Sun in Capricorn, Agamemnon About-Faces in Virgo

 
The Capricorn ingress – otherwise known as the Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere and the Summer Solstice in the southern hemisphere – occurs at 11:13 a.m. (UT/+0) on Friday, December 21st.

This is also the first day of the new Mayan ‘world creation’ round and when asteroid Agamemnon goes retrograde at 7 Virgo.

Earth-wise, the Capricorn ingress is one of those moments of day/night extreme: in the south, the days now reach their longest and the nights are at their shortest – with things being exactly the other way around in the northern hemisphere. Traditionally (which is to say ‘in astrological tradition’) Capricorn is a ‘cool’ sign. It’s a sign of pragmatism and realism.

Some say ‘cold hearted’ realism, but I tend to think that’s all about where you’re coming from. Truth is truth and facts are facts – we just don’t happen to like some truths and some facts!

As an earth sign, Capricorn tends to promote and refer to things tangible and the ‘evidence’ which proves or disproves our theories or assertions. In being ruled by planet Saturn, Capricorn has a strong relationship to time and timeliness…and hence responsibility. Could’a, should’a, would’a’s don’t tend to work as well while the Sun is in Capricorn as they might at other times.

Oh…and maybe I should mention Mars is also in Capricorn? Yes, ‘tis true. And that combination of Sun and Mars is great if you’re trying to get something done and not so great if a problem has just reared its ugly head or you’re feeling down, alone, or guilty about something. (That goes double if you are guilty of something!)

Mars will be moving on into Aquarius early on December 26th…which could mean that Christmas Day is a stressful one for some folks (being that Mars will be at 29 Capricorn on that date).

With Mercury (and Venus) in Sagittarius at the time of the ingress and Mercury not shifting into Capricorn until New Years Eve, this means the ‘through Christmas’ period is Mars-in-Capricorn/Mercury(Venus)-in-Sagittarius, which creates a (Mercurial/Sagittarian) sense of expectations which are (Mars/Capricorn) most of all about what we expect from ourselves…or for some, as proof of how others think of us.

Or whether they think of us at all. Venus and Mercury in Sagittarius can create a vision in our heads that ‘everybody else is happy’ which is simply not true, even if it’s true for us. And once Mars and the Sun are both in Capricorn, many people will just get riveted on what needs to get done, forgetting that the holiday spirit is most of all about warmth, about kindness, about caring and giving of ourselves, not of gifts.

These last few days before Christmas may be particularly hard on people who are alone. If you can, reach out to someone. Share a smile. Wish someone the best of the season. Share a funny joke. Give them – if nothing else – a moment of quality attention.

Often times, that’s the greatest gift of all.

That the Sun is entering Capricorn in (a.) opposition to Ceres, (b.) in square to Uranus and (c.) sextile Neptune and (d.) conjunct Juno is a picture of all these things.

The closest aspect here is Sun-sextile-Neptune (from 0 Capricorn to 0 Pisces) which tells us that with the best of intentions, we may fail ourselves. Attentiveness and asking ourselves ‘why’ one thing is more important than the other thing really…(like, deep down inside?)…is the question being posed. Some will work this sextile as a way to forget the ‘big bad’ (Capricorn) world and retreat into the longed for comforts of Neptune in Pisces.

Unfortunately those dreams of storybook comforts don’t always exist.

Astrologically, the best thing we can do now is weigh things out…sorting between the ‘accepted’ thing to do and be and that we would really love ourselves for being on a human and mortal level. Sextiles always represent an opportunity, and here Neptune at 0 Pisces against the Sun at 0 Capricorn is an opportunity to let our guard down – most of all with ourselves. The Sun being in Capricorn will continue to remind us of our reality of the moment. But Neptune’s position at the beginning degree of Pisces – a sign it will be in for some years yet – gives us a sense, an ‘inner vision’ if you will, of what we can be, and what we want to be, going forward.

That as this applies the Sun is also conjunct Juno brings a question of quality or self-mastery (mastering?) into the mix. And then there’s the question of the opposition to Ceres – which is really Ceres, Betelgeuse and Polaris all clustered in late Gemini.

 A 2nd-3rd century (CE) statue of Juno in the Weisenburg (Bavaria) Roman Museum

(photo credit: Wolfgang Sauber, August 2011)

On the surface of it, this would evoke the ‘playing out of plans.’ But then…then we have to consider Uranus, which at 4 Aries and conjunct Child and Atlantis seems to be our holding ourselves up either because we’re acting like a child, or maybe because we haven’t gotten past the natural sort of egotism/self-centeredness which works when we’re young, but becomes increasingly unproductive as adult responsibilities become our daily fare.

Then again, maybe the Uranus in your personal universe is operating physically or being triggered through situations. If so, you can expect a lot of interruptions, changes, indecision, or ‘incapacity’ (of some type) to surface now…and probably on a periodic basis throughout the zodiacal month.

Representing all those many things and ways in which life, instinct or impulses forces our hand (mental or otherwise), Uranus is that part of the life process which when we’re the agent of it, brings the new into being. And when we refuse to change, change happens anyway.

In being connected with asteroids Child and Atlantis, there’s an implied ‘needing to let go’ (Atlantis) which once we do it allows us to find what we really want. But we just don’t like letting go!

The goal (represented in the t-square by Ceres, Polaris and Betelgeuse) may be some ‘childhood dream’ – an idea you’ve held onto for a very long time. Or it may be something you think will ‘fix everything’ (Betelgeuse) and you’re afraid of letting go of the idea that you (Polaris) need to do that.

Maybe the time is just wrong. Maybe you’re not the person who will accomplish that aim. Or maybe your approach is wrong. Perhaps your test is simply that of being or becoming willing to let go of some idea or image…or getting past some fear or instinctual aversion you learned or picked up on long ago.

Because Uranus is in Aries and Aries is ruled by Mars, this underscores the first few days of this solar passage of Capricorn in a very direct and personal way. Once Mars moves into Aquarius (on the 26th) the duration of Sun in Capricorn will ask that we (Mars) do what is needed to achieve our (Capricorn) aims in two parts or as the sum of two parts. That duality is dictated by Aquarius. It’s first ruler is Saturn (ruler of Capricorn) and its secondary or “outcome” ruler is Uranus…again pointing us back to Uranus as the ‘hurdle’ in the ingress t-square.

The Aquarius Saturn/Uranus is something akin to an astrological recipe. Saturn asks if you “know how” and if not, if you are willing to learn how or find the right way to get things done. Depending on how well you do that, Uranus then represents the ‘breaking through’ in your task or aim, the ‘earning the reward’ or the changing of a dynamic. Or not.

Those who don’t heed the Saturn rules, Saturn standards, Saturn messages about methods and such, they may succeed, but either not in the long run…or they’ll achieve their primary aim but then something they thought was perfectly okay goes totally kaput or utterly haywire. Example: let’s say you and your sweetie want to buy your first home. You scrimp and save and buy that first precious house. Then one of you gets transferred overseas. Or maybe the economy tanks out.

Aquarius, a sign known for quirky senses of humor, seems to have one. And it’s not always pleasant. Sometimes we cross all the ‘t’s and dot all the ‘i’s and life throws us a curve ball anyway.

Also worth remembering here is that until the 28th, we’re all in the first half of a ‘lunar month’ which starts in Sagittarius and comes to full in Cancer. So this is a natural time of adjusting and for feeling our feelings. It will be an emotional time when unbidden things and long forgotten moments suddenly pop to the surface. And when they do, don’t brush them off. Take a moment to think what they mean. Or perhaps how far you’ve come since some time in your past.

Or how far you have yet to go.

Once Venus moves into Capricorn on January 9th (joining Mercury, which will have moved into Capricorn on December 31st), we’re all going to feel more collected and directed.

And that pretty much fills the Sun in Capricorn bill….except for one thing. As the Sun enters Capricorn and the pendulum of light and dark hits one extreme and turns to move back in the other direction, Agamemnon is going retrograde at 7 Virgo, a degree which as I type it out reminds me of the Pluto/Facies conjunction which is just beginning to let go of us - or would be if the Sun wasn't going to set it off by running over the conjunction point come the 28th.

(More on that in a different post yet to come!)

But the trine between Agamemnon and Pluto/Facies? That seems highly emblematic of the difficulties and complications so many of us seems to be facing and be caught up with.

Anyone who’s familiar with the tale of Troy and Helen and Achilles knows the name of the Greek King Agamemnon. He’s not exactly a charming sort of fellow. Agamemnon was a classic power monger and power seeker. Stubborn to the nth degree, Agamemnon was a man bent on winning at almost any cost – and he paid some hefty prices.

From a Roman folio, this scene depicts opposing soldiers at Troy

As any symbol goes into retrograde, we tend to recognize associated matters internally. And during the time that it remains in retrograde, we mull and plan and sort through those issues.

Virgo can be simplified as what we do and how we do it (or don’t do it). Virgo stresses not quantity but quality. Associated with the military, health and health care and every sort of governmental or civic worker, it’s about all we do to keep things running and improve our lot…and (oh, incidentally) that of everybody else. Like all earth signs, Virgo tests our knowledge of and willingness to “follow the rules,” which in this sign tend to be those of duty, morality, ethics, priority, protocol and timeliness.

Together with Sun entering Capricorn, Agamemnon’s going retrograde suggests that we may ‘hit the wall’ in some way now…but not in any way which doesn’t allow us to move on.

In fact, what we recognize about what we're experiencing? That's probably a very important factor going forward. The good and bad here is all about our 'reality factor' - how realistic we are about what we need to do in this life, what life requires of us, how we're not immune to time or those pesky rules which may seem so annoying...

All that.

Yet even if life seems daunting, remember - the test is not about the 'thing,' it's about your journey to understanding who you are and what you're capable of, and willing to do. That reality is what determines what your reality becomes.

And that's entirely, completely, excruciatingly Sun in Capricorn!
.
.
.