Today: An impossible creature. A dog paddler at sea and a waddler on land. Except in the world of symbolism. There, the Sea-Goat loses all clumsiness and vulnerability. There it is an animal of the divine meet between two elements, one who has seen the underbelly of earth and sea, the symbol of the freshwater god Enki. From the beginning Capricorn was tasked with carrying incantations across the primeval oceans to the physical world.
We each have our roles and responsibilities, duties and obligations, to ourselves, to others, and our environment. The mountaintop is a harsh, lonely place. This is Capricorn. In its natural expression this sign represents the need to take accountability for our actions, and to understand that wisdom comes from hard won experience. Capricorn is where Sagittarius finds out what is applicable and what is not. Sagittarius is the search for truth, for justice, while Capricorn is the actualization and application of these ideas. Saturn is Jupiter's father in mythology, just as wise Capricorn puts Sagi's idealism into practical use.
Thus under Saturn, Capricorn is ruled by the notion of time and space, and therefore it is important to consider the third dimension of physical reality. Here is where we choose whether the physical plane is a limiting factor or whether it is a necessary testing ground to proceed with our life's evolution. So Capricorn's deepest teaching is the phenomena of time and space itself, the law of cause and effect therein. This links to the finite nature of life and therefore to the maturation process as we increasingly realize that we have only so many resources in life. We become more focused as to what to do with that time, with those resources. This can correspond with futility and self-defeating psychology, particularly if the society's rules and customs are far from one's natural inclination. And then the depressing feeling of never being able to fit in. But the nature of depression is reflection– we need to discover the operative dynamic that needs to change in order to progress.
Here we remember that Capricorn is a Cardinal sign.
Taking in the full picture, we see that these qualities are a mixed bag of greatness and evil. This can show one who suffers at the hand of evil and who is cast out in disgrace, or it can show one who has sacrificed their own soul to gain the world, or some variation in between. In an undistorted sense this sign is the symbolic father who should protect his children and set the example of how to responsibly contribute to a larger social structure. It is mastery of the self, not by suppressing the inner child but by allowing it to mature and by giving it the necessary structure to do so. In the distorted sense of this goal, instead of maturity there is an authoritative corruption which thwarts growth. Like today's politicians, who with their cynical smiles pretend to provide what is needed. Like Kronos who eats his children in order to stay in power.
With an unbalanced sense of responsibility, this distorted expression seeks power like a hungry wolf seeks carrion. Blindly, he pursues outwardly the approval he should be finding within. And he succeeds. He claws his way to the top and is still unsatisfied. So he pushes harder. He drives himself mercilessly, losing touch with the howling of his physical body and the aching of his heart. And he dies a victim of his role and his responsibilities, perhaps wealthy, and lonely as a grain of sand floating motionless in the void between the stars. Kronos the usurper was himself usurped.
Capricornians are down to earth and utilize knowledge gained from their experiences. Their willingness to share that wisdom is a boon to us all, and these characteristics make them extremely pragmatic, self-reliant, fastidious, and practical, though they can fall into idealising suffering a little too much. But no matter how many times life knocks them down, they always stand up, dust themselves off, and keep going. They have such an innate sense of grit and determination that after the apocalypse, there will be cockroaches, Twinkies, Keith Richards, and Capricorn.
They're known for reverse aging with an increasingly youthful heart, and for good reason. They start out in life with more than their fair share of hardship, making them serious from a young age. Eventually this starts to change. Once you survive the most exhausting parts of life over and over, you realize that nothing is actually that bad. After all, you keep living through it. When you've been hit by the big stuff, the little stuff bounces right off. So Capricorns figure that the best way to live is to enjoy the beauty in the gaps between difficulties, seeing more and more as time goes on. They teach the most important lesson that a life of hardship doesn't have to break you down.
Capricorns accept responsibility well themselves, but only if it seems to have a worthwhile purpose and it the experience can be utilized in a meaningful way: they value respect and work which leads to attainment because these concepts are tied intrinsically to human nature. There is a great potential for success in every Capricorn, though sometimes they refuse to recognize it and their outlook can be pessimistic, so the potential may remain undeveloped:
It is as if you can't really appreciate the good stuff unless there is some impediment... some problem or painful element to put your pleasurable moments in perspective.
On the one hand, some are ambitious and aspiring, with the energy to succeed in whatever they set themselves to do; on the other, there are those who may have desire, but are hindered by inhibition and lack of self-confidence (sometimes even disguised by a feigned laziness).
Our Capricorn neighbors are probably never going to be the person in a restaurant telling loud stories like a Leo, or throwing out all their savings on a trip to Morocco like a Sagittarius. But what Capricorn has to offer means so much. Capricorn love is deep, stable, and real. They support their partners in practical ways that truly make a difference in everyday life. They won't hire a skywriter to tell you you're beautiful, but they will be outside in the dead of winter installing a new battery in your car. And it's not all mortgage payments and insurance deductibles. When a Capricorn feels truly safe and appreciated, a whole new side shines through. They might even get a little silly. Their soft side begins to peek through the walls, and you realize what a big heart they truly have. But if you see them tear up, do them a favor and agree their eyes were just watering. It is allergy season, after all. Capricorn love may not be the flashiest thing around. But you can count on them to support you when the chips are down and to build a life with real value. If you want a trustworthy lover with integrity and depth who will be there through thick and thin, look no further.
Life as a Capricorn can be tough, no doubt about it. But while they may not like to show it, beneath that rough goat hide lies a soft, sensitive heart that feels everything with breathtaking intensity. They choose their loved ones carefully because they know it takes a special effort to see beneath the surface and love them for the sweetheart they actually are: they genuinely care about other people and want to help lift them up. And because they have been knocked down so many times, they are experts at helping people get on their feet. Sometimes all it takes is a kind word and a little boost. And sometimes it means forcing people to stand up and keep going, even if they stumble the whole way. You can't give up halfway up Mt. Everest, and they know that life is Everest. So you simply have to keep going. Capricorn has your back.
Taking a look back at Hellenistic astrology, this is a difficult sign of Saturn because it is a very earthy and watery place not in agreement with the sect of Saturn— which needs warmth to counteract its malefic character. This is also the 12th sign from its other domicile, Aquarius, indicating the aversion to knowledge and the agnoia it generates. This sign is called αἰγόκερως "aigokeros" in Greek, meaning "goat-horned," an association with the god Pan. This figure has had connotations with the Devil; likewise with the Tarot card of the same name which Capricorn is associated with.
Souls were believed to pass through the portals of Men and Gods when going from the sky to the earth and returning from the earth to the sky. Capricorn, the portal of gods, serves as the gateway through which souls return to their rightful abode of immortality to be reckoned among the gods. The interpretations of Numenius and Cronius, who are mentioned by Porphyry in his
De antro nympharum with the nymphs' cave in Homer's Odyssey as an image and symbol of the world, relay that there are two extremities in the heavens– winter and summer. The Romans celebrated their Saturnalia when the sun was in Capricorn and turned its course north to January, a month which derives its name from
ianua, meaning gate. For the Egyptians, the beginning of the year was in Cancer, because the star Sothis was closer to this sign. The relationship between Capricorn and Cancer was remarkably expressed in these mythological and astronomical associations. A Capricorn may also look to the concepts of
χρόνος "chronos" and
καιρός "kairos."
While most interpretations portray Capricorn as crystallized in space, without emotion, underneath that very basis of how Capri projects itself is Cancer: the essence of vulnerability. Cancer has to do with belonging and understanding where you are coming from. Capricorn, then, is about understanding where you are going and what you should do. Going and doing hint at Mars, the planet of action, which is exalted in this place; the consequences of action here are immediate and strict.
Regarding transits in one's natal chart, Capricornian awareness of death and limitation begins at the first Saturn Square, about age 7, and the Saturn cycle continues its structural impact throughout life. This is the time when a 7-8-year-old child or a 22-23-year-old adult faces more serious challenges requiring discipline and order because they fall into a different set of rules that surrounds reality and way of life. The squares mark the natural course of our maturation. During this time, we understand that more effort and the adoption of new qualities are required, and irresponsible behavior can cost a lot.
