The Oracle’s Library steps into the next zodiac sign—Capricorn. The astrological sign Capricorn holds the middle of winter when conservation and determination are required to survive the cold. In ancient times, the cusp of Capricorn held the winter solstice when the Sun turned back from the Tropic of Capricorn and the hours of daylight inched with increase once again. Capricorn is the ‘Horned-Goat’ in Latin—the tenth sign of the Tropical Zodiac. Capricorn spans from 270° to 300° on the Zodiac Belt, as it reminds us to keep our heads on straight through the long winter.
Capricorn Zodiac Sign Profile
In Sidereal Astrology, if you were born between January 15th and February 14th your Sun sign is Capricorn. This means the Sun transited through the constellation Capricorn at the given time of birth. In Tropical Astrology, the sign Capricorn is given to anyone born from the dates December 22nd to January 19th.
Capricorn is an Earth Sign that signifies the Sun has turned back to pay us a visit after reaching it southernmost latitude at the Tropic of Capricorn. At this time, we gather all that we can from the Earth and store it to ‘make do’ for the rest of the winter season. The tropical zodiac Capricorn is ruled by the planet Saturn. Those born under Capricorn have a stern and unyielding presence of determination and practicality that keeps them grounded when they climb to great heights. The Goat is among the most disciplined of the zodiac who is patient to see things through til the end.
The Myths and Legends of the Goat
In ancient myth, Capricorn symbolized the sea-goat since the earliest depiction on a seal that dates back to the 21st Century BCE. The Greeks identified Capricorn with Amalthea the goat that looked after Zeus in his early years. His mother Rhea was not able to care for him and stole him away from his father Cronos who would have otherwise eaten him. The horn of the goat is a symbol of the overflowing cornucopia—a product of the ‘nourishing goddess’ Amalthea. In another myth, Pan who took the form of a goat was attacked by Typhon, leaped into the water and all that was below the surface took the form of a fish.
The Babylonians once called Capricorn the ‘goat-fish’ and it was a symbol of Ea that represented the winter solstice in the Early Bronze Age. In Sumerian legend, the constellation Capricorn was associated with the god Enki—with the head of a goat and body of a fish who brought culture to humanity from the sea.
Stargazing the Constellation Capricorn
The constellation Capricorn or Capricornus is the second dimmest zodiac sign. For this reason, it is difficult to spot besides the three brightest stars that form a triangle—Giedi, a binary system at the right horn of the goat, Omega Capricorni or Baten Algiedi for ‘belly of the goat’, and Deneb Algiedi, a binary star system at the goat’s tail. Despite its faint appearance, the constellation Capricorn holds many notable objects such as the globular cluster Messier 30, the spiral galaxy NGC 6907, and the galaxy group NGC7103.
From July 15th to August 10th the Alpha Capricornid meteors appear to fall from the sky born out of the constellation Capricorn. The Alpha Capricornids are caused by the comet 169/NEAT. This particular meteor shower seems to peak at two to five meteors per hour, or on the occasion it lights up with bright flaring meteors at five to nine meteors every hour. Capricorn is located between the Sagittarius and Aquarius. To spot Capricorn, look for the triangle that forms the goat’s head east of the brilliant gate that forms the Milky Way. The constellation Capricorn is best seen during the autumn months of the Northern Hemisphere.
Thank you for reading at the Oracle’s Library! Are you a Capricorn? Please comment and share your experience with the Goat.