SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December21)

Origin/Representation
Sagittarius is represented by a Centaur—^half-man, half-horse—with a bow and arrow. It's believed that when ancient artists sketched warriors on horseback, they got to taking a short-cut, thereby merging the two into one body. This became a popular symbol, and they chose it to represent Sagittarius because this sign is thought to have tamed the baser instincts and taught wisdom—as well as outdoor sports.
The centaur's other significance is that in the zodiacal family it points its arrow at Capricorn's dying goat, symbolizing either a deep sense of religion (for having sacrificed the goat) or a complete denial of religion (for killing its symbol)— to a logical Sagittarian, religion cannot be accepted on faith alone. Yes, this is a contradiction, but thaf s normal for this sign. Sagittarians prefer one extreme or the other.
Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, which provides the sign with its most salient quality: largeness. If you're a Sagittarian, you're probably well-built, with a big heart, a big head, and big ideas. Your favorite day is Thursday (jeudi, for Jupiter, in French), and you're quite, well, jovial (Jupiter, the god, was also known as Jove in the Roman era— hence the expression "by Jove").
Positive Qualities
When you think big, the whole world is your playground, and everyone is your friend. You have no time or interest in details—save that for Virgo—you see the big picture, and you think in bold strokes.
Much like the two other fire signs—Aries and Leo—you're dynamic and charismatic: You have friends in all areas of your life and a few very dose ones. Most people are attracted to you by your unbridled optimism and good-natured directness. In a room full of strangers, you'll be one of the first to break the ice with some silly gesture and get the party moving. You see no reason to be shy, or for that matter, delicate (more on this later).
There are two extremes of Sagittarians, so you are either one or the other. The first seeks to be a great intellectual. If this is you, you have grand ideas about philosophy, religion, the arts, history, and current events. You'll debate long into the wee hours about foreign policy or Plato, and you'll debate well. You think logically, and this makes you a convincing speaker. In fact, you debate for the love of it—you're both truly curious about getting to the profundity of the matter and you're big-headed about it, which means you will not accept being wrong (you'll benefit greatly from the presence of a diplomatic Libra if the argument gets too scalding). Yes, you are well-read and wise, but you must learn to be more tolerant and accepting of other views.
The other extreme is athletic. The centaur is a hunter, and so are you—you thrive on competition in all sports, and will usually be the one who gets dirtiest in the mud. Also, your natural association with horses makes you an excellent rider, trainer, and caretaker of these animals.
Both extremes lead to your other great love— travel. If you're intellectually curious, you will want to see as much of the world as possible, to say you were there and to know what makes it tick. If you're a sportsman, it's the man-on-horse-back influence, which makes you want to just go, go, go.
Trouble Areas
You have too much pride. Even if you know logically that you're losing an argument, you'll do your darndest to try to twist it to your advantage. You can't stand losing, because deep down you're insecure—Sagittarius is the most insecure sign in the zodiac—so you do everything in your power to hide it. Your talent for debate, though, usually means you will win. But should you always?
The fact that you dislike details means you get impatient easily. Little annoyances like losing your keys or fixing a leaky faucet just make you frustrated—you're a big-idea thinker, not a fuss-budget. Just relax and think logically—you're terrific at that—and all will be fine.
Along the same lines, you have a tendency to blast through parties like a freight train. You have a reputation for being rather ill-mannered: you'll interrupt someone's conversation bluntly if the thought strikes you, and ignore other simple rules of tact, like habitually not returning phone calls or even compliments. If someone whispers a secret to you, it's no big deal to you to blithely blurt it out to the next soul that walks by.
This isn't an intentional flaw—all Sagittarians are like this. You treat social graces like those annoying details—you can't be bothered. There are too many important world-saving ideas in your head, so there's no room for "I'm fine, thank you, how are you?"
Physical Qualities and Activities
As the hunter and sportsman of the zodiac, virtually all athletic pursuits are fair game. You're especially fond of those with a direct connection to the centaur, however, such as horse racing, polo, any sort of riding, shooting, or archery.
You're well-developed physically, so you'll have no problem leading your team in home runs, baskets, or touchdowns. In fact, unlike Aries, the other great sporting sign, you thrive in team sports. You're the first to dive for the ball, even if it means splashing in mud puddles.
It's in your nature to be a bit scruffy and unkempt—the hunter always goes home to the farm with a few scrapes—and this goes for physical appearance as well. You don't care if your hair hasn't been washed today, or if your T-shirts all wrinkled—those are just more annoying details.
Preferences
You live in a happy, but messy, home. There are probably papers all over your desk, clothes scattered about, and dishes that need to be done. Again, if s just that you don't have time for those little things like organization and laundry.
The great thing, though, is that nobody else cares. You're Oscar Madison, the lovable slob, and everyone knows that when they come over, they can sink into your couch, prop then- feet on your coffee table and grab a slice of pizza.
As for food, you're a wolf. You eat fast, and it's not all that important what it is. It keeps you going, and you prefer to get going to the next place. You do love your meat (after all, you're the hunter), so you're idea of a fun meal is a backyard barbecue with steaks, burgers, dogs, and all your friends. Anything red (since you're a sign of fire and Jupiter) appeals to you, so those pep-peroni pizzas or spaghetti-and-meatballs dinners are standard weekly fare.
You also like rough-and-tumble vehicles, like Jeep four-wheel-drives, because they love to get dirty and they'll go anywhere on earth, which satisfies your insatiable curiosity to travel.
Occupations/Financial Profile
Curiously, there are perhaps more Sagittarian entertainers—particularly musicians—than most any other sign. Sure, Geminis are actors because the twin-instinct leads them to the duality of playing and being, but why Sagittarians?
Because of your pride. You need an audience, because deep down, you're the most insecure sign of all. Sagittarian musicians include Beethoven, Frank Sinatra, Hoagy Carmichael, Tina Turner, Jimi Hendrix, Robert Goulet, Chuck Mangione, Bette Midler (now there's a Sagittarian!), Lou Rawls, Andy Williams, Dave Brubeck, Sammy Davis Jr., and Dionne Warwick. Note that they're all outgoing crowd-pleasers.
Other famous Sagittarian performers include Mary Martin, Rich Little, Woody Alien, Katerina Witt, Kim Basinger (and yes, red is definitely her color), Kirk Douglas, Bob Barker, Dick Clark, Dick Van Dyke, Patty Duke, Tim Conway, Jane Fonda, and Phil Donahue. Once again, all are very outgoing.
The other great Sagittarian trait in occupations is intellectual debating. Socrates was the first known Sagittarian, and he had quite a lot to say (and said it very well). Others that fit this profile include Nostradamus, Winston Churchill, William F. Buckley, Jr., Gary Hart, G. Gordon Liddy, Don King, Chet Huntley, and William Safire.
Then there are those famous Sagittarians who simply thought big: Walt Disney, Andrew Carnegie, Charles de Gaulle, Joseph Stalin, and Francisco Franco are in this group. Finally, there are the champion athletes: Joe Dimaggio, Billie Jean King, Dick Butkus, Deacon Jones, Cathy Rigby, and Chris Evert fit this bill.
Needless to say, any career that involves performing, either in sports or entertainment, is promising, as is anything that takes advantage of your keen logical intellect. The worst job for you would be to get stuck in something detail-oriented, such as applying small parts on an assembly line. You also make an excellent teacher, coach, lawyer, scientist, writer, and politician.
Financially, you're the eternal optimist. You're a bit too spendthrifty when it comes to shopping and gambling. You think, "Oh, I'll get rich soon," so you justify losing money at the race track or charging impulse buys on a credit card this way. A little prudence goes a long way here.
Love and Relationships
You are known for impetuosity—your mood varies from day to day, and this complicates love relationships. Although your opportunities are ample, due to your popular outgoing nature, the successful long-term relationship is quite difficult for you until you settle into middle age or so.
Your ideal mate is likely to be either Gemini (although since both of you are prone to "sample" partners in life, it's rarely a stable match), or one of your fire-sign relatives, Aries and Leo. Although at first the latter pairings may seem unlikely, due to the natural tendency of fire signs to lead, they are both compatible with you because of their innate understanding of your passions and interests.
You don't have many enemies, but in close relationships, conflicts will arise between you and Taurus (who is too possessive, and who would want to limit your freedom), Cancer (similarly, too rooted in family stability for your tastes), Virgo (too critical of you, and your pride will not stand for that), Scorpio (although physically compatible, there is too much distrust and competition for dominance on both sides), and Capricorn (too pessimistic for you).