Below I list the environment indicated by each Rasi due to BPHS.
Do we have any more information?
Jaimini adds some information, like "foreign land" for Cancer and "things related to shores" for Aquarius, "Wild beasts of prey, one´s own house remains" for Leo, hinting about the jungle perhaps. But except for that?
For example, for Pisces it says "in water", but we tend to interpret is as "in the ocean". Aquarius is "standing in the middle of water" and Ernst relates it to shores and beaches. Cancer is "moving in water", while Ernst speaks about the crablife close to the shore; an amphibius life style.
Staffan
BPHS:
Aries - moving in rocky places
Taurus - village living
Gemini - village roaming
Cancer - moving in water
Leo - living in woods
Virgo - living in the mountains and moving in the south with grain and fire
Libra - moving on land
Scorpio - exposed to water and land
Sagittarius - moving on the ground
Capricorn - moving in watery ground
Aquarius - standing in the middle of water
Pisces - moving in water
@staffan Since I just completed this course by Mr. Wilhelm and found the long class on Rasis and their places insightful, allow me to share some questions and observations on this discussion thread:
(a) Does Cancer represent moving water as in a river or sea shores? Because crabs can be found on river banks as well as sea shores. Scorpio represents holes. Pisces oceans.
(b) Capricorn is symbolised by crocodiles, who are resistant to change. But, Capricorn is a movable earth sign. So, how can we reconcile the two? Crocodiles change territories only when their survival is completely threatened.
Thank you.
Best,
Krishnamurari
@murari116 Perhaps Ernst will answer this, and he knows much better, of course. Until then:
a. Why not? I don´t see any indications that make Cancer being specifically about oceans or ocean shores. I would go for a more generalized concept.
b. Doesn´t the crocodile describes it perfectly? Stays on land (not always of course, but often enough) until threatened, then it plunges into water? Also charges fiercefully when it want something; typical capricorn behaviour, after having lived most of my adult life with capricorn women. I guess the amphibial aspect also symbolizes someone being practical (earth) until threatened or highly motivated, then it gets into water, as in getting emotionally engaged.
Staffan
@staffan Thank you.
a. Somehow in my mind I have not been able to identify an appropriate image of the water body represented by Cancer in terms of its mundane location. Pisces as oceans and Scorpio as holes are much more clear-cut that way.
b. Yes. Crocodile is a transparent and relatable symbol. I used to have some difficulty in comprehending the chimera of a symbol that is popularly associated with Capricorn: the sea-goat. This applies for Sagittarius as well: I found the popular image of the centaur quite difficult to make sense of.
@murari116 the way I see it, Capricorn is about changing our actions as needed to better align with our goals, objectives, greater presence in the world. And crocodiles do indeed change their actions, sometimes very rapidly and radically, to react to their environment in order to come out on top. Sitting still for long periods of time and then all of a sudden pouncing on their prey.
Aries would be about making changes to identity and ideas about things.
Cancer about changing environment for more happiness and fortune.
Libra about changing partnerships, audience, clients and who you interact with.
@nkan What Mr. Wilhelm suggests in his lecture is that if Capricorn is healthy one would not need to change one's qualities, thereby, their actions. But, if Capricorn is afflicted then the person would not be able to change their unhealthy qualities, consequently their actions. I like the imagery present in your final statement. It reflects what I think an exalted Mars would do.
@murari116 have you listened to the old rasi sutras course? I haven’t listened to the new rasi sutras so maybe this has been updated .. Capricorn doesn’t change how it does something because it’s motivated by events of the past. However, it creates change because it’s a movable sign. The changes that a Capricorn faces are caused by new responsibilities and those responsibilities can make Capricorn do great deeds. The symbol is a crocodile poking its head out of water, and only the 2nd half of cap is footless and moves in water. So cap is about letting karma through (10th) in order to achieve peace (4th). This is how it moves in watery ground. It excels in learning from mistakes but don’t confuse that for changing because its goal remains the same.
@karinia No, I did not opt for the old rasi sutras course. This thing about responding to the demands of responsibilities and "letting karma through" can also be traced to Capricorn being a quadruped.
@karinia Very good put. It´s interested to compare that to how Pisces work. Like in the 10th sign, the sign of action, you have the real experience. You engage in the world, accept the worldly conditions, deal with the worldly trouble, as a preparation for moksha. Pisces is like the digestion the experience.
Staffan
@staffan Again drawing upon Mr. Wilhelm's lecture, don't you think Virgo would be more about the digestion? Pisces is about purification.
Krishnamurari
@staffan, @nkan, @karinia - In terms of the actual geographical locations Capricorn signifies watery-ground/swamps and marshes; Cancer maybe at some distance from the seashore/riverbank. Can this information be used to identify the actual location for a specific entity? For example, I have my Venus in Cancer in D1 - so would I be correct to infer that my wife would be from a coastal region/riverine region? Likewise, if a woman's Jupiter is in Capricorn, would it be fair to deduce that her husband hails from a swampy/marshy region? Or, am I being way too simplistic?
@murari116 In Prashna, yes. In the birth chart - I don´t know. Anyways there are other factors too, like the DK and the Vargas related to spouse and marriage.
Staffan
@murari116 don't know about that one but in general Cancer and Capricorn can be symbols of far away places, being away from the motherland. E.g. My AK is in Capricorn, my 7th lord is in Capricorn (both in Rasi and Navamsa), and my swamsa is Cancer - I have lived abroad most of my life and my partner is a foreigner who also lives far from his home country. I haven't looked into specifics about the exact territories/types of lands though.
@nkan Interesting. Guess, I need to take courses on Jaimini as well to figure that out. Yes, that Cancer represents foreign places was mentioned by Mr. Wilhelm. But, how should we primarily define foreign in this context? Based on one's citizenship?
@murari116 any place that's far away from your place of birth or the place where you grew up, I guess.