Capricorn 2020
A year ago I was wrestling with the astrology of the times, and struggling to find a single, coherent narrative to hang on what was there.
I settled on the term, “Anno Miribalis.”1
The cards for Capricorn?
XV — the Devil
2 of Disks (Jupiter in Capricorn, “Change”)
3 of Disks (Mars in Capricorn, “Works”)
4 of Disks (Sun in Capricorn, “Power”)
The sun enters the tropical zodiac of Capricorn on December 21, 2020 — 5:02 AM (local).
With that tarot deck, and with most symbolism, Capricorn is associated with the hoof-footed god, the goat-headed god, or the just the devil. With insouciance borne of time and high mileage? What–ever
Astrological details?
The Sun enters the Tropical Zodiac Sign of Capricorn, the Winter Solstice arrive at 5:03 AM December 21, 2020 (Your Mileage May Vary).
- The Moon is approaching First Quarter.
- Mercury is 0° Capricorn.
- Sun and Mercury are conjunct.
- Saturn and Jupiter are tightly conjunct at 0° Aquarius.
- Mars is 23° Aries, not out of its shadow pattern.
- Venus is in Sagittarius.
Capricorn 2020
Capricorn is a widely misunderstood sign, the poor dears. It’s an Earth element, hence the representation of disks in tarot symbols. It is also Cardinal, good at starting, and perhaps the most stable of the Cardinal signs, and then? There’ a sense of wry and twisted mirth, always present. That is the missing part, for some.
My old standard, see BareFoot Astrology2, is about appearances, and worry. Bouncing back to the symbolism of the cards, though, the works across the bottom and the Devil card itself?
It’s easy to see that change followed by work leads to power, in natural and building way. Made me think about the Capricorn set as more akin to empire builders than any other sign.
Previously, I wandered through Shakespeare’s Henry IV, pt. 1 (and pt. 2), looking at politics. But as a way to look at Capricorn, especially where thinking of empire building?
Over the course of the two plays, Price Hal changes from a wastrel youth to a ruler that befits an empire. As Henry the Fifth, he reunites France and England. Invented modern warfare tactics at Agincourt, too, but I guess that’s different example.
Change — Work — Power — in that sequence.
Capricorn 2020
The Devil Card as a Capricorn emblem, too?
Think about this time of the year, especially in the Northern European version, from whence this all originated?
The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day of the year. The Saturnalia, from the Roman tradition, Xmas to some.
The essential symbolism of the Devil Card is Pan, the goat-footed god, sort of a minor deity in the pantheon, but one who seemed to embody playful, carefree, insouciant disregard for outcomes, perusing only pleasures of the flesh.
There is that.
Take the esoteric, the ephemeral, the unknown, and the unknowable, then, combine that flighty, higher-mind crap with real-life. That’s what the Capricorn cards, and by extension, the next season of Capricorn, that’s what it might be all about.
Then, too, as this all started to fall together, Saturn and Jupiter have been playing tag, getting stronger as a couple, over the last few days. Started in Capricorn, and ends in Aquarius.
One reason I’m so fond of this particular deck is it’s slightly irreverent imagery, clearly departing from accepted Rider-Waite styling, but maintaining the integrity of the systems.
The traditional devil image is replaced by a goat, ram, archetype figure with a third eye that is all-seeing.
That, and the tree of life image — it’s all about deftly threading that line between the base desires of a human body, our natural hungers, wants, and needs — balanced against what the higher mind needs, or wants.
Happy whatever it is that one celebrates? We’ve all got work ahead of us.
