Capricorn North Node people have an insatiable need to feel
secure. From past lives they are accustomed to being nurtured and
protected, and although in this lifetime they are the ones scheduled
to provide for others, they remain content to just breathe their way
through life—to just get through it with as little exertion as
possible! They like the safety of routines: waking up at a certain
time, eating at a certain time, coming home, watching television or
reading, going to bed at a certain time. Ultimately, however, they
will have to leave their routines behind to find the greater security
of self-confidence: knowing they can take risks and succeed.
These folks have a deep need to “belong.” In past lives, they
strongly identified with their families and took comfort in being part
of a group. Now they must learn to be discriminating and choose to
spend time with people who give them that feeling of belonging—to
satisfy their need in a responsible way. Home and property are also
important in giving them a sense of security. (However, unless there
are other factors in the birth chart indicating otherwise, these
natives do not have very good “real estate karma” in terms of
making money.)
Because of the focus on home, they may spend too much time
there. When they do, the home can keep them from expanding and
taking charge of their life. If these natives run their own business, it
is generally a good idea for them not to run it from their home, but
to rent a space—even if it has to be in someone else’s home. They
need to get out into the world on a regular basis to keep their energy
in motion. Excessive time at home can make them too comfortable
and life can become a routine they use to avoid interacting with the
outside world. Then the opportunity for true vitality, growth, and
progress is aborted.
Capricorn North Node people are afraid that they don’t belong—
and they don’t know how to behave in order to be accepted. So they
look around to see what behaviors are approved of by “the group”
and then emulate those behaviors. They crave intimacy, and the
only way they can think to get it is by yielding to the group.
However, going along when they don’t really want to can be a
source of deep disappointment for them. The group generally
doesn’t reciprocate by yielding to them.
These folks can also get derailed when they become part of a
“clan” or “clique” because they apply their “adopted” principles to
other groups, which leaves them feeling alienated. And they don’t
understand why! The problem with trying to meet their need to
belong by becoming part of a clique is that it implies exclusion of
other groups—they think they only belong with a limited number of
people. Although it does work to pledge themselves to a cause that
is greater than their personal life, problems arise when they forget to
discriminate. For example, if they have fervor about Republican
politics when they’re in a group of Republicans, that group will
make them feel as if they belong. But the same fervor will make
them feel alienated in a room full of Democrats. If they want to feel
accepted, they should focus on whatever principles they have in
common with the people they’re speaking to.
Capricorn North Node people have such an exaggerated fear of
failure that it cripples them, stopping them from making the
changes that could lead to success. As long as they are afraid they
are going to fail, they think they can “get away with” depending on
others. They think they “aren’t quite ready” to be adults and seek
opportunities for success. However, sooner or later they recognize
that no one else is going to take care of them—it’s just not set up
that way in this lifetime.
Sometimes these folks use any excuse whatsoever—even their
age—to avoid facing their fears and going out in the world. After
years of wrestling with themselves and finally deciding they won’t
be fulfilled until they accomplish their “mission,” they may decide
that their age will interfere with attaining the goal. Fear of aging can
—for these folks—be a reflection of the part of them that doesn’t
want to grow up.
However, Capricorn North Nodes are the very people who should
embrace age: “Thank goodness I’ve finally reached maturity!”
What they’ll be embracing is a willingness to start working toward
a goal that will make life meaningful, bring them fulfillment, and
give them self-respect. With these folks, it is illogical to think that
age could work against them professionally: The roles they seek are
usually enhanced by age, as it gives them more power, credibility,
and authority. While they can also achieve their goals early on,
often it is in the second half of life that Capricorn North Nodes
finally take a stand. Thus, when they feel pressured by age
considerations, it’s really their psyche saying: “It’s time!”
These people recognize that they will be much more unhappy if
they never try to attain their goal than if they try and fail—as long
as they give it 100 percent of their effort. The voice that keeps
saying: “What if you fail?” is part of the past-life mechanism that
doesn’t want them to be out in the world. It’s really saying: “Don’t
grow up . . . Don’t go out,” and this is self-defeating. If they listen
to that voice, they will never gain self-respect.
In a past life the Capricorn North Node may have had a husband
who didn’t allow her to go out, or an overly protective parent whose
voice she has internalized. But it finally boils down to saying:
“Okay—that’s it,” and taking charge of her situation. In that instant,
her position in life makes a complete turnaround. When these
natives are willing to take full responsibility, they begin to exercise
control over their lives and gain a sense of self-respect, which is
what they need more than anything else.
In fact, when Capricorn North Node people are in doubt about
whether a specific action is correct, they can use the barometer of
self-respect to determine if they are “on path.” For example, if they
are anxious about making a phone call, they can ask themselves:
“Regardless of the outcome, will making this call give me a sense
of self-respect?” If the answer is yes, they will “win” by making the
call. If the answer is no, they should re-think their position.
Capricorn North Nodes like to float along in an emotional haze,
which automatically puts them in a “one down” position. But when
they approach life from a “take charge” position, everything shifts
and they feel empowered. Yet there’s a lot of fear around doing this
because they’re not accustomed to it, and they’re afraid of not being
perfect or not being competent. But regardless of how long they
postpone, sooner or later in this lifetime they will have to stand up
and take charge. The sooner they make this shift in attitude, the
sooner they’ll start enjoying themselves.
For example, I had a Capricorn North Node client who wanted to
be a teacher. Many educators go right into teaching after college,
but he postponed it until he had earned three college degrees—and
even then he didn’t feel ready to be in a position where he would be
expected to “take charge.” Ultimately, he just did it—and that’s
what it takes for these folks. Once they take the plunge and “just do
it,” their success validates their abilities.
Once these natives are in charge, they are in control of their
emotional needs and can be sure they are taken care of. No longer at
the mercy of other people, they finally feel self-sufficient and
secure.
Capricorn North Node people are good at encouraging others to
pursue their dreams by offering motivation, enthusiasm, and
supportive energy. Now they are learning how to encourage
themselves. Although these folks are subject to dark moods, they
are very resilient. They don’t “get down and stay down”; when
they’re pushed down, they get back up. They just have to remember
that if things don’t turn out exactly as they want, that’s okay. Their
challenge is to go out and give it their best shot.
These folks have an unparalleled connection with their emotions.
When they say: “I’ll bet you can do it!” with feeling, it reassures
others and themselves that they can indeed accomplish their goals.
Because they have such a strong mind-feeling connection, they also
are good healers. However, to truly be a source of encouragement
for themselves and their loved ones, they need to overcome the
habit of dwelling on the potentially negative consequences of every
situation. They think they’re “protecting” the other person from
being hurt down the line, but actually they’re creating roadblocks in
that person’s path. They need to focus only on achieving positive
results. These natives are not normally courageous and do not take
the chances that those in other nodal signs might be inclined to take.
Thus, when people they care about are excited to take a chance in
life, these folks need to consciously show a positive attitude.
The best bet for Capricorn North Node people is to overcome
their fear by concentrating on creating success. For these folks,
looking at the negative side only drains energy from the focus they
need to win. They must remind themselves of past successes and
concentrate on the nuts and bolts of how to attain specific goals.
When they learn to focus on the positive, their emotions will
support them in creating the results they want and in encouraging
others to succeed as well.
These folks often come from a framework of limited goals.
From past lives of spending all their time in family environments,
these natives are new at being in the world, and they lack the
confidence that comes from experience. But in this lifetime, it’s set
up for them to win every time they take charge and accept the
opportunities presented to them. Through positive experiences they
will gain confidence in their own abilities. They need to recognize
that since their goals are often “safe” and not based on taking risks,
it will benefit them to be open to other people’s input. This input
can help them expand to new levels they wouldn’t have thought of
on their own.
Capricorn North Node people may think they’re very open, but
actually they have a lot of trouble sharing how they feel. They can
appear shallow to others, since they don’t see very far beyond their
immediate situation. They may understand things easily—they are
often very intelligent—but putting their ideas into practice is tough
for them. They have so many negative thoughts that it’s difficult for
them to accomplish things or to face issues in a positive way.
They avoid issues partly because they imagine so many reasons
why the other person responded in a certain way—without asking
the other person what is really going on. They get “feelings” and
“hunches” about why the person rejected them, or said what he said,
and so on. However, their instincts are nearly always wrong. If they
look back over previous experiences, they notice that what they
suspected was behind other people’s behavior was often inaccurate.
Thus, their best bet is to directly ask the other person why he
responded in the way he did, and then listen to what he says.
It helps if these folks have a specific goal in mind before trying to
resolve an issue with another person: wanting to create unity,
wanting to end the relationship, wanting feedback so they can
modify their behavior to get better results, and so on. If they have a
defined goal—separate from the feelings of the people involved—it
helps them remain objective. For example, if they have to fire an
employee, focusing on the goal—firing the employee—is the only
thing that keeps them from being lost in the intensity of the ensuing
feelings.
In resolving a misunderstanding in a friendship, their best bet is
to have a goal in mind and let the other person know their intention:
“Look, there’s something I want to share with you, and I want you
to know that my intention is to create greater closeness between us.”
When Capricorn North Nodes take charge and let the other person
know their feelings have been hurt, they often find that the other
person didn’t realize how they were affected.
INTEGRITY
These folks are learning to be forthright and have integrity about
what they do and do not know. Because they tend to feel
incompetent when they don’t have all the answers, they often do
nothing in situations that seem overwhelming—or else they respond
with a behavior pattern from their past. They are learning to
acknowledge when they do not have the answers—by speaking
directly to the other person—and to get more feedback about what
the other person needs. For example, I had a client with this nodal
position who taught high school students how to play all the band
instruments. He was proficient on the drums and knew the other
instruments only superficially. One day a student approached him
with a question about the trumpet: “How do you play an F note?”
My client was worried: “What if I tell him the wrong thing? I’ll
look stupid!” But he knew there were different ways he could
respond. He could intimidate the student: “What do you mean? You
don’t know?”—which would deny the student the help he needed.
Or he could say: “Listen, I don’t know right now, but I’ll check on it
and get back to you.” When these folks say “I don’t know,” it makes
them equal with others and promotes the feeling of intimacy they
seek. When they follow through and find the information, they
generate respect and appreciation.
The first step is to have the humility to admit “I don’t know.”
Then they can seek more information. When they take the other
route (intimidating the person with an overly emotional response),
they distance themselves, and mistrust and defensiveness result
instead of the intimacy they desire.
Capricorn North Node people often dislike, and feel alienated
from, one or both of their parents. They may not overtly express
this, but deep down it is true. They may think their parents didn’t
give them the support they needed to successfully go out into the
world. Or they may think their parents tried to make them into
someone other than the person they were destined to be. These
thoughts can cause them to achieve less than what their innate
capabilities would allow. In a subconscious attempt to punish their
parents for this injustice, they may keep themselves from reaching
their goals. For example, if a parent once told the Capricorn North
Node she was a failure or made her feel that she was “not good
enough,” she may sabotage herself in order to punish her parent for
the mistreatment: “See—I’m not a success, and it’s all your fault!”
To be successful, these folks have to be willing to put their own
best interests and self-respect ahead of the desire to cast their
parents or others as wrong. They have to be willing to say: “Yes,
you are right. I am capable of more than what I was achieving
before.” This requires maturity. It also requires a conscious effort
not to dwell on the past, and to stay focused on what makes their
lives strong in the present—doing things that bring them selfrespect.
Capricorn North Node people are so sensitive that they are
aware of all levels of communication, including others’ words,
feelings, and body language—and all the discrepancies and
uncertainties that accompany them! When someone communicates
a decision to them, they are immediately aware of all the
contradictory feelings underneath. For example, if they are invited
to someone’s home for dinner and they say “No thank you,” even if
the person says “Fine, another time,” these folks will stew for hours
about how, underneath, the person had many other feelings—which
may or may not be true! These folks need to remember that the
friend, taking into account his or her feelings of disappointment,
sadness, understanding, and caring, decided to respond by saying:
“Fine, another time.” They are learning to attune to others’ actual
responses—not to the feelings they imagine are underneath.
These people always do better if they have time to think things
through, because an unexpected event or new information can cause
their emotions to boil over and confuse their thinking. Sometimes, if
they can’t find a solution or make a decision immediately, they react
with frustration. They can’t get a handle on how to respond because
there is so much emotional interference. But taking a stand involves
making a decision, and there are contradictory feelings about nearly
every decision one makes. The idea is to focus on the decision and
not on the possible repercussions. Handling negative repercussions
is simply an opportunity to grow and become stronger.
These natives also need a defined goal to keep from being lost in
their emotions. If you place a handful of crabs in a barrel, the crabs
will remain on the bottom of the barrel even if the lid is off and they
have the opportunity to climb up to freedom. Occasionally, one crab
may start climbing up the side of the barrel, and all the other crabs
will pull him back down to the bottom again. For Capricorn North
Node people, their emotions are like fearful and possessive crabs:
They always pull these natives back down until they simply make
up their minds to go for the freedom and let nothing hold them
back!
Sometimes these folks need to suffer an incident that wakes them
up to the necessity of facing their emotions—then life becomes
much easier. Up to that point, they are victimized by their emotions
—totally overwhelmed by their feelings on a regular basis. Until
they learn to put their feelings in perspective, their emotions
represent something scary and “out of control” that they want to
avoid. When these natives indulge in negativity, the negative
feelings overwhelm them and they even begin to experience
negative physical reactions.
One of their greatest challenges in this lifetime is discriminating
between positive feelings and debilitating, negative emotions. There
are four primary emotions that, when indulged, are a Pandora’s box
for Capricorn North Node people: Fear, Anger, Guilt, and
Insecurity. They absolutely cannot afford to indulge in any of these
four emotions, because they don’t know when to stop! Once they
get into Guilt, for example, they can never feel guilty “enough”—
they keep piling it on and it lasts for a lifetime.
These folks are so conditioned to indulging the negative feelings
that they don’t even know they’re doing it. The first step is to notice
when they are experiencing one of the four emotions and to be
aware of the consequences. For example, when they allow
themselves to become angry, for a brief period they may actually be
“mad” (that is, insane). They say and do things they wouldn’t say or
do if they were thinking clearly. They need to notice the
consequences of acting on any of those four emotions, and they will
see the disintegrating effect. Then they can learn to stop, just as they
wouldn’t keep their hand on a hot stove once they see that it’s
getting burned.
Other nodal groups know where to draw the line and can use
these emotions as a “wake-up call” to change their behavior. But
Capricorn North Node people are addicted to their emotions and
absolutely cannot allow themselves to indulge in any of the “big
four”—just as alcoholics cannot allow themselves to take even one
drink. Fear, Anger, Guilt, and Insecurity are not only mentally
debilitating but physically dangerous as well. On the other hand,
Joy, Love, and Appreciation are pleasurable and healthy. In fact,
any other emotions—aside from the “big four”—are fine for these
folks, because they don’t lead to uncontrolled excess.