Welcome, Capricorn season from December 21st to January 21st!
So long, 2022. You’ve been full of wars, invasions, financial meltdowns, and crippling inflation (where a hamburger now costs what my mother, in her youth, used to pay for a flat in Dublin). Have our wages kept up with this shameful price-gouging that masquerades as a post-covid supply chain problem? No, we are still struggling, while corporate profits soar. All of this is to say, welcome to Capricorn season!
We begin with this macroeconomic screed, because, in a fundamental sense, the Goat is the CEO of the Zodiac. Let’s not heap scorn on it, however, due to this fact. Instead, let’s learn more about Capricorn’s energy, so we can use it to our advantage, heading into 2023.
As our cardinal earth sign, Capricorn is embedded in the business of our world. This makes it quite unlike, say, dreamy Pisces or futuristic Aquarius, both of which prefer to retreat into spiritual mystifications (the former) or wonky intellectualizing (the latter). Rather, Capricorn delights in the circulation of goods, services, and materials. That’s the earth element at work.
Of course, it shares this earthiness with Taurus and Virgo, but each sign manifests this element differently. See, the Bull is a fixed earth sign, meaning that it likes to stay put, relax, and luxuriate in sensual pleasure. Virgo indicates mutable earth. It lords over crops and watches the land change from fallow field to autumn’s foison.
But Capricorn’s modality is cardinal, that is, initiatory. Its energy is for starting things, like hostile corporate takeovers. As such, it is associated not with crops but with the mines, with riches, with banking, and with bureaucracy.
Capricorn’s symbol, the Goat, goes some way, too, in getting at its essential characteristics. The goat is sure-footed and moves slowly up the mountain, often alone. It combines a kind of grand ambition (mountain-top visionary goal-making) with a sturdy, enduring incrementalism. Capricorn takes things one step at a time, while always moving upward.
This incremental temperament derives, in part, from Capricorn’s ruling planet, grim Saturn, the accountant of the Zodiac. Saturn represents longevity, planning, and discipline. We call Saturn the Taskmaster, and it rewards goals and actions that take time to unfold. This planet is not for quick trysts but commitment.
To optimise Capricorn’s influence in our lives, as the year ends, make sure that our resolutions have some heft to them. Capricorn wants a return on investment, but it knows that investments take time to grow. Weak resolutions like “I want to see a Harry Styles concert with friends” or “I resolve to go clubbing in Berlin” aren’t in line with Capricorn at all. Investing in a home, an education, or a wedding: that’s how we align with the season. Ultimately, Capricorn is patient and wise. Let’s be the same, as we look forward to 2023.
Capricorn season dates of note
There are a few main transits to be aware of over the next few weeks. To wit:
Jolly Jupiter has just moved into fiery Aries on December 20th, and will be there for the next four months. Jupiter and Aries together bring a newfound energy to expand beyond narrow lanes. This is an excellent transit for growing a career or family. Aries brings drive, Jupiter luck.
Chatty Mercury starts a retrograde on December 28th in Capricorn, lasting until January 18th. Mercury likes to speed, but retrogrades slow it down. Capricorn, however, doesn’t mind this slower place. Mercury here functions more like an editor. It will force us to really think through our resolutions to make sure we mean what we say.
Ritzy Venus will also be in serious Capricorn until January 2nd. Thoughts of romance won’t be champagne light and bubbly, but more heavy, like a Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from the cup of love responsibly around now. On the 2nd, Venus then switches over into independent Aquarius. “I need space” is Aquarius’s motto. Perhaps you or someone dear to you might need a bit of it, too, when it comes to romance.
We have a New Moon in Capricorn on December 23rd. We spoke of writing serious resolutions. New Moons are always a time for setting intentions, so perhaps this is a day to get your thoughts down on paper.
A Full Moon in Cancer on January 6th portends a wonderful night for celebration. It’s true that the holidays will be over by then but Full Moons are for having fun. This lunation in Cancer is perfect for having people over to the home, not for hijinks out on the tiles. Keep that in mind, if you need one last blast of holiday cheer.
Finally, ornery Mars goes direct on January 12th, after a prickly retrograde. Of all planets, Mars hates retrograde transits the most. It needs to be moving forward. Around the 12th, it will be picking up steam in chatterbox Gemini. Anticipate brave words with Mars moving direct. This is a good time to ask for a raise or speak up, if you’ve been feeling meek. Mars can be gruff, but it can also lend necessary courage and conviction to the things we say.
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