Capricorn season is most notable for being the month of Christmas* and Yule. When the Sun hits 0º Capricorn, it is at the lowest point in the sky in the Northern hemispheres. Tromso in Norway has no sunrise at all from November to January!
Capricorn season generally lasts from December 21 to January 21. The pagan festival of Yule runs from December 21 to January 1 and initiates at the winter solstice. Our Christmas holidays end on January 6 at the three kings’ arrival. The Magi (Astrologers to you and me) came from the east because they followed a star. Most likely, the vision was a conjunction of Venus and Jupiter, making the ‘star’ unusually bright.
Capricorn Season Meaning
As we shall see, many of the Christmas traditions mirror older pagan celebrations. Of course, the birth of Jesus coincidently falls close to the winter solstice. From December 21, the Sun begins to rise in the sky once more, and the Sun is reborn, just like the Christ was.
Here are some ways to tune into winter and Capricorn season.
- Build a yule altar using a gold or yellow candle, which represents the return of the Sun. Decorate with pinecones and evergreen branches of the pine tree. Cleanse with sage.
- Make an evergreen pine wreath for your doorway as evergreen shrubs are associated with prosperity and offer protection to your house and all who enter it.
- In Nordic tradition, there was the burning of a yule log for the 12 days of Yule. Often they would burn a whole tree. But if your modest abode cannot accommodate such an item, stick a small log in your fireplace. Failing that, stuff your face with the chocolate version.
- Make a yule goat out of straw.
- Decorate a Christmas tree! Originally the trees would remain outdoors and be decorated with celestial ornaments to represent the souls of the ancestors.
- Exchange gifts. In pagan times these were simple items sourced from nature, seeds, fruits or a handmade wreath.
The word Yule originates from the Germanic and Nordic people who would experience the harshest winters in Europe. The Holly King rules over the dark part of the year from midsummer to Yule. At the solstice, he hands over power to the oak king.
