Astrology Jan 10 – 19 (III♑️): Authoring an Edict

The Sun strides into the third decan of Capricorn on January 10^th, and settles down, as if upon a throne. Yet, a throne is not merely a chair, but a representation of a whole land, a world unto itself. Here we look over our portion of the real, which is both our burden and our seat of power.

To administer properly to this realm, we must see, and so the Sun, lord of vision, is considered to be the ruler of this decan in one system. In order to manage it, we must also speak and be heard, and so Mercury is also treated as a ruler of this portion of the zodiac.

The third decan of Capricorn is thus a place of beholding the state of things in order to manage them. The power hidden here is the ability to command and decree. Yet the wording of any edict or law is crucial. While it is a great delight to remember that the ability to rule ourselves and our lives is a natural consequence of our inborn sovereignty, it is not without risk. We can just as easily impoverish our kingdom and make ourselves miserable with the laws we enact in our world. Our laws must be smart and fair, or we ourselves will rebel, making a mockery of our own authority.

It is perhaps helpful, then, that Mercury enters pragmatic Capricorn on the 10^th, the same day that the Sun enters the third decan of Capricorn. While amongst the Goat’s stony hills, the Messenger slows down cogitations and conversations, and favors those who take the time to understand systems in their entirety before spouting opinions. Mercury in Capricorn prefers

pragmatic designs to fanciful ruminations and exerts a consistent gravity on the thinking process. Mercury is thus in an excellent position to help us word the laws we would hold ourselves to.

Only a few days after entering Capricorn, on the 12^th, Mercury conjoins Saturn. Saturn fixates volatile Mercury, slowing the quicksilver Messenger down enough to contemplate things thoroughly. Although Mercury-Saturn conjunctions are not particularly good for revelry, this one provides the perfect opportunity to consider the wording of your edicts, the structure of the laws you would hand down to yourself this year. If you have already made promises to yourself and broken them, then it is a good time to review the structure of your oaths and enact adjustments.

Not long afterward, on the night of the 16^th, the New Moon in Capricorn arrives. The Sun and Moon conjoin in the third decan of Capricorn, convening in that place of authority and responsibility. It is a right and proper time to look over your world, your ambitions for it, and the rules set in place to ensue that it prospers.

This New Moon in Capricorn, and the matter of thrones which it highlights, has a curious connection to events occuring later this year. Mars, at the end of a tumultuous retrograde in August, will return to this very decanic throne at 28 Capricon come his direct station.

Executive power is thus a topic the planets plan to belabor in 2018. This year has decided to promote one and all, to appoint us to positions of higher authority than we have previously held. Saturn in Capricorn’s gift, and curse, is to give us power, and more importantly — to hold us responsible for its usage.

It has thus come time to walk the path of the wise ruler, the capable and patient minister. The challenge is to balance ambition with compassion, to learn to rule yourself as a loving parent rules their child. Firmly, but always in order to facilitate growth and the fulfillment of potential.

Authority is author-ship — the capacity to structure, order and create in a given sector of manifestation. Yet the author is responsible for the worlds they give rise to. You must be willing to be accountable for your choices, and the inevitable glories and failures that result. There will never be one without the other. Heavy is the butt that sits the throne. Though abdication might spare you some headaches, it has a price as well. As Nietszche pointed out, those who cannot command themselves are instead commanded by others.

So as the Sun and Moon come together to witness your promotion, consider what edicts you will issue for 2018. What laws will you hand down to yourself? What great works will you break ground on? Consider your proclamations carefully, sigilize them, and then send them out to the four corners of your world.