Gottfried Franz (1846-1905) – The Miraculous Adventures of Baron Münchhausen 1896 {{PD}}

What is it that you’re waiting for, dear Capricorn? It’s instinctive, this pause, this holding of breath, this listening and hearing . . . nothing. You are responding correctly if you are in stillness mode–and you aren’t meant to hear anything right now; no message awaits, no life direction beckons. You must accept that for a short while still, you will remain in a kind of emotional and physical stasis. Think of it as a time to gather yourself, your essence, and ready yourself to unfold in a new way on a new scene. The initial effect will be on the material reality; your surroundings will bring forward the next step, which may be a way of furthering your education, which may bring new and unusual people into your life, or which may send you off to foreign lands, even if only in your mind. Knowledge in some important form will be acquired, and what you learn will be the root from which everything else in your ‘new life’ springs. Happy Birthday, Capricorn, and good luck!

Get plenty of rest when you can, Cappy–it could be a trying year. ‘A Reclining Lady with a Fan’ Eleuterio Pagliani (1826-1903) {{PD}}

You may undergo some very subtle changes on the home front, with the mate, and/ or in those areas to which you dedicate your time and energy, dear Capricorn; this will play out over the Solar year between now and your next birthday, and during it all you may feel very alone and unsure. Some suggestions: retreat to what you know emotionally for support and respite; lead with your most original, unique, or unusual characteristics and abilities, when interacting with others; and take action (or at least, ready to take action) on your dreams. Your own actions may end up changing your ideals at this time, and, along with the other described changes that are unavoidable, you may reach your next Solar Return seeing and valuing things much differently; just know that’s not wrong, that’s evolution. Happy Birthday, Cappy, and good luck!

You Bette it may be a tough Journey, Cap! Sascha Schneider, “Icarus” (1906) {{PD}}

You’re wingin’ it, dear Capricorn, in a bid for true empowerment and independence, aiming straight for the status you want–and it’s a scary time, as you fear that figurative ‘wind beneath your wings’ (apologies, ’90s aficionados!) may disappear at any time. The reality is that you must go through this period when you feel very much alone, moving only under your own power–you didn’t really think others would just hand you that position you want, did you? No Cappy, you’re too realistic to have told yourself a fairy tale–but right now, a few fairy tales would be quite a good idea, to keep you inspired, to keep you believin’ (oops, don’t stop!) It’s important that you see present circumstances as necessary, rather than as a punishment–because a positive approach will insure that you stay open to learning what you need to learn–observation, acceptance, and new influences and examples can be your friends, right now–and a strong belief in your own abilities and in the need to persevere smartly will take you through, to a place about halfway to your next birthday, when your world will open up and things will look significantly different to you. Happy Birthday, Cap, and good luck!

D. Howard Hitchcock – Pali Gap from Kaneolu Bay, Oahu, Hawaii, 1915

Dear Capricorn, you may be experiencing what I can only describe as a widening gap between yourself and your mate, the security of your home life, and/ or a changing sense of commitment, generally away from, causes you previously supported. You are very partnership-focused at this time, which only emphasizes the feeling that things are not as cozy as they once were. The thing you are perceiving isn’t so much a deterioration of important relationships or roles, but a growing need within yourself to turn inward and explore those matters you carry but have so far remained unconscious of–the contents of your ‘blind spot’, one might say–and those instinctive matters that have been exerting their influence in your life without your complete awareness of their impact. It’s a time of introversion, but it needn’t alter your external commitments permanently; just be willing to take this time, through to your next birthday, for yourself–doing so, you will very quickly gain a wider viewpoint and burgeoning sense of who you really are, and what are your most effective talents and ways of reaching out to share your gifts. Happy Birthday, Cappy, and good luck!

Osias Beert ‘Still-Life with Artichokes’ 16th century {{PD}}

You’re feeling optimistic, perhaps coming off a stretch of significant opportunity and accomplishment, and you’re standing on a firm foundation–the question becomes, dear Capricorn, what will you do this year, through to your next birthday? Coming from such a solid position, it would seem the world is your oyster. But then, how does the oyster form its pearl? Through irritation, that’s how–and that irritation comes from your upset at having to acknowledge that there are forces greater than your own Will out there–and that they can’t be resisted. After so much recent success of a kind, humility is the next step, and the events of this coming year will bring that lesson home. You can make it all go smoothly if you get out ahead of things, admit that you aren’t all seeing, all knowing, or all controlling, and accept that even the biggest triumphs have a built-in cooling off period, where luster fades and efforts must begin all over again. Your bonus Solar Return aspect is a Finger of God with base of Pluto-Chiron, apex Juno=change can hurt, or be accepted and allowed to offer healing, your choice; the end result either way is empowerment, and a change in status, it’s just whether you choose the hard way, or not. Happy Birthday, Cappy, and good luck!

Inscribed by Zha Shibiao:”This is in the style of Huang Gongwang [Huang Kung-wang]’s ‘Autumn Mountain.’ Because the original no longer exists, people are not aware of its source.This is a painting made by me ten years ago. I did not put down the year. Now I put it down for reference. 1697, Shibiao [Shih-piao] at the age of 83.”
Huang Gongwang [Huang Kung-wang] (1269-1354) was a revered painter of the Yuan [Yüan] dynasty. {{PD}}

Dear Capricorn, this coming Solar year, through to your next birthday, you may enjoy one of the most ‘together’ years of your life; your sense of integrity, your ability to live your values and ideals, and your willingness to dedicate your energy to those things that matter to you will exceed all previous personal standards–and so you’ll attract a similar balance and integrity in all that you do. Too, emotions will be in harmony with who you are, and thoughts and relationships will be on the same wavelength, all positive indicators for a healthy and happy year. What might the down side to all this copacetic living be? A tendency to stagnate; the inclination may be to luxuriate in your harmonious niche and avoid applying this energy in big, sweeping ways that can affect many. Usually we are so caught up in our own personal problems that we don’t have much to spare for big causes or the Collective, but this year, Cappy, the opposite is true for you, in spite of the other problem you may have, where the social sphere may not be as encouraging as you would like, and/ or a spate of deaths, separations, or departures could distract you from your aims. It’s your job to take advantage of your unique current ability to channel your energy outward, into a wide field, and have the kind of major impact most of us can only dream of. Happy Birthday, and good luck!