In medical astrology, Capricorn corresponds to the skeletal system, so one way we can envision this season is through the imagery of an archeological survey. This is a moment to look back at the year and excavate the bones.
Your present self is built on top of layers of old selves. Personality quirks, occupational pursuits, familial relationships, niche interests. There are ways in which you once contextualized your identity which have been lost to time. Maybe the shift was imperceptible. Maybe you didn’t even recognize your evolution until nostalgia crept into the mix.
But the current you did not arise out of nowhere. You would not be who you are today had you not had a foundation upon which to build, and time to recognize the transformation.
Yet once we discern that we have become a “new person”, old aspects of self may be regarded with embarrassment or humiliation. We tend not to give former loves, cringy hobbies, or past belief systems credit for the formation of our character. Certainly, much of the time, we fail to acknowledge them as sacred. We do the Capricorn thing and repress. We bury the bones.
Similarly, the holy sites of many cultures are built over sacred ruins. Only when temples, shrines, or sanctuaries are unearthed from beneath modern buildings can we concede that the foundations of these establishments date back much further than we realized.
So as the sun enters Capricorn, permit yourself time for silence and reflection. Who are you now, today? What did you build over old foundations? What remains visible of your past selves and what is obscured? What aspects of personality have you chosen to revere and which to suppress? Was this by choice or necessity? These are important questions to ask as we contemplate the deeds of the past year, and turn our gaze towards the year to come.
To know oneself is not only to know the aspects of one’s past personality which are convenient to display. It is to know that in all your stages of development and maturation, you are sacred. Experience is your foundation. YOU are the temple.
Written by Nyssa Grazda
