On 22nd of December we will experience the yearly winter solstice. It is also known as the shortest day in the year. Astrologically this moment is the beginning of the winter season as well as the peak moment of the YIN energy. The astrological year can be divided into four quarters starting with the spring equinox where both day and night ( Yang and Yin ) are perfectly balanced. It continuous with the summer solstice where the day is the longest during the entire year (peak of the yang energy). Then it reaches again a balance point during the autumn equinox and then reaches finally as the beginning of the last quarter the winter solstice.
The peak of Yin energies can be easily observed in nature, as by now all the trees absorbed all the life force energy inside, all animals prepared their nests and food to survive for the winter period and even on the streets are less and less people, the energies are resorbed which is a defining Yin quality.
In this specific moment starts also the season of the next sign of the zodiacal order. The tenacious goat, Capricorn.
Capricorn is a surprisingly fiery and active sign for a season which is predominately described by immobility in nature. This roots in the astrological modality of Capricorn which is inherent to all the signs that begin a season, the cardinal mode.
This gives all people born approximately from December 22nd until January 20th an inborn capacity to act, to start new things and a specific type of resonance with the subtle element of fire which is unique, as the main category that Capricorn falls under is the subtle element of earth. So a solid structure which is full of drive towards actions.
We should never forget that a person can not and should not be reduced to their sun sign or the so-called star sign. As each being has a very complex astral structure and even far more than that a unique soul. But still with an attentive eye and certain sensitivity one will easily perceive many archetypical similarities between all Capricorn-natives.
So let us dive deeper into the mysteries of the well known but also well misunderstood sign of the goat.
The ruling Planet of Capricorn is Saturn. More over it is representing the Yin quality of Saturn, meaning the receptive and internal aspect of Saturn. With this in mind let us look at the symbolism of Saturn.
In the the Alchemical tradition Saturn is represented by Lead, or also the prima materia, which is considered the raw essence of matter out of which, through the help of the philosophers stone (lapis), is attained gold. Gold is the symbol of the Sun, which in astrology is the symbol of the heart, the self.
Saturn is the last visible planet with the physical eye (except for very rare occasions when Uranus shortly blinks into the picture of the night sky). Which is a wonderful symbolism of Saturn as the last individual Planet, after which only the transcendental or trans-personal planets: Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are following.
So we can define Saturn as the force which reveals to us the last limitations that we have to overcome in order to transcend our individual nature and to enter into the realm of universality, everything which is beyond the concepts of our mind. To truly beyond all concepts see our Self.
This is why Saturn is the Planet of spiritual maturity, of wisdom as well as of effort and discipline. Through the Planet Saturn we are getting revealed all the impurities that we still have to purify in order to fully utilise the expansive power of our sun and for this we will need all the willpower and discipline that we can acquire.
Even though in most peoples lives the presence of Saturn is greatly feared and Saturn was thus even unfairly named ‚the great malefic‘ which is a result of a completely wrong understanding of its essence. We rather should call Saturn 'the great master‘ as we will really achieve mastery in that specific area Saturn is testing us through all the spiritual tests in this life time. To find out more I highly recommend a birth chart reading with an astrologer to see how Saturn manifests in your being.
Does all of this sound familiar somehow when you look back at the last few months?
Certainly if I had to give this period of humankind a headline it would be something like that: ‚ Meeting with Saturn - Lets get real. ‚
As we are really confronted with all our limitations. Brought back to earth, and facing our level according to reality.
We are currently in the ending phase of the glorious Transit of Saturn in Capricorn which was an ongoing transit the last 2 years and will continue until march 2020.
We also have Jupiter, who just entered in the beginning of December into Capricorn which will remain there for another year and as a grand finale for the big transit of Saturn in Capricorn we will have a Meeting of two metaphorical giants ( as one of them is at least physically quite small) :
Pluto and Saturn Conjunction in Capricorn in January 2020. This is another very big topic as this transit happens only all 32 - 37 years and ALWAYS defines a big change in the world history . Stay definitely updated as I am preparing an in depth study of this topic which it deserves.
Back to Capricorn.
With all that we know now about the ruling Planet Saturn, we can have a deeper look into the psychology of Capricorn.
In the zodiacal cycle Capricorn is the 10th sign and represents the goat which climbs the mountain after Sagittarius gathered all the aspiration and enthusiasm which is needed for that long and strenuous journey.
So whenever Capricorn put any objective into mind it will do all the work, all the effort needed to reach the top of the mountain. As an earth sign that can take a while. But one thing is clear, it will reach the top eventually.
With this Capricorn has the force to accomplish all the success that this world is granting and with this comes also one of the biggest tests of the goat. Which is a tendency towards materialism in the sense of ‚choosing the the wrong mountain‘ for example the mountain of worldly success I.e. to reach the top in a hierarchy pyramid of a big company.
But once Capricorn is choosing the ‚spiritual mountain‘ with the goal of reaching spiritual perfection we can clearly state that Capricorn is the safest sign of all, as it will stick to rules and traditions, which always worked. Yes it might make Capricorns appear sometimes rigid and blind towards certain shortcuts along the way that other signs might easily see. But sometimes it is very wise on a very high and steep climb to take the slightly longer but safer route, while trying dangerous shortcuts might be a chance to fall, which might be very difficult to recover from in order to start the climb once again. And then, even though the goat’s second name might not have been mr. Courageous, he is enjoying the bliss of successfully having reached the top of the mountain.
Generally there is a certain love about rules and traditions which go side by side with the Capricorn sign, as well as a deep understanding about the importance of taking responsibility.
But also as being predominantly a Yin (receptive) sign, as well as so aware of all the limitations of the own nature there can easily occur states of depression feeling all the pressure and weight of the responsibilities on the shoulder.
So a very important quality for Capricorn natives but also, and I want to underline this, for any other planetary position we might have Capricorn in, or a very strong focus of saturnian energy in the birth-chart, is to be able to relax. To do everything that has to be done in a good Capricorn manner, but from the heart. With a state of relaxation and playfulness.
This reveals also the meaning of the saying that a Capricorn- native is born old and is getting younger in time. This is only valid for someone who understood the deep and necessary connection between effort and playfulness , awareness and relaxation. Otherwise we will find in the senior years of such a person a very rigid, rule obsessed and depressed old person.
In Astrology the journey through all the 12 signs is in reality a description of the unfoldment of Prana in time. Prana is the Life energy, the Breath of The Universe in other words.
Meditating upon this we can see that in every journey we are on, sooner or later we will be confronted with the Capricornian energy. It is is a necessary puzzle piece in every process.
We need the discipline and the effort in order to really climb the mountain. The dreaming and idealism of the previous sign Sagittarius is not enough it also needs the realisms of Capricorn.
In the Yogic Tradition this is described by the term Tapas which is one of the Sanskrit terms for fire or burning. A spiritual discipline which purifies our being in order to give our body fully as a host of divine consciousness.
With this I invite everyone who read so far to take this period of the Capricorn-Season to search for this need of our souls to assimilate this quality of Tapas, the sacrifice of our lower nature in order to reach the peak of the inner mountain.
With Love
Lennart T.
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