—the Declaration of Independence? A male Ram, named Tom Jefferson. Who else could have authored such a glorious example of independence, but an Aries? It might impress her.
Of course, there are other things that same history lesson might teach her too, like the absence of humility in the Mars nature. Arian Thomas Jefferson also wrote his own epitaph, a typical example of Aries modesty: Here lies Thomas Jefferson, Author of the Declaration of Independence, Author of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Liberty, and Founder of the University of Virginia. He didn’t have to mention that he was President. That was already taken care of elsewhere on his marker, by tradition. So Tom could afford the self-effacing gesture of excluding it from the tribute to his accomplishments which he composed himself. Like all Rams, Thomas Jefferson was a radical, an innovator of new ideas, a fiery lover of independence—and most certainly not bashful.
But why should he have been? After all, he did pioneer, develop and manifest all those things, with his Mars enthusiasm and courage. Why should he hide his light behind a bushel of false humility? In the area of ego, the Aries man and his Sagittarian woman won’t have much tension. Well, maybe a little, but not much. As a Cardinal sign, he can’t help his instincts to lead. As a Mutable sign, she’s not consumed with the ego or personality. She’d rather keep it tucked out of sight if it interferes with her traveling around in her mind, or geographically. Mutable signs are not unduly ego-driven. (The other two Mutables are Pisces and Virgo, and these people are hardly pushy egotists.) Of the three Mutables, Sag is perhaps the most conscious of the self, and the self-consciousness of the Archer is seldom overdone.
The term self-conscious is confusing and contradictory. One thinks of it as indicating humility or embarrassment—or a degree of introversion. Isn’t this the image conjured for you when a person is described as self-conscious? Oddly, we Americans have twisted the true meaning, which is, of course, conscious-of-the-self ‘—and that certainly has naught to do with humility, introversion or any of those submerging-of-the-ego patterns. Anyway, whatever, the female Centaur is a few degrees more self-conscious than her Pisces and Virgo mutable sisters, yet considerably less so than the male Ram.
Not all, but by far the largest majority of Sagittarian women prefer male friends to female friends, so the jealous Ram will have lots of opportunities to remind himself that she’s only being friendly, cheerful and gregarious, not unfaithful. She’s more than a little inclined toward jealousy herself when goaded, but not nearly so much as he. Whatever number of mean little green monsters do hide in the background of her aura won’t have many chances to appear, because her Aries lover or husband also prefers the company of men. Isn’t that lucky?
That’s another thing. This woman is lucky. Somehow, a great many of her worst goofs turn out right side up, under the benevolent and fortunate influence of her ruler, Jupiter, who blessed her at birth like a faerie godfather (an interesting term) with the shining qualities of faith and optimism, which, when combined, are a mighty powerful force for sheer luck, which isn’t luck at all, only the result of the law of magnetism. One attracts what one images—and she images happiness a great deal of the time.
Despite her general air of loose or unconventional social behavior, remember that Jupiter rules spiritual insight and prophetic essence of all religion. This woman possesses an inner innocence and a touching faith in people (at least she did when she was younger) that often place her in awkward positions, and make it seem she’s more flirtatious than she really is. It all begins so innocently.
| Aries: | You spent the entire night in Mr. Cromwell’s town house because he’s your boss, and he needed you? I’ll just bet he needed you, that sneaky old goat. As for you, you have the morals of an alley cat. (Rams are not noted for their care in choosing words when the Mars temper is exploding.) |
| SAG: | His dog was due to have puppies, and he was going to let her have them all by herself. Someone had to help the poor thing. Aries: A dirty old man who seduces his secretary into sleeping with him is not a poor thing. |
| SAG: | I meant the dog. Mr. Cromwell is a creep. He went to bed, and I had to deliver the puppies all by myself in the kitchen. One of them was born dead. It was so sad. I cried all the way home in the taxi. |
| Aries: | You cried all … so that’s why your makeup is smeared. Darling, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize … |
| SAG: | You mean you didn’t trust me. Don’t try to apologize. You called me an alley cat. That’s an obvious indication of your psychotic hatred for animals, using a poor cat to symbolize a prostitute—which you think I am. Just leave—I never want to see you again! |
A few scenes like that, changing names, places and situations, and the Ram will learn, hopefully before he’s lost her, that unfounded jealousy is something she won’t stand for, because it implies she’s dishonest, and Sagittarians all have a thing about truth and integrity that amounts to a regular neurosis with some of them. Just ask their psychiatrists. If she had submitted to Mr. Cromwell’s seductions, she would probably have told Aries quite frankly, leaving out none of the lurid details.
Barring such a forthright confession, the Ram should have faith in her. True, Sagittarian women, like Gemini and Pisces women, percentage-wise, are tempted more often into experiments in sexual promiscuity or multiple affairs than their other Sun Sign sisters, because they are Mutable, and also dual in nature—but the Archer is not sneaky. Whatever the Aries man may accuse her of, it should not be deception. This woman will always be true to herself, and to the man she loves, until she falls out of love with him—or until he unfairly doubts her. Even then, she’s more apt to break off their relationship angrily and emotionally than to be unfaithful simply to punish him. (Unless she has a Scorpio Moon Sign or Ascendent.) Even those female Archers who have a history of casually changing sexual partners will normally indulge in only one affair at a time, and such behavior is usually triggered by a series of severe romantic disillusionments.
Both Sag and Aries are equally guilty of flashes of conceit, bossiness and recklessness, which they both consider to be virtues. They’re also both hampered by a contempt for caution, prudence and patience, which they both consider to be vices.
Once they’ve discovered that compromise is the best way to solve their disagreements and end their quarrels, they can achieve a kind of mental and emotional harmony, not to mention physical harmony, that couples who don’t gamble for such high stakes (and who are not guided by the graced-with-mutual-sympathy 5-9 vibration) could ever hope to reach. Their sexual rapport should be both stimulating and quieting … warm, imaginative … and full of shooting stars. As long as she remembers that silence is golden during their lovemaking and refrains from puncturing his passion at a strategic point with one of her Sagittarian verbal arrows. Intimate moments are not the ideal time for cheerful chatter or candid observations. Otherwise, the way these two express and share the sexual side of their love can be deeply satisfying for both of them.
Neither of these two Sun Signs is stingy by nature, so money shouldn’t create many problems between them, except perhaps where and how to get it, after they’ve spent it all. If it comes to a race to see who’s more extravagant, you can bet on the Ram, since the typical or average Archer is normally a few (short) lengths behind Sag in scattering lettuce around carelessly. Her general disposition may be a degree or so calmer than his too, but you can’t really depend on this, unless she has a Pisces or Taurus Ascendent or Moon Sign, so he’d best not think it will save him when he tries to boss her around, or insult her cooking or housekeeping, neither of which are the average female Archer’s strong points.
The important thing for the Aries man to realize is that this woman is as much of an idealist about love and Life as he is—perhaps even more so. Her popularity and her friendly, open manner with men doesn’t change the quality of her basic integrity. Does his fondness for innocent and harmless feminine admiration mean infidelity on his part? No, it doesn’t. Seldom, if ever. Like her, he’ll remain faithful to love until love is no longer there, and even then will tend more to confession than to secrecy. But he might consider the fact that she has her fears too. Very much like his own. As long as he’s honest with her, this woman will love him with her whole heart, run bravely alongside him wherever he wants to go. She may lose her temper and say things she doesn’t mean—but the moment she knows he’s really hurt, she’ll rush to his side to bind up his wounds, whether they’re physical or emotional, with an unexpected tenderness and gentleness. Then the flames of their Fire Element natures will ignite all over again, just like the first time.
The only thing he needs to remember is to be honest with her always—keep the make-believe and excitement alive in their relationship—and not speak rashly, in anger. Exactly the same things she needs to remember about him. These two are so much alike. Proud. Brave. Generous. Impulsive. Passionate. Independent. Idealistic. And very, very vulnerable to coldness and rejection … especially from each other. Once they’ve permanently conquered their mutual unintentional selfishness, nothing can separate them. The strength of their love is unconquerable. Mars and Jupiter are a formidable combination.
| Aries | Capricorn |
| Fire—Cardinal—Positive | Earth—Cardinal—Negative |
| Ruled by Mars | Ruled by Saturn |
| Symbol: The Ram | Symbol: The Goat |
| Day Forces—Masculine | Night Forces—Feminine |