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The second decan of Capricorn, the Pyramid, begins on December 31, 2025, at 5:37 am EST — and lasts xxx days, uh hours, and xx minutes until xx January 2026, at hh:mm am EST. It is administrated by Mars under Saturn as the sign ruler. The name comes from Austin Coppock’s book, 36 Faces, while T. Susan Chang called it Time and Materials in her book 36 Secrets. The Golden Dawn taught its members to associate this decan with the three of pentacles — which depicts a monk, a merchant and an architect working together to design and build a cathedral. The Sun will be here for nine days, 19 hours, and 34 minutes, before entering Capricorn III on January 10, 2026 at 1:10 am EST.

The Greeks of the latter Hellenistic era had gradually come to associate these ten days with Hygeia, the goddess of health. Depicted as a woman with a bowl or chalice from which a snake drank (or to which the snake added its poison), she was the goddess of general health and well-being. Various myths describe her as the daughter of Asclepius, or his wife, but most often as his mother — the first nurse and patroness of that profession, but also the first pharmacist and the first brewer of medicines to cure disease and the creator of tonics to ward against illness.

The planetary administrator of this decan is Mars under Saturn’s rulership — which serves as a reminder that the warrior planet is exalted in Capricorn, as well as being a triplicity ruler, as well as being this decan’s chief manager. He may be under the Sun’s beams right now, but the soldier is still in charge — and responsible for deciding what treasures get spent and what weapons get brought forth from the armory… or what drugs get brought forth from the pharmacists’ cabinet of wonders. If you’re in the medical profession, it’s worth asking am I prescribing the right drugs? Am I putting the right pharmaceuticals to work on these cases? What are the risks and side effects I should mention to my patients? If you’re the caretaker on watch against household colds, fevers and injuries, it’s a good time to go through the medicine cabinet and dispose of expired medications and bandages, and figure out what needs replacing.

This idea of building systems to sustain you, rather than relying on emergency management, is apparent in the Three of Pentacles, the parallel pip card from Tarot. In Pamela Colman Smith’s sketch, a stonemason on a bench examines a trefoil window while a monk and a merchant offer their own perspectives on his labors. A cathedral building isn’t simply a physical structure, of course — just as health is not simply a matter of keeping the physical body strong. A cathedral is also a symbolic structure imagined and designed and built around theological concepts and imagery designed to express a singular vision of spiritual truth. A “first aid kit” with only gauze and bandages in it, isn’t prepared to deal with even the basic risks of mild ill health: there’s analgesics for pain and muscle relaxants for tensions and aches, medicines for diarrhea and for constipation, tweezers for splinters and parasites, and more. The architecture of good health requires a broader imagining of what ill health looks like.

The dodeks of Capricorn II are dedicated to Taurus, Gemini, Cancer and Leo, representing the way in which a person becomes sick — first they are their ordinary selves, minding their own business; then they are two-faced, at once perfectly fine and healthy but also exhibiting strange symptoms of illness in the form of a cough or distress in the stomach; then come the waterworks, as the “inner sea” of the body sloshes back and forth between the high tides of health and the low tides of illness, before the fever finally breaks forth like a lion.

Dates to Watch

• January 1 — Mercury square Neptune — your resolutions are likely to be confused fantasies or “pie in the sky dreams” if you’re not intentional and careful about setting your goals to be SMART — specific, measurable, actionable, relevant and timely. Set a specific goal for January, and then February, and then March… be realistic and deliberate about choosing goals you yourself can achieve.
• January 2-3 — Sun conjunct Venus — be creative in how you pursue or show love.
• January 6-10 — Sun, Venus and Mars conjunct — And then get ambitious about it. Not creepy, just forthright. If you do find someone behaving in a stalker-y sort of way, though, confront that right away and shut it down. Guys won’t take maybe for a no the time around, and you may have to get as specific as Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham: “I will not love you here or there, I will not love you anywhere.”
• January 10 — Mars opposes Jupiter — This can manifest as “getting lucky” or as “being foolish” and it’s hard to know which it will be in anyone’s specific case. It’s worth taking risks, because they may pay off in a big way — but you have to recognize that if the choice is “success or death” then don’t take the leap of faith. Sometimes the guy in the hospital bed gets a kiss from the girl of his dreams — but sometimes his weeping family turns off the ventilator, too. You have to be alive to be embarrassed about what a foolish risk you took — not win a Darwin Award.

House Delineations

The First House of self and self-presentation is Sagittarius, ruled by inconjunct Jupiter, and hosting detrimented Mercury. Of the triplicity rulers, only Saturn is available but square. Big dreams and big desires are on the table, and you long to show off. Household chores and family matters act as typical constraints on big plans; a look in your wallet may also help you defer big plans to show off. Work on your 2026 New Years’ Resolutions more, and get into realistic detail about your long-term plans.

The Second House of money and possessions is Capricorn supported by Saturn from the sextile; and hosting the Sun, Venus, and Mars in a rare triple conjunction next week. Fear of household poverty may keep your ambitions in check, but health and wellness are always worthwhile expenditures. Consider what health routines are cheap or free and easy to start, but confer long-term benefits.

The Third House of extended family and intimate friends is Aquarius, ruled by inconjunct Saturn. Triplicity ruler Mercuy is sextile and Jupiter and Saturn are both in aversion. Pluto is present. The expensive part of the holidays are likely over, but that doesn’t prevent a little toxicity from wafting your way from siblings or extended family. Be civil in your communications with family, but under-promise and under-deliver for the next month or so.

The Fourth House of home, household, and parents is Pisces, ruled by trining Jupiter. Saturn and Neptune are present. The Water triplicity rulers are all sextile (Venus, Mars, Moon). Your household and family members need you, and you want to help them out, but the big vision is likely running up against certain hard-deadline realities and the factual indicators of how much money is in the bank. The risk is that you lean into rudeness to cover possible shame — but the reality is that you’ll have to get creative.

The Fifth House of pleasures and pastimes is Aries, ruled by squaring Mars. The Imum Coeli is present. The Fire triplicity rulers are inconjunct (Saturn) or square (Sun, Jupiter). Pleasure and entertainment are likely to burn a hole in your brain as you think clearly about what you can’t have right now — based on what your family needs, your current financial situation, and your ongoing chores and obligations. Find contentment in working on your creative projects steadily and dutifully.

The Sixth House of daily routines, pets, and injuries is Taurus, ruled by trining Venus. The Earth triplicity rulers are either trine (Venus, Mars) or present (Moon). Uranus is also here. Daily routines and health norms are subject to sudden upset and challenging surprises, which may be exacerbated by financial issues.

The Seventh House of spouse, peer partners, and rivals is Gemini, ruled by opposing Mercury. The Air triplicity rulers are either opposed (Mercury) or square (Saturn) or in aversion (Jupiter). The traditional norms of your relationship are likely to be upheld; if you’re suspecting a partner of giving you the runaround, it’s only because you yourself are seeking justification for your own less than stellar behavior. Being overly communicative and more family-minded that usual is likely to help you achieve more honorable results, but your partner is likely to get bored of your oversharing long before you tire of it.

The Eighth House of obligation, duty and legacy is Cancer, ruled by the sextile Moon. Exalted Jupiter is present. Water triplicity rulers are either opposed (Venus, Mars) or sextile (Moon). You’re likely to experience an expansion of your responsibilities and an increase in your chores list, but not a commensurate increase in salary or compensation. Learn what “work to rule” is and be prepared to implement it where you can.

The Ninth House of higher learning and long-distance travel is Leo, ruled by the inconjunct Sun. The Fire triplicity rulers are all inconjunct. Travel plans and collegiate aspirations are likely to go nowhere — your religious faculties have likely been fried to some degree by the constant barrage of Christmas music for the last month (and a half, in some places). Rest your bones and let your principal thinking and travel planning capacities recover.

The Tenth House of career and professional reputation is Virgo, ruled by squaring Mercury detrimented in Sagittarius. The South Node is present. Your boss just wants you to shut up and implement their big plan in detail, not explain why their big-picture thinking is wrong. That disconnect between their desires and your analysis is going to send sparks flying. Remember Mark Twain’s dictum, you can’t make a man understand a thing if his salary depends on not understanding it. Implement the boss’s plan slowly if you need the money, or else be prepared to shut down bad ideas with your paycheck at hazard.

The Eleventh House of friends, associates, and allies is Libra, ruled by squaring Venus in Capricorn. The triplicity rulers of Air signs are square (Jupiter), inconjunct (Saturn), or sextile (Mercury). You’re likely to be known by the company you keep, and by the injustices you stand against (or that you stay silent for). Who are your friends, and with whom do you intend to stand tall? What labors will you do on their behalf, and in what ways will you speak up for them?

The Twelfth House of both obstacles and opportunities is Scorpio, ruled by sextile and exalted Mars in Capricorn. The rulers of water signs are either sextile (Mars and Venus) or opposed (Moon). No matter how many people ask you for your New Year’s resolutions, don’t make them about your health or your money — or you’re not likely to keep up with your plans consistently. Instead tell people you plan to keep them a secret for now, and hold back from blabbing your private info. But absolutely make health and wealth part of your goals for 2026 — and seek to make those goals sexy to yourself even when you tell no one!

Horoscopes by Rising Sign

Decan I of any sign (usually covering the 21st of the month to the first of the following month) is free to all visitors; Decan II is only available to Patreon and Ko-Fi.com subscribers; and Decan III is available to Patreon, Ko-Fi, and MailChimp subscribers.

I recommend reading your Sun sign, Moon sign, and Rising sign for best results. I write them with rising sign in mind, but several people have told me they find that they do better with all three.

Sagittarius: get specific about communicating your big plans, even if it feels like you are beating a dead horse. Resolving some of your financial issues will take a little bit of creativity and discipline, but it can be done this month. A big vision for your family is starting to face up to certain challenging facts; a series of heavy responsibilities continue to spring up. Try to handle surprising new tasks with a mixture of grace and prayer.

Capricorn: financial hardships are likely to be resolved this month, but it requires attention to both the details and the big picture, and a skeleton of a long term plan. Extended family may have big ideas that are out of tune with reality; your spouse or significant other may also be imagining that you can make contributions to their project far beyond your initial scope or sequence. One of your hobby projects may come to a surprising but satisfying conclusion this week if you can devote the time to it.

Aquarius: it is sometimes best to let family members vent their critiques, without you pointing out the ways in which they benefit from having matters arranged just as they are. You will have to spend a little bit of time on long-term financial planning for the family, and you may find yourself complaining over and over again to your friends. Try to avoid making this your own personal identity, though. Your own household may be in some uproar, but devoting time to your own kids or to your personal hobbies would bring a satisfaction that you are unlikely to find arguing on the phone with a sibling. You have a chance to make big hearted changes for some of your subordinates in your workplace.

Pisces: personal limitations may get in the way of having a good time at home, but doing a puzzle or playing a game with a spouse or significant other is a likely source of joy. You should probably confront some of your personal delusions about family dynamics. Even if you decide to accept your parents or and all, there are some boundaries that you should be considering that will help make you your own person. Several friends are likely to come knocking for financial help. Before giving a handout, it would be best to ask for a high level overview of what the money is going to be used for. Arguing with a friend may blow up in your face, but it also may be a chance to call down some real grace into a confidant’s life. Speak truthfully and directly.

Aries: personal pleasures and private entertainment may have to get put on hold, or at least hidden away in a drawer; a confluence of leadership comes together in your workplace to make big financial decisions that you want to affect or influence. It will be easy to affect those conversations if you come armed with both the big picture and the detailed facts — visit your intellectual armories and find the compelling stories that change minds. Regardless of the outcome of these meetings, your own finances are likely to be in a tizzy. Reviewing your long-term plans, especially in light of whatever is currently going on in your home and family, will help you strip away illusion from reality.

Taurus: there’s at least one more big work-life imbalance that has to be addressed this week, and it will require that you learn something about what your time is worth. If you were ever planning to ask for a raise, the beginning of the year might be the right time to do so. But first you had better be prepared for disappointment. And second, you had better learn how to bring your big guns to bear in those kinds of important private conversations. Past events are really stripping the gilding off of a lot of your friends, and showing you some harsh realities underneath. It’s worth remembering that some of these people are still golden. Being generous to your intimate circle, or to your siblings, is really important right now. Do what you can to ease your spouse or significant other’s money-worries and help them prioritize their to-do list.

Gemini: This New Year’s Eve might be the right time to talk about “the relationship” whether you mean the on-again/off-again business partnership that you’ve been chattering around for years, or whether it’s time to kiss at local midnight. Whether you take the step tonight, or in the next several days, you may want to hew to a more traditionalist line, even as your partner wants to break the old norms. That’s OK — let them talk through what they’re thinking about. Recognize that there’s a confluence of love, responsibility, and intellectual respect that has to take concrete form in order to fully land. But have these conversations privately first — if you’re planning on kneeling with a ring-box someplace public, you may find yourself with sore knees and an embarrassing memory.

Cancer: obligations, chores, and duties are piling up. But you’ve got this. You have a strong handle on the situation, even the surprising changes in how your friends group are adjusting to new careers and new job expectations. It’s worthwhile to think about your spouse’s or significant other’s long-range prospects, especially with recent changes to your lives. There is a big hearted hope at the center of your relationship, but now it has to be matched by changes to work-habits which you may not have adjusted to, yet. This is likely to put unexpected pressures on you both. Be prepared to learn and adjust to new realities.

Leo: you probably have a strong desire to get out on the road, but you may find that there are a series of social and commercial reasons to stick closer to home. A mostly empty wallet may be one of those reasons. However, you may also find that now is a good time to stick up your hand and speak against injustice locally. Your voice is likely to be recognizable, and you have the ability to speak, humorously about rough circumstances in a way that cuts through delusion and recognizes reality. You also have a good chance of leading your friends and supervisors towards better long-term solutions. Don’t go running for the hills.

Virgo: sometimes when career matters come to the four, you would prefer to slink off under a rock. Under normal circumstances, I think I would advise you to stand your ground and present your factual analysis. However, this may be a week for hiding in the gravel pit, rather than fling rocks at your bosses’ glass houses. More than ever, your analysis of the situation has relevant and heavy arguments to bring to bear on whatever the disaster de jour might be. IF you’re self-employed, obviously bring that plan forward and rip off the comforting illusions. If you work for someone else though, consider what’s at risk of being the unlucky messenger: your paycheck? your home? your reputation? Understand the risks before you email that report to the whole company.

Libra: there is a distinct disconnect between what your friends would like you to do, and what is best for you and your household. This week especially, you need to find an appropriate balance between work and play. Normally this is not difficult for you, but in this case “play” does not mean taking on a fancy new hobby with lots of expensive equipment. Similarly, “work” does not mean encouraging your boss to buy some fancy new piece of software that you just saw demonstrated at a conference last week. You are likely to define contentment doing very ordinary things with a spouse or significant other, like running errands to the grocery store or encountering friends while visiting the hardware department. Lead both yourself, and others, including your boss, in the direction of small bets and narrow choices with limited consequences whether you’re right or wrong.

Scorpio: unlike many others this week, your long-term plans are much more likely to come to fruition if you share them with a professional colleague or intimate friend, and establish some sort of circle of accountability with them. A situation at home may blow up over a visit from a housemate’s sibling or situationship —but it’s likely to be the impetus to fix household ideals that have been out of alignment with reality for a while. Regularly checking your phone app about your current bank balance is not likely to make new money magically appear, but it will prevent you from spending money you don’t have. An emotional explosion is possible with a spouse or significant other, but the reconciliation is likely to be sweet and intentional. If traveling, be aware that the delays can be magical; see how many strangers you can connect with during the airport layover or a flight delay.

Colophon

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If you want to read some of my astrologically-oriented poetry, the largest collection is called A Full Volume of Splendor and Starlight, available through my Etsy shop, and containing poems and hymns to the planets, constellations, decan deities, and Moon Mansion angels. While not astrological, Festae contains hymns to some of the older Roman gods and spirits from the calendar created by Numa Pompilius, the second ancient King of Rome.

I use iPhemeris for my charting software, and screenshot it to make charts. I want to thank the team that develops iPhemeris for the addition of Terms and Decans to their charts. I also use Hugh Tran‘s Physis typeface to craft logos for this blog, as well.

I use Christopher Warnock‘s The Mansions of the Moon as the basis of my Moon placement delineations, and Austin Coppock‘s 36 Faces for much of my planetary delineations. Neither gentleman endorses me.