Astronomy
The constellation Sagittarius, which is Latin for ‘the archer’, lies between Ophiuchus to the west and Capricornus to the east. The constellation as a whole is often depicted as having the rough appearance of a stick-figure archer drawing a bow, with the fainter stars providing its horse body and the arrow of this constellation pointing towards the star Antares, the ‘Heart of the Scorpion’. The Milky Way is at its densest near Sagittarius, as this is where the galactic center lies. Consequently, Sagittarius contains many star clusters and nebulae such as the Lagoon, Swan, Omega, Hourglass, and Trifid Nebula.

Astrology
Those personalities born between November 22nd and December 21st are in the ninth sign of the zodiac. This mutable, fire sign combination has a tendency to sweep in any direction with passion and a sense of adventure. Usually, this passion and energy is a Sagittarius strength but it can occasionally lead to abandoning a destination, literally or emotionally, with business unfinished. High spirited and energetic, Sagittarius make loyal friends and can attract those friends easily with their good-humored charisma. With their ebullience, they may over confide in people and discretion may not be their strongest trait. Sagittarius can be generous to a fault and that partly comes from their faith in the ability to attract more of everything. This faith can lead to them becoming a bit of a spendthrift. Sagittarius traits combine to make them good problem solvers, with a style relying more on keen intuition than detached logic. This may give them a tendency towards dogmatism. If their beliefs are not based solely on logic, then a logical argument alone is unlikely to persuade them otherwise. Excitable and easily bored, they can be somewhat impatient and prone to impulsive decisions, particularly where travel is concerned. In fact, traveling and experiencing new cultures is likely to be very important and they tend to get along well with the natives of other countries and cultures. This wanderlust may stem from the deep-rooted Sagittarius desire for self-development and expansion. Traditionally, the Sagittarius personality will include having a religious or serendipitous outlook and they probably regard themselves as naturally fortunate in matters of chance. They are unlikely to be overly attached to the home and may also be more comfortable with long-distance or open relationships. Generally, Sagittarius has much respect for authority and society’s codes of conduct. On a personal level, they are uninhibited, in touch with nature, may possess an exhibitionist streak, and enjoy playing to the crowd. Their zeal and warm personality can attract a following, especially if they engage in preaching and making predictions. Determining the future can preoccupy the more mystically minded Sagittarius, just like the stargazing Centaurs of ancient myths. On the negative side, Sagittarius traits may sometimes portray them as a dilettante, taking up new fads and then moving on to something else once the novelty has worn off. This listless pattern can manifest in personal relationships too.

Mythology
Sagittarius is depicted in the sky as a centaur, with the body and four legs of a horse but the upper torso of a man. The centaur is shown wearing a cloak and drawing a bow, aimed in the direction of the neighboring Scorpion. Sagittarius is sometimes misidentified as Chiron, represented by the other celestial centaur, the constellation Centaurus. Sagittarius is a constellation of Sumerian origin, subsequently adopted by the Greeks, which helps explain the confusion over its identity. Eratosthenes doubted that this constellation was a centaur, giving as one of his reasons the fact that centaurs did not use bows. Instead, Eratosthenes described Sagittarius as a two-footed creature with the tail of a satyr. He said that this figure was Crotus, son of Eupheme (the nurse to the Muses - who were nine daughters of Zeus). According to the Roman mythographer Hyginus, the father of Crotus was Pan, which confirms the view of Eratosthenes that he should be depicted as a satyr rather than a centaur. Crotus invented archery and often went hunting on horseback. He lived on Mount Helicon among the Muses, who enjoyed his company. They sang for him and he applauded them loudly. The Muses requested that Zeus place him in the sky, where he is seen demonstrating the art of archery.