Archer (Zodiac)
The Archer is the sixth sign in the Avarian zodiac. It is the birth sign for the month of Azara.
| Month | Azara |
| Ruling Element | Air |
| Ruling Planet | Salesh |
| Modality | Dissonant |
| Ruling Trait | Acuity |
| Keywords | Quick-witted, agile, acuity, restless, impulsive, hands-on |
Description
Quick-witted and always poised for action, the Archer is primed to respond to any situation as it arises and thrives on the unexpected. Archers are agile both mentally and physically, sometimes making them restless and fickle, but always giving them an edge in swift adaptability. The Archer is not given to long forethought or deep contemplation, but shines when quick decisions are needed and plans must be worked out on the fly.
Archers often enjoy being outdoors, where their high energy levels can be burned off in active pursuits. They also love competition -- but hate losing, and can become extremely upset if bested, especially at their favorite activities. Archers are quick to leap to both judgment and conclusions, and so can be intolerant and hasty. They can make somewhat nitpicky friends, but the Archer feels that it is only using its quick discernment to help others correct their flaws and solve their problems before they get out of hand. This attitude does not prevent the other signs from feeling Archers are know-it-all busybodies who should more often keep their endless advice and unsolicited problem solving to themselves.
Archers alternate between bursts of activity and periods of rest, and some can come off as indolent and unengaged. Usually, however, their minds are active even when their bodies are not, and people who are accustomed to seeing the Archer in motion may be surprised to observe how content it may be with a book or a puzzle in hand. Despite their quick reactivity they are actually quite patient, and rather creative as well. While their creativity is most noticeable in the quick and clever plans they devise, they also like working with their hands and often have a mechanical or even mathematical bent. Where the Sunspider prefers words, the Archer often enjoys formulae that capture phenomena with quick efficiency. Even the laziest Archer is simply waiting for that next thing to ignite its enthusiasm, the next challenging target to aim at.
The Dissonant Archer
The Archer is a highly reactive sign that is quick to respond to events and people around it. At its best that gives it the ability to be very effective in rapidly changing circumstances, easily coming up with new plans and strategies to deal with new contingencies. At its worst, the Archer can act with too much haste and impulsivity, letting fly its arrows before it has taken the time to fully aim. Archers can also be unstable and contradictory, changing their minds unexpectedly and switching between lazy inactivity and extreme bursts of action with little ground in between.
The Archer in the Heavens
The Archer constellation consists most noticeably of its six-starred bow, with the seventh star of Nabil for the head of its arrow that seems to take aim at the Shield. Its actual body is represented only by a zigzagging line of five much fainter stars. It is best seen in the spring, reaching its zenith in the first month of Pavana.