An almond tree, blooming beneath a covering of snow. Photo By Àngela Llop – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25355619

The AstroEssence: Years ago my father owned a small almond ranch in the California desert, in a place you’d never guess would make for good farming–and yet the remarkable thing was that, just below the alkaline crust of earth ran a small but powerfully rushing river. Influences today are subtle but, if you tap into them, potent, like that surging water below bare soil; it provided more than enough water, but only when accessed with a pump–otherwise nature didn’t find it easy to puncture that brittle clay crust, and little grew. We may find a strong undercurrent in the reality picture that somehow contradicts our own values–it may feel as if we’re hopelessly old-fashioned, out of step, or naive, unable to tap in to the rush of feeling below the surface–and this may mess with our sense of values, giving us the feeling that it would be smart to review what we dedicate our energies to–and it would. We need to punch through, to access what flows below the surface, to be sure that what we’re committed to indeed matches our priorities and values. What we’re likely to find is that our minds have been on what mattered all along–and once we’ve reviewed things, we can renew our dedication with confidence (Vesta qnx Pallas, Saturn contra-parallel Vesta, Merc sxt Venus)

‘Job Lot Cheap’ by William Michael Harnett 1878 {{PD}}

Today’s word image is a tall stack of newly acquired, ‘to read’ books. According to the website Open Culture, this is “Tsundoku, which literally means reading pile, is written in Japanese as 積ん読. Tsunde oku means to let something pile up and is written 積んでおく.” The Japanese word as it applies to books is a play on the concept of letting anything pile up–as if all piling up in the world were voluntary! Though some treat it as a thing we shouldn’t do, equating it to hoarding, acquiring books to be read in time gives me a great deal of pleasure, and the joy of being able to go choose from that pile when it’s time for a new book is something I celebrate and look forward to. The matter then seems to be: are we sure that what we’ve allowed to accumulate actually has a reason for being, that it serves a purpose? Would we be better off without it, or does its very existence enhance our lives?

For those born with the Sun at 13 Capricorn: You’re heading toward big commitment, and big change–are you ready? You appear primed to act on your feelings this year, but need to be aware that at least some of those emotions are based more in fantasy or idealization of someone or something than they should be. You need to find that balance between impulse and belief, between hurt/ retreat and the real world as it is, and between the urge to go it alone and the need to find a place within the group. If you can sort those topics out during the upcoming Solar year, through to your next birthday, you may find yourself transformed, and with it what surrounds you. Good luck, Cappy, and Happy Birthday!

Not exactly new, but it still feels fresh. ‘Yellow-Red-Blue’ 1925 Wassily Kandinsky {{PD}}

The AstroEssence: Actions and choices are inspired by our own unique viewpoint; there’s no need to stress over being original, modern, or to fear we won’t be in the avant garde–we act with a flourish that is both current in style and accurately reflects the intellect–even radically so. This spurs smart and practical thinking, and boosts confidence, which means we’ll benefit by knowing our own territory and then exercising our Will within it (Mars nov Uranus, Venus parallel Juno and enters Pisces, Mercury sxt Pallas)

Today’s word image is a quiet drink before the fire, marking the end of the holiday season, and the beginning of the New Year. It seems we need to be conscious of what is ending right now; to wrap it up willingly, with style, may be the best way to reconcile ourselves to the fact that time is passing, and we must move on, much as we might wish to linger in the sparkling settings, the dazzling fireworks, and the well wishes that come even from strangers. Acknowledging that one way or another we are required to ‘come back down to earth’ isn’t something to regret, but something to embrace, as it’s only those Capricorn-flavored, nose-to-the-grindstone times that allow us to appreciate so much the celebrations of good fortune, family, and friends. Happy New Year, y’all–

For those born with the Sun at 12 Capricorn: This Solar year, Cappy, it seems you achieve the perfect balance between expansion and contraction, between reaching out, getting more, and pursuing goals with optimism, and carefully maintaining what you’ve already built. It’s not glamorous, but it is a period when your foundations, and by extension your power, can make tremendous gains, and so solidify a growing reputation and the status this conveys. Take care that this is a positive growth in the reputation; also be aware that some people in your sphere will not be happy with your advancement–and it will be necessary for you to decide how to handle feedback meant to slow you down (my suggestion: reject it!) Also, let emotions and intuition lead–big rewards could come from this. Good luck, and Happy Birthday!

‘Pallas Athena’ Franz von Stuck, 1898 {{PD}}

The AstroEssence: Pallas enters Pisces, and we can pull wisdom from the very air,  from a whiff of the spiritual or the creative, and from an inner state of drift, daydreaming, or escape. It’s as if sleep, play, dreams, a warm bath, even the humidity levels carry the key to what’s smart, what’s practical, and it’s ours for the taking, right there in what we breathe and of what our bodies largely consist. To access it, though, we have to know how to let go of the ego, how to untether from the here and now, and how to hold on to nothing–the very opposite of our usual (and quite natural) grasp response. The usual Piscean routes are all very welcoming right now, but the Warrior Woman in this venue demands that a practical translation occur: employing our skills, we take our inspirations, our imaginings, and we create something of use from them. It may sound like an assignment, but it’s really the essence of the creative process–for why else do we have those urges, but to turn them into something that touches the world? (Mercury semi-sq Venus)

Also, taking action is easy–just make sure you look at where you’re going, literally and figuratively (Sun sxt Mars)

Here’s something useful from the excellent Astrologer Kelly Surtees

For those born with the Sun at 6 Capricorn: You’re going to be moving forward aggressively (or assertively, if you prefer) this year, but you’re going to have to do some hard re-thinking in the process. It’s not your reasoning that’s unsound–that’s actually been exceptional– but your hindsight and your Self-perceptions that are suffering. Re-examine the past for what it really tells you (as opposed to what you’ve been telling yourself about it, all this time), and look at choices with an eye to your own health, which includes the actual benefits that may be conveyed to you. Both these measures will make your Solar year, through to your next birthday much more successful than they might be sans review and examination. Good luck, Cappy, and Happy Birthday!

Pink and Poppy Wallpaper by William Morris 1881 {{PD}}

The AstroEssence: Are we acting based on what we still carry from the past, from accumulated knowledge, or are we acting reactive to the past, in which case we’re unthinkingly playing out an old response or pattern? In either case, our reasoning lacks clarity, whether from a too-imaginative approach (which can lead to unreal expectations) or from a deluded one that fights not only the social norms but our own instincts, too, in the hope of proving an illusion is actually real. Power (which is not a dirty word–it’s just the ability to affect the environment, and to exercise dominion over yourself) is found within the values–and that means we must stop ignoring instinctive responses (normalizing the abnormal) and we must work hard to separate inspired thinking from wishful–and we do this best in two ways: acknowledging the legitimacy of everything in our world (not just the parts we like) and by keeping our eye on the consequences of our choices. If we do, we’ll deal with disparities before they become issues, and we’ll make choices that take us in the direction we want to go (provided we actually understand what our aim will bring us!) (Mars conjoins the SN, semi-sq Uranus, and sesq Jupiter, Venus sxt Ceres, Mercury sxt Neptune, sesq Sedna, contra-parallel Vesta, and semi-sq Black Moon Lilith, Sun trine NN)

Aberdaron Fisherman Evan Williams, who predicted a fine summer, and was proved right. Photo by Geoff Charles – CC0

Today’s word image is a man, standing on the corner, shouting, “The world will never end”. Isn’t that the opposite of the old stereotype of the ragged prophet proclaiming the end of the world to all passersby? Things are upside down, right now–it’s a chance to let go not just of stereotypes, but of old patterns of thinking, assuming, and being. It’s humbling to know things are not as you thought they were–and that realization is an invitation to join the world as it is, and in doing so, make yourself relevant to it.

For those born with the Sun at 5 Capricorn: You are very much in danger of falling into old patterns, of re-enacting the past, or of assuming that having done things a certain way before means those methods will still hold today–not so. Your task this Solar year, through to your next birthday, is to tune in to the direction you want your life to take–you think you already know, but you need to examine the correlation between your actual actions and your goals–and then take full responsibility for getting yourself there. Don’t wait for others to supply the missing pieces–you may have to go out and round them up yourself. The good news is that you are more than equal to the task, with energy and a keen Self-focus that will serve you well (though it might anger those used to having you at their disposal–if it does, reconsider their place in your life, and their command of your energy). Good luck, Cappy, and Happy Birthday!