CAPRICORN HOROSCOPE

Capricorns aren't the hard-asses that most people suppose. It's true you have no problem pointing out the faults in someone's proposal or listing the reasons for why you're turning down their request, but you'll seldom leave things like that. You know what it's like to attend the School of Hard Knocks and will do your level best to help those enduring a similar curriculum; however, they have to show that they're doing their part. That means being willing to do what it takes to improve. If they're serious, you'll be there; and if not? Then they would never have recognized a helping hand when they saw it.

Capricorns are always asking themselves what they could have done better. Not what they could do better, which means in the future, but what they could have done better, which means in the past. Most people regard the past as a fait accompli, but Capricorns see it as a library of experience that they keep returning to like a favorite book that reads differently every time. Your focus on how you could have done things better makes you responsible, conscientious, and resourceful. It also carries a redemptive quality because history repeating itself is less about tedium and more about another chance to get things right.

Avoid telling anyone that they're being “oversensitive” in the three days leading up to the Venus/Saturn square on May 28th and the three days after. If you do, then you've no one but yourself to blame for what follows. Capricorns don't do touchy-feely. You're far too suspicious that someone's trying to emotionally manipulate you. It may be true, but it's not something you want to say. It's better to ask what's wrong and to find a comfortable place to hear the other person out. It may seem indulgent, but forty-five minutes of comfort and solace are better than hours of revisiting old slights and fights.

The Sun in Gemini (May 20 – June 21) is always a harried period for you. It's exasperating, nerve-wracking, and could throw you off balance if you let it. The solution is to work with what life tosses your way. Surely distractions and trivial concerns are taking time away from the things that really matter, but these have to be addressed as well, so learn to embrace them as opportunities to become more flexible and to juggle competing obligations. It's true you may have less time than you think for the things that matter, but when you return to them later you'll be more alert and efficient.

You won’t believe your ears on May 16th. Either the news is too good or it’s too way out there. This is why you need to sit with it a while so you can absorb everything and carefully consider the pros and cons of what’s on offer. This could pertain to a major bump in pay, increase in responsibilities, or even a relocation. Whatever the boon, it will require an equally significant sacrifice on your part, so ask yourself if you’re really up to the task at hand before pursuing it further. Once you sign on, you will be held to everything you agree to.

People are more sensitive than you think, which is why you should circle back to make sure that they're OK this week. Capricorns often adopt an ascending Mount Everest mentality when the going gets tough. You'll pick your way over treacherous terrain and push yourself to scale new heights no matter how steep. But not everyone shares your grit and determination. Instead of treating them like members of your climbing party who could imperil your expedition, it's good to remember that everyone approaches things differently. Not only will this inspire you to adopt a kinder, gentler approach, but you might even learn something from it.

The wonderful thing about experience is being able to share it with people who could use some. You've been there/done that so many times that you've lost count. But this hasn't made you jaded or cynical; on the contrary, it's made you wise. You may notice how many young people are asking you for advice nowadays. You have an evergreen way of talking that never sounds its age but puts others at ease. You wear your authority like a classic Ralph Lauren sweater. This is something that will come in handy this week when someone you've always looked up to turns to you for help instead.

Good luck trying to do things by the book while Uranus is in Gemini. 2033 is a long time to keep your head buried in the sand. Capricorns may not be known for their spontaneity and improvisation, but that doesn't mean they can't learn. It's amazing the changes you'll make when forced to answer to necessity. But this doesn't mean you have to hold your nose the entire time; you may even surprise yourself with how open-minded and experimental you can be once you get into the swing of things. Years from now you'll wonder how you ever could have lived any other way.

As a Capricorn, you're used to taking the long way. And that's not by choice. Being born under Saturn means you'll always encounter obstacles along the way. The German-Jewish philosopher Walter Benjamin once described Saturn as “the planet of detours and delays.” The Mars/Saturn conjunction on April 19th signals a time when you finally reach your goal or realize an ambition; however, you may be worried that it's taken too long to get to where you are. It's a valid point, but then again, time is what you make of it, and that's best answered by years of experience and the wisdom you've accrued along the way.

Capricorns spend a lot of time gazing at mountaintops, but there are times when you need to ask: where am I going with all this? Scaling summits is easy; determining what you're getting out of it isn't. Meaning-of-life questions don't exactly top the list of Capricorn's burning priorities (you're usually trying to figure out how to turn a six-figure salary into a seven-figure one), but you need to weigh your ambitions and aspirations in the balance. One is not the same as the other, and discovering the difference is going to set the course for where you go from here.