Capricornus:Makar Rashi

 Capricornus is a faint zodiac constellation located in the southern sky. Its name is  for "horned goat" or "goat horn" or "having horns like a goat's" in Latin, and it is commonly represented in the form of a sea goat: a mythical creature that is half goat, half fish. 

The constellation is located in an area of sky called the Sea or the Water, consisting of many water-related constellations such as Aquarius, Pisces and Eridanus. It is the smallest constellation in the zodiac.

 In Greek mythology, the constellation is sometimes identified as Amalthea, the goat that nursed the infant Zeus after his mother, Rhea, saved him from being killed his father, Cronos.

Cronos had devoured his other children, all future gods and goddesses, because of a prophecy that said that he would be overthrown by one of them.

 Amalthea's broken horn was transformed into the cornucopia or "horn of plenty"

In Greek mythology Cancer is known as the ‘Gate of Men’ where souls return to Earth to enter newborns, while Capricornus is known as the ‘Gate of the Gods’, where the souls of the dead return to heaven.

In some myths the constellation is said to represent the half man half goat god called Pan. 

According to another Greek legends, when Gaia, mother Earth, sent the monster Typhon to attack the Olympian gods, Pan suggested that they all transform themselves into animals in order to help them hide in plain sight of the Titans.

 Pan then took refuge in the Nile River, turning his lower half into a fish, and when he noticed that Typhon was attempting to destroy Zeus, he blew a shrill note on his pipes which made Typhon flee. 

Zeus later turned Pan into one of the signs of the zodiac in appreciation of his heroic deed.
Pan had the legs and horns of a goat.

Pan dodged Typhon by jumping into the river Nile and turned the monster’s lower body into a fish, thus granting the chance for Zeus to kill it with thunderbolts.

 In reference to the myth, Capricornus is commonly depicted as a goat with a fishtail..

Star-hop to find Capricornus

Look for the constellation Capricornus in the early evening in September and October. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, and are familiar with the Summer Triangle, a large and prominent asterism, draw an imaginary line from the star Vega and through Altair to find this arrowhead-shaped constellation low in the southern sky. 

Another way to star-hop to Capricornus from northerly latitudes is by way of the constellation Cygnus the Swan – or as others see it – the Northern Cross asterism. Draw an imaginary line from the bright Summer Triangle star Deneb through the star Epsilon Cygni to locate Capricornus the Sea-goat rather close to the horizon.

Hindu  mythology 

It is generally depicted as half terrestrial animal in the frontal part (stag, deer, or elephant) and half aquatic animal in the hind part (usually of a fish, a seal, or a snake, though sometimes a peacock or even a floral tail is depicted). 

Though Makara may take many different forms throughout Hindu culture, in the modern world, its form is always related to the marsh crocodile or water monitor.

Makara is a Sanskrit word which means "sea-animal, crocodile".

It is the origin of the Hindi word for crocodile, मगर (magar), which has in turn been loaned into English as the name of the Mugger crocodile, the most common crocodile in India.

Makara appears as the vahana (vehicle) of the river goddess Ganga, Narmada and of the sea god Varuna.

 Makara are considered guardians of gateways and thresholds, protecting throne rooms as well as entryways to temples; it is the most commonly recurring creature in Hindu architecture. 

Makara-shaped earrings called Makarakundalas are sometimes worn by the Hindu gods,especially  Vitthal.

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