Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Capricornucopia!

Welcome to 2008! Wow! A brand-new year just brimming with possibilities! Have you determined your objectives yet for the months ahead? I’ve settled on a few reasonably joyous ones, and am holding the intention that this will be our best year yet!

Now that the Jupiter-inspired extravagance of the holidaze are finally tucked in for the time-being, January usually signifies a period of putting away our party hats, rolling up our sleeves, and getting down to the business of organizing our finances and lives for the coming year. It’s no accident that this is also the time of decidedly industrious Capricorn to be highlighted. While we can choose our approach to the aforementioned duty, finding joy in the process, Capricorn can inspire us to become quite serious, facing the task at hand with a grim, potentially overly-serious determination.

The Sun transits the sign of Capricorn once a year, usually from December 22 to January 19. Being the tenth sign of the zodiac, Capricorn naturally resides in the Tenth House of professions, public status, and how we rise above, or fall below the social or economic station that we were born into. Ruled by Saturn, the stern disciplinarian of the zodiac, it’s easy to see how your Capricorn loved one arrived at her or his sober disposition honestly. As an Earth sign, we tend to rely on most Capricorns to be stable, solid and practical -- however, I have personally known a couple of Capricorns with Sagittarius rising that will at least occasionally become exceptions to that rule! These individuals, while retaining many of the recognizable Capricornian traits, seem also to challenge the boundaries of their sun sign’s typical behaviour. Famous Capricorns who may be seen as fitting this seemingly nonconformist profile include Nick Cage, Marilyn Manson, Janis Joplin, Patti Smith, Al Capone, and Diane Keaton.

This brings me to a significant point: In reading up on the Sun sign of friends, loved ones or your current romantic interest, it’s important to remember that our Sun signs, while a major inspiration for us, are also merely a part of what is potentially a vastly diverse whole. Other factors include the ten known planets, their placement in the twelve houses on the zodiac wheel, the sign that inhabit each house, and the relationships between the planets and houses that work as important energies in signifying our complete selves. For this reason, the horoscope section in your local paper, while interesting and entertaining, may not be entirely accurate to every person sporting each sign.

Capricorn is a Cardinal sign, which denotes a character that is forceful and dynamic, initiating action and providing leadership. When Cappy is in a position of management, it’s like watching a duck in water. One of the many great qualities of Capricorn is their ability to be hardworking, shrewd and practical individuals who exhibit responsible, persevering behaviour within the workplace, as well as without. They make excellent, reliable workers, and exhibit an extraordinary stick-to-it-ness that is beyond compare. They carefully finish projects begun by the more pioneering signs, and quickly become an integral part of any company they work for.

Capricorn is a very ambitious sign, and those who exemplify its qualities will work tirelessly to climb the ladder of success. On their way up that ladder, they can become resourceful, determined managers who set high standards for themselves and others. They respect discipline from their superiors, and in turn expect it from their staff. Their ambitious nature is profound, often leading to a measure of wealth, and can inspire them to endure personal hardship for the sake of their families and careers. Business owners in need of someone who can spearhead a project, while seeing it through to fruition, would do well to hire a Capricorn for the job. As careful planners with tremendous organizing ability, they are thorough and frugal; often achieving great results with just a modicum of effort and expense, and can be quite adept at handling several projects at once.

One of the challenges that Capricorn faces is the tendency to get into a self-imposed rut. They are so steadfast in the direction they choose, that even when this path becomes challenging to their health and/or happiness, they will continue trudging along the same lines regardless of how they feel about it. I’ve actually seen this in action, and it sometimes hurts just to watch. A Capricorn in this state will fret and moan, kick the cat, as it were, and yet continue to stay in an unhappy relationship, job or living situation, rather than make the changes necessary to insure their own peace of mind. The reason is at minimum two-fold; on the one hand, the acquisition of income is vital to our goat-like friends, and many of them will endure great hardships to insure they make it to the top. On the other hand, they tend to settle into the ‘known’ so deeply, that the prospect of change, or facing the unknown, literally frightens them.

In this case, what Capricorn can choose to develop in order to grow beyond this fear-based behaviour is a healthy level of curiosity and adventure. Yes, I know; the mere thought of this is causing some Cappys out there to break out in a cold sweat. Trust me, you will survive, and even thrive, if you allow yourselves to walk off the proverbial cliff or two on occasion. I’m sure that there are many souls around you who love you and will be there to see you through; that is, after they’ve gotten over the shock of actually witnessing you doing something so uncharacteristic. I should think the stunned, gape-mouthed look on their faces would be worth at least half the price of admission for you! There is a Cappy friend of mine who I love dearly, and watching him slave away year after year in a job that he was miserable in was difficult at best. Words can’t describe how elated I felt when he gave up his security and started his own business! As an Aquarian who has walked off several cliffs in my day, I can assure you that sometimes there’s an owie waiting for you at the bottom, and sometimes the change you initiate could be the best thing you could ever do in your life, one that you will thank yourself for over and over.

Another challenge that Capricorn can face is her/his innate discomfort with emotions – theirs and others. This is likely due to Capricorn’s need to always be in control, and emotions tend to be fluid, transient, and sometimes unpredictable. This could make Capricorn’s head spin right off its axis, and cause them to run screaming for the door. I know one Cappy friend who will actually get belligerent if someone is upset about something he feels powerless to fix. With this in mind, the growth-minded Capricorn individual will choose to brave out these emotional episodes with loved ones, looking past their own personal issues and reaching out to the other in support. It’s important for Capricorn to understand that the other person’s pain and suffering is solely the responsibility of that particular person to take care of, and not up to Capricorn to fix. Once that sense of accountability is released, one can then be fully there with the person going through trauma, in support and solidarity, without adding to the stress of the situation with their own issues. Facing an emotional situation is risky for anyone, and especially uncomfortable for Capricorns. However, the rewards of extending outside your own personal comfort zones can be profoundly rewarding in so many ways, and those around you will respond well to the efforts you’re making on their behalf, and to your newfound valor!

So set your jaw, lovely Capricorn, and bravely step off that ledge into your own liberation. Taking risks is a part of our evolutionary growth, and there’s a chance that you just may learn to fly!

Happy New Year, everyone! Make it fabulous, enjoying blessings of good fortune as well as your greatest joy!

Namaste.

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