If Capricorn could talk, what it would say?
“I take this world seriously and I mean business when I speak. I’m carrying big burdens on my shoulders. Responsibility has been embedded in my nature. I put myself under pressure so I don’t waste time. I get my money’s worth; squeezing the most out of every moment to make sure I realize results. Each time I take a fall, I pick myself up and continue to make the climb. All the while, I act to reserve an honorable reputation. I pay my dues and learn the rules so that one day I’ll be the one who makes the rules.”
“In order to get things to work here on the earth, everything needs to be organized. I am a sure bet for success in the world for I face reality and I operate with integrity. I consider the whole picture. I master my own formula for success by working harder than anyone else. Always true to my word, you can count on me to deliver the goods as promised. The question is, can I rely on you?”
Color: Charcoal
Motto: “Make It Last”
Object: A mountain
Activity: Carving an image in stone
Style: Responsible, realistic, and disciplined
Ancient symbol: The Goat
Mode/Element: Cardinal Earth (Urgent practicality)
Anatomical part: The skeleton, the knees, and the teeth
(Tough enough for the hard road ahead)
Famous Personalities: Martin Luther King Jr, Albert Schweitzer,
Howard Hughes, Mao Tse-tung and Joan of Arc
Places in the World: The United Kingdom, India, Greece, and New York City
On the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere, where the astrological system was first devised, the Sun appears to move into the part of the sky we identify as Capricorn (270-299 degrees on the ecliptic.) For three days, the solar body seems to rest at the lowest point of its apparent path. On December 25, it begins its ascent and that is a special day of peace and celebration throughout the earth, even in the non Christian world.
Metaphysically, Capricorn represents the soul’s complete descent into the physical body. No sign is as potentially capable of functioning successfully in the material world as this one.
Capricorns are here to organize the activities of daily life in the mundane sphere. It is not that they want to do this job themselves; instead, they start at a very early age learning how to tell other people to become more organized. They are the administrators who aim to oversee and govern while the rank and file takes care of the grunt work.
They are no slouches in the work department, however. When Capricorns are committed to a job, their ability to concentrate and sustain their effort, all the while achieving excellent results, is remarkable. As the most focused and self disciplined of all the signs, Capricorns are nothing less than industrious. It is just that they prefer to be a captain of industry rather than one of the slaves to the machine. They dislike anyone telling them what to do, yet they do not hesitate to give orders when they see fit. From an early age, these serious and ambitious folk made up their minds that they are going to occupy a prestigious position and secure a role that would give them power in the world. They often go through a painful period in their younger years, but life keeps getting better for them, and they keep getting amazingly younger, as they grow older.
Capricorn’s journey is analogous to the process by which a lump of carbon is crystallized through the passage of time into a precious gem. This sign both respects the process of time and works well with it. They know how to wait for the perfect timing and thus their efforts are usually right on time and beautiful to behold.
What is great about Capricorn is their integrity. When they say they will do something, they do it. When they make a promise, they keep it. Unless they lack respect for you, in which case they do not give a damn. They are, however, committed to the game of life and the rules it goes by because they have every intention of winning the game and taking home whatever prizes are given. They realize that no matter what anyone has to say, you cannot argue with success.
Failure is anathema to these people. They fear it and they do everything in their power to see that it does not occur. If it does, it is best never to mention it to them, because it will only create an embarrassing moment.
What is surprising about Capricorns is that they have a great sense of humor. Thank God that they do, as the weight they carry calls out for something to offset it. Although they are inherently tough and they grow stronger year by year, they know how to enjoy life, especially once they have scaled the mountain they have chosen to climb. When the peak of attainment has been reached, when they have captured a secure place in society and when they have amassed material power on some level, Capricorns aim for spiritual power. To them, this entails mastery of the body and an ability to stay healthy and vital until the day they leave the planet.
Capricorns put their faith and trust in what they see before them and this is the reality they are here to serve. They can become somewhat rigid and have difficulty letting go because they want their life to be sufficiently structured so that it seems to be invincible. If their complementary opposite sign, Cancer, is the most receptive to the light, then Capricorn is the least receptive. Like the diamond, Capricorns can reflect light, however, their desire for a permanent bastion that upholds their value causes them to harden at their core. The principles that determine how they run their lives can become so hermetically sealed, that it is useless to convince them of anything other than what they have chosen to believe. They become externally focused to the extent that they give more power to matter than the material world merits. It is one thing to honor the foundation that holds a society together and supports all of its members. It is quite another to believe that the present reality will always be the only game in town. Is it not sheer hubris to think that our story on the earth within this vast cosmos is so significant that it will last forever, when in truth nothing in the material world does? Capricorns think in terms of making the things in their life permanent. While the physical reality that they give most of their attention and allegiance to is currently important and necessary, the energy and information we carry in our souls is even more important, as they are the parts of us that are indestructible and everlasting.
Capricorns ideally want the structure they build to be in the shape of a pyramid, with themselves naturally at the top. The next sign Aquarius, however, will come along and attempt to flatten the pyramid so that everyone operates on equal terms. For all their strength and restraint, deep down inside Capricorns harbor a fear that one day they could lose it all. No matter how substantial they make their life, a fear such as that never goes away and that is what keeps Capricorns working around the clock until the end of their days.