Alejo Lopez joins Vanessa Montgomery to chat about all things Capricorn. Includes a look at classic Capricorns Shirley Bassey and Clara Barton (U.S. Red Cross founder), PLUS the new and full Moon, the continuing saga of Mars retrograde and out of bounds in Gemini, Mercury retrograde, aspects of Venus, opportunity aspects, and this month’s main cosmic movements so you can plan your month ahead in alignment with the energies unfolding.
Our featured non-profit this month is https://www.wwo.org (World Wide Orphans Foundation). WWO helps transform the lives of vulnerable children, families, and communities through trauma-informed, evidence-based programming.
Their work addresses the unique needs and strengths of children, families and communities in each country, adapting their early childhood education, skills development, and camp programs, to meet the identified needs of the children they serve. In 2021, WWO served nearly 12,200 children and caregivers in Bulgaria, Ethiopia, Haiti, the United States, and Vietnam.
Time stamps for the topics covered in this podcast episode:
0:00-19:54 Capricorn Season Overview
19:54-32:45 Classic Capricorns
32:45-42:05 Monthly Moons
42:05-54:15 Headlines of the Month
54:15-57:20 Monthly Mantra and Coffee Table Books
57:20-1:03:55 What’s Coming Up Next?
1:03:55-1:07:05 Monthly Nonprofit + Special Announcement
Transcript for The Cosmic Eye – Capricorn Season Episode
Tony Howard: This is the Astrology University podcast, helping you find inspiration, insight and connection through the study of astrology. And I’m your host, Tony Howard.
Vanessa Montgomery: Hi and welcome back to the Astrology University podcast. I’m your host, Vanessa Montgomery and today we have Alejo Lopez back joining us. Welcome back.
Alejo Lopez: Hi everyone. Thank you so much for inviting me again.
Vanessa: For the Cosmic Eye Capricorn season 2022. So interpersonal, cardinal earth and it’s a yin sign. It is getting cold over there guys, isn’t it? Pretty warm down under, it is really getting into our cherry and stone fruit season, it is such a turnaround. It’s so opposite hemispherically. But we have so many Santas around at the moment and fake snow, that kind of makes the spirit. Here are the ideas around Capricorn, but of course we in Australia don’t experience them, so you know, it’s a winter sign, a lot of its themes from it being cold at that time, dry, contracting, like the food stores in the larder dwindling and barren sign, ruling responsibility and limitation. And I really come back to a lot of that northern hemisphere experience about what informs all these ideas to the theme. Certainly not here. You know, hard work equals success, achievement and status. And then you know, leads on to the urn of plenty. It is an earth sign. It might be a bit barren, but it’s also fecund, it’s kind of got those two things going. It does have riches. But yeah, that’s got to sort of work for them or save, the archetypes apparent: the boss or the scrooge, like the most famous, or should we say rich, Capricorn in the world, such a scrooge, such a miser, which is Jeff Bezos of Amazon toggles with Elon Musk as the richest human beings alive. Currently, I think Elon is in pole position. And who is on the axis of, because he’s a Cancer. So it’s interesting, isn’t it? So Alejo has a story about the fourth king?
Alejo: So this is the story of the fourth wise man of the East. It’s a story published by Henry van Dyke, and it’s called The Other Wise Man. And basically the story is about, you know how in the Christian tradition, we have this idea that there were three – most religions the idea is that there were three kings from the east going to see Jesus to give him presents. So the story is about the fourth king, who’s called Artaban, who is also traveling to give him presents, but he doesn’t make it on time. Basically, he has three gifts to give to Christ– a sapphire, a ruby, and a pearl. And along the way, when he’s about to go to follow the star, you know, Bethlehem, to meet the baby, he meets a dying man. And basically, he sacrifices one of his treasures for this man. And because he’s doing that, he loses time and he misses the carriage with the camels that were going to take him to see the baby. So then on he starts his journey, he goes to Bethlehem, but he arrives too late. And he hears that the parents went to Egypt. So he starts this journey going to Egypt to try to find the baby. And there, he’s in the middle of the town in which Herod sends all of the newborn babies to be killed because Herod heard about this omen that the King was being born. So he sends all of the newborn babies to be killed, and he’s in the middle of the situation. So he decides to sacrifice one of his treasures to a soldier in exchange of one of the baby’s lives. So he saves a baby by sacrificing this stone. And then he starts traveling to many, many countries, always searching for Jesus. And as he travels, he’s doing all of this work for other people. He’s trying to achieve this saintful position, which is doing all of this work for other people. And after 33 years, he finally arrives to Jerusalem, and he hears that Jesus is going to be crucified. So he says, this is my last chance to meet him and to give him the pearl, which is the last resource I have. So as he’s going to do it, he meets a woman who is being sold to slavery. So he decides to sacrifice his pearl and to buy the woman to give her freedom. And at that moment, he is struck by a roof tile that falls on his head. So he’s striked, he gets hurt, and here we realizes he’s going to pass away, he’s not going to be able to meet Jesus. At that moment, he hears the voice that says, everything you have done unto others you have done unto me. So you have met me, even if you haven’t seen me physically. So he felt like all of his sacrifices, he lost his stones, he couldn’t achieve them. But actually, all of his sacrifices got him to the point where he was trying to get. So this story, it sounds a lot like Pisces, because there’s this idea of sacrifice and effort and others, but I always find it also is very Capricornian, I think, and I think it has a lot to do with this season, because this is the season of the three epiphanies. And, you know, the Capricornian theme that I see is this idea of postponing the result, this idea that you won’t get what you want to get immediately, you’re going to have to work through it. And you’re going to have to do some efforts through it. So you could see this idea of sacrifice with the reboot, the pearls and everything. Or you could also read this idea that he’s working through, he’s doing the effort to achieve that place in which he wants to be. And at the end, he is recognized as such, when he has this vision. And I think these are all very Capricornian ideas, you know, keeping up with your goal, and doing the work that you need to do, no matter what happens in order to get to the place where you want to get.
Vanessa: I like that and also, at the end of the day, not every Capricorn’s like Jeff Bezos, and a lot do really help people, like they build up those riches and systems to actually enable them to help other people. I’ve seen a lot of Capricorns just keep working. And they’re very dutiful; they do their duty.
Alejo: Yeah, and I think sometimes also they’re a very socially aware sign. It’s the 10th sign. So at the end, there is social awareness.
Vanessa: Mmm, yes, it’s a transpersonal sign. I also really like to remember, at this point, so of course, the Sun hitting Capricorn is the solstice point. So yes, winter solstice in the northern and our summer solstice down here in Australia. But you know, astrology is founded on the northern hemisphere’s experience. So the Sun dies on the cross, the earth of matter. At this time, it’s at its lowest, the Sun is dead, as in at its lowest life, and then it is born again, so that Astro theosophy or theology is so interesting to me. And, you know, I’m not a Christian, obviously, there’s Christianity in my Anglo background, but there’s so many different religions, I think people get caught up in the map, it’s just that’s just a handle for our actual experience. And we’re all celebrating the same thing, which is actually just the rebirth of the Sun. It’s just our experience of life, our environment, and what we need to do to thrive in that. And I love that the northern hemisphere has all these festivals of light around this time. And we don’t have that in our winter, we just have kind of nothing in winter. So we don’t get that experience. We have it all in summer when it’s light and bright outside anyway, but we just kind of do it a bit differently. You know, Australians have barbecues and picnics and we go down the beach, it’s a really amped up party vibe in the cities, because it’s also summer, the sun is also at its peak of height and vitality. So it’s interesting.
Alejo: I mean, I think also in the southern hemisphere, because I’m from Argentina, so I know, like my Christmas, were always warm weather and this idea of doing barbecues in the streets. But I think there’s also this feeling of something that’s ending and something that’s beginning. So there is also this sense of death and rebirth in some way. Maybe it’s not the light, the death of light, but the idea that the year is ending and something new is beginning. So I do feel like we still have a similar feeling in some ways.
Vanessa: For sure! And that’s where it’s interesting because of the placement because we’re still on the calendar of the Northern Hemisphere, where we have placed the year where it ends now. But really, we’re at a pinnacle of something. I’ll tend to like to work through this period, because there’s so much energy to do that. And then head into that. Yeah, it’s a strange mix. But yeah, that’s true. You’ve got both going on. Yeah, so just remember that about all the religions are basically celebrating something generally pretty similar, which is the sun being reborn again, and then of course, when you can see the sun starting to move, you know, there’s that three days of solstice, the sun stands still, when the sun then begins to grow and move up seemingly, you know, that the Christ has risen, the light of the world, the sun, literally, not the Son of God, the sun of the galaxy, our worldly plane, you know, and spirit as well, who knows we don’t really understand metaphysics that well, and how everything is connected and interconnected. I really hope we do a little bit more in our lifetimes. I think that would be really interesting. I guess all the fireside chats people are having in the northern hemisphere post Sagittarius season. So, let’s talk about a few more Capricorn themes. Like I was thinking about being a boss and boundaries. It’s like a bit of a boundary boss. You know, it’s asserts its perimeter, building infrastructure and systems, very large scale, delegating, employing people so therefore, it’s also the employer of people, the delegator, it’s able to do big things, because it’s not trying to do all the things like say Virgo, what else do you think?
Alejo: I think also the idea of autonomy, like being self responsible. And I also agree with your idea that Capricorns sometimes they’re seen as being like, self focused, because they’re focused so much in their work, but I don’t think so I think there is this sense of responsibility and this kind of awareness that somebody has to do work, somebody has to keep up with things and has to do the difficult tasks. And what’s amazing to me is that they find it normal, to have to work, like some signs, I mean I’m a Taurus, I wish I didn’t have to work. No, I just wish life was about enjoyment. I enjoy working to be honest, but some parts of me wish we didn’t have to work. But what I admire about Capricorns is that, for them, it comes naturally. Yeah, you need to work. If you want to get stuff done, you need to do it.
Vanessa: It’s that responsibility, isn’t it, it’s just so responsible. That’s realistic.
Alejo: Yes. That’s realistic. Yes. It’s very grounded. Also, yes, very grounded.
Vanessa: Very realistic. They, you know, they say they expect the worst, they expect the reality, the hard reality. So therefore, it doesn’t really blow them off course, because they’re like, Yeah, of course that went wrong. And of course, I’ve just fixed it all. Like, that’s just part of how things operate. Whereas, you know, Sagittarius relies on luck, and it just kind of fades, and then something doesn’t work. And it really throws everything out.
Alejo: Yeah, it’s true, actually.
Vanessa: So yes, I like “captains of industry,” that saying. I guess I was thinking as I was putting this together, so Capricorn proceeds Sagittarius, it precedes Aquarius. So there’s that. And then what it does in terms of the squares, it squares Aries and Libra. So there’s also that and we’ve had so much squaring of planets in Aries, with Chiron being there, and the Capricorn planets with Pluto being in there. And so it’s given me a lot to think about, and I just keep thinking, yeah, the Aries is impatient. Whereas Capricorn is patient. Aries wants to do it now and impulsively and not plan, Capricorn plans. So when you sort of start to contrast these things, it really opens up what the sign is, because it’s so different to what the squaring signs are. And of course, the opposition.
Alejo: I mean, they do have something in common, which is they’re both cardinal signs. So I always feel like there is a possibility of agreement. It’s just because they both want to start things, they both want to achieve things and to do things. The difference is the speed, like you were saying, Aries is impatient and Capricorn is like, no, let’s make a plan. But at the same time there is tension, I think there’s a great possibility of kind of bringing together the two energies. I don’t know, I’m very positive.
Vanessa: I just had an idea about that. It’s so true. Well, I guess Aries just wants to do it. It also takes responsibility for its own actions in a way in that it will just go and do it. And Capricorn’s happy to delegate, okay, you go do it. I’ll pay you. There– goes and does it. I think the original Aries constellation was called the man for hire or no–the hired man. So in a way, you know, maybe Aries is like, pay me I’ll go do it, off they go. Anyway, but why not? You could start having a story. Place a story on it like that. So what about the positive expression? So there’s the positive expression and the pitfalls. Just to recap on that. I’m thinking the workaholic. Oh, no, that’s a pitfall. Let’s start with pitfalls. The workaholic.
Alejo: I think the pitfall is Mars is exalted here. So it’s like like, sometimes they will be much driven by action, but action that is like cautious action, pragmatic action, action that is focused only on results. And it kind of restrains it a bit, perhaps, freedom. And so I think that the pitfall is that one might forget to enjoy.
Vanessa: Enjoy the fruits of their labor. Yes.
Alejo: And also, you know, there is this sense of achievement. You know, I feel like there is a sense that we said they’re very realistic and everything, right, but there’s this kind of life is seen in scales. So when I get to this step, I’m going to be happy. But actually, when I get to this step, I have to go to the next step to be happy. And then when I get to the next one, and then I have to go higher up to the next floor, and then higher up and higher up. So it’s like it’s never ending. So I think that it’s so goal oriented, that there’s always something else to achieve, something else to do. So that I think is the pitfall. Sometimes it might forget to enjoy. And then also sometimes, you know, in my view, I think it might be willing to kind of sacrifice these other areas of life, just to achieve, just to get the results. And I think that sometimes may create also a kind of disassociation.
Vanessa: And yeah, giving up things, like its opposite, Cancer. So giving up of what it means emotionally, or avoiding it. Maybe I’m thinking of ruler is Saturn, so creating walls too hard and dry, a wall to keep people out, too walled up, too hard. Status anxiety, speaking of status, you know, I’ve got a cousin actually with a huge stellium in Capricorn. And, yeah, she really had status anxiety. She’s classic Capricorns. When I met her as a little child, she told me she likes to collect the classics on video, old movies, she was like eight or something. And I’m like, wow, you know, loving everything that’s classic and has stood the test of time. Yeah, status anxiety, she also had this real anxiety. And I just took her aside at one point and said, Look, you’ve got so much in Capricorn, I really explained it through that lens, I find that can really help for people to get a bit of objectivity. And just like you’ll get there, but with Capricorn, it’s about time. And it’s over a long time, it takes a long time to get to big goals, except for that random unicorn who then has a breakdown, but you do it slow and steady, you go step by step, and you will get there and she’s already from that point, doing quite well in her career. It’s like slow and steady. It’s been over a very long time. She’s working at the place that she used to be a toddler little dancer at, and now she’s working in the office, she flies to different states and different cities already. So slowly but surely. Yeah, status anxiety could be a big one. And you know, very consumerist, the kind of culture we have. That could put a lot of pressure on Capricorns. And people that care about that, you know, maybe a Sagittarius wouldn’t care. Maybe a Pisces wouldn’t feel very seen, but they also wouldn’t maybe really care. But I think the Capricorns are built to thrive here, but also be possibly a bit crushed. It’s interesting.
Alejo: Yeah, I agree. Yes.
Vanessa: What about the most positive expression?
Alejo: Oh, well, I think we’ve mentioned many of them, the idea of responsibility, the idea of achievement. I mean, it’s the same thing. I mean, the right balance, this aim to achieve things, because at the end of the day, Capricorns are the ones who feel maybe they have done something, it’s like you were saying maybe the Sagittarians they don’t care that much in the end, but also they might get frustrated when life comes into the way and they didn’t expect it because they were just hopeful. So the idea of discipline, I think it’s a great gift.
Vanessa: I’m just thinking about the preparedness that Sagittarius may, and probably does, lack. The preparedness, like now there’s all these preppers for the end of the world preppers or, you know, late stage capitalist capitalism preppers and I wonder how many might be signs that like to plan ahead, like, I’m just thinking of that Capricorn. And I’m thinking about, you know, we will make our New Year’s resolutions through Capricorn season, it’s the end of the year or the beginning of the next. So we’re sitting here planning out our year and looking ahead, and that’s pretty perfect for Capricorn things, making that plan. Often, you know, there’s so much that’s still a bit unknown, like everything’s still very changeable it seems at the moment. So, yeah, maybe a plan with the backup plan, perhaps.
Classic Capricorns, Alejo, who is your classic Capricorn for Capricorn season?
Alejo: So my classic Capricorn is Clara Barton. She was born on the 25th of December, she was born on Christmas Day, 1821 in North Oxford, Massachusetts. And basically she’s a Sun in Capricorn, she’s a Moon in Capricorn, she also has the midheaven in Capricorn. And if you want to count the trans-Saturnian planets, she has Uranus and Neptune also in Capricorn. So there is a lot of Capricorn energy, her Sun is conjunct Uranus. So there’s also a lot of Aquarius, like Uranian energy, she has a kite, not exactly a kite, but kind of a kite that goes into Venus in Aquarius, also. So she also has a lot of Aquarius. And basically, she is the founder of the Red Cross in the United States. So I think it’s a great example of what you were saying Capricorns, they are achievers, but they’re not necessarily selfish, this idea of providing. Also when you were talking about the opposition between Capricorn and Cancer, I think both sides are there, the parental signs, right. So there is this sense of protection in some way. But Capricorn is more like in a physical way. And Cancer perhaps is more like in an emotional way. And she was a very shy child, it was very hard for her to go to school, she was educated a lot of times at home. And she was a very smart kid, super smart, she was like the best in everything she wanted to learn. And her brother got sick. And he was very, very sick. And actually the legend says that the doctors kind of gave up on him. And she kept taking care of him. So again, this idea of effort with a goal in mind. And basically he got better, he fully recovered. So she had this story about her grandmother, who had been a famous midwife, and she had been so famous that she had even been able to act as a doctor sometimes, like prescribing medicine and all of that. So she was inspired by this and taking care of her brother. And then she decided, yeah, this is what she wanted to do in her life. She her parents kind of pushed her to become a teacher, because she was so shy she sometimes couldn’t stay at school. And again, of course, she super succeeded in becoming a teacher, she was the best in her class. She started realizing that a lot of people did not have access to education. So she started doing campaigns in order to make sure that they would create more schools, she would go to the town that was very close to her where she was living, didn’t have a school, for instance, so she went to the town hall to make sure they would invest money in creating school. So you see all of these efforts. And you see also this Sun-Uranus conjunction, she was also a social change promoter, right. And, of course, she stood for the idea that women should be able to vote. And when the American Civil War started, she was right there in the first battle that happened, she was right there. So she knew some of the victims. And that’s when she realized that this is what made her happy, to take care of people. And she started working again, to be allowed to be a military nurse. And she became a symbol, she was allowed to go to the frontline to take care of the soldiers. And then she started this whole campaign to try to find the names of the soldiers that were buried. But we didn’t know who each soldier was and where they were buried exactly, because she realized that the relatives were sending letters, and nobody knew what to do with these letters. So she started this whole campaign about naming where the soldiers are buried. And she was working so hard that she got sick. So the doctor said, you need a holiday. So they sent her to Europe. And she met there the founders of the Red Cross in Switzerland. And of course, she’s a Capricorn, so she couldn’t take a holiday. She went back to the USA, and just started advocating to create a Red Cross in the USA. And at first people were like, Oh, we’re never gonna have another war. Why do we need the Red Cross? And she was like, No, it’s not just because of that, it’s to give assistance to people. And so she’s the founder of the Red Cross in the United States. And I think she’s such an example of somebody who wanted to have this ideal and did all the work and all the effort and all the duties that you have to do in order to achieve it, no matter how sometimes she found people opposing her with this. I mean, she was a woman back then. She was riding horses, for instance, and people were like, well, what are you doing? And she was like taking such a leading role. And I think she set an example.
Vanessa: Yeah, that’s a fantastic example. What a hero. I guess that’s the earth thing, isn’t it? She had the idea. She saw a need and she actually did something practical and tangible to get it to happen. It’s really incredible. Especially against those odds in those times. It’s always extremely impressive. And Capricorns are impressive, aren’t they? Impressive is a word for Capricorn. That’s amazing, I like that one. Well, I have Shirley Bassey, who is a Capricorn. She’s a Welsh singer. And she has her Sun and Jupiter conjunct in Capricorn, a wide conjunction. And then the ruler Saturn is in a sextile to the Sun as well, from Pisces. And then the ruler of that, Neptune, is in trine to the sun. So it’s a nice little loop there. So of course, she’s still working after 70 years. She’s 85 years old, her latest album was in 2021. Unbelievable. So she got going at around 15. She started singing and working. I watched a little documentary last night to learn more about her. And it was really interesting. I’m a big fan already. So I just thought the Capricorn theme were there. Of course, I was listening out for those words and checking out her quotes. And a lot of the quotes were coming from this BBC documentary. And she said, You know, that’s when her childhood really ended around 15 because she started working and that was it. And she’s just worked the way through, she’s got about 70 albums, 70 albums. That’s just so much work. And it’s interesting to listen to her talk about success, because she just says success ruined my life. Because she didn’t have a lot because she just worked so much. She said, it’s a very lonely life, because you have to travel all the time. And again, being a woman in a society where you’re not viewed as equal. And the guys all think they have to dominate you. No one can dominate her. She was the most successful export from England. You know, up until probably fairly recently. She was so successful. And she’s a strong, happening lady. Big voice, very shy personality, which again, we come back to the Capricorns being a yin sign, and I think that the earth signs can be quite shy, earth and water. And she talks about that. And so she says it even confuses her. She says, I get out on the stage, and right before I walk out, I’m losing it. That’s what she’s saying. She’s just like, oh my god, this is a really bad idea. She’s got this packed auditorium. The minute she walks out, it all clicks into place. And she’s like, Ha, this is fantastic. And she’s like a completely different person. So she said, in partnerships, because she’s heterosexual, the guys would want to be with her because she’s Shirley Bassey. And then when she’s also Shirley Bassey, they can’t deal with it because they can never match up to her. So rather than just adore who she was, unfortunately, she didn’t meet those guys that could do that. I’m sure they were out there. But yeah, so she just says, I’ve been happily married to my profession for many years. She’s gone with it. And she’s got a great quote about age, of course Capricorn is that mature wisdom that you gain over time. She says you don’t get older, you get better. She’s had a lot of recognition, so status, so she’s a dame because you know, English give these sorts of titles. She’s a dame, that happened in 2010. She was given the Commander of the Order of the British Empire, all these sorts of things by the Queen. She made the Guinness Book of Records as the most successful British female singer at one point. She’s got the French Legion of Honor from France. And she is absolutely fabulous. They don’t have a time of birth for her so her Moon’s either Scorpio or Sagittarius. And I’m wondering if it’s Sagittarius because once she hits the stage, her gestures are really big. Like she’s probably been the favorite of drag queens for many, many decades because she’s so camp, everything over done and big actions and even speaking to the camera, she’s so theatrical. And to me that really is very Sagittarian. We don’t know her rising sign. Maybe that’s Leo. I don’t know. But her soul is she’s very shy and quiet and extremely private. At one point she had a very early pregnancy. And she said no one knew because she’s so private, which is very Capricorn as well, that boundary. And that professional boundaries as well is something that Capricorns shine in. And I think it’s always a great handle for people that really don’t know how to do that. Just say, Look, that’s a professional boundary that I have. And people really respect that. A lot of her songs, she’s well known for songs, you would know so many of her songs, there’s things like, “Hey, Big Spender.” “Diamonds Are Forever,” the Bond theme, big, big, big, big songs and then she’s got one, “Climb Every Mountain.” I mean, how Capricorn? And then she’s got spitting well, what goes up must come down. Good reminder. And then she’s got these really low depressing ones like “I, Who Had Nothing.” There’s one that I first heard another Capricorn, a local singer singing who’s now, over time done very well internationally. It’s called “If You Go Away.” And it is the most depressing song in the galaxy. It goes something like, “I would be the shadow of your dog, if it meant you would keep me around,” something like that. So check out those lyrics over Capricorn season, maybe put a bit of Shirley Bassey on. She tried to work through grief, she had these bizarre things happen in her life. And she actually stepped out on a stage here in Australia, in Sydney, in front of 10,000 people, opened her mouth to sing Goldfinger because she did that for the Bond theme as well. And nothing came out of her mouth, the whole tour had to be canceled. She had to go back and work with a vocal coach, which I thought was interesting. Because at that late stage in her career already, she still had to go back and do things properly. And she said it actually was really beneficial to her. And then she stuck with doing those exercises every day, something like 40 minutes. And I thought that was super interesting, there was a lot of humility in doing that and seriousness about your art. Yeah, very interesting.
Alejo: And discipline also, the idea that you have to do the work.
Vanessa: Discipline. Exactly. That’s a good point. So yeah, it’s all very amusing. I’ll link that documentary in when I put this on my blog as well. So if people want to watch.
The monthly moon segments, the New Moon starts right off the bat, actually, on December the 23rd. At one degree of Capricorn, there’s going to be five planets in Capricorn, seven Cardinal planets, six Earth planets, and just one air planet. So very Cardinal Earth dominant, Capricorn dominant with that moon in there bumping it up. What are your thoughts on this new moon?
Alejo: Well, the first thing I have noticed is, of course, there is this abundance of planets in Capricorn. So we might find this urge to build, like you were saying before, this is a time of the year in which we create goals, and we reflect about what we have done, and what we want to achieve. So I think the sky is kind of asking us to do that, I think it’s a great moment to do that. But I always look at their ruling planet of the sign. So Saturn is ruling all of this, we call it the dispositor, right, of all of this sign, the whole of these planets. So it’s like Capricorn’s in Saturn’s home, and all of these planets go into his home. So we will look at Saturn, we see how friendly he is with this idea. Saturn is in Aquarius, so it’s supposedly a comfortable sign for him because he’s also ruling Aquarius. But we still have the square to Uranus that has been going on for ages now, it feels. So even though I would say there’s this idea of building and achieving and thinking in long terms, there’s also the presence of a possibility of disruption in the plan ahead. So I would say what you mentioned before, make sure you have a backup plan. I think it might be a good thing because we’re still in the tension between building and changing perhaps. And you know, when Saturn is in Aquarius, also, I would say that whatever you’re trying to build, whatever you’re trying to achieve, your goals and expectations, it might be an opportunity to do something that you hadn’t thought about before, something that’s a bit radically different than your normal train of thought, your normal goals that you set every year. So I would say I don’t know, try to explore some some changes there.
Vanessa: I think that’s such a great idea. I think when you look at the whole aspects like that with the rulerships in and everything leaning into Uranus suggests this is the easy way to go, squaring Saturn, maybe not, like it’s not standing my tradition, it’s really trying something new and being innovative. And I think this is a really opportune New Moon. Actually, it’s very constructive, constructive planning, set down systems that are going to see you through but definitely trying something new or innovating, it looks like an opportunity to me for sure.
Alejo: The New Moon is squaring Jupiter in Aries. So Jupiter has just got into Aries, just before the new moon. And you know, it’s zero degrees Aries. So it’s like the Aries of the Aries, it’s like you cannot get more Aries than that, it’s like the beginning of the beginning. So there might be this vision, you know, this idea of what you could achieve that is kind of bursting to go out. But this new moon is advising us, it’s not like you need to let go of that– I would say hold that vision, keep it close to your heart. But try to make a plan, try to see how it’s actually going to work in the real world. Like we were saying before, with these case examples that we saw, like these people who have achieved things by working hard and being realistic and seeing what they can actually achieve in the real world.
Vanessa: Sometimes I think Jupiter, Aries, or Mars really pushes– like you could actually really be overdoing it in this, you could leap, but maybe that can be a good thing. Just know it’s going to be full on and just kind of stick to it. And you’ll get through. Alright, so the Full Moon is at 16 Capricorn on January 6th, 7th, depending where you live, which part of the world. So this one is in T square with Chiron at the apex. So that’s a bit more tense. Both of these charts are real bowl charts, there’s just one side of the hemisphere completely packed. And the other side, there’s just nothing on it. So with this one, the moon starts to move up into being a little bit of a handle, like a bit of a bucket chart, rather than a bowl. I thought that was interesting. But yeah, so Chiron is making that T square very tense. And I guess it depends what’s happening in your own chart. What’s your thoughts about that Chiron, did you think about that one, Alejo?
Alejo: Well, you know, I feel that with Chiron in Aries, I think we’re struggling to find out our right to be. My interpretation of Chiron in Aries is I have a right to be here, but I don’t fully acknowledge, I don’t trust it so much. I asked permission to do things for being here. And I think it’s like, we’re struggling with that, like you see this– I don’t know if it’s happened, I think you read it in the newspaper and also you see it in the streets– like sometimes people are suddenly bursting up. Well, it’s also maybe the Mars out of bounds and everything, but people are suddenly bursting up. It’s very hard to find the right balance between claiming for your rights, claiming for respect, and overdoing it. I think it’s like we’re struggling to do that. It’s like we’re very much aware now of things that are wrong, things that need to change. And like this idea of self acceptance and the right to be and to be whatever you want to be. And I think we’re more aware of that, and we’re trying to find a way to give place to that. But at the same time, I think sometimes we are not sure how to handle the resentments that there might be and that needs to be recognized, of course. And so we have these two expressions. One is this one of kind of suddenly bursting up. And the other one is the opposite. Like you need to apologize sometimes for being angry when some things are like what do you expect? Not to be angry? Like we have this policy of always being smiley, always be happy, you know, think positive. Like being angry is wrong. And I think Chiron in Aries is kind of pulling up that wound, with the full moon kind of bring this into the front line, like Capricorn and Cancer have to do with the idea of protecting in a way the people you love and it has to do with other people in some ways. I would say that there is a kind of how do we build something? How do we build our social structures? And when I mean social structures I mean in the big scale but also in the small scale, like what do you do in everyday with your neighbor, with the people that you meet at work, in order to deal with this Chiron in Aries? To fight for your right to be, fight for your existence. Accept you’re angry when you’re angry because you’re rightful to be angry at some situations, probably. And at the same time, don’t burst out, how to manage that. I think it’s difficult. I think it’s quite a tense moment. Yes.
Vanessa: Yeah. Really tense, and also for the US, of course they natally have Chiron in Aries and Sun at 13 degrees Cancer. So Chiron being at 12 degrees by this Full Moon is square to the US Sun, so I think it’s just really heating up and pressuring up some pain spots, some pain spots that are retrograded back, it’s coming back in. And people are calling it a dumpster fire, and I think that’s that Chiron return. So Chiron is going to return to the natal US, but it’s heating up their Sun in the square first. So I think this full moon could be quite tense for the US actually. Not going to be easy. It is conjunct their Sun, like in a wide one conjunct their Mercury. I think that the way out on this, the full moon trines to Neptune in Pisces. So to me, that suggests, again, the compassion, the spectrum, everyone’s a unicorn, like we’re all here just to live and have a good life. I think what you said about resentment, that could get ruffled up and maybe really look at why that is, because it does seem to be coming from a place of resentment that people seem to think that someone else just existing impacts them negatively. It’s interesting. It’s an interesting balance. So we’re just going to see a bit more of that as that full moon triggers.
Give me the headlines! We’re up to this section with what’s happening this month in the cosmos. Mars, the continuing saga of Mars Retrograde in Gemini. Also out of bounds. The whole period of out of boundsness is 22nd of October to the 4th of May, 2023. That’s a long time. 30th of October, it retrogrades through to January 12th, back to 8 Gemini. So in this month in Capricorn season, it will be turning direct on the 12th. So we’ll get to that. But that’s quite a headline, continuing saga of the Mars in Gemini and what is it? The keyboard warriors? Been a lot of that. It’s been really interesting to watch the Mars retrograde and what that could be expressing as. I think the Elon Musk Twitter debacle has all come under that, among many things. Was there something that stood out to you, Alejo?
Alejo: I mean, I was thinking like in a personal level, what we were talking about before, how we deal with aggression, how we deal with defending ourselves, and how it’s sometimes so hard to handle it, like you either burst out, or we either hide away, and it’s like how to let it flow in a healthy way. I mean, Mars is there for a reason, we need to give it space. But I think the whole period might have been good too, on a personal level, to reflect on that, to reflect on what are my drives? When do I get triggered? How do I get triggered? Why do I get triggered, especially because it was in Gemini, so it is a possibility of detachment, I think.
Vanessa: That’s true. And lots of words. So Venus is out of bounds as well. And you’ve got a few things to say about Venus, actually. So it’s out of bounds first of December to 24th of December, so only the very beginning and then it goes back in. So a little reflection on that. What are your Venus notes?
Alejo: So Venus is going to conjunct Pluto on the first of January. So the beginning of the year is with Venus conjunction Pluto. So again, I think it’s an opportunity to see what are our desires to go deep into what are our desires, I would say be careful on New Year’s Eve if you fall in love or something be careful because Venus conjunct Pluto you may get obsessed with the person you meet there. But then it goes into Aquarius. So it’s like it gives a taste of this intensity and this power and this depth and then it goes into Aquarius. So then perhaps it brings this more lighthearted way, of the idea of kind of enjoying freedom, enjoying space. On the 11th of January there’s a trine between Mars and Venus, which I think it’s beautiful. I mean, I think it’s this idea of your desires and what you want to achieve and how you want to achieve what you want kind of collaborating with each other. I think it’s beautiful. I think it’s one of the beautiful dates for Capricorn season. And then it will square Uranus. So the whole process I think, is about finding your worth, finding what you find attractive, questioning perhaps what you find attractive. And also being able to change that, to question that, to change that. The whole thing of Venus going into Aquarius, Venus squaring Uranus, is like this transformation that starts on the first of January, about your worth, your desires, what you find attractive, your relationships, then it asks okay, what can you change about that in order to make it flow more, to make it free?
Vanessa: Interesting Venusian journey with this one. Something I was looking at was that the USA is having their final hit of Pluto return at 27 degrees. I think it’s 33 minutes Capricorn. So that final hit is coming in. The first one was on February 22, the retrograde. Second one was 11th of July, 2022. So this has been a headline thread through this entire year. And then closing out the year, on the 28th of December, that final hit. It’s already at 27. It moves so slowly. So that’s just exact and so intense, change of power in the second. Different sources of money as well, wealth, wealth is changing, powers changing, power plays perhaps– a lot of change. So just something to note there. And where that is in your own chart, as well. Also interesting to remember that the Fourth of July 1776, when Pluto was at this exact point, the US birthday, of the Sibley chart, anyway, was when the Declaration of Independence was signed. So I’m wondering if we get a next round on that, like an evolution from that, in hopefully in a positive way? That would be amazing with more people having autonomy and independence would be fantastic. I should hope. Yeah. So that would be good.
Alejo: I mean, I think with Pluto, it’s always like seeing things that were hidden and kind of taking them out, showing them what you need to change, you know. So I think Pluto, that’s what he does, he brings things that are hidden, and he shows them to us. So maybe there is something, I think America is going through a deep change. And hopefully for the best. Yes.
Vanessa: I hope so. I hope so. And also a reminder that Chiron is square to the US Sun, it’s really coming up close, it’s at 12 degrees, and it hits 13 actually in Aquarius season. So I won’t go too much into that now. But just knowing that the heat is on, the identity politics, identity crisis, it’s really reflective of a larger issue. And yeah, it’s always worth looking at how one is expressing that one self. Especially for people who are in the US and then the rest of us who are so influenced by that country. So you know, everything happens there, it really fires up here in Australia. Not to such an extreme degree, but everything gets lit here from that match or from that fire, it seems.
Alejo: Yeah. I think probably all over the world. Yeah.
Vanessa: Yeah. So I’ll just give you some dates for all the planetary changes. So of course Capricorn season starts on the 21st of December as the Sun ingresses into Capricorn. And then December 23, Chiron turns direct so that’s where it’s going to start making that move closer to the US Sun and to make that square and home run into a return as well. US Chiron return. And it will turn direct at 11 Aries. On the 23rd of December we have that new moon at one degree Capricorn. On the 28th of December we have that Pluto return. Third and final hit of the US Sibley chart. On the 29th of December we have Mercury turning retrograde, and as Alejo said off camera earlier, this entire Capricorn season, a real signature of it is that Mercury will be retrograde just in Capricorn most of this period right through to turning direct on the 18th, so it turns retrograde at 24 Capricorn on the 29th of December and then it goes direct January 18 at eight degrees Capricorn.
Alejo: I mean I think it’s a great moment. We usually do our goals on what we want to achieve before the end of the year, right, like now we’re doing it. But I think it’s good to do it now because it’s such a Sagittarius season. So it’s like the hopeful event, like the optimistic phase, like everything I could achieve next year. But I think it will be great to do the list now. And then during this retrograde period of Mercury, go back to the list, because Mercury here is going to be retrograding through an earth sign. So basically, it’s like, it’s going to make us reflect on how realistic these ideas are, I think. So I would say it’s a great thing that we have it now. Because it’s gonna make us reflect a lot on what it is actually that we can achieve? What is it possible to achieve? Otherwise we might get frustrated if we don’t do it. Yes.
Vanessa: Yeah, that’s a really good point. And it’s an opportunity to assess what our thoughts are like, we can work on them, like Capricorn likes to do. We can get it out, we can work on it, this kind of cosmic flow helps us to wash back over it and then go back forward. So yeah, definitely not doing the final one until the retrograde’s over, but getting it started, at least. Yeah, so that’s right through January. So we might have a few changes as we enter into the year. So that’s the fourth retrograde of 2022. We had a few. Then we have on January 2, as Alejo mentioned, Venus goes into Aquarius. On the 6th, there’s a full moon. On the 12th of January, Mars directed 8 degrees Gemini. On the 18th of January, Mercury direct 8 degrees Capricorn. And then of course, the season round out on the 20th when the Sun moves into Aquarius, and I’ll just say the new moon in Aquarius, it’s the next day. So because it had a New Moon in Capricorn at the very beginning, it’s interesting that the whole cycle is quite aligned with that lunar phase as well, that lunar cycle, which I quite like. And something we were talking about off camera as well, because I write these weekly horoscopes for Glamour, one of the things that I look at when I look at the week’s horoscopes, I just look at how the moon moves through this bowl of planets, at the moment. Every couple of days it picks up a conjunction with a different planet or group of planets. In Capricorn season it just sort of starts off conjuncting everything in Capricorn, a couple of days later, it starts to pick up a conjunction with Saturn in Aquarius, next sign has Neptune in it, so it picks that up, then we get the moon picking up Jupiter in Aries and Chiron in Aries. So it moves through like that. And it’s really worth watching those flavors come through because it’s going to trigger off any sort of aspect pattern that’s there. It’s just something that I’ve noticed sort of week after week doing this and sort of forwarding my astro app that I use, just how that moon does pick those things up and it’s not just a moon in Aries, for example, it’s really got those other flavors. And then once it breaks free of that bowl, once it passes Mars in Gemini, it’s kind of got a bit of space. It’s making squares, trines and oppositions, etc. But it just feels a little bit different, even visually watching it move through there. And yeah, as mentioned earlier, it does make the handle to this bowl, which could be interesting and it gives a bit more of a focus on this moon out there. And in terms of an opportunity transit, actually it forms a Grand Earth Trine as it moves through Virgo around the 11th and 12th, depending where you are, of January. So yeah, opportunity transit there. Again, a lot of planets in Earth, 1 2 3 4 5, plus the North Node in Taurus, of course.
Alejo: And the 11th of January, is also the Venus trine Mars, so I think it’s a great day.
Vanessa: It’s a great day. Yeah, so go with that one. There’s a bit of a kite forming, actually. So yeah, I think that’s a good one. So that’s the headlines for Capricorn season.
This month’s monthly mantra, Capricorn mantras, what’s your Capricorn mantra, Alejo, do you have one?
Alejo: My mantra is a quote from Carl Jung. I don’t know if it’s a real quote or if it’s like this quote I got from the internet, but it’s basically his ideas based on this. So I mean, it’s inspired by his ideas, for sure. And the quote is, “I am not what happened to me. I choose what I want to become.” I think it’s kind of Capricornian, this idea that you choose what you want to do, but it will require effort. It’s not like it’s given.
Vanessa: Yes. It’s not about manifesting.
Alejo: It’s about doingthe work yes.
Vanessa: I’ve got a few mantras that I’ve taken off my own website from the past. “I easily surpass the expectations and achievements of my family or my tribe.” And, “I easily recognize which goals are in both my best personal interest and for those I’m responsible for.” It’s not about martyring yourself. It’s about taking into consideration other people with a sense of self responsibility. So what’s on your coffee table, Alejo?
Alejo: So it’s a book I’ve read already, but I think it’s nice to mention this because it’s Capricorn season, any books about history, I think would be nice. And because this is astrology, I chose A History of Astrology by Nick Campion, which is a two volume book. And it’s amazing, right, he’s a genius. It goes all the way through the beginning of astrology to our days. I mean, if you’re into astrology, I would say it’s time to read about the history of astrology. So you could also read about all the techniques, like you could read The Houses: Temples of the Sky by Deborah Houlding, where she kind of dissects where the houses are coming from. Or I also thought about the book Temperament: Astrology’s Forgotten Key by Dorian Greenbaum, this idea of going back to the history of astrology, why is it that we’re doing the way we’re doing it? That’s what I thought, yes.
Vanessa: Perfect history. And it’s funny because that’s the one I was going to use. It’s on my coffee table as well, thinking history. However, this book The Crone: Woman of Age, Wisdom and Power by Barbara G. Walker showed up today in the mail, and I thought, well, that’s also very appropriate, the crone, because it’s about age and wisdom, and looking back and, you know, suppressed or forgotten histories.
Alejo: I live in Greece, and there are two different charts. And one of them says it’s Aquarius country, but I trust more the other one that says that it’s a Capricorn country, and I think it makes so much sense with the heritage that they gave to Europe and to the world, yes.
Vanessa: Absolutely. And it’s so traditional. It’s so known for the history.
Alejo: And they’re so proud of that. It’s like they are very proud of their identity, of what they had in the past, what they were.
Vanessa: Yeah, that sounds right to me, too.
So what we have coming up, I’m gonna go through to Astrology University, and then we’ll go over to you Alejo, and then moi. It starts off on December 31, 2022, to Health and the Lunar Nodes. So that’s with Kira Sutherland. She’s a naturopath and medical astrologer, and she’ll be doing a tour de force through the nodes in medical astrology. That will be very interesting. Year Ahead Forecast 2023. That sounds very appropriate. That will be with Kelly Surtees. So you can join Kelly for a webinar exploring the astrology of 2023 and discover what’s in store for the year ahead. You’ll learn about the planetary aspects and periods that look bright and clarify when any possibly uncomfortable influences might arise. You’ll learn which zodiac signs and specific degrees will be especially active in the year ahead. That is January 7th. So January 9th, How to Interpret Your Transits: Timing Life Cycles, again with Kelly. She is busy in January here at the Astrology University. You’ll learn how to interpret your transits and time changes in your life in this four part online series course. You’ll learn what a transit is, how to figure out when a transit will occur, how to read an ephemeris, so all the basics, yeah, absolute foundation, what’s necessary, which transits really matter and more. Seems on brand for what we do here, as well. January 11 through to February 5th, The Luminaries: The Sun and Moon. So four weeks worth and that’s with Lynn Bell, Safron Rossi and Tony Howard. The Sun’s meaning and context with Lynn Bell, the Sun and the Hero’s Journey with Safron Rossi. Week two, the Sun through the signs with Tony Howard. Week three, the Moon’s meaning and context with Lynn Bell, the Moon and symbols of the Great Mother Goddess with Safron Rossi. Week four, the Moon through the signs with Tony Howard, Sun, Moon and Ascendant with Karen Hamaker-Zondag, so that’s actually four people coming in on that and then a bonus Intro to Rulership with Tony Howard, very interesting. Timing Cycles with Transits, that’s on January 11 to February 5. Forecasting 101: Timing Cycles with Transits with Darby Costello, Kelly Surtees, and Tony Howard. So that’s over four weeks and there is a required text of The Changing Sky, always good to look ahead so you can be prepared and do the reading over the holidays. January 11 to February 5, Solar Arc Directions: Forecasting Key Events. So that’s with Kathy Rose. January 11 to February 5. A lot happening in January when everything’s shot and being forward.
Alejo: Because everything is starting, right?
Vanessa: Starting off. Relationship Astrology 201: Composite Charts with Brian Clark and Mark Jones. So of course Brian has a stellium in Libra, so in good hands there. Composite charts are really interesting, too. And that one has a required text also, Skymates II: The Composite Chart by Steven Forrest. Always worth a read. January 14 and March 11, The Centaurs: Pholus and Nessus– ooh, I knew this was going to be with Melanie Reinhart, the queen of the centaurs. So that’s part one, Pholus– The Lid Comes Off, part two Nessus– The Buck Stops Here. So yeah, January 14, and then March 11. So that’s it for Capricorn season. So what have you got coming up?
Alejo: For me, I’m going to be doing an event with Darby Costello, also on the 14th of January, for Academy of Astrology in the UK. Basically, what brought the founder of the academy when he came up is a series of webinars about Pluto entering Aquarius. So he takes a known, very experienced astrology with kind of a new voice in astrology and he puts them together. So Darby is going to be talking about the idea that as Pluto goes into Aquarius and Neptune will go into Aries, Saturn will be in Pisces. So she is going to be talking about what is this about? And I’m going to be talking about Pluto in Aquarius itself. And I’m going to be relating it to the French Revolution and what happened there in the quest for freedom. So I’m going to try to link what’s happening now to what happened back then, and see how we might be affected to it and how we might act on these things that are happening right now. And then we have a debate with Darby and myself at the same time about it.
Vanessa: Oh, that will be awesome. Fascinating. Yeah, the number one thing everyone wants to know is I think Pluto in Aquarius. Me too. I’ve been looking into it, very interesting, looking back at history. Anything else? And where can people find you? Are you doing readings?
Alejo: So yes, I do readings. And also I’m a psychologist. So some people come for analysis. They want to do sessions every week. And I use astrology and Jungian psychology to do that. And my website is liminalcosmos.com. And you can also find me on Instagram with the same nickname, liminal cosmos
Vanessa: Cool. And I have my book out, it’ll be coming out in the US, Astro Power, it’ll be coming out on January 17 as the Sun is conjunct Pluto in Capricorn. So it’s a Capricorn at it’s core. That’s out everywhere now. So you can pick it up for gifting on the holiday season, makes a great gift. And I’m working through the holidays. So I’m available for readings at astroallstarz.com. Just go in and you can book through there and see what I have to offer, find my other books. No lectures or webinars over this period, just working on the longer range things and planning, planning. So thanks for joining us. Thanks Alejo for coming on and sharing your thoughts. Very much appreciated. We’ll be having Alejo back for more as well through 2023, if we are lucky, and yeah, have a great Capricorn season!
And stay cosmic.
This month’s nonprofit is Worldwide Orphans Foundation you can find them at www.wwo.org. So they were founded in 1997 by pediatric infectious disease and adoption specialist Dr. Jane Aronson, Worldwide Orphans has been implementing new strategies and methods over time. Today it has helped over 8,000 children in countries around the world. So the number of orphanages across the developing world has grown dramatically in recent years. More than 80% of children in these orphanages are not orphans. Globally, research shows that children are taken from their families, trafficked into orphanages and used to generate funds. This is a form of modern day slavery. Well meaning people who are donating to orphanages are unintentionally fueling the global orphanage crisis. The more donations flooded into orphanages, the more orphanages open and the more children are separated from their families to fill their beds. WWO wants to end child trafficking into orphanages and stop the demand for orphans through grassroots education and empowerment programs. Currently working in Nepal, India and Uganda, the WWO gives families every opportunity of staying together and help them become self-reliant. WWO’s approach is holistic and child focused. Their strategy is to work collaboratively, building brighter futures for children through health care, education and family support. They currently work in five key areas: prevention, rescue, reunification, advocacy and research. Donate or ask for donations for a specific charity as a present. Or consider developing or joining a program specific to the needs of your own community or country. So that’s wwo.org. And in closing, I’d like to thank you all for listening in, sharing, commenting and rating the Cosmic Eye. I’m handing over the monthly forecast to Alejo Lopez as your new anchor. You’re in great hands– Alejo is super enthusiastic to deliver the monthly astro timing with new co-host to be confirmed. You can find me, Vanessa Montgomery, at astroallstarz.com to keep up with my astro contributions. Have a Happy New Year, and may 2023 be your very best yet. Stay cosmic.
Tony: Thanks for tuning in to the Astrology University podcast. Study astrology online with some of the great astrologers of our time at www.astrologyuniversity.com, where we offer webinars, online classes and virtual summits to bring you inspiration, connection and insight through the study of astrology. Take good care, and we’ll see you next time.
