Preface
If your birthday does not fall during the
Capricorn timeframe for the year you were born, this DOES NOT mean that you do
not experience the energy of Capricorn, because somewhere in your natal birth
chart, it is present. All twelve signs of the zodiac are expressed in your
being, although some signs, and therefore their corresponding energies, may be
more emphasized than others.
The Sun sign is about your essence, your
vitality (what makes you feel alive), and your self-image. Whatever your Sun
sign, you are on a life-long journey to discover and fully embrace this sign’s
energy. You may be tested in life to experience the meaning of your Sun sign’s
energy.
The Sun began its transit
of the sign of Capricorn on December 21, 2012 at 3:11 am PST.
Capricorns Speak
Betty White
Capricorn and Actress/Animal Rights Activist
“I'm
having the time of my life and the fact that I'm still working -- how lucky can
you get? I'm 90 years old and still able to work as much as I do. That's a
privilege.”
Muhammad Ali
Capricorn and Former Professional Boxer/Philanthropist
“I hated every minute of training, but I said,
'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion'.”
Christine Lagarde
Capricorn and Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund
“Perhaps
the greatest roadblock will be the huge legacy of public debt, which now
averages almost 110 percent of GDP for the advanced economies—the highest level
since World War II. This leaves governments highly exposed to subtle shifts in
confidence. It also ties their hands, especially as they seek to build the
infrastructure of the 21st century while respecting social promises. The needs
of rapidly aging populations will add to these pressures. One lesson is
clear from history—reducing public debt is incredibly difficult without growth.
High debt, in turn, makes it harder to get growth. The road ahead of us is
narrow and long.”
Kahlil Gibran
Capricorn and Author of The
Prophet (and other works)
“And an astronomer said, ‘Master, what of Time?’
And he answered:
You would measure time the measureless and the immeasurable.
You would adjust your conduct and even direct the course of your spirit according to hours and seasons.
Of time you would make a stream upon whose bank you would sit and watch its flowing.
Yet the timeless in you is aware of life's timelessness,
And knows that yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream.
And that that which sings and contemplates in you is still dwelling within the bounds of that first moment which scattered the stars into space.
Who among you does not feel that his power to love is boundless?
And yet who does not feel that very love, though boundless, encompassed within the centre of his being, and moving not fromm love thought to love thought, nor from love deeds to other love deeds?
And is not time even as love is, undivided and placeless?
But if in you thought you must measure time into seasons, let each season encircle all the other seasons,
And let today embrace the past with remembrance and the future with longing.
You would measure time the measureless and the immeasurable.
You would adjust your conduct and even direct the course of your spirit according to hours and seasons.
Of time you would make a stream upon whose bank you would sit and watch its flowing.
Yet the timeless in you is aware of life's timelessness,
And knows that yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream.
And that that which sings and contemplates in you is still dwelling within the bounds of that first moment which scattered the stars into space.
Who among you does not feel that his power to love is boundless?
And yet who does not feel that very love, though boundless, encompassed within the centre of his being, and moving not fromm love thought to love thought, nor from love deeds to other love deeds?
And is not time even as love is, undivided and placeless?
But if in you thought you must measure time into seasons, let each season encircle all the other seasons,
And let today embrace the past with remembrance and the future with longing.
Joan Baez
Capricorn and Singer/Songwriter
"Action
is the antidote to despair."
Robert Bly
Capricorn and Writer/Leader of the Men's Mythopoetic Movement
“Every
noon as the clock hands arrive at twelve,
I want to tie the two arms together,
And walk out of the bank carrying time in bags.”
I want to tie the two arms together,
And walk out of the bank carrying time in bags.”
Capricorn Symbolism and Rulerships
 |
| The glyph of Capricorn |
The glyph of Capricorn, shown
above, resembles the angularity of a goat’s horn at the top and a curving tail
at the bottom. The sign is represented by the mountain goat (as shown in the
medieval painting preceding the article) or the sea goat. Astrologer Deborah
Houlding explains that the sea goat symbolism may represent the “cross of
matter,” where the psyche (equated with the impressionable ocean) is forced to
meet the challenges of the material world (as in the earthy, concrete
mountains) in a quest for individualization.[1]
Astrologer Caroline Casey distinguishes between the domesticated goat and the
wild goat, proposing that these two states of being reflect a dual nature in
the Capricorn personality. The domesticated goat reflects the side of Capricorn
that assumes a preordained role established by an external authority, resulting
in living a life in accordance with duty. This type of Capricorn may feel
responsible and law-abiding, but may feel a deep gloom. On the other hand, the
wild goat lives in an environment of freedom, and it establishes its own path,
leading to a more joyful existence.[2]
The name Capricorn, or
Capricornus, derives from the Latin, with “caper” meaning goat, and “cornu”
signifying horns. Horns are an ancient symbol of fertility, abundance, and
prosperity. In ancient mythology, the goat Cornucopia nourished Jupiter as an
infant. In ancient rituals, horned animals were sacrificed to draw power from
the gods, leading later societies to misinterpret these “scapegoats” as
representations of evil. In the Tarot deck, Capricorn is often associated with
the horned Devil card. Astrologer Bruce Nevin says that the Devil is often
referred to as the “Father of Lies,” meaning the lie of separateness. He says
that the Capricornian lack of fulfillment in the pursuit of earthly
manifestations and concentrated power can only be addressed when those born
under this sign understand earthly limitations and overcome the illusion of
separation and isolation.[3]
Capricorn is ruled by the
planet Saturn, which represents the principle of contraction, the opposite of
Jupiter, which symbolizes expansion. Saturn is the taskmaster, from whom we
learn lessons after committing ourselves to a process or path. Saturn places
boundaries on our activities and thinking, and represents the concept of time,
thus the planet is often synonymous with “Father Time.” The terms commitment,
effort, discipline, mastery, and authority are all key words associated with
Capricorn.
Capricorn is a cardinal earth
sign. As such, Capricorn represents the initiatory energy of a new season,
emerging at the winter solstice. As an earth sign, Capricorn is concerned with
manifestation, and with the creation and maintenance of structures.
Capricorn rules the 10th
House of the zodiac, at the top of the astrological chart. The tenth house
involves social participation. This house oversees activities such as one’s
career, public standing, political power, and one’s relationships with
authorities (including those within the family, such as the mother or the
father).
Capricorn’s Purpose and Personality
Sagittarius completes the
public relations and sales activities of the harvest season. Now winter
emerges, and Capricorn maintains the harvest’s stockpile to be consumed during
the severe season of winter. While autumn displayed the horn of plenty, winter
requires conservation. The most difficult weather is yet to come, but the light
of day will gradually increase as the season proceeds. Whereas Sagittarian
energy is externalized, Capricorn energy withdraws inward, consistent with the
season’s energy.
Sagittarius utilized its
exuberant energy to set lofty goals and explore diverse experiences. Capricorn
now chooses those elevated sights that are most likely to bear fruit. Capricorn
says, “We’ve done enough exploring–it’s time now to establish some solid
structures and activities that will move us forward.” Capricorn energy is
responsible for the building of cities and their infrastructures.
Being of worth to society is
important to those born under the sign of the goat. They are willing to work
hard to accomplish their goals, and they exhibit the patience required to
persist with a process that includes defeat as well as success. Capricorns can
be the quintessential “come back kids.”
Sometimes descriptions of the
sign of Capricorn seem rather grim. Some perceive Capricorn’s qualities of
restraint and seriousness as reflecting an austere personality. However, every
Capricorn is unique in terms of sign combinations in their chart and this will
affect the degree to which the sign’s qualities will be expressed. Contrary to
some profiles of Capricorn that emphasize the sign’s love of solitude, I myself
observe that individuals with significant Capricorn energy are often quite
sociable (remember, the sign rules the 10th house), but express
reserve and maturity in their interactions.
Astrologer Steven Forrest (a
Sun Sign Capricorn himself) posits that Capricorn's purpose is to fuse the
essential character with a suitable public identity to serve society, whether
through a job, volunteer work, or civic service. This societal role must match
the Capricorn individual’s value system and interests. Forrest says that
Capricorn utilizes patience and self-discipline in this arduous process of
finding one's proper place in the community. Furthermore, this author contends
that solitude is a strategy utilized by Capricorn to learn how to be content
with his or her thoughts and projects so as not to rely on the praise and
approval of others. In this way, observes Forrest, solitude transforms a burden
into an opportunity. He says that Capricorn's practicality keeps it focused on
its intention, allowing sign natives to overcome feelings of fear, frustration,
and resistance. Capricorn's iron will is among its greatest resources. [4]
When Capricorn fails to find,
or loses sight of, his or her true nature and goals, sign natives can become
isolated and alone. They may turn to false pursuits, pursuing success for the
sake of success, acquiring money as a sign of success, or hoarding tangible
items as a validation of self-worth. Hence, as this sign's symbol suggests, the
Goat must find the right mountain to climb, so that it is not duty-bound, but
instead is free to climb heights in alignment with its nature.
Prime examples of Capricorn
“gone wrong” can be seen in the how the late J. Edgar Hoover, long-time head of
the FBI, and the late President Richard Nixon, conducted some of their
professional activities. In my mind, J. Edgar Hoover represents the difficult
side of Capricorn energy. For many years he reigned as a tyrannical
authoritarian figure, feared by others in power, primarily because they knew
that he collected information that could damage their careers. In one of her
books, astrologer Caroline Casey says Capricorn behavior can become “weird”
when these sign natives become too insular. Hoover exhibited the Saturinnian
tendency toward insecurity and corresponding overcompensation with overwork. As
Casey theorizes, these outwardly successful people are often surrounded by “yes
men” who are unable to offer this personality type the feedback necessary to
curb their unhealthy idiosyncrasies.[5]
Similarly, our nation’s 37th president, Richard Nixon, authorized
Republican operatives to break in and wiretap the Watergate headquarters of the
opposition party. His authoritarian drive and thirst for power overshadowed his
Capricorn common sense. Like Hoover, Nixon lacked aides in his administration
who could show him the folly of his ways.
Endnotes
[1]
Houlding, Deborah (December/January 2008). Capricorn the Goatfish. The Mountain Astrologer. Issue #136, pp.
40-47.
[2] Casey,
Caroline (1998). Making the Gods Work for
You. New York: Harmony Books, p.48.
[3] Nevin,
Bruce (1982). Astrology Inside Out.
Rockport, Massachusetts: Para Research, Inc., p.80.
[4] Forrest, Steven. (1988). The Inner Sky.
San Diego: ACS Publications, pp.81-85.
[5] Casey,
Caroline, Op.Cit., p.48
Profile of a Prominent Capricorn
 |
| Bernardine Dohrn Born January 12, 1942 |
Best known for her figurehead role in the militant
group The Weathermen, Bernardine Dohrn currently serves as a Clinical Associate
Professor of Law at Northwestern University. She is married to a fellow
Capricorn, Bill Ayers, also a former member of the Weathermen. American
conservatives have consistently linked Chicago residents Ayers and Dohrn with
President Barack Obama. A long-time child advocate, Dohrn lectures and writes
about humanitarian and legal issues concerning youth within domestic and
international spheres. She is the founder and a past Director of the Children
and Family Justice Center, which operates within Northwestern University School
of Law's Bluhm Legal Clinic. Dohrn also co-founded the Center on the Wrongful
Convictions of Youth. In this arena, Dohrn conducts research and policy
advocacy to reduce the incarceration and out-of-home placement of youth.
Born Bernardine Rae Ohrnstein on January 12, 1942 in
Chicago, Illinois, her family moved to Whitefish Bay Wisconsin when she was
eight. Bernardine was the daughter of a Jewish American father and a Christian
Scientist mother with Swedish roots. (Her father changed the family surname to
Dohrn). She appears to have had a rather conventional life as a high school
student at Whitefish Bay High School, where she served as editor of the student
newspaper, participated in the Modern Dance Club, and joined the cheerleading
squad.
After high school graduation, Dohrn studied at Miami
University for one year, and then transferred to the University of Chicago,
where she earned her Bachelor’s in Political Science in 1963. Four years later,
she completed her J.D. at this university. Soon thereafter, she accepted a
position in New York with the National Lawyers Guild.
During her college years, Dohrn became active in
anti-war activities and in the civil rights movement. She joined a branch of
the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), known as the Revolutionary Youth
Movement. The group’s manifesto, entitled "You Don't Need a Weatherman to
Know Which Way the Wind Blows," spoke about the need for a classless
society that would be brought about by a cadre organization leading a revolution.
Dohrn identified strongly as a Communist committed to a guerilla struggle
against American imperialism. In 1969, she was indicted by a grand jury on
conspiracy charges to violate the anti-riot act in conjunction with anti-war
activities at the Democratic Convention in Chicago in 1968. Four years later,
the Seventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals reversed the charges.
Dohrn and her fellow Weathermen led a series of direct
action activities in October 1969 against the Vietnam War called the Days of
Rage. With several hundred members, the Weathermen stormed through the streets
on October 8 breaking the windows of businesses and automobiles. In armed
confrontation, the police injured a number of the protesters and placed many
under arrest. Weathermen members regrouped and staged other protest events on
the following days.
Bernardine Dohrn recorded a Weathermen statement
called a "declaration of a State of War" that she sent to the New York Times in May of 1970. On
October 14, 1970, Federal Bureau of Investigations listed her on the 10 most
wanted Fugitives, which led members to go underground, and to coin the
organization name, The Weather Underground. The group conducted a campaign of
militant activities protesting the U.S. war against Vietnam throughout the
1970s, which included the bombing of police stations, the U.S. Capitol
building, and the Pentagon.
While on the lam, Dohrn began a personal relationship
Bill Ayers(whom she later married in 1982), a co-founder of the Weathermen.
Ayer’s late girlfriend, Diana Oughton, had been killed in the Greenwich Village
townhouse explosion caused by a bomb the Weathermen group was constructing. The
couple lived underground for most the 1970s, during which they became the
parents of two children. Motivated by the concern for the well-being of their
children, Dohrn and Ayers aligned themselves with the faction of the Weather
Underground who favored surrendering to authorities to face legal charges. The
fugitive couple came out of hiding in 1980 and turned themselves in to
authorities. Dohrn pled guilty to charges of aggravated battery and bail
jumping. Because many of the charges against the Weather Underground were
dropped due to findings of prosecutorial misconduct related to COINTELPRO,
Dohrn received only probation. Later, refusing to testify against a fellow
member of the Weather Underground, she served a jail term of less than a year.
Dohrn passed the New York bar exam in 1984 and began
working for the New York office of a prominent Chicago law firm, Sidley Austin
LLP. The following year, the bar found her unfit for admission, citing a
concern for her ability to commit to the rule of law. During the ensuing years,
Dohrn floundered around for a career direction, ultimately deciding that she
wanted to work on children’s issues. In 1988, she accepted employment at the
office of the Cook County Public Guardian, which represents abused and
neglected children. Frustrated by the blame placed unfairly on mothers who
interfaced with the Public Guardian, Dohrn left the government agency to work
at the American Civil Liberties Union and then the Legal Assistance Foundation.
In 1991, Dohrn accepted an appointment as an adjunct professor of law at
Northwestern University, where she still teaches comparative law and maintains
extensive involvement in juvenile justice issues. The following year, Dohrn
founded the law school’s Children and Family Justice Center, which represents
parents in abuse and neglect cases and children in delinquency cases.
Additionally, the Center develops policy strategies for reforming the juvenile
court system.
Still devoted to the ideals that instilled her passion
for action in the 1960s and 1970s, Dohrn remains committed to addressing the
issues of justice, equality, and peace. However, these days, she uses different
tactics. In an extensive interview with Chicago
Magazine, she reflected on her past,
"I
wish that I hadn't been arrogant and self-righteous," she says of herself
then. "I wish nobody had gotten hurt, of course. But that doesn't change
the reality of the context of the times."
Dohrn also discussed her previous activities with a New York Times reporter,
.
"Some
things are not justifiable and not logical. Lots of inappropriate things and
things regretted later get said and done. That is partly a self-criticism and
partly an explanation. These kinds of movements are very human."
Some Observations about the Natal Chart of Bernardine
Dohrn
Note:
When I share my perceptions of a chart, please keep in mind that much of this
is speculation. Unless I am engaging an individual in conversation, there is no
way to know whether the subject resonates with this interpretation.
The natal chart of Bernardine
Dohrn is shown at the end of this section. Of the personal planets, all but one
(Mars) are located in the northern hemisphere of Dohrn’s natal chart.
Conversely, the social (Jupiter and Saturn) and transpersonal planets (Uranus,
Neptune, and Pluto) are located in the southern hemisphere. (Remember that in
an astrological chart, the northern hemisphere is the lower section of the
chart, below the horizon, and the southern hemisphere is the upper portion,
above the horizon). Although there may be factors that may have caused strains
between the public and personal life, my guess is that Dohrn’s role as a change
agent is compatible with her home environment (represented by the fourth
house), the location of her Sun, which trines (harmonious flow) the
Uranus/Saturn (breaking the rules) energy in the institutional sphere. Her home
environment invigorates her purpose, and her husband’s Sun (Capricorn Bill Ayers)
is located in her fourth house – a good placement for a husband!
As we know from Dohrn’s
biography, her fugitive life and legal difficulties took a toll on her family
life, particularly with respect to creating a workable life for her children.
The Uranus/Saturn conjunction (breaking the rules) squaring (tension) her Venus
(role as a woman OR values) in the fifth house of children reflects this
dilemma. The Moon (mothering, nurturing) in her third house of the local
environment (neighborhood) squares (tension) Venus (role as a female OR values)
in the fifth house of children. Nevertheless, the fact that the Uranus/Saturn
conjunction (breaking the rules) trines (harmonious energy) her Sun (the
person’s essence, what makes them feel alive) seems to convey her revolutionary
activities are in alignment with her purpose.
The most predominant element
in Dohrn’s chart is earth. The planetary ruler of her sun sign, Capricorn, is
Saturn. We can see that Dohrn is committed (Saturn) to changing values
(Uranus/Saturn conjunction in Taurus). Although she may have temporarily been
unsure of what goals to pursue, like the diligent goat (symbol of Capricorn),
she ultimately found the right mountain to climb. Dohrn was able to identify a
suitable institution, the Northwestern University School of Law, where she
could safely advocate for societal changes. Uranus (revolutionary change maker)
and Jupiter (expansive benefactor) are in Dohrn’s ninth house, which is the
sphere of institutions of higher learning, the law, philosophy, foreign travel,
and publishing—all areas in which Dohrn has been engaged. With no planets in
emotive water, but with air and fire augmenting her earth, Dohrn is perhaps
more suited to the passionate pursuit of research, writing, and policy advocacy
rather than direct casework with clients.
Dohrn’s natal chart contains
two interesting configurations, a yod and a t-square. The three planets in a
yod form an isosceles triangle, with two quincunxes (inconjuncts) and a
sextile. In Dohrn’s chart, Neptune (idealism, illusion, delusion) sextiles the
Moon and both quincunx Mars. However, from an astrological perspective, this
may not be a pure yod, because two of the elements are in degrees ending and
beginning different signs, and two of the elements are compatible. In the
classic sense, the quincunx aspects form between elements that having nothing
in common and that do not understand one another. The inconjunct planet at the
apex becomes the point of expression, which may be uncomfortable because of the
dissimilar energies involved. The reason I include this configuration has more
to do with the planets in the yod. The planets forming the sextile are the Moon
and Neptune, which are compatible as planetary forces, because they are both
rule water planets and they both symbolize the more passive, gentler forms of
nature. On the other hand, Mars, the planet they quincunx, symbolizes action,
including aggression. Some astrologers disagree about the importance of a yod,
with some believing that it simply represents an irritating force in one’s
life. Other astrologers view this configuration as possessing greater esoteric
meaning. The yod is often referred to as “the finger of God.” As such, this
configuration involves an element of life that is fated. Some astrologers think
that individuals born with a natal yod have a special talent to give the world.
While only a personal dialogue with Bernardine Dohrn might reveal the true
nature of the yod in her life, one might speculate that she has been called to
be a leader (Mars) to catalyze changes in societal structures Capricorn and its
planetary ruler Saturn), and that at some level she may have been reluctant to
be in this role. It has been reported that she initially became involved in
Students for a Democratic Society because her boyfriend at the time signed her
up for a meeting, and that she had initially been hesitant about her
involvement. I posit this theory because Mars is also the apex planet of a
T-square configuration, which consists of an opposition (awareness) between
Pluto (power, transformation) and Mercury (the rational mind, role of
intermediary) and both planets squaring Mars. Her t-square may be saying that
she could be heard (Mercury) by those in power (Pluto) with appropriate action
(Mars). We can also understand Dohrn’s yod from another viewpoint. Perhaps
Mars, the activation point, is more an impediment rather than an asset in
Dohrn’s life. It may be that Dohrn needed to embrace more peaceful and
nurturing (Moon) approaches in her actions (Mars) before she could
realistically be of service (Neptune in the 12th house) in our
society. Alternatively, if we interpret the two configurations as a unit, they
illustrate to us the potential Dohrn possesses as a leader (Mars) who speaks/writes
on behalf of (Mercury) mothers and children (Moon) within compassionate
institutions (Neptune in the 12th house) that strives to improve the
lives of clients. There may be many different ways to glean meaning from these
configurations, both looking at the chart from a life purpose viewpoint as well
as from a more psychological perspective (or both).
Sources:
