♑︎ Our rising power of will

The Gregorian's New Year is marked by the setting of resolutions: personal commitments toward a goal for the year ahead. You may also be familiar with how resolutions are often abandoned, especially when they center around drastic changes to our lifestyle. It is no easy task to drive consistent change in our own behaviors, or to examine our habits and actions. New Year’s resolutions trace back to the ancient 12-day Babylonian spring festival of Akitu; when people would make vows to their gods in exchange for good fortune. Prior to the Ancient Romans, the New Year was widely celebrated around Spring on the Vernal Equinox. When the Romans were restructuring the calendar; they set January 1st as the start of the year and adopted the custom of vow-making. Naming January after Janus, the two-faced god of beginnings and transitions. Later Knights of the Middle Ages’ practiced yearly vows, this act spread especially amongst Puritans as spiritual commitments, leading to our modern customs.

It's interesting to remember that the New Year of the Gregorian calendar is a relatively recent development. The shift to January 1st, and change from 10 to 12 months, was only made in 45 BC, to serve the needs of the state and military, later being reinforced by the Church; resulting in a modern calendar that no longer aligns with the cycles of nature.

Why does this matter? When we better understand the calendar's role throughout history, it becomes clear the importance of revitalizing our relationship to our time & year. By exploring the connection between the calendar, the Zodiac + Classical Planets, we aim to inspire you to explore the wisdom carried within the symbology of the current season, zodiac sign, phase of the moon's cycle, and associated planets.

♑️ Capricorn: Discipline and Discernment

The Modern New Year takes place in the season of Capricorn. The 10th Sign is represented in the Zodiac as the Goat or Sea-Goat. Capricorn is ruled both exoterically and esoterically by Saturn. Saturn is the archetypal Father, this is the voice of discipline, achievement, and responsibility within all of us. This sign is thus related to themes of purpose, progeny, and to collective and personal shadows. This is a symbol of the power of will and of endings and beginnings. What are we carrying forward and what are we leaving behind? Capricorn's opposite Zodiac sign is Cancer, ruled by The Moon. Cancer represents the home, it is personal and emotional, whilst Capricorn represents the responsibility to the family or group. Together they represent the archetypal father and mother; the parents of the Zodiac. Like our own parents, they teach us about the consequences of our actions, and of using our time & energy wisely.

This sign marks the season of Winter, with its reduced sunlight and harsher conditions; where nature slows down. This period is known by humans primarily as a period of cold snow or of rainy seasons, both being connected -historically- to danger and death. This is a time of incubation and planning, where we can nurse our ideas, projects, intentions, and ourselves through the winter, so that as spring approaches, the seeds of our efforts will be ready to grow. What seeds can I plant before the spring?

The season of winter can also highlight hibernation, patience, and surrendering. The word resolution itself stems from the word to loosen - the release of tension. Vows were originally also seen as the giving up of something to gain something else; ie: releasing tension to gain relaxation. This also points to the Goat's connection to the theme of sacrifice.

Most importantly is the connection between Capricorn and The Solstice. This transitional period where the Sun is at its lowest arc for three days, before beginning to increase, was celebrated as symbolic of the process of life, death, and regeneration. Let's explore these deeper themes of darkness, sacrifice, and of renewal through Capricorn.

The History of the Sign

Originating in the constellation of Capricorn, in modern tropical astrology; the Sun transits into Capricorn from December 19-24 to January 19-24 (This date varies in the Gregorian Cal.) The origin of Capricorn lies in Ancient Babylonian star-lore and with the Egyptian Dendera. Ancient Egypt The Egyptians identified the constellation as their tenth sign and gave it names that associated it with sitting, goats, and of being "flanked by the sheep."

Ancient Babylonia

The Sea-Goat finds its true prototype in the Goatfish of Babylonian star-lore. This hybrid animal with the head and forelimbs of a goat and the body of a fish first appeared in Mesopotamian art toward the end of the 3rd millennium BC, Thus it is considered to be a newer creation and a combination of even older nearby seasonal symbols.

These older nearby symbols served to represent the themes of this period before the introduction of the Goatfish as they all rose after the Winter Solstice. For example: The Stag, is associated with the rebirth of the sun. The horse is tied to Chariot symbology of guiding the Sun and Duty. The Fish and Swallow are connected to the mother-myth of the Syrian princess Atargatis, who was saved by fish and incubated as an egg by a dove after a great flood, being born a mermaid-like princess whose reign led to an era of protection and abundance. The Goat-fish became an encapsulation of all these symbols. The Goatfish, The Great One, and The Fish, (like Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces, whom they later became,) are symbolic actors in the story of the sun's constant rebirth from the waters of chaos, and of the reemergence of life, in all its forms, from the realm of darkness and death.

Ancient Greece

To Ancient Greek's, Capricorn was associated with many different myths such as when Zeus was being hidden from his father in a cave in Crete and nursed by the Goat: Amalthea. As a reward the goat was placed in the heavens as the constellation Capricorn.

Additionally the Greek God Pan was thought to connect to Capricorn in that he was half goat. He was also celebrated as helping other greek gods escape the dragonous monster Typhon. He additionally signified the procreative energies of nature and of the controlling spirit of the lower world and animalistic desires.

Ancient Rome

When the Romans absorbed Greek culture, and when they changed the New Year into Jan 1st, they added to Capricorn its association to the winter solstice, then considering it as one of the two gates into the afterlife, marked by the equinoxes, with Cancer being the other. Zeus became Jupiter and his Titan father became Saturn in the later version of the myth, being saved and assisted by the heavenly goat, Jupiter succeeds in his effort. The goat's broken horn became the "horn of plenty", now known as the Cornucopia. Ancient Romans also celebrated the mid-winter festival of Saturnalia on December 17 in honor of Saturn.

During the 1st century BC, the image of Capricorn on coinage became favorable by Roman people, as Capricorn was known as Jupiter's helper, its ascent was perceived as a positive symbol: having the power to prevent evil, so its image hoped to bring assistance in daily life.

Now we may begin to see the connection between this sign and the "New Year" as we know it. There is a connection between ancient myth and universal symbols. How the signs, planets, and archetypes have qualities and lessons that we can explore and integrate into our own life.

Archetypes of Capricorn

These are the Key archetypes of Saturnian Capricorn:

Saturn is one of the 7 classical planets and represents the themes of Responsibility, Maturing, Limitation, Concentration, and Time. It rules the Zodiac signs of Capricorn & Aquarius with its Father Energy, teaching us that its important for us to be discerned in our choices. It is the light-bringer that symbolized the weight of knowledge and of personal choices.

What is heavy in my life that I need to face? What will I do with this one life? 

As a Cardinal Earth sign, Capricorn is about setting direction, building foundations, and turning our vision into something tangible in the world.

The Goat and its similar symbols reflect Capricorn’s archetypal journey:

"At the foot of the mountain the goat, seeks for nourishment in arid places. On the way up, it may settle for the closest flowers of attained desire, each with thorns of satiety and disillusionment. At the top of the mountain though the sacred goat sees the vision of a greater sustenance. In other myths, the goat has often been replaced by the crocodile, turtle, and the unicorn." -Alice Bailey

From this; the Sea-Goat can be seen as the combination of the ambition of the mountain goat, with the intuitive nature of the fish, to emphasize balance between the material and spiritual.

Like the Goat rising to the highest mountain or the fish descending to the lowest depths; Capricorn tells the story of the climbing of the mountain and of the descent into hell.

The Goat is a sacrificial animal: animal sacrifice being practiced since before written history as a religious act of gaining favor from the gods. We can see that similar theme with divine vows: both being a way to appease gods or nature. Similarly the "scapegoat" comes the practice of putting a person or collective groups sins onto another as an act of atonement. Jesus death has been said to have ended widespread animal sacrifice since his death was seen as an act of sacrifice for all the sins of humanity. The goat has since been connected with the Devil and Satanism due to its depiction as the goat-headed god of Baphomet: seeing its continues association with witchcraft and the occult. Similarly we can see this characterization in Capricorn's associated Tarot Card: The Devil.

The Devil Card Depicts the Devil represented in his satyr form, known as Baphomet. He is standing on a pedestal, to which are chained a nude man and woman, as if to show that he has control over them and has taken them captive. Both the man and the woman have horns, as if becoming themselves animal-like. The man has a flame on his tail while a woman has a bowl of grapes on her tail, which symbolizes their addiction to power and finer things in life, respectively.

The man and the woman don’t look happy as their individual power has been taken from them. This card can then be seen to point to the fulfillment of desire into the wrong place, material or physical pleasure perhaps or an addiction to power. This card represents the state of entrapment and powerlessness, that like hell, speak to the consequences of our decisions.

In Christian works the devil is the ruler of the physical world, similarly to Saturn, and so this sign helps us explore themes of good vs. evil, free-will, and of gaining willpower over our desires.

The Gates of Spiritual Life

There is a deeper connection between Capricorn symbology and Sun-God worship, of which the "Birth of Jesus Christ" can be included, which is celebrated near the Winter Solstice. Similarly we can see in Jesus's temptation by the devil and his descent into hell following his crucifixion the similar themes found between Sun-God worship and the Zodiac. To me it highlights how descent is needed in order to rise and of the exploration of polarities. Also how we must know failure in order to truly appreciate success and that it is important for us to learn and grow. The key is found in what we learn from our experiences. An interesting symbol to explore is 'the cross', of which Jesus is famous for being crucified on, itself stemming from the word crux (Latin for the hanging tree) used for punishing criminals. The cross is also meant to refer to the universal cross of the heavens; the intersection between the Earth and Beyond. The equinoxes were seen as the gates or doors between worlds and thus would be seen as the crossing point for souls from and to heaven.

Alongside Cancer, Capricorn was seen as one of the great gates:

"Cancer and Capricorn are described as two great gates of human experience. Cancer is the gate into incarnation while Capricorn is the gate into conscious spiritual realization. Cancer is entered Capricorn represents the point at which we no longer identify ourselves solely with the body, emotions, or even the mind, but with the soul itself. To pass through this gate is to become an initiate: not someone who rejects form, but someone who uses form in service, without being bound by it. Consciousness is no longer anchored in desire, but centered in the soul—free, spacious, and purposeful."- Alice Bailey

In this way the gate symbology furthers the good vs evil conversation with the themes of heaven or hell - the consequences of our free-will decisions.

According to Alice Bailey; Capricorn is a symbol of sacrifice and of the overcoming of lower desires by taking actions in service of the collective group and consciousness.

Capricorn in this way is a teacher of proportion, humility, and steady spiritual maturity. The symbology reminds us that true personal success is earned through alignment, not identity.

Here we give up our lower-animal nature with staying lovingly connected to spirit and form.

The Will to Change

Putting together these themes of discipline, self-sacrifice, patience, and conscious-change; I'm hoping to bring together a fuller picture of Capricorn and perhaps the entire Zodiac. The skill that aids us most in these themes is the power of personal will or what I like to call illuminated will. This is the following your intuition all the time which can be restrictive in practice. True will is the opposite of want. It asks of us constant alignment. Here we highlight our simple power of free-will decision to drive intentional change within our own life. In the way that suffering and pain can illuminate our awareness, this time on earth with its many challenges offers an opportunity to grow, overcome, and transform the challenges of our lives; to take responsibility for what we can control: The commitments we make with ourselves. What commitment to change would I like to make in my own life? We can sustain change in our lives when we root it in the wider vision vs personal desires.

What must we sacrificed and given up in order to gain what will aid our souls? This sign also offers us the inspiration to create foundations for ourselves and to consider what we are passing on, not just to others in the day to day, but long-term as our legacy. The greatest aim I believe for this sign is the healing and improvement of our relationships. The Father archetype invites us to put ourselves in our parents shoes and to consider how we might better embody the love we may have lacked in their/our upbringing. One important key word here is: Purification. In many myths there is a reoccurring theme of purifying oneself before being able to rise out of hell or the underworld. This purification involves the letting go of negative habits, forgiveness of others, and of our selves.

This is a time for meditation and of sitting with our thoughts, to go into our own cave like Zeus and find the nourishment we might need from the divine nature of spirit and form.

Capricorn is the climbing of the metaphorical mountain within our own lives. ✧ To learn more check out our ÓS Journal , Our References & continue with Aquarius ♒️.

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