Capricorns and Addictions

cappy1991

Well-known member
Just a general question; are Capricorns, especially males, more prone to drug and alcohol addictions? Was wondering because I noticed several famous celebrity Capricorns like David Bowie and Elvis Presley suffered from addictions and I know one Capricorn male who suffers from alcohol problems. Is there any connection with the Sun sign without looking deeper into the chart?
 

StillConfused

Well-known member
My 2 cents are that the Sun, the vitality and the inner authority of the person, is ruled by Saturn queen of duty, which is exhalted in Libra just because it does so well accepting social constructs (such as the need for relationships and balance and peace in order to thrive in the physical dimension) which are obviously a needed part of our experience. I feel Libra to be as much of a karmic sign as Capricorn, after all, they are both Cardinal signs, where action and manifestation is emphasized and thus fear has an opportunity to become quite pronounced. Not to villainize Saturn any more than it already perhaps justly perhaps unjustly is, but because it is such a karmically aware, "outerly" focused planet, a person with a Saturn-ruled Sun may abandon their own fulfillment, the hardest part being they feel on a deep level of their psyche that it is the only correct way to be, and may struggle to liberate themselves from that belief just because it is integrated so deeply on multiple layers of themselves. The Sun is also linked to pride so the person struggles with pride being linked to work and physical proof of their worth.

Physical manifestation is a crucial aspect of fulfillment on Earth. But my opinion is that when it is focused upon in such a way that psychology, spirit, fulfillment, emotions, human contact, etc., all come last... that's a pretty hard life. It's hard because we've abandonned our desires, and thus ourselves, and the things that actually keep us going and missed the point that physical manifestation is nothing but a result of those things, and not the other way around.

SSOOO when a Capricorn gets depressed (since we're focusing on Cappy here; and only the shadow aspects mind you; there is also so much that is wonderful about Capricorn as it is with all signs - I own my Capricorn in both my Western and Vedic astrology) and misses the first 2 hours of work, if they have abandonned themselves as described above, all they can do is focus on labels. Exterior labels. "I could have gotten to work on time but I didn't therefore I suck". And that attracts more sucky experiences. The heaviness of duty can create so much anxiety, that the ego is invited to the driver's seat to deal with these emergency situations that have everything to do with survival and avoiding self-punishment and often little to do with true happiness. From here it becomes easy to totally disconnect from Source, the source of inspiration, bigger picture thinking, love and thus self-compassion, etc. So a Capricorn manifesting failure or unhappiness in their lives has an intuitive sense, as any human would, that they are creating what is in their environment (especially since Capricorn is integrity) but they may struggle to understand how to stop the downward spiral, as they have been conditionned to devalue their internal guidance system, or emotional compass (more for Cap Moon), or whatever you want to call it, and personal happiness, and replace it with fearful rules (I feel like where there are rules there is fear, because there is a lack of trust) and "tangible" goals. Since their source of self esteem is so tied up in these, as their ability to be of service begins to break down, or as they can no longer ignore how empty they feel inside, they may turn to substances to cope.

Really it's a symptom of a lack of self-awareness and respect for their personal desires. (!!! But these are lessons, not end points. This is not fate people, this is fate in learning. !!!)

I want to share this video here because I feel ideas expressed in it are very liberating to the aspects of Capricorn energy that are experienced more pleasantly, such as pure, uncluttered ambition:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoYJSQPkuw8

If you're referring to Capricorns born around the early 90s, they have draconic Pisces stelliums, so there's the additional element of being much more connected to the divine feminine and not so for such a ruthless, competitive, fast-moving society, you could say. This receptive creative energy, if supressed and not allowed to flow, can manifest as the need to escape. And the irony is a Capricorn, by virtue of being a Cardinal sign, is more concerned with physical action steps, perceiving them as more practical, and so may not always be ready to hear about needing to embrace a state of receptivity. Is a nice way to put it. It's hard for me because I also know that some Capricorns, by virtue of striving and struggling, do become very spiritually focused. But to break down a wall there must be a wall and that's how it starts. Edit: This actually brings me to another point: Capricorn IS a feminine sign. It NEEDS inspiration, it needs purpose, it needs receptivity in order to be plugged into its priorities. Efficiency requires receptivity.

Lastly, I wanted to point out in Vedic astrology most Capricorns are Sagittarians. This ties in with wanting something more than what is sensed society, and thus the present moment, provides. So there is an energy of craving freedom on a soul level and striving for the impossible dream, ultimate fulfillment... that would also lead to emptiness and addiction (edit: and perhaps a sense of entitled "wrecklessness") if not realized. It's funny because adjacent signs become a lot less contradictory when you dig into them :).

Edit: I don't see females wouldn't be affected in this way too, but perhaps in females the cycle manifests more in terms of striving for perfection or things such as eating disorders, because smoking and alcoholism is a little more societally taboo for them? Or perhaps females do a better job of embracing their feminine sides and feel a little less pressure with regards to physical achievement or unconditionally exercising their left brains.
 
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cappy1991

Well-known member
Thanks for all the info! I'm a Cap born in the early 90s (you probably could figure that from my name!) and a lot of the time I do feel like escaping or something. And I do think of myself as being pretty spiritual although I've moved passed a lot of the more conservative beliefs I was taught as a child. I had a problem with bad depression and anxiety two years ago but luckily I did not get addicted to anything. Again thanks for all the info, it helps! :)
 

StillConfused

Well-known member
Thanks for all the info! I'm a Cap born in the early 90s (you probably could figure that from my name!) and a lot of the time I do feel like escaping or something. And I do think of myself as being pretty spiritual although I've moved passed a lot of the more conservative beliefs I was taught as a child. I had a problem with bad depression and anxiety two years ago but luckily I did not get addicted to anything. Again thanks for all the info, it helps! :)

Yay :). I'm glad it helped.

Personally it helped me to perceive that although the 12th house (associated with Pisces and escape) is linked to things like self-undoing, loss, waste, etc., these are unfavorable qualities from the mundane perspective only. We are literally judging the 12th house not from an energetic perspective, but from the perspective of what can this person physically produce in the world, but whether the world is just about physically producing is, at least in my mind, an open question. I think there is much value in being receptive to one's subconscience, including in terms of manifesting more desires physically.

So a lot of time might be spent in a state of receptivity... but objectively speaking, who is to say working out at the gym, or office work, is a better use of that time? In my opinion it would be only if it made the person happier, and not happier because it shielded them from the wrath of their torturously programmed conscience, but happier because it truly fulfilled them. In the end we all die, so we might as well be doing exactly what it is we feel pulled to do. The world doesn't actually benefit more by our sacrifices than our joys, we've only been programmed to see it that way.

So what I am trying to get to is that unwanted "escapism" could be creative energy trying to express itself, but being blocked because we do not feel it is worthy, and we do not understand its spiritual value, so we cannot use it to its full potential until. The same goes for Neptune, we may fear it because it may bring deception and shake up our routines, but really that's only if we're fighting to fit it into the box of our routines, and trying to make it work for us in a preconceived way. Because in my current opinion, Neptune is not a cop out, it is not a lie, but an invitation to a different kind of truth, but it feels like loss and delusion when it is not seen for the powerful spiritual catalyst that it is, and treated as such within our psyche. Neptunian energy does have to go somewhere, even if it isn't accepted, so it will be felt one way or another.
 

cappy1991

Well-known member
Wise words. I feel like I've made a lot of improvemts in the past few years mentally, even though in the real world I had to take a step or two backwards. I had to make myself realize that it wasent a failure just me having to reevaluate/change things in my life.
 

mdinaz

Well-known member
The "escape" tendency of your generation is due to the massive clustering of planets on one side of the chart with Chiron opposing on the opposite. Uranus opposite Chiron particularly gives the urge to escape emotional pain through some addictive activity, whatever it is. But to answer the original question, no sun sign is more prone than any other. Addictions are typically a result of major Neptune and Mars aspects, Jupiter-Mars, and a few others.
 

BluEyedGrl105

Well-known member
Though I agree with mdinaz's indicators for addiction in general I remember Bob Marks and a few other astrologers saying how surprised they were by the number of Capricorn Suns in rehab. For alcohol, specifically. Their explanation was earthy, driven Capricorn does not react well to certain liquids.

But now I'm wondering if that was during the early 90s...? Because if it was, that means every Capricorn would have eventually had to deal with both Neptune and Uranus transiting their Suns. Something had to give.

That happened to my Dad - his Sun on my Neptune. I was born in 1990. He relapsed shortly after I was born.

Edit to add: Dad had Neptune square Mercury (*5), and most probably square a Moon/Chiron conjunction (don't have exact birth time.) His only aspect to his Sun was a square from Mars, so you can see how he wouldn't cope well with T. Neptune and T. Uranus over his Sun. Besides that Mars isn't badly aspected.
 
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cappy1991

Well-known member
Wow, yeah I've just noticed recently that several Cap guys I've known or heard of had alcohol or drug problems. Don't know much about the women other than myself. Although there are several Cap women on my moms side of the family, myself included who like to have a drink fairly frequently, never getting drunk though.
 

mdinaz

Well-known member
Transiting Pluto is also going through Capricorn right now while transiting Uranus is square Capricorn and transiting Jupiter is opposite Capricorn. If you are seeing a lot of Cap suns this is probably why. I have known plenty of people with substance abuse problems and they were all of many signs.
 

greybeard

Well-known member
Stand at the doorway of an Alcoholics Anonymous clubhouse, or a methedone clinic. Poll the people visiting these institutions. I think you will find that the sun signs are evenly distrributed.

Cultural behaviors can affect drug use (alcohol is a drug). An example is Esapanola, New Mexico where heroin use has run in families for generations. The town is notorious.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/02/us/02overdose.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

This points out that environment plays an important role, and sun signs are likely to be represented according to the amount of time the sun spends in each sign.
 
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vannasan

Well-known member
Very interesting thread (as I am a capricorn too you see :biggrin:).

Just my two scents here. As a Cap female I have not been addicted to anything in my life, and hope this continues for the rest of my life (i am approaching my Saturn return so you can guess about how old I am).
With 4 of my planets in Capricorn and Asc in Cap, I can agree to some extent with much of what is being said above. I drink but never drunk, I have smoked as well, and did not like like the feeling of either.

I think a part of that as stated before is most Caps do care about social rules and would not want to be seen as doing something socially unacceptable in public or otherwise; a part of it too as mentioned before is that Capricorn link to integrity; but mostly for myself it is about control. I think Capricorn and Saturn have a lot to do with control, and feelings of control. Control of time, of responsibilities, and of themselves. That feeling of a loss of control that comes with using alcohol or other drugs is unwanted at least for myself and other Capricorns that I know. Without control one may never have success, or may be seen as lacking in some way.

I have often seen that when Capricorns go about attaining what they want outside of Saturn's boundaries ( Saturn does not rule substances) they often get drawn back, whether it takes a longer time to achieve what they want or they must learn some lesson. So yes, Capricorns can have addictions, much like any other sign. However, they will remain stagnant (perhaps not the best word) until they have learned some lesson, or until the time is right. Addictions stop you from working to your full potential, and the sign of Capricorn deals with working, discipline, and striving for success which are beautiful aspects of character that can be hindered by addiction
 
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WeCareALot

Well-known member
Not to villainize Saturn any more than it already perhaps justly perhaps unjustly is, but because it is such a karmically aware, "outerly" focused planet, a person with a Saturn-ruled Sun may abandon their own fulfillment, the hardest part being they feel on a deep level of their psyche that it is the only correct way to be, and may struggle to liberate themselves from that belief just because it is integrated so deeply on multiple layers of themselves. The Sun is also linked to pride so the person struggles with pride being linked to work and physical proof of their worth.

Physical manifestation is a crucial aspect of fulfillment on Earth. But my opinion is that when it is focused upon in such a way that psychology, spirit, fulfillment, emotions, human contact, etc., all come last... that's a pretty hard life. It's hard because we've abandonned our desires, and thus ourselves, and the things that actually keep us going and missed the point that physical manifestation is nothing but a result of those things, and not the other way around.

I don't have a Saturn-ruled Sun but I've got a wide Sun square Saturn aspect in my chart, and this is VERY true and VERY hard to accept. It $ucks feeling like you have to prove your worth outwardly. It causes a lot of anxiety ('what if something goes wrong?' 'what if I can't do it?' etc. etc.), especially if you're not an Earthy person to begin with. Earth is material and feels very 'final' to me, if that makes sense. It either is or it isn't, no in-betweens. You're either on the mark or you're not. That's very scary for the Sun, which feels like it should be able to shine regardless.
 

Ebenia

Well-known member
I think it is important to remember that Capricorns have a fish tail in traditional astrology mythology. To me that signifies Capricorns inner vision and need to go and manifest that vision into being and into something that is practical and can be touched and felt and it providing quality to others. If for some reason this ability to express themselves and create is blocked and their vision does not go out into the world, Capricorns can get very depressed. They need a way to put their visions and dreams into reality. Capricorns self-esteem (the sun) can be tied into what they are providing and if they feel like they cannot do that, it is depressing and might lead to using subtances to silence the inner critic.

And this is only about the characteristics of the Capricorn sign, not necessarily people...
 

Claire19

Well-known member
Elvis has a Pisces Moon which makes one prone to addictions.
Capricorn by itself is not an addictive sign. Neptune aspects, Pisces and the other water signs are more prone to that. We have to look at more than just a Sun sign. The 12th house can be indicative of our neuroses, addictions and hang ups.
 

Meekocat

Well-known member
Oh god. Me, born in the early 90s.. my draco chart is pisces rising.. but my natal chart is sag sun with capricorn ascendant and a pisces moon. Im female, and never ever had problems with addiction. Infact I was scared by the idea.. Untill my late teens. Now substance abuse and unhealthy living just happens.. and I don't even like it much.. never thought Id be one for it though.. I have always had unhealthy relationships.. Im addicted to people and always have been.. Is that a capricorn trait?
 
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