The Answer Box
Zip Dobyns
Katie: What is the difference between the desire for insight and knowledge of Scorpio vs. Sagittarius?
Zip: Fire planets, signs and houses reach out while water turns in. Scorpio symbolizes the search for self-knowledge and self-mastery while Sagittarius represents the search for ultimate premises about the world and life in general: the nature of truth, reality, morality, etc. Scorpio is still focused on interpersonal relationships, needing the mirror of a mate to reflect the self, and it is often fascinated by the past. Sagittarius goes beyond the one-to-one personal contacts, demanding the freedom to follow the quest for truth and ultimate value wherever it takes one, and it often anticipates the future.
Of course in a real chart, we may have Jupiter in Scorpio or in the 8th house, or Pluto in the 9th house, or the ruler of either house placed in the other one, or many other combinations which mix the principles. Then we may idealize the mate or make an ultimate value of the Scorpio sharing of the physical world. We may be torn between our need for closeness and our need to be free to seek farther. The fire urge to pour out may struggle against the water urge to hold in. Yet, the two parts of life do share the desire for understanding, and when we integrate them effectively, they can be complementary rather than in conflict. They can be a great team to explore both the heights and the depths of minds and life.