Deepest apologies for not posting this earlier. With everything going on, it slipped through the cracks. Yet, there is some synchronicity in the delay. Ruth discusses how one finds deeper satisfaction in life – a timely message as we make a last-minute mad dash to pile presents under the tree. Even though Christmas falls within the period of Capricorn, the true meaning of the holiday is contained in this beautiful thought piece on truth-seeking Sagittarius. ~pq

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As we continue our journey looking at the fear-based reactions and love-based expressions of the twelve zodiac signs, we arrive at Sagittarius, the sign of the seeker.

Sagittarius is associated with seeking, searching, teaching, learning, travel, philosophy, wisdom, religion, idealism, optimism, purpose, freedom, goals and truth. These all seem like worthy higher pursuits, yet when viewed through the lens of the fear-based ego can become badly distorted. Higher truth, freedom and spiritual goals can become fear-based dogma, opinions, freedom for selfish pursuits, and ego-driven materialistic goals. The lessons that begin in one sign are carried forward by the next, so like his predecessor Scorpio, Sagittarius is also learning the balance of power.

In Esoteric Astrology, we are told that the fire signs bring three gifts. In Aries we have the gift of existence; in Leo we have the gift of opportunity through individuality; and in Sagittarius we have the gift of power – but this is a higher power of which we speak, not power over others, which would be the egoic idea of power, but rather the power of self-mastery. The self-realization attained in Leo that became self-reliance in Scorpio is now set, in Sagittarius, to become self-mastery.

[quote cite=”~ Alan Leo”]We may define Esoteric Astrology as that side of the subject which views all stellar phenomena from the standpoint of unity; whilst Exoteric Astrology begins its study from the side of diversity and separateness. The Esoteric Astrologer looks upon the whole expression of life as proceeding from one central and primal source, and therefore seeks to understand the subject from the point of view of the One flowing forth into the many.[/quote]

Fear comes from the illusion of separation. Understanding this is key to understanding the higher wisdom of Sagittarius, because the highest wisdom comes from oneness. From unity consciousness. The awareness that all really is one. As long as our Sagittarian friend is caught in illusion and duality, his power will be directed toward self-advancement. There is a key distinction for Sagittarius to understand: whether the freedom he seeks is truly freedom from the illusion of ego, or whether he is simply seeking freedom for his ego!

The freedom to be oneself is one of the highest values in our Western culture, yet for the most part what we really mean is the freedom to do as we please. Yet doing as we please can keep us firmly stuck in our own conditioned behaviors and fear-based ego responses. When we really get everything we desire, we can become truly miserable and realize that none of it had the power to bring us deeper satisfaction and fulfillment. That can only come from within.

[quote cite=”~ George Bernard Shaw”]There are two great disappointments in life. Not getting what you want and getting it.[/quote]

Driven by innate curiosity and a thirst for knowledge about life, the universe, and everything, our Sagittarian friend is on a lifelong quest for truth. Yet Sagittarius is not called the sign of the philosopher for nothing. Philosophy is all about taking ideas and applying them to life in meaningful ways – in other words taking an idea and turning it into a rule or guide by which we “should” live. On the surface this might seem like a good thing. Having idealistic standards to strive for and moral codes to live by can only improve our lives, right? Yet that has been the story of human history from the onset. Each generation seeks to impose its set of rules, codes and standards on the society for the purpose of “improving” it. Mental concepts taken to extremes become dogma, and there is a fine line between philosophy and dogma.

[quote cite=”~ Osho”]A man’s true life is the way in which he puts off the lie imposed by others on him. Stripped, naked, natural, he is what he is. This is a matter of being, and not of becoming.[/quote]

When our Sagittarian friend becomes fearful, he clings to his mental concepts, has difficulty distinguishing personal opinion from truth, and may cling to dogma from a false sense of security. The highest wisdom that Sagittarius truly seeks is beyond words, language, and mental concepts. The universe has the power to create mountains, move oceans, grow rainforests, and fill them with a myriad of living beings, while simultaneously keeping the solar system orbiting around the Sun and maintaining the delicate inner workings of a human body, from digesting your food to making sure the oxygen levels in your cells are in perfect balance – all in silence and all without a single philosophy, moral code, or standard about how things ought to be done. Do you ever wonder how it coped before humans arrived on the scene to think about the “best way” to do life? Amazing!

The real power of Sagittarius comes when he realizes self-mastery, which begins with mastering his own thoughts and actions. When the Archer turns his arrow inward, he focuses on the correct goal, the journey to seek his true nature. Our true nature as human beings lies well beyond our capacity for thought and is discovered through direct perception. It is the difference between experiencing ice cream and thinking about ice cream!

[quote cite=”~ Ramana Maharshi”]There are no levels of Reality; only levels of experience for the individual.[/quote]

Through deeper meditative or spiritual practices Sagittarius begins to realize his deep connection with life itself. Feeling the pulse of life force energy surging through his veins, and when his busy mind becomes quiet, our Sagittarius friend wakes up to the realization that he is one with the very life force that is moving planets and creating universes. Through direct perception, he realizes that these universal forces are running through him and that he and the universe are one and the same. Through his own expanded perception and awareness, he arrives at the ultimate goal.

[quote cite=”~ Chögyal Namkhai Norbu”]Realization is not knowledge about the universe, but the living experience of the nature of the universe.[/quote]

The Tibetan Buddhist tradition speaks of “clear-light” wisdom, a higher wisdom beyond conceptual thinking that we can access when we have become stable enough in meditation to experience the true nature of mind, which is said to be clear light. Through meditative practices, the everyday mind is transcended, and the true nature of our clear light mind can be accessed. It is said that all wisdom can be known at this point, but it is not what we would normally think of as knowledge. It is not information. It doesn’t come in the form of words or thinking. It is through direct perception and resting in clear awareness that such wisdom is known.

Once there has even been a glimpse of recognition of the clear-light wisdom that lies beyond the chatter of our everyday mind, we have identified the true goal. This is the highest wisdom and deeper spiritual truth that our Sagittarian friends really seek. Through deeper contemplative practices, it is possible to abide continuously in this awareness, and by doing so, ever-deeper insights into the true nature of the universe will arise. We may realize that our awareness and the awareness of the universe are one and the same, and that the nature of the universe is awareness itself. In Tibetan Buddhism, this is said to be the ultimate wisdom.

[quote cite=”~ Osho”]Once your awareness becomes a flame, it burns up the whole slavery that the mind has created.[/quote]

If you have Sagittarius Rising, you may consider yourself to be a Sagittarian Soul, and your soul’s purpose is to uplift humanity through the revelation of truth and wisdom. To attain this highest of goals, you first need to transcend your own fear-based reactions, which may cause you to cling to opinions and manmade dogma as though they were spiritual truth. When you are free of such manmade concepts and self-imposed dogma, you are truly liberated. This is achieved by going deeper within on your own journey of self-exploration, where you realize your true power, recognize your true nature as oneness with all that is, and have access to the ultimate wisdom of the universe!

Ruth

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Ruth Hadikin – Soul Astrologer

To get your personal Soul Sign/Life Purpose Report (FREE with a consultation), contact Ruth via her website. You can also request a FREE mp3 download, “The Energetics of Soul Astrology.”

Karen MacKenzie is working on a series of astrology inspired paintings using goddesses from different cultures. For more information about the symbolism in this print and to view other works in her ongoing series, check out her website, Karen MacKenzie Art.