- Capricorn (cardinal feminine Earth )
- Rulership: Skeleton; bones; knees; teeth (10th House)
- Calendar date: 22 December – 19 January
- Planets in rise: Mars
- Planets in rest: Saturn
- Planets in detriment: Moon
- Planets in fall: Jupiter
- Taurus (fixed feminine Earth )
- Rulership: Lower jaw; thyroid gland; esophagus; gullet; neck; throat; muscles of neck; cervical vertebrae (2nd House)
- Calendar date: 20 April – 20 May
- Planets in rise: Moon
- Planets in rest: Venus
- Planets in detriment: Pluto
- Planets in fall: Uranus
- Virgo (mutable feminine Ea r th )
- Rulership: Gall bladder; intestines (6th House)
- Calendar date: 23 August – 22 September
- Planets in rest: Mercury
- Planets in detriment: Neptune
- Planets in fall: Venus
Welcome to Capricorn and the 10th House of the Zodiac! Capricorn is the feminine sign of cardinal Earth and is ruled by Saturn whom the Romans feted every December at Saturnalia. After months of hard labor to bring in the crops and store them away for the winter, Saturnalia was a reward for hard work and effort. Capricorn under her ruling planet Saturn takes a cue from the lessons of the harvest and teaches us the importance of hard work. Capricorn is essentially a pessimist, but that’s not to say that pessimism is an unworthy trait. After serving in the Marine Corps, I think that Capricorn must have been the guiding force behind all of our policies. We were constantly told such commandments as: mission accomplishment comes before troop welfare; proper prior planning prevents poor performance; and plan for the worst but hope for the best. These expressions best exemplify Capricorn because the sign of cardinal Earth is born during the darkest time of the year when the Sun is dwindling and the days are short and cold. Capricorn isn’t necessarily contrary or disagreeable, she simply doesn’t like doing things twice or getting a poor return for her efforts. I once saw a humorous picture which illustrated Capricorn very well: this picture showed a woman sitting at an office desk looking out at the viewer with a smart face and proclaiming, “Of course I don’t work as hard as the other men here – I do things right the first time.” Capricorn doesn’t want to say no to progress or spend all day working, she just wants to only have to do it once. If that one time is longer and more difficult than expected, she’ll do that, but she’d rather be like the Romans: do a good job so she can party at Saturnalia.
She’s conservative with her time and energy, and doesn’t spend either wastefully. She is a perfectionist not out of pride but out of preference. Why do a job twice (essentially, two jobs) but only get a return on investment for just one? It’s not a smart decision. Capricorn avoids mistakes and bad investments of time, energy, and money by nurturing a healthy level of doubt, skepticism, and pessimism. By troubleshooting an idea and subjecting it to a tough screening process, Capricorn can be certain that she’s making a wise investment. Capricorn loves to say “I doubt it. I don’t think so. That’ll never work. Not likely.” By putting her opinion out there, the recipients of those statements must either show that she is wrong or acknowledge her criticism and fix the shortcomings she’s discovered. If not for Capricorn’s perpetual doubt, we might get caught in Rhonda Byrne’s “Secret” trap: hoping and planning for the best only to be later confronted by the harsh reality that life punishes the careless.
On a bad day, Capricorn just doesn’t care that much. Being a cardinal sign, Capricorn prefers forward movement, but she just doesn’t stop to question her actions as she did previously. She makes silly mistakes that should have been easily prevented and makes foolish choices about how to proceed. Her judgment simply isn’t as good as it was because her attention is focused elsewhere. She appears blind to the outside world and leaves others wondering both how and why she could have chosen some of the things she did. Her previously razor sharp discernment has whittled down to the point that she’s overworked, overloaded, and accepts what comes to her only because she doesn’t have the time or ability to protest.
Capricorn is at home in the 10th House of career, status, reputation, and the stricter, more demanding parent (usually the father.) This is the house of real-world concerns, results, and consequences, but it’s also a house of great rewards. Like the long journey through the harvests to reach Saturnalia, the 10th House is about the effort we put forth and the fruits of our labors. The 10th House complements the 4th House of the kinder, nurturing, more accepting parent; paired with Cancer, Capricorn shows parents’ differing roles and responsibilities. Capricorn rules the skeleton, bones, knees, and teeth. Of these, Capricorn principally resides in the knees. Capricorn’s domain is entirely shared with its ruler Saturn which reinforces the necessity to treat dis-ease on both the higher and lower planes.
Welcome to Taurus and the 2nd House of the Zodiac! Taurus is ruled by Venus and is about living life through the senses. Like a sommelier, Taurus sips from life’s cup of pleasure and sensually contemplates the fine bouquet offered. Taurus doesn’t just live life through her senses but is also a person who enjoys life’s bounty to its fullest. While Aries may plow through something just to be done with it and begin the next project, Taurus wants to take her time on it and enjoy the process as well as the result. Taurus shares the earthy qualities of industry and productivity and uses her stability to ground a project and keep things centered. Taurus isn’t famous for being hasty or very quick to finish anything, but considering the fast-paced Western lifestyle, Taurus does bring a welcome measure of patience and thoughtful consideration. Taurus is very capable of finishing a project and is just as productive as the other Earth signs, but she won’t be pressured into completing anything on an artificial schedule.
Taurus is also reliable and can has a calming effect on those in her presence. Taurus works and lives on her own schedule and doesn’t easily get carried away by the comings and goings of others. Taurus generally has long patience and isn’t easily provoked, but she isn’t called the sign of the bull for no reason: when angered or provoked, Taurus can be explosively hostile. The senses through which she lives and enjoys her life can become overly sensitive to her surroundings and everything sets her off. “Volatility” doesn’t even begin to describe Taurus on a bad day, and if you’ve ever met a Taurus in a foul mood you know that it’s just better to stay away and disengage. You can’t argue with an upset Taurus because she’ll argue her point until you’re willing to concede out of exhaustion if not outright loss. Like the bull, Taurus can be totally stubborn and refuse to budge from a topic until it’s settled the way she likes.
Taurus is at home in the 2nd House of values and possessions, or the intangible and tangible things of importance in one’s life. The 2nd House of the Zodiac describes the finer material things in life, the importance we ascribe to them, and how we relate to those things. It also describes the values or viewpoints we hold. Things of importance aren’t necessarily expensive silk, rich chocolate, or fast German cars – things of importance can also be personal, cultural, religious, or Spiritual. Like Venus’ position of high self-esteem and self-worth which teaches us to say, “I’m worth it,” Taurus shows us what and where those values are. The glyph of Taurus is the head and horns of a bull which communicate the qualities and attributes of the sign of fixed Earth: a patient and reliable body but a couple horns to be used when provoked.
Taurus rules the lower jaw, thyroid gland, esophagus, neck and throat, muscles of the neck, and the cervical vertebrae. Taurus’ rulership of the lower jaw is like Aries’ rulership of the head: in need of definition. The teeth are ruled by Capricorn and Saturn, but the mandible which supports them belongs to Taurus. As with any attempt to correctly assess dis-ease, the judgment must be made based on the subject’s total-body picture. The thyroid gland is a shield-shaped gland in the throat which secretes calcitonin to move calcium from the blood into bones and increase bone density, as well as thyroxine which slows one’s metabolic rate.
Taurus rules the esophagus, a portion of the digestive tube. It begins where the pharynx ends and extends from the clavicle notch through the diaphragm to empty into the fundus of the stomach. The esophagus is protected by a smooth, thick outer sleeve which contains three layers of muscle around a lubricated mucus lining. Just like the colon and small intestine, the esophagus moves solids and liquids by means of peristalsis which is why you can swallow food and liquid even when upside down. Of course, food, drink, partially digested food, and stomach acid don’t all flow out of an inverted body just because of the muscles of the esophagus but also because of the upper and lower esophageal sphincters. These muscular rings contract and relax to prevent or allow the passage of solids and liquids. Located at either end of the esophagus, the upper sphincter closes during respiration and the lower sphincter closes to prevent the contents of the stomach from washing the wrong way. Acid reflux, heart burn, and hiatal hernias all accompany dis-ease of the lower esophageal sphincter.
The seven cervical vertebrae extend from the base of the skull to the base of the neck. Spinal nerves extending from the cervical vertebrae innervate muscles of the neck, both the major and minor pectoral muscles, the upper-most region of the shoulders, and the diaphragm. Afferent nerves relay information to the cervical vertebrae from the outside of the arms, thumbs, part of the palms, shoulders, front of the neck, and the entire head with the exception of the brow, face, cheeks, and jaw. Areas of the face not nervously connected to the cervical vertebrae link directly to the brainstem by way of the trigeminal cranial nerve (cranial nerve V). By now, it shouldn’t surprise you that the sign of fixed Earth is connected to several members of the Balance of Air. The sign of fixed Air resides with Saturn at the bottom of the spine, and the sign of fixed Earth resides with all three rulers of the Balance of Air at the top of the spine: there are no opposites, only degrees of separation upon the same balance of universal life Spirit.
Welcome to Virgo and the 6th House of the Zodiac. Virgo is the feminine sign of mutable Earth and is traditionally ruled by Mercury, the planet which also rules Gemini, the masculine sign of mutable Air. There is some debate in the astrological community as to the true ruler of Virgo: a small but growing number of astrologers give Virgo to the dwarf planet Ceres, which orbits the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. All astronomical debates aside concerning Ceres’ status as a planet, astrologers recognize the influence of heavenly bodies regardless of how the scientific community chooses to classify them.
Ceres was discovered in January of 1801 by Giuseppe Piazzi and was named for the Roman goddess of grain, agriculture, and maternal instincts, but you probably know her better by her Greek name Demeter. It is from the name Ceres that we derive the word cereal, which is food-grain, wheat and similar goods harvested from the field. Though the debate about the true ruler of Virgo could (and does) continue indefinitely, I introduce Ceres-Demeter for the important elements she contributes to the story of Virgo. Like her patron goddesses, Virgo is productive, fruitful, and hardworking. Virgo embodies a variety of other goddess elements, which is appropriate since she is also called the virgin and the maiden. Virgo is not a virgin in the contemporary sense of the word, but in the oldest sense of the word: she is free to choose her partners and is not bound to another. Like the maiden, Virgo is fruitful and vibrant; those born under her sign share in her health and well-being. Virgo is a natural mother and her ability to nurture is arguably greater than the legendary mothering abilities of Cancer. Virgo is intimately aware of her health, the health of others, and works hard to care for both.
Indirectly related to Virgo’s interest in health and caring for others is her caution and adaptability. Virgo knows that the best way to stay healthy and keep her loved ones in good health is to simply avoid problems from the start. If you’ll do some mental gymnastics, try and see a difference between making the “right” decision and making the “best” decision. To use an expression, “What’s right is not always best, and what’s best is not always right.” Virgo will make the best decision when it comes to taking care of herself and others and under Ceres describes the reality of motherhood (Cancer describes the ideal of motherhood.)
To complete that decision making process, Virgo benefits from Mercurial influence and employs her mental acuity to approach the issue logically. Virgo is, for lack of a better word, a nit-picker and no detail is too small to be unimportant. When presented with a problem, Virgo will closely examine the issue and perform a totally thorough cost-benefit analysis. Virgo is similar in function but dissimilar in operation to Gemini. Gemini is broad but shallow, and Virgo is deep but narrow. Pretend that Gemini and Virgo are avid newspaper readers: Gemini will skim the headlines, glance at the obituaries, browse through the comics, and leaf through the classifieds, but Virgo will read the main story on the front page, finish the main story where it continues inside the fold, check out the articles related to the main story, go to the internet to read more about the people or issues who appeared in the article, check the blogosphere to see what other people have to share about the same story, and probably also call her friends and family to gather their input on the same issue. Gemini is broadly read but shallowly interested, Virgo is narrowly read but deeply interested.
On a bad day, Virgo starts to forget about important things, particularly herself and her own health. Virgo’s tendency to nit-pick can swing into overdrive and before she knows it she’s obsessing over the smallest detail while the rest of the world is falling down around her. To use another expression, Virgo “can’t see the forest because of the trees.” Every detail has to be just right, and if it isn’t she gets entirely wrapped around the axel trying to fix it. Virgo can be difficult to tolerate because she’ll pick you apart and point out every flaw you never knew you had.
Virgo’s obsession with details in pursuit of critical analysis can make things far more complicated than they need to be. I once had a college instructor who taught a criminal investigations class. This class was during the summer semester, each period was two hours long, and the class met five times per week. The course had a syllabus which consisted of thirteen weeks of instruction with a week-by-week overview listed for our reference. To make a long story short, the instructor never finished the syllabus. We spent thirteen weeks, meeting five days a week, two hours per day, and we never got past the sixth week of instruction. Every class was two hours of the most obscure details of police investigations not related to the syllabus. He wasn’t a bad instructor – we just never learned what was on the syllabus.
The glyph of Virgo shows the letter M which can be taken as mother or matron. The tail crossing over is symbolic of the Virgin’s crossed legs in that she is not bound to another can choose her partners and what she brings into her life. Virgo is at home in the 6 th House of work and health, the two areas with which she is most occupied. Virgos are born in August and September, the time of the first harvest when men and women labor hard to bring in the plentiful crops and not miss one single ear of corn on a fallen stalk.
Virgo rules the gall bladder and the small intestine. The gall bladder is an ovalshaped exocrine gland about four inches long and an inch wide. It is located directly beneath the liver, is fed by the liver’s hepatic duct, and holds up to 50 ml. of bile. Unlike some exocrine glands which simply retain a fluid until secretion, the gall bladder concentrates bile to as much as 10 times original strength. As the stomach empties partially digested food into the duodenum (first portion of the small intestine), the gall bladder also secretes its concentrated bile which lubricates food and aids the digestive process in the intestines.
In such instances when the gall bladder becomes inflamed or obstructed, the passage of bile into the duodenum stops. Bile is absorbed back into the blood and eventually deposited in the skin. This condition, jaundice, colors the skin yellow and is an immediate outward indicator that the gall bladder is dis-eased. Other than jaundice, the gall bladder is most famous for its ability to cause excruciating pain in the form of gall stones. Gall stones are solid accumulations of cholesterol and other fatty blood content. Gall stones result from a variety of causes, but are more frequent in obese individuals and in those who have lost a significant amount of weight in a very short period of time. Sudden or dramatic weight-loss means that the fat content in blood is acutely elevated, which places much stress on the liver and challenges its ability to properly metabolize fats (which contributes to stones in the gall bladder.)
The small intestine is a one-inch wide tube 20 feet long whose coiled body fills the majority of the abdominal cavity. The small intestine is divided into three portions named the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. The duodenum is the ten-inch neck which receives partially digested food from the pyloric sphincter; it also accepts bile from the gall bladder and pancreatic juice from the pancreas. The duodenum hugs the pancreas and turns in a “C” shape beneath the pancreas where it makes a sharp turn downward. The eight-foot length following the duodenum’s latter downward turn is named the jejunum and the remaining 12 feet which empty into the ascending colon are named the ileum.
The small intestine is formed by consecutive layers of fibrous and muscular sleeves which protect an inner mucus lining. Like in the colon, food is moved and broken apart in the small intestine by means of peristalsis (the alternating contraction and relaxation of muscles to squeeze matter in a single direction.) The mucus lining of the small intestine is larger than the surface area it covers and is folded to create grooves and ridges: the tremendous inside-surface area of the small intestine gives it a nearly unlimited ability to catch fine particles and other matter passing through it. These grooves and ridges are covered with millions of special cells with a specialized brush-like surface which produces digestive enzymes and fights bacteria. As food passes through the small intestine, it’s pushed, combed, brushed, and squeezed by the inside mucus layer and the digestive process begun in the mouth and stomach is carried to completion.
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