I am the Alchemy of Vocation
Climb every mountain
Symbol – Goat, Ruler – Saturn, Metal – Lead, House – 10th, Element – Earth, Modality – Cardinal, Humor – Melancholic, Body – Knees, Polarity – Cancer, Quality – Feminine
The name Capricorn comes from the Latin word for goat. The Capricorn glyph ♑️ depicts the hoof of the mountain goat. The hardy goat stands firm in its conviction, and carries on where others give up.
Capricorn is the tenth sign of the zodiac; it presides over the tenth house, the house of social status, and is the fourth of the cardinal signs. Cardinal signs are the initiators of the zodiac. Capricorn starts at the time of the winter solstice, the Sun at its nadir.
Capricorn is ruled by the planet Saturn, the lord of karma, known as the taskmaster that holds us to account for our actions and keeps us in check. The energy is yin and quintessentially feminine. Capricorn is an earth sign which correlates to the melancholic humor, cold and dry.
Capricorn came here to do something with its life. It grounds us in our commitments. It is ambitious, resilient and tenacious; it shows fortitude in the face of adversity. Mars is exalted in Capricorn, giving it the “will to power” that Aries has.
The evolutionary aim of the Capricorn is to search one’s soul for a goal, a ‘great work’ that is worthy of great effort.
Capricorn is a serious sign, perhaps shy and reserved, but it is also known for its sardonic sense of humour. Thought to be a little cold and unfeeling, this is often a façade. They make loyal friends and partners and are reliable, responsible and trustworthy.
Capricorn is associated with the archetypal father, the strict parent type, head of a family, authoritative, disciplinarian and rigid tendencies. On the upside, this can also be the parental archetype that can set wise boundaries.
The 10th house, known as the midheaven in the natal chart, is the house of the father and the house of meaningful work, our career and our public persona.
Homeopath Luke Norland associates Saturn with Sankaran’s cancer miasm, “hard taskmaster, demands structure and imposes limitations.”
To précis Norland, Saturn in the chart is where one sets goals, requiring ambition and leading to frustration when there are obstacles. There is often a lot of self-criticism which can propel the individual into working harder, perfecting their routine until they can perform the superhuman task. Classical music and ballet are both good examples of the demands of the cancer miasm: perfection in performance, steely nerves to take centre stage, learning to perfect one’s craft from a young age, meaning the innocence of childhood is sacrificed.
The remedy Carcinosin, therefore, has a strong correlation to the Capricorn archetype. The Carcinosin personality is known for perfectionism, a tendency to overwork, to do everything right; for example, the older child in the family who follows the rules, does well at school, takes on too much responsibility, wants to please her parents, gets a good job and so forth. This can lead to suppressing one’s own needs and emotions. The Carcinosin picture is often someone who has suffered grief, loss and trauma in childhood.
Capricorn is known for its longevity; when young, it may have an old head on young shoulders, but it gets progressively more youthful with age. Old age is often the time of Capricorn’s life; this is the same for someone with a badly aspected Saturn, such as Sun square Saturn or Moon square Saturn.
Capricorn governs the structures in our bodies: the bones, ligaments, knee joints, teeth, skin and also the parathyroid gland which controls calcium homeostasis.
The pathology of Capricorn is caused by too much hard work. It may also come from their pessimism and low self-esteem, and the onus of carrying the world on their shoulders.
The rigidity of the Capricorn temperament can cause stiffness and rigidity in the body, such that structures break down. They may suffer from rheumatism, osteoporosis, dental issues, arthritis and gout. They can become very melancholic and depressed.
Some remedies indicated for the Saturn constitution are; Calc Phos, Calc Carb, Ammonium Mur, Natrum Mur, Alumina, Cadmium, Graphites, Hekla Lava, Radium Brom, Strontium Carb and Thiosinaminum.
Symphytum (comfrey aka bone knit), by association with the bones, is also well indicated for Capricorn.
In his writings about astrology and the periodic table, homeopath Luke Norland maps stages 1 to 6 of the periodic table to the cardinal signs. He equates stage 6 to Capricorn.
According to Norland, stage 6 can be assigned to the earth element, with a more assertive yang energy. Scholten describes this stage with words like challenge and daredevilry (Mars/Aries) whilst having a need to prove themselves (Capricorn). There are also anticipatory issues, owing to the doubting influence of Saturn.
Ruled by Saturn, whose metal is lead, Plumbum is also suited to the Capricorn picture.
To paraphrase homeopath Peter Morrell on lead:
Persons with an excess of lead are dark and heavy, rather sombre or gloomy, rather depressed or maybe a control-freak. They like coffee, dark clothes, winter, night-time and gloomy or highly structured music. They tend to be rather conservative and love structure and strict time guidelines. They can be uptight and intolerant especially of interference from others. They fail to see how others can’t also lead a strict and orderly life. They tend to be very serious, to think too much and to dwell in the past. Jobs like architects, bankers, accountants, solicitors. They are interested in politics. The lead type needs to loosen up a bit and develop more spontaneous joy. It is chiefly mellowed and improved through gold, copper, tin or silver. Close remedies are Calc, Plumbum, Alumina and Lycopodium.
Calcium Phosphate is the designated tissue salt for Capricorn. It is for the bones and teeth and is needed to assimilate calcium.
The Tarot card associated with Capricorn is the Devil. The Devil is depicted as the Greek satyr, Pan, in the Mythic Tarot deck. He represents the mischievous side of Capricorn, who may appear conservative and restrained at first. The Devil card is also associated with fate and pre-destiny, which are associated with the planet Saturn, ruler of Capricorn. The Devil card can represent how too much work and not enough play can lead to feeling trapped in mundane activities.
There are many remedies that may match the Capricorn archetypal picture, and a full analysis of the astrological chart and homeopathic case would need to be taken. I would wager however that many Capricorns would benefit from some rest, they don’t have to climb the mountain every day. I have Capricorn friends who never stop, not in a rushed, frenetic way like Aries, in a more measured way, but they never take a break, every day they are at the mountain.