This season’s tarotscopes feature The Muse Tarot and the Compendium of Constellations.
Sagittarius season encouraged us to find joy and freedom, exploring and expanding, balancing a desire to move with a need to find stable ground. And after gathering new ideas, questioning, and clarifying, Capricorn season’s cardinal earth helps us set new goals, secure powerful foundations, and lay the groundwork for success. If you’ve been craving something solid, if you’ve been dreaming of rational plans and steady progress, this is the time to get moving. With Capricorn, we rely on ourselves to get shit done.
Known for ambition, drive, focus, and determination, Capricorns are the ones you want by your side when turning big dreams into tangible goals. Taking all of the crackling fire and powerful ideas from Sagittarius season, we can now break these wishes and hopes into practical steps, figuring out which resources, skills, and assets we need in order to make our dreams come true. Yet the Sun’s shift into Capricorn also marks the winter solstice, a time of quiet recovery, deep healing, gentle awareness. Capricorn may be known for their drive and ambition, but they also understand the importance of purpose, of keeping the reason for their work front and center. When we know what we crave, when we make the space to balance work and play, we truly can make our dreams come true. Capricorn balances hard work and powerful pursuit with grounded pleasure, giving us the space to remember who we are.
The major arcana archetype that corresponds with Capricorn is the Devil, a much-maligned archetype associated with addiction, toxic behavior, destruction, chaos, and pain. The Devil is less about an outside force that comes sweeping in to fuck up your life and more about the ways that we might sabotage ourselves: falling for old temptations, slipping into familiar patterns that distract us from the things that we really want, losing perspective in a way that distorts our recognition of the truth. Sometimes, letting ourselves get a little wild, take some chances, release our death grip on control, can be exactly what we need to shake ourselves free of obsession and remember who we are. But other times, harmful behaviors are exactly what they seem, and in getting caught up in relationships that hurt us, situations that leave us feeling unsafe, or dynamics that lead us to doubt ourselves, we can experience major setbacks. It’s important to be conscious about our choices, rather than letting ourselves get swept up or pulled down into something that we haven’t actually chosen, something that we don’t truly want.
When you think about destructive habits or unhealthy cycles, what comes up for you? Where do you struggle to exercise control, and where is your control so tight that you allow yourself no room for possibility or growth? Where does it feel impossible to say no? Aspirations, hard work, goal-setting, and determination are generally framed as useful, positive things — but taken to the extreme and we can end up hurting others or ourselves with obsessive focus, or a willingness to abandon important things for the sake of our ambition. Where have you been compromising?
In this season of Capricorn, remember to step back from you work sometimes, to give yourself the gift of perspective. What are you working towards, and why? Where do this goal originate, and how is it important? Experienced tarot readers or astrologers can plug the cards I’ve drawn for their sun, moon, and rising signs into the spread below to create a custom reading for this season. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, the planet of boundaries and limits, so if you know your Saturn placement you can also include that in this spread for a more detailed picture of your upcoming season.
My first piece for Wired, exploring the challenges of metaphysical businesses when dealing with Stripe and other payment processors, pushed Stripe to make some changes in their policies, which is a huge win for small businesses and occult services! I also published three holigay gift guides for Autostraddle, in case you’re looking for last minute presents for your favorite folks. You can find my writing on Substack, Patreon, my website, and Instagram, and make sure you’re following me on Twitter for the latest announcements about my upcoming book.
As always with these tarot readings, take what you need and leave what you don’t. Happy Capricorn season!
Aries
Muse of inspiration
Brimming with fire, drive, and motivation, your natural magic may feel amplified as you step into the focused, powerful energy of Capricorn. Cardinal seasons likely seem particularly productive for you, Aries, as you’re someone that loves to start new projects and taken on challenging new ambitions — and as you light fires and inspire everyone around you, lean into your creative problem solving abilities, as well as your capacity for collaboration. You may be a trail blazer, someone used to going it alone, but when we combine our magic, ideas, and instincts, the sky truly is the limit. What are you building, and how do your visions of the future carve out space for lasting change? What are you chasing, and how can those around you keep you focused and motivated?
Taurus
Queen of materials
A figure of sensuality, connection, and purpose, the queen of earth often reminds us to be present in the moment, to chase our dreams without sacrificing comfort or pleasure. And as a person of fixed earth, you may feel that you can relate deeply to this brilliant, badass ruler of resources, wealth, health, and security. As you move into ambitious Capricorn season, don’t be afraid to be clear about what you want, to pursue your dreams with focus, to stand up for your own needs and desires. Goals and objectives don’t always have to be completely practical — you’re also allowed to prioritize love, joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment. How are you caring for your physical body, in a way that makes space not just for needs but also for wants? What does it mean to draw firm lines between work, play, rest, and discovery?
Gemini
The Magician
Of all of the signs of the zodiac, you might relate to the energy of the Magician the most: bursting with ideas, eager to share and collaborate, gathering information and insights, dazzling everyone around you with all of the possibilities you hold at your fingertips. You are someone that is often on the move, juggling multiple projects, always eager to try the next thing or ask the next question — and this season, indulge that creative flow to the best of your ability. If you’ve been nurturing a big dream, preparing to begin something, feeling that bubbling joy of anticipation about what you’re ready to chase next, lean in! What are the different ways that you could achieve your goals? How many pathways forward do you see, and what would you need to make them real? What does it feel like to dream?
Cancer
Nine of voices
Sweet Cancer, you are so good at taking care of yourself, at protecting your heart, at creating safe spaces that allow you to recover and consider and heal. But sometimes, your natural tendency to hold something back can lead to real isolation — and while being private has its benefits, in this new season of Capricorn you may find that it also comes at a cost. You may find yourself struggling with intrusive thoughts or heightened anxiety this season, letting fears overtake you and not being able to find a grounded sense of perspective. It happens to all of us, but the solution is not to continue withdrawing but instead to reach out to the people that love you, the people that you trust. Things are not as bad as you may believe them to be, but it may be impossible for you to see the truth of your circumstances on your own. Who do you love, and how can you allow them to help you? What makes you feel safe, and how can you give yourself the gift of security?
Leo
Justice
Last season may have found you overflowing with ideas and energy, gathering resources for a big new journey and dreaming of all of the possibilities that your work could inspire. And as you move into Capricorn season, this is the time to slow down, sharpen your perspective, and consider the ways that your efforts have the capacity to change the world. You are known for your courage, your strength, the personal power and magnetism that dwells within you — and in embracing the magic that you carry, you can also have an impact on everyone around you. What do you want to change? What do you see in the world that you are ready to devote yourself to healing? Who can you lend your voice to? Justice often brings moments of decision, when we are called to invest in something bigger than ourselves. What will you do with all of your magic?
Virgo
Ace of voices
Observant and grounded with mutable earth, you are known for your ability to adapt to the changing circumstances around you, and your capacity to make everything you touch function and prosper. But as you move into ambitious Capricorn season, you may find yourself focusing more on your own ideas, your own insights, your own sense of truth. The ace of voices often represents a flash of awareness, a shift in perspective that causes you to reevaluate something that you may have preciously considered solid. And for you, clever Virgo, this may inspire you to ask more questions, to explore ideas from new viewpoints. What does it mean to interrogate your own wisdom, to make space for alternative concepts or beliefs? How can expanding your mind lead to new kinds of growth?
Libra
Three of materials
As you continue to work towards a long-term goal, it may feel like things are clicking into place in a new and exciting way this season. Materials and pentacles are tied to resources, but that’s not just about money: it also refers to energy, community, drive, power, time, space, even a sense of commitment. What is coming into focus for you? How are you viewing your big projects and ambitious desires in a new way? Don’t be afraid to accept help from others, particularly those that offer new perspectives or insights — you never know where inspiration may come from, and the people that you trust and value may have a lot to offer. Which resources have you not fully tapped into yet? As you see your visions begin to come to life, how can you be deliberate about recognizing what you still need?
Scorpio
Five of inspiration
As you move into focused, purposeful Capricorn season, you may find yourself a bit frustrated at your own rather scattered energy. Sometimes when we take on too much at once, or try to move forward too quickly, we forget about the objectives that matter most and get caught up in petty drama, vague new ideas, or conflict with no real purpose. You’re so good at thoughtful self-reflection and deep investigation, Scorpio, but if you find yourself getting lost down a rabbit hole, take a deep breath and come back to yourself. What are you really working towards, and why is it important? What are you getting distracted by? You have everything that you need to accomplish your goals, but you may need to change the way that you’re pursuing them in order to get back on track. How have you gotten lost, and what will it take to find your way forward again?
Sagittarius
The Hermit
Curious, energetic, and eager to understand, this season may find you looking inward, asking yourself the complex and elusive questions that you love to unpack. The Hermit is a figure of wisdom and patience, someone that is willing to do the hard work of peering around every internal corner, investigating every possible question — and you may find that in turning your searching gaze inward, you learn a lot of new things about who you are, what you want, and where you hope to go. Don’t be afraid to shake up your daily routines and habits, to step back from your usual patterns and be deliberate about this work. It’s often when we’re willing to engage with our own mysteries that they become clear. What do you not know about yourself, and how can you find the answers you seek?
Capricorn
The Tower
Happy birthday, Capricorn! This season may bring some upheaval, shaking free revelations and pushing you to release something that is no longer working. The Tower can be a frightening archetype, as we tend to focus on themes of chaos and destruction — but there is also deep, permanent, powerful freedom in breaking free of old dreams, old expectations, old patterns that have restricted or curtailed our growth. And in allowing ourselves to let go of something we’ve been desperately clinging to, we find ourselves lighter, more open, able to move with greater flexibility. What are you ready to walk away from? This archetype isn’t always about being presented with a choice, but rather about something happening that forces our hand — and as you move through this shift, remember to show yourself grace, kindness, compassion. How might this change allow you to experience the growth and progress you’ve been craving?
Aquarius
Eight of emotions
Choosing ourselves can be a difficult thing. Even for someone like you, who is so good at pulling back and seeing the bigger picture, there are times when we are so deeply entrenched in a relationship, job, community, ambition, pattern, or situation that we cannot see the other side of it, cannot imagine walking away from it. Yet the eight of emotions asks us to do just that: to put ourselves first, to stop indulging toxic behaviors or destructive patterns. This season, you may find that something you’ve been trying to fix for a long time finally breaks for good, forcing you to acknowledge that there’s nothing left to be done. And while this can be a painful moment, it’s also an opportunity for healing, as well as an invitation to begin a new journey. In releasing something old, how are you making space for something new? How can you take your heart back?
Pisces
Muse of emotions
While Capricorn season is often seen as a time of productivity and focused drive, you remember the other, more subtle aspects of this energy: the awareness of who we are, the impact we have on those around us, the power that we hold as individuals participating in community with one another. Winter and the solstice is a time of reflection, healing, and recovery, and you may find yourself in a position of leadership and guidance, helping others remember what is compelling them to pursue their goals. Where do dreams come from? What does it mean to value our intuition and emotions? The objectives that Capricorn helps us pursue all started with a gentle internal buzzing, a building need to create or achieve or discover — and you have the capacity to offer this reminder to others, to inspire them to keep chasing those dreams. How do you build community? Where is your heart leading you?
