Mars in Sagittarius

Jupiter owns Sagittarius, and Lilly 1659 adds that the planet takes his joy there. Mars comes as a visitor, with the last five degrees as terms and nothing larger in Lilly's table. Ptolemy (Ashmand's 1822 translation) closes the triangle of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius to him.

Hot and dry on Lilly's scale, the sign matches Mars in both qualities. Adams 1928 calls it the last of the fiery signs and says it reflects fire more than it burns, which invites our own comparison with Mars in Aries, one that leans toward distance and aim. No book here gives a portrait for this exact pair, and the reasoning stops at what sign and planet contribute separately.

Host and guest here have very different reputations in the old temperaments, since Ptolemy counts Jupiter among benefics and Mars among malefics, terms for the qualities each was thought to promote. Modern popular astrology pictures energy spent on causes, travel and big arguments about belief. Readers should take that as a modern gloss laid over a thin older record.