Sagittarius III: Spectrality

Mutable fire: overexposure, doubles, the numinous

• Atmosphere: Spectrality

• Sign: Sagittarius

• Plant: Pine

• Planet: Saturn + The Sun

• Dates: 13 December – 22 December

• Tarot: 10 of Wands

Some offerings can only be made once.

– Austin Coppock, ‘Sagittarius III – A Horse’s Skull’

Sagittarius III is Spectrality. This is a time of year when the border between life and death flickers.

Not everyone will make it through the winter, and some offerings can only be made once. The historical presence of sacrifice, difficulty, and a longing for the sun’s safe return are all present in this decan.

Saturn imposes limits, and grounds us in the reality of time and distance.

The horse’s skull of Austin Coppock’s decan name provides a spectral flicker between life and death – there is a recognisable animal, yet one who has already passed on.

Pines, the plant for this decan, are both Saturnian and solar. They reach to the heavens and take years to mature.

They have a numinous quality.

Evergreens like pine and their otherworldly nature facilitated a direct connection with the Gods which, as Schroeder (1992) states, offers deep experiences of awe, and awe can be understood as the experience of spirit.

– Corbett, Sarah. (2022). Pine Monograph.

Kening Zhu’s illustration captures the chill sunlight, and the infinite vortex of the tall pine trees. It also echoes the impossible burden of the Ten of Wands, the card for this decan.

The Sun bleaches everything white at this time of year. The low winter sun blinds and annihilates the landscape. What can be seen is spectral, flickery, and overexposed.

Darkness can hide secrets in the shadows, but too much whiteness – as in fog, bright sunlight, or overexposed photographs – hides just as much.

There is a movement towards the solstice, and the sun returning, but this sun is chilly and austere.