Capricorn rising is deeply conservative, a general characteristic of the earth element. He works within established structures and, though constantly active, rarely strays from the beaten track. His guiding belief is perfectly true in a broader spiritual sense, but by no means true when we reckon time in the ordinary span of centuries: that the order of the universe is immutable and eternal. He lives in the present, yet in many respects resembles Cancer, whose fundamental ideas are rooted in antiquity. Capricorn knows how difficult it is to acquire any new ability, how much easier it is to preserve existing forms than to invent new ones, and how much simpler it is to submit to authority than to establish rules of his own.
Capricorn possesses enormous energy, but wastes none of it: the Saturnian influence makes him a miser with his time. He finds it far less troublesome to work within the limitations of his surroundings than to try to change or transcend them. He is highly ambitious. His course is steadily upwards, but his ascent follows conventional routes. He knows how much disorder and confusion even the slightest disruption of routine can create. He is scrupulous in his observance of outward forms.
Picture him in an office. He will not seek promotion at everyone else’s expense. He is the man who is never a minute late in fifty years, whose calculations are never out by a single cent, and who is always at hand with precisely the information needed at that moment. He is steadfast, every faculty wholly devoted to the task before him. He perseveres with the work assigned to him, never dwelling on the goal itself, which he regards as the logical consequence of all the steps leading towards it. At times he seems to forget that life is full of opportunities and adventures, and disdains all such chance occurrences. His mind has little understanding of those influences from other planes that lend variety to life. Such is the mind of the average German professor. This narrow outlook, combined with extreme dedication, serves Capricorn exceptionally well in his chosen career. No dreamy vision distracts him, and pleasures have less appeal for him than for others. Even the prospect of reward holds no great sway over those with this Ascendant. Their own rhythm of work seems to them to have been allotted to them. They do not complain, but carry on, following their path with incomparable perseverance.
An imaginative Capricorn is a rarity. Self-centred and self-contained, like a river within its bed, he never seeks to overflow his banks, nor even thinks of those banks as existing. One might suppose, a priori, that certain paths would be difficult to follow without the necessary imagination, yet this is not so. Consider Swami Vivekananda, whose chosen path was spirituality, one of the hardest paths human feet can tread. Despite his extraordinary learning and his remarkable attainment in the very things he set out to pursue, we find only occasional traces of originality in him. His teachings offered no new insights. He is a perfect representative of the classical tradition, but said nothing that the seven rishis had not already expressed before him.
A particular failing of this sign is that he does not break through obstacles like Taurus, defeat them in battle like Leo, utterly destroy them like Scorpio, or turn them to his advantage like Libra. He merely leaps over them, and this detachment makes him unfeeling.
In matters of money, this native is trustworthy. There is no better person to entrust with money for safe investment: he will manage it intelligently and carefully, accounting for every cent, but will be too cautious to expose it to any risk. Unless elevated by well-dignified planets, these qualities can readily descend into miserliness. Mazarin is a striking example. In emergencies, when loyalty and devotion were more necessary to him than anything else, he would slight his followers by giving them paltry rewards for the immense services they had rendered him.
In speech and writing, the native with this Ascendant is direct and sometimes eloquent, but here too originality is lacking, both in substance and in style. He is particularly fond of allusions, frequently introducing classical phrases or metaphors into his speech or writing. His style, even when not especially passionate, is academically flawless.
Capricorn is more attached to home and family than the other signs; born into a family, he seldom thinks of leaving it. Whatever rules prevail, he accepts them as the natural order of things and acts within their limits. He may be harsh or unfeeling, but has no inclination to disrupt the existing situation.
In love, this native is selfish, failing to understand that affection must be mutual. He does not even feel genuine jealousy, nor is he hurt by infidelity. Sexual perversions are rarely found in this sign, though where they do occur, they are purely animalistic.
With children, he can be overbearing and is often tyrannical. He is neither actively nor consciously cruel, merely cold and unsympathetic. As a parent, he finds a child’s individuality offensive, and imposes rules which may accord with justice or sound discipline, yet are so rigid that even children with little spirit cannot accommodate themselves to them without suffering.
Capricorn is so materialistic in outlook that the problems of the subconscious mind scarcely trouble him. He always takes life seriously and accepts things as they are, or as they appear at first glance. The sign lacks the imagination necessary for great scientific discoveries, but the native possesses a quality indispensable to any serious investigation: patience. A chemist born with this Ascendant may spend half a century identifying the constituents of a single compound. In a subordinate position, he makes the perfect laboratory assistant. Wherever attention to detail, tireless perseverance and strict accuracy are essential, he is unsurpassed; but once thrown off course, he has no way of readjusting to the situation.