★ CAPRICORN ★

22 December – 20 January

Key phrase: “I use”.

The Capricorn is the tenth sign in the zodiac. To be a Capricorn, you need to be born between December 23rd and January 20th. Capricorns can be stubborn and isolated in nature, which may be why their symbol is a goat. Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, and Anthony Hopkins are all Capricorns.

The perseverance and patience of a Capricorn is unrivaled by any of the other signs of the zodiac. They tend to be goal-oriented and persistent in nature. They are usually dedicated and ambitious people who will succeed no matter how difficult the challenge may be.

They are picky people and consider their options carefully before making a decision. They tend to be highly organised and rely on a fixed structure in their lives, which makes them perfect for management positions at work. They are conservative in all aspects of their lives, and give careful thought to the paths they choose.

They also tend to be very serious about their work and others’ perception of them. They may want power, but are never in the visible spotlight. Their confidence is usually high, but they are also resistant to any kind of change. As a general rule, Capricorns tend to avoid the unfamiliar, so surprising them can be a very bad idea. The perfect gift for a Capricorn is a day-planner, smart phone or tablet, because it will utilise his or her organisational skills.

Capricorns are very loyal people, and are often shy on the inside. They are very dependable and their loyalty is what makes them good partners. However, their nature may prevent them from becoming truly intimate with another person, which could create problems when it comes to romance and sex. Just remember that Capricorns are not actually frigid, they just find it more difficult to express themselves.

Due to their tough and focused nature, relationships can be challenging to them. A Capricorn may take a long to time to finally warm up to someone. They are loners who need to be eased into a relationship by a patient lover. Even though they may make very good friends, getting close to them will take some extra time and energy. Only a dedicated partner can help bring a Capricorn out of his or her shell.

Capricorns also have a tendency to dominate in relationships. But once they are into the relationship, they usually prove to be very loyal partners and also romantic and passionate. Early marriage is not Capricorns, as they take a long time to make a commitment. However, they take promises very seriously, so once they do make one they are unlikely to break it.

Capricorn Not Capricious

Your Sun Sign Revelations

Origin/Representation

Capricorn is represented by a mythical creature who is half goat, half fish. In Greek mythology, the god Bacchus was sitting by a river when he was threatened by a monster. Fearing death, he dove in and transformed himself: underwater he was a fish who survived by swimming; above the water he was a goat with horns who could fight the monster. Jupiter (who, by the way, rules Sagittarius) was impressed enough to promote Bacchus to the heavens, where he remains as the constellation Capricorn to this day.

Capricorn is also the sign of sin and sacrifice. Sagittarius the centaur-archer is believed to have shot Capricorn, transforming him into a sacrificial goat, or scapegoat. This is the very foundation of many religions, including the story of Jesus Christ.

In the Apocalypse, St. John explains that the Sun God (or son of God) is always born at midnight when the sun enters this sign of the winter solstice. The child is born in poverty, in a goat’s manger in a stable, so that he can later save humankind as its sacrificial goat.

Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, a planet that orbits the sun very slowly. As a result, Capricorns are said to think the same way: long-term. Saturn’s influence also means that the best day of the week for this sign is Saturday.

Positive Qualities

Capricorn is represented by a mythical creature who is half goat, half fish. In Greek mythology, the god Bacchus was sitting by a river when he was threatened by a monster. Fearing death, he dove in and transformed himself: underwater he was a fish who survived by swimming; above the water he was a goat with horns who could fight the monster. Jupiter (who, by the way, rules Sagittarius) was impressed enough to promote Bacchus to the heavens, where he remains as the constellation Capricorn to this day.

Capricorn is also the sign of sin and sacrifice. Sagittarius the centaur-archer is believed to have shot Capricorn, transforming him into a sacrificial goat, or scapegoat. This is the very foundation of many religions, including the story of Jesus Christ.

In the Apocalypse, St. John explains that the Sun God (or son of God) is always born at midnight when the sun enters this sign of the winter solstice. The child is born in poverty, in a goat’s manger in a stable, so that he can later save humankind as its sacrificial goat.

Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, a planet that orbits the sun very slowly. As a result, Capricorns are said to think the same way: long-term. Saturn’s influence also means that the best day of the week for this sign is Saturday.

Trouble Areas

You would think that Capricorns would be capricious. But you’re not. Far from it. Oh, you have your occasional gambling binge or Saturday night bash, but for the most part you’re very ordered. You live for the future, not for the moment.

You’re busy planning your life five, ten, twenty years from now while the Sagittarians, Leos, and Arians are living it up. That’s all fine, but the problem is, you are easily depressed.

In fact, you’re probably preoccupied with death. Saturn is often said to be associated with Father Time; others believe it is an evil influence (Saturn and Satan are almost interchangeable). This makes you rather morbid – your sense of humour is sarcastic and dry to the point of being, well, sick.

Capricorns are also known for bigotry. It seems your fear of poverty is so strong you’ll take any tack to defend the status you’ve gained in life, and that includes a narrow-minded view of people of different backgrounds. You’re entitled to your opinions, and you have strong reasons for them, but this inflexible attitude could cause irreparable reputation damage in today’s politically correct climate.

Saturn’s slowness also throws delays into your life. You’re used to them by now, but still, you often think you have the worst luck – another ailing relative to care for, or car to fix, or unwelcome responsibility at your job… You’ll do it, because sacrifice is your nature, and when you have time again you’ll work harder just to make up for what you lost.

This pattern can easily lead to a depressed, bad-things-always-happen-to-me attitude. Don’t let it. People really appreciate you – no one else could be a better friend. They also respect your ethics and status. So relax – you’ll get what you want, it just takes time, and time is something you know about all too well.

Physical Qualities and Activities

You’re a lean, mean, running machine. Seriously. Capricorns are not particularly muscular, but rather lanky. The sign rules locomotion, the knees and joints, and your personality is very driven towards long distances, long time spans, and hard work. So, you’re the ideal marathon runner. You also enjoy other endurance events, such as long-distance cycling, rock climbing, mountain climbing, or anything with a similarly daunting goal.

If you participate in any other sports, it’s only to get better at them, or to further your career by being in the right place. Otherwise, you’re not the type that will get out and enjoy recreation just for the idle fun of it.

Like the other intellectual signs, you do enjoy studying, and you especially love music. There’s something in its complexity – particularly in great classical works, its degree of difficulty to master, that you appreciate.

Preferences

More than any other sign, even Scorpio, you prefer dark colours. Black is you. It goes with your propensity towards depression and death.

Your sense of style is quite traditional and conservative, and here, dark is also preferable – it shows status and power better, and that is, after all, what you spend your life striving for.

Once you attain a certain rank, you have a weakness for displaying it. You want a car, for instance, that is above all a status symbol. You take pride in how far you’ve come, so you want to announce this to the world by buying an expensive, well-made vehicle, such as a BMW.

Your home is also impressive, the better to announce your status. In terms of actual taste, though, it may be a bit plain. Traditional. You rely on the good taste of historical style to lend it an air of quality.

The same goes for food. Your sacrificial side has such a strong hold on your work ethic that you often don’t stop for food. It’s not nearly as important to you as it is to your earth sign relatives, the Taureans and Virgos. And when you do eat, it’s never adventurous. Meat and potatoes, chicken, burgers, anything safe. Exotic foods? Never.

Occupations/Financial Profile

You work best in a structure, such as a large corporation, school system, church, or the military. You appreciate the earning of rank, and once you’ve achieved it, you hand down the same wisdom to those younger than you.

This makes you an excellent teacher, pastor or priest, or ranking military officer. In business terms, the bigger the company the better, because it offers you the opportunity to work so hard that you climb from the mailroom to the executive suite. In fact, whenever you read about such a success story, it’s almost always a Capricorn.

You’re quite good with financial data, so a large bank, insurance or investment company is a smart direction for you. As an earth sign and a hard worker, you appreciate buildings as well, so real estate and the construction industry are also recommended. Finally, Capricorn’s connection to the bones and teeth can lead you to a successful career as a dentist or orthopedic surgeon.

Typical famous Capricorns include the hardworking Woodrow Wilson, who began prohibition; the hardest worker of all, Horatio Alger; the industrious Benjamin Franklin; Howard Hughes, Conrad Hilton, Aristotle Onassis, all of whom climbed admirably to the top of the business world; and Richard Nixon, another who climbed with all his might to the top.

There’s also Clara Barton, who founded the Red Cross, exemplifying self-sacrifice. Several pop stars represent the sign’s love for music, as well as its tendency to rise to the top of a tough business, including Elvis Presley, Rod Stewart, David Bowie, Naomi Judd, John Denver, and Kenny Loggins. Capricorn women are said to have a rather cold beauty. This is evident in Marlene Dietrich, Faye Dunaway, Sade, and Crystal Gayle (another cold beauty, Patricia Neal, is on the Aquarian cusp).

Similarly, the dark, depressed, morbid side of the sign can be seen in the works of Rod Serling, Edgar Allan Poe, J.D. Salinger, and Simone de Beauvoir.

Love and Relationships

Because of your great teaching instinct, you often make the mistake of setting up a similar teacher-pupil relationship in your romantic affairs. Nothing could be more disastrous. Successful marriages thrive on equality and complementary qualities, not dominance and submission. However, once you are married, you become a wonderful parent, since you can thrive in the obvious teacher role that parenting provides – it also gives you an heir to whom you can hand down your prized family legacy.

Your ideal partner is likely to be your opposing sign, Cancer. A Cancerian’s highest goal is family perfection, something you obviously treasure as well. And while they can understand your sacrificial brooding side just as intensely, their outlook on life is more supportive, caring, and ultimately, more positive. You also get along well with your fellow hard-working earth signs, Taurus (whose loving nature will cheer you up and encourage you) and Virgo (who understands your perfectionism to a tee, and will work harmoniously with you to achieve it, especially in a business partnership).

You do not get along well with Aries (too impatient and impetuous for your slow-climb approach to life), Gemini (too whimsical, with little regard for your ideals), Leo (too outgoing for you to trust), and Sagittarius (a complete opposite – you would never see eye to eye on anything).

Conclusion

Many people mistakenly believe that astrology only concerns the Sun. This is due to the Western world view of astrology, which has taken on the popular form of zodiac horoscopes. However, in truth the study of astrology goes well beyond Sun signs. The planets found on the astrological chart are the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

The purpose of this article is to introduce you to zodiac signs, to perhaps raise an eyebrow or two, and maybe make you smile. Zodiac Sun signs are based purely on generalisations and should NOT be confused with accurate birth chart astrology derived from your date, time and place of birth.