Five Fabulous Females Harness their Sagittarius Traits for Their Careers

Everybody loves a birthday. But, to some, birthdays mean a bit more than just cake and presents. Astrology has been a part of human life since the second millennium B.C.E, existing on multiple continents and countless cultures. Today, many of us stream YouTube horoscopes recited by Nadiya Shah, or gleefully flip to the end of Vogue or Elle in order to read what the coming month has in store for us in terms of our astrological birth signs.

Of course, astrology can as be as fun and simple as a fleeting insight into a day, week, or month ahead of us, but it can go much deeper – with complex charts on one’s sun sign, moon sign, rising, and more. At SharpHeels though, our focus is placed on how star signs have affected and contributed to our favorite female celebrities’ success. So join us every month for a celebration of birthdays and an ode to how your sign might shine some wisdom on your own career path.

On November 22, Sagittarius took center stage. From now until December 21, the archer will be celebrated in all it’s creative and adventurous glory. Those born under this sign tend to be risk-takers, travelers, and students – three traits that will help anyone exceed in the professional world – especially within the entertainment industry. Considered the luckiest sign in the zodiac, Sagittarians are an optimistic sort who constantly crave variety and new people. When a goal is made clear, these archers will stop at nothing to reach the finish line. “Creativity is at the core of who they are […] Sagittarians are often creating and recreating their living situations, work situations, and human relationships,” explains Horoscopedates.com. While tact is not something they have in abundance, their straightforward approach to work and life generates respect from all they work with.

Below, we’ve chosen five noteworthy celebrities who’ve mastered their Sagittarian traits to exceed in the entertainment industry and beyond.

Tina Tuner: November 26, 1939
Deemed the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Tina Turner has spent more than a half-century in the spotlight. Turner began singing early in her teen years and skyrocketed to fame with her future ex-husband, Ike Turner. Together, the pair toured extensively during the late sixties and early seventies, until Turner filed for divorce. Though the split left her broke, and a single mother of four, Turner never stopped taking risks. Touring smaller clubs, she slowly gained momentum to make a complete comeback in 1984. Her esteemed solo album, Private Dancer, received praise across the board and won Turner four Grammy Awards. Private Dancer has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. Never one to settle, Turner put her attention into films, and writing. Her 1986 autobiography, I, Tina went on to inspire the 1993 movie, What’s Love Got to Do with It. Always one to keep fans on their toes, Turner has gone in and out of semi-retirement for the better part of the millennium. Due to her tidal wave success of the eighties, Turner was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. She’s taken home a total of eight Grammys, and now, back in semi-retirement, the performer lives in Switzerland with her second husband, Erwin Bach.

Tyra Banks, born December 4, 1973
The breadth of Tyra Banks’s multifaceted professional life makes this entrepreneur one stellar Sagittarius. Using her modeling career – which began when she was still in high school – as a spring board, Banks carved out a much broader business path for herself. Aside from being the first black woman to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, she’s created two reality television shows – America’s Next Top Model (just ending it’s 21st season, which she also hosts), and ABC’s True Beauty. Amidst all of this, Banks also began hosting her own talk show on The CW. The Tyra Banks Show ran for five seasons, winning her two Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Talk Show Informative. In her spare time, she’s authored a young adult novel, Modelland, and started her own cosmetic line. In 2011, the unstoppable lady enrolled in the Owner/President Management Program, a nine-week certificate course through Harvard Business School. Today, she is the fourth richest supermodel in the U.S. Like many Sagittarians, Banks’ dedication to her personal goals, and her drive to continually try new things has fueled an ever-changing career with serious longevity.

Rita Moreno, born December 11, 1931
At 83 years old, the multidimensional actress, Rita Moreno, is still active in the industry. A natural talent, Moreno – who would perform at bar mitzvahs as a child – made her Broadway debut at 13 years old. Hollywood wasn’t far behind. Though with the Hollywood attention came limited roles for Latina women – to which she says she’s played “every nationality.” Then, in 1961 she was offered the role of Anita in Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins’ West Side Story. For her work in the time-honored musical, Moreno took home an Oscar that year for Best Supporting Actress. She was the first Latina woman to win an Academy Award. Inspired by her win, Moreno refused to take on another stereotypical “ethnic” role, which coincidentally led her to take nearly a decade off from acting. Returning with a bang seven years later, Moreno went on to star in television shows, recorded music, and even returned to Broadway. She is one of very few people to win the quartet of awards: an Oscar, a Grammy, a Tony, and an Emmy. In 2004, she was the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and five years later, President Obama awarded her with the National Medal of the Arts. A civil rights advocate, and wickedly talented, Moreno has continued to harness her Sagittarius dedication to stay true to her beliefs.

Taylor Swift, born December 13, 1989
It’s been one crazy year for Taylor Swift. With the release of her fifth studio album, 1989, the Swift landslide broke multiple world records. Released on October 27, 1989 became the first platinum album of the year. With astronomical hard-copy sales, 1989 has also become the best-selling album in more than 10 years. As a result, Swift has become the only woman artist to have three albums sell more than one million copies in it’s first week. A once budding country star – as a preteen, Swift convinced her family to relocate from her hometown in Pennsylvania to Nashville so she could pursue her singing career – 1989 marks her official genre shift. “For the last few years, I’ve woken up every day not wanting, but needing to write a new style of music. I needed to change the way I told my stories and the way they sounded,” Swift wrote on her website. “I listened to my intuition that it was a good thing to follow this gut feeling.” Her connection to her art and her desire to change are both common Sagittarius traits. As of today, Swift has won a total of seven Grammys, and in 2008, she became the youngest person to ever win Album of the Year (for her sophomore album, Fearless).

Michelle Dockery, born December 15, 1981
Best known for her portrayal of Lady Mary on Masterpiece’s Downton Abbey, Michelle Dockery is full of the Sagittarius moxie. In a 2012 interview with Harpers Bazaar, Dockery admitted to sometimes drinking the wine while filming the show’s epic meal scenes. After graduating from London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2004, Dockery began her acting career on stage. As a theater actress, she has played some of the most well known women in drama and literature, including Hamlet’s Ophelia, and Eliza Doolittle in Sir Petter Hall’s production of Pygmalion. The latter won her an Ian Charleson Award (an honor given to classic British stage actors under 30). In 2010, Dockery was cast in Downton and has since lit up the screen, offering Lady Mary some of her fiery Sagittarius straightforwardness. For her work on the well-loved Masterpiece drama, Dockery has been nominated for the Emmy’s Best Actress Award for the past three years. In 2013 she received her first Golden Globe nomination as well. Aside from her impressive acting resume, Dockery is also a jazz singer. She occasionally performs with Sadie & the Hotheads, the band fronted by Elizabeth McGovern – also known as Lady Cora, Mary’s mother.

Some other notable female Sagittarians include: Miley Cyrus, Janelle Monae, and Florence Griffith Joyner. Also known as Flo-Jo, the deceased Olympian still holds the world record for both the 100 and 200-meter sprint, which she set in 1988.

Feeling inspired? Tell us how you will harness your Sagittarius traits for a career that fulfills you, in the comments below.

Photos courtesy of ThePlace2, Wikipedia, & Mike Marsland of the British Fashion Awards 2014