Tarot for Capricorn Decan II
December 30, 2024 through January 9, 2025
In the early 20th century, the Golden Dawn crafted not only the iconic Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck but also a system of esoteric correspondences linking the minor arcana cards (2 through 10) to 10-degree segments of the zodiac, each spanning approximately ten days of the year. This framework, known as the “decans,” weaves astrology and tarot into a fascinating tapestry of insight, offering a multidimensional approach to understanding both systems.
With the Sun and Moon aligned in Capricorn on December 30th and a new calendar year upon us, it feels like a perfect time to begin this new series! Look for tarot prompts and descriptions for each decan sent directly to your inbox. Comments about your experiences are welcomed! Happy New Year!! -Heather
Just after the New Moon, the Sun shifts into Capricorn II, associated with the Three of Pentacles, and ruled by Mars from 10° to 19°59' of the SeaGoat’s sign.
Capricorn is a Cardinal Earth sign grounded in ambition, discipline, and the pursuit of tangible goals. The suit of Pentacles corresponds to the element of Earth, as well, and represents the material, physical, and practical aspects of life. (In some decks, Pentacles appear as coins or discs, emphasizing resources, value, and craftsmanship.)
The Sun in Capricorn II encourages collaboration, the building of solid foundations, and shared goals. Combining the Sun in Capricorn with Mars as the decan ruler might harness our ambitions through structured action, creativity, and mastery of our craft.
Exploring Capricorn II
Capricorn II, spanning from December 30–January 9th this year, aligns with the Three of Pentacles, often called the "Lord of Work" by the Golden Dawn. As the number three in tarot signifies growth, collaboration, and the manifestation of initial efforts, this card embodies themes of teamwork, strategic planning, and the disciplined pursuit of excellence. However, the decan ruler Mars may bring a challenging twist to this energy as Mars is far from its full power, retrograde in Leo.
Mars Rx in Leo I signifies reflection, reconsideration, or struggles to assert ambition or passion effectively. Adding tension, Mars opposes Pluto in Aquarius I during this period. This aspect evokes themes of power struggles, control, and potential defeat (aptly associated with The Five of Swords, also known as the "Lord of Defeat”). Mars returns to Cancer III before the Sun moves out of Capricorn II. Mars in Cancer operates in a defensive, emotionally charged manner, lacking its usual vitality and confidence.
While the Three of Pentacles typically celebrates collaboration and structured ambition, this transit casts a shadow over its energy. The three figures on the card, usually seen as harmonizing their efforts, may experience competition, misalignment, or frustration around their Martian goals. Mars' weakened state and opposition to Pluto suggest external or internal power struggles, challenges in aligning personal will with collective goals, and the necessity of re-evaluating strategies.
How Can We Navigate This Energy?
This decan invites us to lean into Capricorn’s steady determination and discipline, even as we navigate conflicts or limitations in energy.
The Three of Pentacles reminds us that progress is still possible, even when the path is fraught with challenges. Grounded effort, deliberate planning, and adaptability are crucial at this time.
Tarot Activity: Reflect and Draw
Take out the Three of Pentacles card from your tarot deck. Shuffle your deck in your preferred way and draw a card to reflect on one or more of these questions:
Reflect on the interplay between the Three of Pentacles and the card you draw. What insights emerge about your current path and the role of collaboration, ambition, and strategy?
Let the cards guide you as you navigate this layered energy!
Heather Marie Morse is an esoteric writer and yoga teacher who blends the wisdom of lunar astrology with the practice of yoga through her Substack newsletter, The Light Today. Her work mainly focuses on the subtle influences of light and the moon's phases on our daily lives, aiming to harmonize our inner rhythms with the universe's natural cycles.
As someone born during Capricorn's second decan on a solar eclipse with Jupiter tightly conjunct the Moon (January 4th, 1973), I can speak to the energy of this period and how it relates to the Three of Pentacles. I've always liked that card in that it shows people not only working together, but because they are paying attention to the details and because they are honoring the skill set that each one brings, the craftsmanship that will eventually result will be of high quality.
This relates to one of the key words of both the Capricorn version of Saturn: integrity. For something to have integrity, it requires that we get the little things right and that we stay true to our word, and this is also true when it comes to collaborating on work projects.
Now, for whatever reason, I've always been more of an independent worker---maybe it was experiences I had as a student in childhood (and college) where I did team projects and felt like others took advantage of my hard-working nature, so group work ended up feeling not only like more work than solo work but could lead me to feeling resentful of myself for not asking more of them. Regardless, I feel like if I had the opportunity to work with others who put the same effort into a project I did, and actually understood the JOY of doing work well, I'd probably really enjoy that experience.
Anyway, as someone who is still both learning the many insights of the Tarot and the Zodiac, and uses them daily, I'm very much looking forward to this series going forward. Thanks for sharing the first one!