Capricorn - Responsible Earth Spirits

by Robert Wilkinson

January features the Sun in Capricorn, and during January 2007 we also have Mercury in this Cardinal Earth sign the first half of the month and Mars in Capricorn the second half of the month. Capricorn puts the focus on our claim to power in the public realm and our ability to assert our personal authority within a social structure. This self-starting practical sign represents the power of organizing energies into forms of personal fulfillment, and the ability to use time productively to achieve our intention. Capricorn is the ultimate plodder, patiently persevering with an eye to the long-term payoff. Wherever it falls in a chart is where you may find and claim your power, authorship, mature experience and responsibility.

Capricorn inaugurates Winter, which began at the Solstice on December 21 2006, 4:23 pm (December 22 in GMT and points east). The light force was at its yearly minimum, teaching us how to conserve energy and concentrate on what we need to learn. According to Rudhyar, the power of the collective grows in strength until the Winter Solstice, after which it begins to wane. Now individuality and free will begin to become stronger, and the days will gradually get longer, until the Summer Solstice on June 21, 2007, at 11:07 am PDT (June 22 for most of Asia, Australia, and Oceana), the longest day of the year.

Capricorn is the dutiful mature executive. It is one of the "parent" signs, and very practical and pragmatic. Mythologically, this sign of the Sea-Goat is the Wisdom-Innocence of the Elder as they are instinctive, child-like, and self-interested, yet without thought of ulterior reward. Capricorn, when freed of the chains of socialized expectations, limited value judgments, perceptual blocks, the desire to over-control things, and fear of being thought unproper, show their world how to accept responsibility easily and naturally, being the administrator of some form of Divine service to their society. When their mighty determination and perseverence are leashed by their Higher Self, great works are created.

Think Rod Serling, whose compelling voice and profound writing abilities created the legendary “Twilight Zone.” Arguably the most famous Capricorn of all, Elvis Presley, electrified the world and opened a door that changed us all for all time. Other Capricorn superstars of their times were Isaac Newton, the mathmetician-astrologer and one of the greatest scientists of the past 500 years along with Dr. Benjamin Franklin, the scientist, statesman, inventor, and genius whose features still grace our $100 dollar bill.

In the political realm where they most naturally rise to the top (and often have spectacular falls!), we have Chairman Mao Tse Tung, the founder of Red China, and Richard Nixon, the felonious “unindicted co-conspirator” who resigned the Presidency in disgrace. Josef Stalin, the Soviet primier who murdered 30 million of his people, was a Capricorn, as was J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI chief with absolute power who violated the civil and human rights of tens of millions of American citizens. Other notable political figures include Alexander Hamilton, Benedict Arnold, Millard Fillmore, Joan of Arc, George Marshall, and Barry Goldwater.

Others who made their mark in the political history of our world were Woodrow Wilson, who created the League of Nations only to have his Congress reject it, Robert E. Lee, the man who saved the United States from endless guerilla warfare, Muhammad Ali, the greatest boxer of all time who chose the path of nonviolence and spirituality rather than war, Lady Bird Johnson, beautifier of America, and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Prophet who showed us how to “keep our eyes on the prize.”

Three other great spiritual Capricorns who made a difference in their world were the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founder of Transcendental Meditation; Vivekananda, the 19th century Indian force majure of the Counsel of World Religions and disciple of Ramakrishna, a spiritually realized being beyond our comprehension; and Paramahansa Yogananda, the Indian sage who gave the world a blend of the best of East and West, a master of Kriya Yoga (Yoga of Light) and author of “Autobiography of A Yogi,” a story for the ages of levitating masters, living saints, and the power of Yogic self-realization.

Legendary Capricorn musicial lights feature Cab Calloway, Little Richard, Marlena Dietrich, Bo Diddley, Odetta, Xavier Cugat, Phil Spector, Victor Borge, Oscar Levant, Earl Hines, Ray Price, Sophie Tucker, Gene Kruppa, Ethel Merman, Eartha Kitt, Frank Zappa, Janis Joplin, Syd Barrett, and Robert Palmer..

In modern times we have an array of true talent: Sir George Martin, Jimmy Page, Edgar Winter, Pat Benatar, Robbie Krieger, Joan Baez, Rod Stewart, twins Maurice and Robin Gibb, Steven Stills, Annie Lenox, David Bowie, Dave Matthews, Dolly Parton, Phil Everley, Jimmy Buffett, Johnny Otis, Chris Jefferson, Marianne Faithfull, Patti Smith, Michael Nesmith, Del Shannon, George Thorogood, Van Dyke Parks, Donna Summer, Shirley Bassey, John Denver, Andy Summers, John Paul Jones, Michael Stipe, Jonathan Davis, A.J. McLean, Melanie Jayne Chisholm, Eddie Vedder, Marilyn Manson, Barbara Mandrell, Crystal Gayle, Paul Stanley, and Glenn Yarborough.

In the world of film Capricorn has given us such legends as Cary Grant, Ava Gardner, Hal Roach, Mack Sennett, Oliver Hardy, Danny Kaye, Richard Widmark, Sydney Greenstreet, Ray Milland, Ray Bolger, Paul Henreid, Jane Wyman, Sterling Holloway, Jose Ferrer, Butterfly McQueen, Sal Mineo, Rod Taylor, Tex Ritter, Tom Mix, Gwen Virdon, William Bendix, Tippi Hedren, and Federico Fellini.

Newer film luminaries of this tribe include Robert Duvall, Faye Dunaway, Jane Fonda, Sarah Miles, Anthony Hopkins, James Earl Jones, Diane Keaton, Nicolas Cage, Samuel L. Jackson, Jon Voight, Dyan Cannon, Kiefer Sutherland, Sissy Spacek, Denzel Washington, Val Kilmer, Jude Law, Cuba Gooding Jr., Jim Carrey, Kevin Costner, Orlando Bloom, Verne Troyer, Kate Bosworth, and David Lynch.

Legendary televison Capricorns include George Burns, Steve Allen, Bob Denver, Barbara Billingsley, Mary Tyler Moore, DeForest Kelley, Robert Stack, Loretta Young, Danny Thomas, Cliff Arquette, Andy Rooney, Lloyd Bridges, Guy Madison, and George Reeves.

More contemporary stars feature Jean Stapleton, Jack Lord, Bert Parks, Betty White, Phil Donahue, Diane Sawyer, Cokie Roberts, Katie Couric, Ted Danson, Tracey Ullman, Dabney Coleman, John Amos, Susan Lucci, Pamela Sue Martin, Larry Storch, Arte Johnson, Ray Romano, Victoria Principal, Kid Rock, Shawn Wayans, Bill Maher, Joey Lauren Adams, Amanda Peet, Jason Bateman, Taye Diggs, and Mason Gamble.

In the literary world we find Daniel Webster, Rudyard Kipling, Carl Sandburg, Jack London, Edgar Allen Poe, Carlos Castaneda, Henry Miller, JD Salinger, Isaac Asimov, JRR Tolkien, Kahlil Gibran, AA Milne, while in the art world we find Henri Matisse and Paul Cezanne.

Other famous Capricorns who rose to the top of their game were Johannes Kepler, Louis Pasteur, Albert Schweitzer, Louis Braille, Howard Hughes, Ari Onassis, Simon Wiesenthal, Betsy Ross, Clara Barton, Robert Ripley, Kit Carson, Paul Revere, Conrad Hilton, Connie Mack, Tiger Woods, Sandy Koufax, Dizzy Dean, A.J. Foyt, Andre Michelin, George Foreman, Al Capone, Rasputin, the Amazing Kreskin, Sally Rand, Gypsy Rose Lee, Stephen Hawking, and Howard Stern.

Finally, happy birthday to the states of Alaska, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah, and the nations of Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Lithuania, India, Thrace, the Vatican, and the Orkney Islands. Happy B as well to the cities of Huntsville and Mobile, Prescott, New London, Tallahassee, Key West, Atlanta, Savannah, most cities in Iowa, Detroit, New York City, Fargo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Toledo, Tulsa, Chatanooga, Austin, Arlington, Newport News, Virginia Beach, Seattle, along with Brandenburg, Brussels, Port Said, and the areas of Punjab, Saxony, and Hesse.

© Copyright 2007 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Sam]

Dear Robert
Have spent a lot of time reading and re-reading your articles on December 2006 and January 2007 and find them fascinating.
The dates you mention in your articles Robert, are they one day later in Australia?
Can you also comment on Capricorn Moons please if time allows.
Kind regards and thank you again,
Sam

[Robert]

Hi Sam - Sometimes they are a day later in Australia, sometimes just much later the same day. All my times are for PST or PDT, 8 hours earlier than Greenwich, and about 18 hours earlier than you, depending, so adjust as needed. And of course, our DST is not happening for you at the same time, nor yours for us, since we're in different hemispheres.

Cap Moons can be very hard workers, but often suffer from a lack of having some primal need fulfilled when infants. Either they have to grow up too fast, or take on responsibilities at a young age, or perhaps one or both parents were absent, whether physically or psychologically. It shows a sensitivity to elders, and a very dutiful emotional side. They need to cultivate tender feelings without too much heaviness about early life. Moon in Cap people are learning to lighten up and enjoy more, since we all have our unique load to bear, and be more Aquarian in their feelings and approaches to taking care of needs, since that will balance the Cardinal Earth while still being a familiar way of being.

[Don]

I have a Capricorn Ascendant. Of course this article describes the many "tools" associated to my rather somber and work-orientated focus lately.

I find that I enjoy being a human-doing lately- however my beautiful sweetheart says I seem "removed." I keep trying to smile but...any suggestions to loosen up a bit? I want to rest...Arg! Although it does feel wonderful working smarter, not harder.

Don.

[carrie anne]

Hi, Don! Thanks for the descrip...

I also wanted to add soul singers Sade and John Legend to your Capricorn list.

When did you start doing descrips like this for the signs? I love them but only started reading your blog around Scorpio-time. Is there an easy way to navigate to others I may have missed?

Many cheers!
carrie-anne

[Robert]

Hi Don - Relaxation is pretty much a 24/7 discipline. And being able to smile at will (and mean it!) is a mindfulness exercise. Be sensitive, but not down; be open, but not rigid. And, as the great Cap Michael Nesmith once wrote, "Laugh kills lonesome."

Hi carrie-anne - Thanks for the two Cap names. I started this in 2002-2003 on my old site (even before the Salon.com Aquarius Papers blog!) and wouldn't you know it, someone came in to criticize the focus on the famous, and wanted me to dump the feature. But I persevered, and this is what has evolved. As for a quick reference, you can a)go to the archives for each month, where I usually post on the signs at the end of a month or the beginning of the next, or b)type in the sign at the google box at the upper right side of the site, and be taken to the article.

[christy]

Thanks for the Cap Moon info, Robert. Eases my pain somewhat to know the astrology :)

[Neeraj]

(this comment was deleted by Professor Robert due to it being a spammy site promotion.)

[Robert]

Hi Neeraj - Not to be obvious, but next time post something relevant, or of importance to the community, or at least ask me before you promote a commercial site here. If it's worthy, I'll check it out, and we can swap links on the front page. Namaskarams.