Capable Capricorn

Back at the beginning of the world all of the gods sat down together to decide who got to be in charge of what. They met at a really posh French restaurant and after several bottles of wine and a few dozen oysters, they got down to the business of sharing out responsibilities. Once Pluto called dibs on sex and Mercury got partying, the rest of them kind of fell into place. The last decision was the toughest one - who would pick up the tab? You know how that goes. Everybody starts clearing their throats and pretending to look for their wallets. Saturn was busy trying to get a red wine stain out of the table cloth and didn't notice when the others slipped out and left him holding the bag, so to speak. Saturn rules Capricorn and really this should tell you everything you need to know about the sign.

Someone once described Capricorn to me as being like a shot of espresso - short, dark and bitter - and it's really no wonder. Their glyph is a goat and their lives are all about responsibility, reputation, hard work and rewards. Oh sure, you'll see Capricorn at a party but chances are the goat is the designated driver. If you got arrested, Capricorn would post your bail and get you released under their recognizance.

Now all of this makes Capricorn sound pretty dull, but they are definitely not that. They have a wonderful sense of humour - it's just a little dark for most people; sardonic rather than sarcastic, and always self-deprecating. Capricorn is very aware of living in a spotlight and as insurance against this perceived scrutiny they often adopt an aw-shucks manner that they can fall back on if things go wrong. Like a cat whose default response to indignity is hyper-grooming. Their public image is of such importance to them that they run the risk of forgetting the personal. Their greatest danger is in believing their own (negative)publicity.

Capricorns are born leaders and are at their best when they're in charge, calling the shots and making things happen. They need to learn to accept this and take the risk of being fully responsible. It's the only way to get the respect they crave.

PS - Saturn now owns that French restaurant and when ever Mercury and Pluto come in with their dates, he charges them double.