The Ascendant or Rising sign is the name given to the sign on the eastern horizon during the time of birth of an individual. Having a Sagittarius Ascendant means that during your birth, the sign of Sagittarius was rising from above the ground, the same way that the Sun rises. People who have Sagittarius as their rising sign, have Jupiter (Sagittarius’ ruling planet) as their overall chart ruler. Jupiter is considered the most benefic planet, and thus having it as your chart ruler definitely gives you a boost of luck and protection. Thus, you should also examine the condition of your natal Jupiter when referring to your Ascendant.
Our Rising Sign is a very important astrological parameter, even though many theories are proposed by different astrologers and astrological systems. Still, most agree that the Ascendant defines our body and physical characteristics, also playing a strong role in the development of our character. This is quite natural, as the 1st house (the Ascendant being on its cusp) is responsible for our ego, self-perception and behavior.
We should keep in mind, that when the Ascendant is at the beginning of a sign, the sign’s traits are more potent than when it is placed at its end. When the next sign occupies the biggest part of the 1st house, it naturally gives a lot of its traits to the native’s character and even to his body. If your Ascendant is at the last degrees of a sign, you can consider the next sign as a co-Ascendant. Many people though, experience the next sign to behave as the Rising sign a lot more than the one which is actually rising.
Before we continue with the traits the sign grants, we should mention that depending on the geographical latitude, each sign needs slightly different time to ascend. If we are born near the equator, the differences are hardly visible. Yet, the closer we are born to any of the two poles, the better the differences between signs can be visible. This is also the reason why people born in rather extreme northern or southern latitudes can experience rather strange natal charts, with some houses being huge while some others quite small.
As always, we propose to our readers to use the Placidus system in calculating their houses, because we find it to function better both on our own charts and on the charts of other people that we have analyzed. In the northern hemisphere, Sagittarius is rising rather slowly. When someone is born at 50 degrees Northern latitude, the sign will need two hours and thirty minutes to rise fully. At a city placed at 60 degrees Northern latitude, the sign will need around two hours and fourty minutes. Thus, a person born in the Northern hemisphere has statistically a little bit more possibilities to have a Sagittarius Ascendant, when the average time a sign needs to Ascend is two hours.
As we already mentioned, individuals with a Sagittarius Ascendant will have Jupiter as their chart ruler. The planet of expansion will be very important in their lives, and also strongly connected with their physical body, vitality and appearance. Their body and self will be affected not only by transits of planets through their Ascendant, but also by transits to their natal Jupiter. In addition, natal aspects of other planets to the chart ruler, while also its location in a particular house, will play a strong role.
People with Sagittarius rising must take care to empower their Jupiter in healthy ways, as its functions will always have a positive or negative effect overall on their chart, touching all their life areas. Because Jupiter has a natural urge to expand everything, such individuals must learn to exercise modesty and avoid exaggerating. This way they will be able to tame those expansive characteristics, which could create issues when going out of control.
Having Sagittarius as your Ascendant feels like having Jupiter in your 1st house. The native has a positive approach to life, and is a natural optimist. He likes having fun and laughing, and usually is easily accepted by other people due to his out-going character. They are curious individuals, always ready to discover the world around them. The natural expansive traits of Sagittarius make them need action, as they cannot stand feeling entrapped. This makes them be constantly on the move, yet on the other hand definitely diminishes stability.
Other people may frequently think they lack seriousness, behaving as children and being quite light-headed in their decisions. Yet, a Sagittarius Ascendant person has faith in himself, being confident that any decision will actually bring a good outcome. This inner positivity can help them overcome difficulties, and see their life through a filter full of hope. Eventually, success and positive outcomes do happen, and the suffering experienced in reaching them is minimized due to this positive approach towards reality.
As a body, Sagittarius Ascendant people tend to have elongated limbs, if proportionally compared to the average person. There are some possibilities of weight problems, especially if other factors contribute to that (like natal aspects to Jupiter or impaired planets in the 1st house). We should not forget that expansion is good unless it gets out of control, that is why people with such an Ascendant should be careful to not have rapid weight changes – to both directions. As all fire sign Ascendants, when the individual is a male he may have problems with baldness concerning his hair.
The fire Ascendants are considered to be too hot and dry for the hair, leading many times to their loss. Sagittarius Ascendant people tend to smile more than others – even without any apparent reason. They can be easily recognizable in a crowd because of this characteristic, or because they are joking and deliberately behaving silly. This rising sign tends to give an oval face, a correct nose and beautiful legs and hands. Other people perceive them as friendly and funny, and usually do not need a lot of time to adapt to their presence.
A Sagittarius Rising person will adore traveling, gifting to his mind new images and the feeling that he is not tied to a certain geographical spot. In addition, understanding new cultures, religions and languages offers him the necessary thrill to feel alive. Jupiterian restlessness is being satisfied through frequent traveling, and when they cannot physically travel, a book can be the best aid to make those long journeys mentally. They can either choose to learn a new language, understand the basis of an exotic religion or learn another nation’s culture. Usually, this preparation will lead to visiting that foreign place someday in their life, as daydreaming will form a strong bridge to the realization of their fantasy.
Natives with their Ascendant in Sagittarius are usually very talkative, especially about subjects that are more abstract and philosophical – or even academic. They can talk hours about higher knowledge, the exact opposite of Gemini Ascendant which prefer to talk for hours about trivial information and chit-chat. Sagittarius Rising people can have a very broad area of interests, making them interesting for communicating on many levels. Yet, this defragmentation of knowledge into many niches will definitely make them lack in details compared to people who specialize in some concrete subjects.
Sagittarius Rising people will adore taking part in recreational activities that promote fun and humor, and that involve a lot of people, contributing to a shared wellbeing. In case these activities also involve food and people of different cultures, they will be even happier and shining. They take huge pleasure in seeing others spending their time in good ways, and thus will frequently be the organizers of such events – and not only attend them. After all, they cannot stand routine and such symposiums can only bring unexpected happiness – while also broaden their horizons even more as they usually end up in deep conversations.
The Sagittarius Ascendant body is governed by Jupiter, so it may also experience dysfunctions connected and ruled by the sign and the planet. Sagittarius rules our hips, thighs and liver, while Jupiter is also connected with fat and the sciatic nerves. Thus, difficult transits to such an individual’s Ascendant or to natal Jupiter can affect the body parts mentioned above.
Always have in mind that any planet present near the Ascendant point will definitely alter both the physical appearance and the characteristics of the native. We could say that in the first 10 degrees of the first house it will have the strongest influence on the Ascendant, while also the last 5 degrees of the 12th house. The planet’s energies blend with the Ascendant ones; we can imagine the sign as a canvas while the planet as the paint that will, in the end, create the unique picture of the individual. Of course, it is possible to have more than one planets (or astrological points/ asteroids) in conjunction with the ascendant – furthermore complicating the big picture. To understand better your body, your Ego and how they function you should analyze all those planetary influences. This is why knowing your Ascendant does not necessarily mean jumping to correct conclusions about your life.
You can use our free natal chart calculator, in order to understand better not only your Rising Sign but also any possible planets that are present near it. Also, do not forget to pay attention to your natal Jupiter placement, so that you discover the functions of your chart ruler and how it will affect your life and priorities. Finally, do not forget to read the article about natal Jupiter in the 1st house, as it has many similarities to having a Sagittarius Ascendant.