Most people would agree that Capricorns are very odd creatures, albeit in an extremely predictable fashion. But just like any sign, you can’t really understand them without contemplating the time of year when the Sun travels through it.

Capricorn occurs in the dark days of winter, when the power of light and life is at its weakest and most vulnerable. Capricorn’s job is to protect the life force and shield it from the cold snows and storms until it is strong enough to emerge on its own in the spring.

The sign always has a very strong sense of where it needs to go, the path to be trod and they follow it with such a determination that you would think the whole world would collapse if they failed in their duty.

Other signs, particularly Gemini and Pisces and Aries will fritter their energies away in all kinds of irrelevant directions, trusting that the Universe will always provide them with more, but Capricorns cannot operate this way. There is very little energy to spare at that time of year and its vitally important that none of it is wasted.

Capricorns however, are extremely good at organising and manipulating situations to aid their goal without them having too put much effort in themselves. In fact, effort or work for a Capricorn is an extremely overrated means of getting along.

As I have the Sun, Moon and Ascendant in the sign, I have made it a lifelong crusade to get my own way with as little actual work as possible and it is this that endears me to the principle behind the question ” Why Do Only Fools and Horses Work ? ”

For most people this phrase evokes fond memories of one of the most loved sitcoms in British TV history.

The show began in 1981 just as the harsh character of Thatcherite Britain was becoming clear, through a combination of record levels of unemployment and a growing view amongst people that the best way to get out of their difficulties was by an elaborate means of ducking and diving. This was the flavour of the 1980s and it was shared across the social spectrum. Everyone in the capital was upwardly mobile, from the yuppies of the City to the C2 types of south east London.

Only Fools was set well and truly amongst latter group in Peckham, with Del Boy and Rodders Trotter as market traders, following their absurd attempts to become millionaires through get rich quick schemes and selling dodgy knock off goods.

The chart for the first episode clearly shows the dream.

The Moon is the ruler of the night and also of our feelings, so it fits very well as our dreams. It is perfectly placed right at the very top of the chart, the sector that rules ambition and social status.

The Sun is who and where we are, and in this chart it is tucked away in lowly Virgo in the 6th house of work, drudgery and routine. So the Trotters are firmly entrenched in the 6th house but are constantly looking for the easy way out. This is because the Sun is in harmonious trine to the Moon and they can see the quick route to the top.

The other factor is the Sun is part of a stellium of 5 planets in the 6th house, but 4 of them are in the laziest of signs, Libra. Mercury in Libra is the schemer and in conjunction with Jupiter is extremely optimistic that these plans will work big time.

Unfortunately for Del and Rodney, Mercury is square to the Moon which suggests that the route to the top would be much tougher than expected.

Mercury is also in much closer conjunction with Saturn, so all their grand plans come crashing round the ears.

Of course, the main reason that the show worked so well was the incredible casting of the two brothers. The ever optimistic Del Boy played by David Jason and the morose Rodney, Nicholas Lyndhurst.

There is one sign that stands for unshakeable optimism and that is Sagittarius. This sign always has its eyes on the horizon even if it can’t quite be bothered to sort out the details of how to actually get there.

Del Boy has the Moon bang on a Sagittarius Ascendant. The Sun is also in the freedom loving Aquarius.

The one planetary pattern that is associated with the easy life is the Grand Trine. The reason for this is that it contains 3 planets all operating within the same element and combining successfully and easily. People with a Grand Trine have many natural gifts but also there is an expectation that the good things in life will come easily to them. The downside of a Grand Trine is that often its holders will not bother making the necessary effort to ensure success.

Del’s Grand Trine is in fire, so he is the one come up with all the ideas. The Moon trine to Jupiter in Aries fits very well with catchphrase ” He who dares, wins “. The other planet involved is Pluto in the 8th house of other people’s money, hence the conception of sudden great fortune.

Mars in Aries shows that Del Boy sees life in simple terms and is constantly on the look out for new and exciting ventures, but its conjunction with Saturn means that he’s always going to fall flat on his face.

There’s no birth time for Nicholas Lyndhurst as Rodney but we can easily see the difference in character.

Rodney is a much dozier character than Del and a bit of a daydreamer, both of which are nicely captured by the Sun in slow moving Taurus and the Moon in stay at home Cancer.

Rodney, like Del has Mars / Saturn issues, but his are marked by an opposition aspect. Rodney’s Mars in Cancer opposite Saturn suggests that whenever he ventures out of his home, some kind of disaster or obstacle strikes.

Rodders Mars / Saturn opposition forms a T Square with Del’s Mars / Saturn conjunction showing that as a team they are fated to fail.

As Del’s conjunction is in Aries, a sign with a very clear sense of right and wrong, he is in no doubt where the blame lies for most of these disasters and frequently calls his brother ” You Plonker “.

There are many classic comedy themes and they all have their astrological symbolism. But perhaps the funniest and most enduring is the Mars / Saturn one where one hyper energetic Martian character is constantly coming up with new ideas and plans only to run into insurmountable and predictable Saturnian obstacles that the audience can see long before our naive hero who inevitably falls flat on his face.

The reasons for the failure are usually connected with the sign that Mars is in. A perfect example of this is another big favourite, Dads Army, where Mars is in Cancer square Saturn, a beautiful symbol of the Home Guard, a troop full of old stagers, whose comedic failures are generally caused by their age. For more information see Dad’s Army.

In Only Fools, the failures are an inevitable result of Del Boy’s Mars in Aries enthusiasm.

But the great thing about Ariens is that they are not put off by these disasters, they are always ready to go again, with just as much conviction that it’ll work this time.

After all, why not, ” This time next year we’ll be millionaires “. There’s no need to graft, just come up with another scam.

So Why do Only Fools and Horses Work ? ‘

I have no idea, but have plenty of get rich quick schemes of my own, most of them tied up with astrology and bookmakers.

And with Pluto about to conjunct my own Capricorn Moon and sextile my 2nd house Mars all I can say is Lovely jubbly !