Capricorn psychological profile
Capricorn is involved in a dynamic which initiates, builds and maintains social structures. Quite simply, Capricorn is the force which first put stick, stone, and mud together in order to create an edifice in which human beings could gather, and be protected from the elements. This aided in the preservation of the family, ruled by Cancer, Capricorn’s opposite sign. There is a sacred element in all this – when he joins his labor with the materials at hand around him, Capricorn creates things which are not only practical, but which define the realities that societies and traditions depend upon.
Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, a god often associated with the limits which nature imposes. These limits can be frustrating, but at the same time are necessary, if not beneficial, to all living things. In order to understand Capricorn’s style of hard work and success, it is useful to think of the farmer, who must work within the constraints of nature in order to produce an abundant harvest. He must plant at precisely defined times, water and weed faithfully, and allow his crops to ripen in their own due time. If he is able to work humbly with the elements and the flow of the seasons, he will celebrate a joyous harvest. Capricorn, associated with the archetypal Father, tends to have a serious or reserved demeanor, yet he gains happiness from arranging his life sensibly, and seeing the results of his work come to fruition.
Capricorn often gains experience with life’s limits or obstacles in childhood. Material or emotional scarcity may cause him to grow up fast or become self-sufficient. He may meet with a cold or heartless figure – a parent, authority, or enemy – who will forever remind him that “the real world” is no bed of roses. Or he may come from an ordinary background and simply have a great ambition toward which he endlessly strives, grittily conquering one obstacle after another. In Capricorn humanity carries out the inspired schemes of the preceding sign, Sagittarius, but in the process tempers its lofty idealism.
Some Capricorns are rebels in their youth: dressed in black, they may bitterly curse the powers that be. And yet they may share a certain toughness, a shrewd quality, with those they denounce. Some years later, you may find them devoted to home and family, and heartily enjoying all the good things power and money can buy. An earth sign, Capricorn’s instinct is to climb the mountain, not wait at the bottom. In this way he finds himself. Understanding how to make things happen within nature’s preordained limits gives him an almost spiritual sense of satisfaction.
Sometimes-paradoxical questions which will be important to Capricorn’s long-term development are:
- “How can I balance my ambitions to be successful with my emotional and domestic responsibilities?”
- “How can I be truly realistic without becoming jaded or gloomy?”
- “How can I use my instincts to succeed in a way that nurtures humanity?”
For more about these issues, read about Capricorn’s opposite sign, Cancer.
Last updated on June 27, 2015 at 5:31 pm. Word Count: 503
