MOUNTAIN CLIMBING GOAT

The calendar year begins with the sun sailing through Capricorn. That’s a bit strange an EARTH sign being related to sailing over the sea. Maybe the clue lies in its ancient symbol of a goat with a fish tail. Capricorn is one of the cardinal signs of the zodiac, an important gateway to the rest of the Cosmos, spiritually speaking, although you may not think so when you first meet our Goat. Perhaps that is because some of them have not yet found their path and insist on going around in circles trying to find the way out of their enclosure limited by outmoded restraints. Once the exit sign has been found, they also find their legs and their hidden reserves and go bounding up the rocky mountain of discovery ahead of the rest of us.

If our Capricorn goat is feeling a little dour and down, it is probably an indication that they haven’t made contact with their higher self, their real self, have not accepted their need to climb whilst contemplating the seriousness of the world, without allowing it to overshadow the beauty of nature and all that surrounds them. After all it is reported in mythology that Saturn the planet of Capricorn ruled in a ‘Golden Age’, and this in spite of his reputation for being led like and boring. The ‘Golden Age’ is said to have ruled in a time before Jupiter-Zeus got the Olympiad organised.

Capricorn needs to lead and show others the way, but first they need to have trodden the path themselves. This they can do through applying themselves in conscientious hard work, asking for little compensation, although some become over ambitious and won’t do anything for nothing. Other Capricorns tend to be loners and hide themselves away in isolation so that they can contemplate either their own woes or alternatively the troubles of the world; maybe this is the clue to the sailor.

 

It may be significant that the great star Vega is located in this zodiac sign, Vega of the constellation Lyra, the harp of Orpheus. The sun passes by Vega on the 5^th January. How many Capricorns play the harp or a similar stringed instrument?

 

Time is important to the Capricorn for it sets limits and boundaries to their intentions and actions, thus giving these intentions the power of achievement. Thus the goat is very good at keeping a schedule and meeting deadlines, whether self-motivated or enforced by outside pressures. Capricorn can take back its power by applying this self-motivation and discipline. The down side is that in becoming so careful to avoid waste, the Capricorn can become mean time-managers and too caught up in economy measures.

An astrological clock,

as kept in many European Renaissance churches.

 

For the curious or the fanatic see, David Christianson, ‘Timepieces’.