Tarot Correspondences
Every zodiac sign has a set of tarot cards associated with it, offering a much deeper understanding of the layers of meaning that connect them. For Sagittarius, these cards are Temperance and the Eight, Nine, and Ten of Wands.
Temperance
As the Archer, Sagittarius encourages us to explore new horizons and take the path less traveled. It means being true to oneself and following what deeply resonates within us. However, Sagittarius can sometimes go to extremes to follow these paths, and this is where Temperance comes in. When we are immersing ourselves in external experiences and exploring life, it is essential to return to our internal selves to process and understand those experiences.
Sagittarius is associated with the centaur, who embodies a blend of animal instinct and human wisdom. This duality is reflected by the card Temperance, which urges us to be mindful of how we balance our conscious and subconscious minds. In every situation, we need to find the right mix of optimism and realism, expansion and grounding, action and passivity, and so on. We can be confident that we are on the right path when we are both in tune with our intuition and can draw upon our past knowledge and experience.
The Three Decans of Sagittarius
The decans of a sign can be viewed as a subset of its larger themes. We can think of them like acts in a play or a sequence in a story, each illustrating a different cycle of action and knowledge for that sign.
The last three cards (before the court cards) of the Wands suit illustrate how we harness and utilize our energy, inspiration, and creativity. They represent the end of an endeavor or journey, and how the spark of inspiration can simultaneously bring excitement and exhaustion. I feel there is a lot of underlying warning in the cards – about letting your ambition get out of control, of giving in to the last-mile challenges, and of taking on more than you can realistically manage. Through a balance of self-awareness, mastery, and faith in the virtue of our goals, we can see our visions come to life and enjoy the fruits of our hard work.
8 of Wands: This card represents swiftness, a feeling of building momentum, and an urgency to move and take action. The energy is restless and directed. We may feel the urge to complete projects as quickly as possible, maybe feeling intense inspiration or ambition driving us forward. The 8 of Wands can symbolize the moment when we see the first glimpses of success and our end goal in sight, and that excitement becomes motivation to speed things up. There is an important reminder not to rush the completion of something, but to follow through with consistency.
9 of Wands: Still hovering around the end of a journey or project, this card illustrates the moment just before completion when we often need the most resilience and strength to push onward. There may be a lot of distractions, including our own emotional reactions and feelings of exhaustion, even defeat. The 9 of Wands reminds us to face these challenges with determination.
10 of Wands: An unexpected ending to this journey through fire, the 10 of Wands depicts what happens when we become oppressed by the work we’ve taken on. There is an element of prioritization and discipline. This is when we need to recognize when something is done, when it’s time to put the load down, and to be mindful of what we are adding to our plate. This card can also talk about the burden of success and the need to continue exhaustive work to maintain that success. Without conscious direction and management, fire becomes unruly and destructive instead of inspiring and illuminating.
Here's a tarot spread for you to try out, which focuses on the themes of Sagittarius and Temperance. First, find the Temperance card in your deck and place it at the top of your working space. Then, take a deep breath, shuffle, and pull your cards for the remaining questions.
*Note: If any of the decan cards (8, 9, or 10 of Wands) appear, treat them as a magnifier of Temperance’s message: You may want to pay extra attention to that question/area.
