The 1st House in Sagittarius Personality (All About the Sagittarius Ascendant, Sagittarius Rising, and Dhanu Lagna)

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Were you a witch in a past life? Let’s find out!

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Table of contents:
What is the Ascendant?
The Typical Sagittarius Rising Personality
The Sagittarius Ascendant Woman
The Typical Sagittarius Rising Man
The Typical Sagittarius Ascendant Appearance
The 1st House in Sagittarius Compatibility
The Sagittarius Ascendant in Karmic Astrology
1st House in Sagittarius Celebrities
Additional Books and Must-Reads

What is the Ascendant?

I know this has become quite the popular term in recent years due to the growing interest in Astrology (which makes me super happy). However, I do see some misunderstandings and confusion as to what this means and how to interpret this part of the natal chart. So, here I will do my best to briefly explain what the rising sign signifies and why it is becoming a more and more interesting topic.

The cusp of the first astrological house is often called the Ascendant (or ASC) or the rising sign, and this represents the zodiac sign which was on the horizon at the time of our birth. As any other house in our horoscope, the 1^st one governs a couple of areas which will be influenced by the sign which is at the cusp. Here’s where it is important to note that your Ascendant is not just part of your personality – it points to a few more parts of your life which will be affected by the typical characteristics of the rising sign (in this case – by the Sagittarius traits). So, here are the areas the first house governs:

• A big chunk of our personality – let’s be clear, our personality traits in this incarnation will be determined by many factors. Astrologically speaking, some of the key elements in this will be the positions and aspects of the personal planets (the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Mars, and Venus) and the Ascendant. The rising sign is that part of our personality that we show to the world. This is how other people see us and how we want to be perceived as. This differentiation is extremely visible when the Sun sign and the Ascendant are different. You may be a Taurus, but people will see you as a Sagittarius (and you may be quite happy and proud of that!).
• How we see the world – the first house cusp will also determine your worldview – how you perceive the world in general. For example, having your first house cusp in Sagittarius might manifest as constantly seeing the world through pink eyeglasses with never-ending optimism. No matter how dire a situation is, you will always try to look at the bright side, and expect things to get better rather quickly. You might always see the good in people and be quite shocked when others are not nice to you or they don’t play by the rules.
• How you start new projects – since this is the first house in the birth chart, it represents new beginnings, and how we like to start any new project or an endeavor. In this case here with the Archer rising, you may quickly and impatiently start anything new with the good faith that somehow everything will turn out OK. As you can see any characteristic and a tendency may be perceived as a positive or negative one. So, on one hand, this may make you quite proactive and initiative. On the other hand, you may rush things too much, make too many irrational decisions, and having a hard time completing the projects. This tendency might be further reinforced if you have a strong mutable energy in your chart. But, these qualities will be the focus of future posts, so make sure you sign up for our newsletter to be notified when new articles are published!
• Your physical appearance – as anything in Astrology, there are a lot of moving pieces to this topic. However, how we look, how we dress, how we walk, and how we usually behave to a great extend can be seen in our rising sign, as well as the position of the house rulers (in this case, these are Jupiter and Mars). We will talk a bit more on this subject in the section on appearance.
• Your childhood – since this is the beginning of our life, and this is the house of beginnings, the rising sign can help any astrologer make some assumptions about how you spent our first years. According to March and McEvers, your Archer Ascendant may have caused you to be very heartfelt, optimistic, and friendly in your childhood years which lead to a bit of a clash with the harsh reality, causing you a great deal of anxiety and insecurity. This may be especially true if Jupiter is in a mutable sign and/or with many challenging aspects.

The Typical Sagittarius Rising Personality

If you are a regular follower of this blog (thank you!), you may already know what’s coming! We always start each article in this series with the typical characteristics of the zodiac sign. These archetypal traits will “color” the areas of the first house and determine a large portion of the individual’s personality. In this case here, this means that the person with their first house in Sagittarius will be perceived as an Archer by other people, and that’s what they want to be seen as by others. So, let’s see what the typical representatives of the ninth astrological sign usually exhibit as personalities!

Sagittarius is the third fiery sign (after Aries and Leo) and the third mutable one (after Gemini and Virgo).  The Archer is the natural ruler of the 9^th astrological house which is the domain of philosophy, academics, our ideals and higher consciousness, foreign lands, other cultures and religions, long-distance travels, etc. The ruling planet of this sign (and house) is Jupiter which is often called “The Great Benefactor”. This means that as far as the analysis of this Ascendant goes, we should always include the position and the aspects of Jupiter as well. And also, let’s not forget about Mars – this is the natural lord of the first house, and must also be added to the mix. Keep in mind that the following description of the Sagittarius rising is the typical presentation of this personality, and these two celestial bodies (Jupiter and Mars) may change the whole picture. For instance, as you will see in a short while, one of the signature characteristics of the Sagittarius Ascendant is open-mindedness. However, let’s say that Jupiter is in Capricorn, the individual may not be that open after all. So, take this information in this post with a grain of salt!

Okey dokey! Let’s see what these characteristics are! Shall we?

The main keyword we can attribute to this sign is “expansive”, and this largely comes from the main characteristic of the ruling planet Jupiter which always adds a great deal of expansion wherever it is placed.

Among the positive typical Sagittarius Ascendant traits are: generous, optimistic, just and fair, educated, idealistic, enthusiastic, open-minded, honest, freedom-loving, athletic, religious and/or spiritual, liberal, etc.

Some of the negative Sagittarius traits are: self-indulgent, impatient, too talkative, unceremonious (tactless and blunt), short-tempered, prone to gambling, having child-like level of irresponsible optimism, fickle, promiscuous, etc.

Ah, Sagittarius! The never-ending source of optimism and positivity in the zodiac! People with the Sagittarius Ascendant are like a breath of fresh air in a world filled with chaos, instability, suffering, and pain. These are the type of people you can always turn to when you feel down and out. Looking at the bright side of life is their specialty and you can always rely on them to tell you that everything is going to be OK. Well, there is a dark side to this hard-core optimism, though. As I often like to repeat the age-old saying that “the dosage makes the poison”. What many people with their first house in Sagittarius may be prone to is relying too much on blind optimism, and refusing to see reality, and avoid taking certain actions to prevent or solve a certain issue. These are the kind of folks who may say things like “Oh, don’t worry – you will win the lottery and you will have the money to have a roof over your head.” I am not joking – I actually heard an Archer rising say these exact words more than once. If you are a representative of this Ascendant, it may be quite beneficial to you to try every once in a while to really look at reality as it is, and cultivate real adult maturity. Positivity is great, and it is an essential part of dealing with life, but being a responsible adult who can accept the limitations of 3D reality is a also must. This is where some form of cooperation between Capricorn and Sagittarius might be extremely beneficial! Sagittarius can teach the Goat to look at the bright side and chillax every once in a while, while Capricorn can really help the Archer learn responsibility and maturity.

Speaking of maturity, we cannot miss probably one of the most charming sides of the Sagittarius Ascendant personality – their love for adventure and traveling! You will never get bored in the presence of this open-minded natural traveler. This is how they express their love and curiosity for foreign cultures and religions. Even if they don’t have the resources and the opportunities to see the world, they will always find a way to learn more about the colorful and diverse planet we live in. They will watch countless documentaries and read plenty of books to expand their knowledge and wisdom. On the negative side of this tendency, this may lead to literally becoming a nomad and having serious difficulties settling down and raising a family. The typical representatives of the ninth zodiac sign are zealots when it comes to their personal freedom – one thing they truly hate is feeling chained down. They will try to run away from anything that makes them feel trapped or on a short leash. This is why this sign is often compared to Aquarius but here it is much more pronounced since the Archer is a mutable sign, while the Water Bearer is a fixed one and has much more opportunities for cultivating stability. However, we will talk a bit more about their potential for building relationships in the section on compatibility.

Speaking of documentaries and books, one important thing to always keep in mind when talking about the ninth zodiac sign is education! Even if you had any limitations or difficulties getting a degree or receiving any form of formal education, you will remain a natural life-long learner. One way or another, you will try to expand your circle of awareness and knowledge, and you might be this enormous deep well of interesting facts, trivia, and cultural specifics. Sagittarius is the sign of idealism and high standards, so you may try to present yourself as someone who always strives to aim higher and higher.

The Sagittarius Ascendant Woman

If you are looking for a good housewife who loves to stay at home and cook you tasty meals, you may be in the wrong place. Not that the Sagittarius Ascendant woman is not good at this (she may have countless natural talents), but there is so much more to experience in life than just sitting at home day in day out. Well, if she decides that cooking is her next passion, be sure that she will do her best to educate herself and try all sorts of culinary experiments, especially the most exotic ones from foreign lands you didn’t even know they existed! After all, the ninth astrological sign is the sign of academics and long-distance travelling! Just be prepared to see all kinds of funny situations when she tries to juggle more than one thing at a time. These are among the most active and bubbly women out there, and constantly talking on the phone while performing other tasks is their trademark. So, do not be surprised to see a few burnt dishes she forgot were on the stove here and there. People with a strong Sagittarius (or the ninth house) are notorious chatty multitaskers!

However, her latest obsession may not last for long, and as soon as you blink, she may be into something extremely different. Hm, let’s say motor sports? The sky is the limit with this adventurous gal! Even if her chart has lots of fixed and stable energy (a strong Taurus, for example), her never-ending child-like curiosity and playfulness will always be present no matter the age! In this case, she may channel her love for change and adventures by travelling to exotic lands or even choosing a line of career that reflects this  tendency, such as becoming a travel agent, a flight attendant, or why not a pilot! The Sagittarius rising female may even have a taste for hunting, and going on a safari may be a life-long dream of hers!

When it comes to relationships, the Archer Ascendant gal might be prone to having quite idealistic views on men. These are the types of women who are constantly looking for the perfect match – the Prince Charming with whom everything will be like bread and butter. As you can guess, this is not the perfect setup towards long-lasting relationships since reality often hits them like a ton of bricks. People are not ideal, relationships do require work and efforts on both sides. And women with their first house in Sagittarius are not always ready to give up their freedom that easily for an imperfect partner. This may result in having multiple relationships. They may all start with the feeling that this may the One, and quickly fizzle out as the Sag Ascendant realizes that that person has quite a few flaws.

Lastly, the woman with her first house in Sagittarius may be one of the most spiritual and religious females in the whole zodiac. Long night conversations about all kinds of philosophical disciplines may be much more interesting to her than discussions about makeup and attire. 

The Typical Sagittarius Rising Man

Oh my, where do I start? If you think women with this rising sign have commitment issues… Here’s where it is important note that our environment plays a huge role in the development of our personality traits. The culture we were born into, the belief system of our parents, our childhood experiences, etc. – all these definitely help out in how our character is molded. What do I mean about that? Well, if you hear the word Sagittarius what’s the first thing that pops into your mind? For most people that’s “promiscuity”. And in a way they are correct. The ninth sign in Astrology and its mutable nature does indeed show strong tendencies to have multiple partners in their lifetime. And some may even truly believe and feel that monogamy is not for them. But why does this inclination shows up much more frequently in the Sagittarius rising men rather than females? My answer is because of societal norms. The general consensus is that promiscuity is more acceptable for men rather than women. That is why I am mentioning this trait in the section on the typical characteristics of the Archer Ascendant males. Of course, I do wish to remind you that the whole chart has to always be taken into account. For instance, the positions of Jupiter and Mars may completely change how the individual behaves in general. Plus, there are a ton more aspects to look at, such as the significators for relationships – in a male’s chart these are the placements and the aspects of Venus and the Moon. However, we will take a closer look at these later on on the blog, so stay tuned!

The highest and most dignified expression of this rising sign is the love for philosophy and academics. These men may be natural-born philosophers who always strive to see the bigger picture. Even if they did not have the opportunity to get a college degree, they will be constantly learning throughout their entire life. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if I see many guys with their first house in Sagittarius employed in any kind of educational or religious institution! These are the teachers in the zodiac who expand our worldview and who make us want to strive for a better world. Their never-ending idealism is a true inspiration and a drive for reaching new highs in our ethical standards! The Archer rising male may be a true visionary of his time!

The Typical Sagittarius Ascendant Appearance

I will not get tired of reminding folks who are interested in Astrology that we cannot take one topic (or a section of the natal chart) and analyze it separately. All we do here is talk about the archetypal traits of the particular zodiac sign. When you look at the birth chart as a whole, many of these characteristics may or may not necessarily manifest as such. And this basic astrological principle applies in full force to the area of the physical appearance. The Ascendant does indeed play a huge part in this topic (since it is the house that governs the physical body), but it is far from the only place to look at when it comes to appearance. For example, the number planets below and above the horizon is also quite important; the placements of the first house rulers as well; the primary signature; dominant elements and houses, etc. Do not feel overwhelmed – these will be discussed in future articles, so make sure you sign up for our newsletter to be notified when they will be up!

Alrighty! Now that we got this disclaimer out of the way, let’s see what the typical physical traits of the Archer rising are!

First off, I have some good news and some bad news (as usual)! The good news is that the typical Sagittarius rising is considered a tall sign. So, anyone who has a strong Sag energy (or ninth house) may have quite a decent height. However, on the more negative side, representatives of this rising sign may have some issues with a few extra pounds – at some point in their life or throughout their whole existence on Earth. Jupiter may be “The Great Benefactor” but it is also the planet of expansion and indulgence. So, if we take these tendencies to the extreme, we may see an individual who may truly struggle with all kinds of dietary restrictions. All of this can be amplified if the placement of Jupiter is in another self-indulgent sign like Taurus or Libra. Keep in mind that if the house ruler is in one of the signs which are considered a bit shorter (Leo, Taurus, Scorpio, or Pisces), this may greatly affect the height of the Sagittarius Ascendant appearance.

People with this rising sign should be mindful and be careful not to hunch over too much which in the long run may ruin their posture (creating a hunchback in the most severe cases). Do not freak out – just try to be more vigilant, and if you need to – ask a close friend to help you out in identifying whether you tend to bend you back forward too much.

How to spot a Sagittarius Ascendant person?

According to March and McEvers there is one quite peculiar telltale sign of the Dhanu Lagna people – they tend to turn their feet inward when they are sitting. Now I need to find an Archer rising person to observe! 😀

Another interesting fact is that both men and women with their 1^st house in Sagittarius may have well-developed and strong thighs. After all, the ninth sign in Astrology governs this part of the human anatomy. (Just take a look at Brigitte Bardot’s and Raquel Welch’s perfect hourglass physiques!) Moreover, since the sign is represented by a centaur, many astrologers argue that the Sag Ascendant has a peculiar gait which sounds like horse clatter. Their laughter is also often loud and it is compared to an equine neigh. I wouldn’t be that harsh with the rising Archers. I would call their laugh exuberant and contagious. I think Jennifer Lawrence is an excellent example.

Lastly, their eyebrows may often be much darker than their natural hair color.

The 1^st House in Sagittarius Compatibility

I want to start this section with another disclaimer because I think it is extremely important to be said and reiterated. We can’t just take one section of the natal chart and analyze it separately – the whole horoscope should always be taken into account. And that applies to compatibility as well – whether we talk about the potential for the individual to forge relationships or the composite chart of two partners. What I am trying to say is that the astrological analysis is quite complicated and intricate, and it involves interpreting a lot of pieces to this puzzle. So, when it comes to the first house in Sagittarius, we can say a few things about the potential beneficial partners but keep in mind that this is just a small fraction of the compatibility analysis. That is why we have a whole branch of Astrology which deals with this area – Synastry.

OK! As promised, here’s what we can conclude based on the Archer Ascendant! The rising sign is an important part of the compatibility analysis since it has a lot to do with our personality (we can say that this is roughly half of our persona). And that’s not all! At the very opposite side of the first house cusp you will see the Descendant. This is the cusp of the 7^th house which is known as the house or marriage and relationships (both personal and business ones). So, solely based on the Ascendant we can make a few assumptions about the characteristics of the potential partners the Sagittarius rising person might look for! And here they are!

The Archer rising sign means that the Descendant is in the opposite sign of Gemini. To put it simply, you may be attracted to people who exhibit the typical traits of the Twins – educated, intellectual, communicative, dynamic, with a great sense of humor, someone with a youthful and child-like demeanor, etc. In practical terms this may manifest as bonding with folks with a lot of planets in Gemini. This is especially true if the personal planets and luminaries are involved – the Sun, the Moon, Venus, Mars, and Mercury. These will also most likely be located in your seventh house of relationships. However, I wish to remind you to also check if there are planets in Cancer which are also placed in your Descendant. Moreover, if one or more planets of your current or potential partner are in your sixth house in conjunction with your 7^th house cusp, this may also be beneficial for your bond. (This means that the planet is located within 7 degrees of the Descendant cusp.) The simple reason for this is that the signs and houses usually have different sizes.

And that’s not all either! If the partner has a strong third house in their chart, this may also indicate possessing the character traits the Sagittarius Ascendant person is looking for. Keep this in mind as well.

Now, let’s take a look at compatibility from another perspective – through the lenses of similarities. According to March and McEvers this approach may be even better when making judgments on possible beneficial relationships. This means bonding with people who exhibit similar character traits as you. In other words, look for placements in the ninth house of you partner (especially the personal planets). Moreover, people with a strong Sagittarius in their chart will logically share similar characteristics with the Archer Ascendant. This means that these planets may be located in your first or twelfth houses (or both). If they are in your first house, this partnership will further reinforce your personality and you may feel as if this person is adding more energy and light to your personality. You may feel emotionally nourished and understood. However, if the placements are predominantly in your 12^th house, this may be a bit more challenging at times. The last astrological house is the place we like to bury and hide our pain and insecurities. This is the house of the unconscious, and these are the things we don’t want to see, and even admit to ourselves. So, in this case, your partner may illuminate these fears and traumas which may lead to quite the discomfort on your part. But there is always a solution! The 12^th house is also the house of our unconscious inner strength. If you approach this situation with a large amount of self-awareness and willingness to heal these emotional wounds – this partnership may become one of the best sources of personal transformation and empowerment. These challenges will become your stepping stones to unlocking your potential for growth. We will talk a lot more about the twelfth house later on on the blog, so stay tuned by signing up to our newsletter to receive all future updates!

OK, since we talked about the last astrological house, I want to leave you with another important thing to look at in your composite chart – the 10^th house cusp. This is the so called Medium Coeli and it corresponds to our ego. If your or your partner’s MC is located in the other person’s 12^th house, this may also impose a challenge. One of the partners may feel overshadowed by their significant other or in the most severe cases – to be kept a secret. If this is the case, be mindful and vigilant how this placement manifests in your relationship (or potential relationship).

The Sagittarius Ascendant in Karmic Astrology

Ah, the mystical side of Astrology! Many people are deeply intrigued by this branch of this ancient knowledge and are truly interested whether we can learn more about our past lives from our horoscope. According to many astrologers in this area, you can! What they often focus on in their karmic astrological analysis are the water houses, the Lunar Nodes, the Part of Fortune, the retrograde planets, etc. However, in many Karmic Astrology books you may also find the Ascendant as one of the keys in this interpretation process. And today I will share with you what one of the esteemed authors in this field (Dorothée Koechlin de Bizemont) says about the link between our rising sign and the baggage we may carry from past incarnations.

In her book “L’astrologie karmique” de Bizemont talks about how people with their first house in Sagittarius may not necessarily exhibit many of the typical traits of the Archer, like optimism and open-mindedness. Quite the contrary – they may actually look a lot more like a Scorpio person – secretive, sarcastic, distrustful, and even constantly battling with dark vengeful and spiteful thoughts. This may be even strongly reinforced if the cusp of the 12^th house is indeed in Scorpio (as I mentioned previously, the water houses play a huge role in the Karmic astrology analysis). Some Archer Ascendant people might also be employed in the typical Scorpion-related fields, like finances, insurance, surgery, even becoming a funeral agent. Others may have strong attraction to esoteric and occult knowledge, being extremely superstitious, or having uncanny fears and discomforts about such topics. The author states that in their past lives these people might have even been considered and/or persecuted as withes or dark magic practitioners due to their interests in these areas – hence the deep unexplainable fears. According to de Bizemont these character traits may be the remnants of countless past lives being under the influence of the Scorpio sign. This may be a signal to start cultivating more optimism, open-mindedness, and adventurism, and start moving forward towards the Sagittarius energy. One word of caution though! As usual, take these interpretations with a grain of salt! Someone who has a lot of placements in Scorpio and/or the 8^th house may naturally have these characteristics as part of their current incarnation and life path! (Warren Buffet is a good example.) I may sound like a broken record, but it is important to remember to always keep the whole chart in mind.

1^st House in Sagittarius Celebrities

Actors – Brad Pitt, Jodie Foster, Jennifer Lawrence, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Brigitte Bardot, Bruce Lee, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando, Jada Pinkett Smith, Raquel Welch, and more.

Musicians – Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Kesha, Erykah Badu, Wiz Khalifa, Liam Gallagher, Nelly Furtado (her birth time is not 100% determined), and more.

Other Archer Ascendant celebrities – Princess Diana of Wales, Prince William of Wales, Joe Biden, Warren Buffett, Coco Chanel, Kim Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, Adriana Lima, Agatha Christie, Gerard Piqué, and more.

Additional Books and Must-Reads

Affiliate disclosure: the following links to the Amazon store are affiliate links and commissions are earned.

The Only Way to Learn Astrology volume 2

I mentioned Marion March and Joan McEvers a few times in this article, and I wish to tell you more about their works because I think they are absolute goldmines! These are two of my most favorite Astrology teachers who taught me a lot about the intricate art of natal chart interpretation (and more!).  Well, if you are a complete beginner in this field, do not worry – simply start from volume 1 where you will get all the basics – from the signs, the planets, the houses, and the planetary aspects. However, for the sake of today’s topic about the 1^st house in Sagittarius, it may be much more interesting to take a look at the second installment of the series. This book deals with all the 12 house cusps in all the 12 astrological signs. This means that you can learn more about your Archer rising sign, you can read more about the other 11 Ascendants, and you can find out what the other house cusps mean. For instance, you may learn about your potential to accumulate assets by checking your 2^nd house cusp! Or you might want to see what your children might be or what your parenting style is – by looking at the 5^th house cusp, etc. And this is just the tip of the iceberg! Volume two takes you on a journey into the nitty gritty details of birth chart analysis, such as missing elements, planets without aspects, retrograde planets, the composition of the horoscope, Lunar Nodes, interceptions, mutual receptions, fixed stars, Arabic parts, critical degrees, decans and duads, etc. Whew!

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The Only Way to Learn Astrology volume 3

This is the last volume in this series which deals with the natal chart, and should not be skipped! A while back in this article I mentioned how the placements of the house rulers may completely change how the personality of the first house in Sagittarius is expressed. In this case these are Jupiter and Mars. We take Jupiter since it is the ruling planet of the Archer, and Mars because it is the natural lord of the first house. So, what does it mean when these planets are located in other astrological houses? You will find out in this very book! On top of that you can also do this process for all the rulers of the remaining 11 houses. Now you can have a fuller picture of your potential! And that’s not all either! At the end of the volume you will see a super intriguing chapter on some of the most important areas of our lives – our most suitable jobs and career paths, meaningful relationships, and our wellbeing. It is a must-read!

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RELATED: Most people with a Sagittarius Ascendant usually have their Medium Coeli in Virgo which can give you some awesome ideas about your career potential, best achievements in life, and improved social status! Check it out! If that’s not your MC sign, feel free to take a look at the other 11 positions of the Midheaven point!