Capricorn Mars learned to get ahead while others were sleeping.

Mars is exalted in this sign. Antiochus says that this is because the god of war exalts in this place of death. Most astrologers say that Mars is given the discipline it lacks by Saturn the taskmaster. The soul is said to perceive the actions of the individual more clearly when in this sign, but this may be because Mars is in the 10th sign from Aries, its own domicile, thereby making it more visible cosmologically.

For this reason, it is a fortunate placement for getting ahead or becoming famous or well known, and seems to create ambition in the individual. They have an intense drive, strong self discipline and self control and have a commanding presence. Quitting is not in their vocabulary. Its relationship to Saturn allows the individual to be practical and coordinated in their efforts, sustaining them for the long haul. They tend to be very serious and focused and are anything but laid back.

As you watch others flail and flounder from a distance, you realize that no one truly knows what they're doing. You understand that no one is coming to save you. Even if they were, would you really want it? Would they be able to manage things as well as you? Would they see the way you truly are? One of the very few areas in which you gain that sense of security are your accomplishments. You learned that your list of awards and accolades is the best way to insulate yourself from feeling like you've done nothing in life. The problem with achievement is that it paints a target on your back. You may have fallen out of your accomplishments completely, only hanging on by a thread to your former self. Authenticity feels like vulnerability, and vulnerability feels like defenselessness. You know better than to leave yourself exposed. In this way, you have purchased imagined safety at the expense of your own emotional honesty.