Ask The Capricorn No. 11

Welcome back to Ask the Capricorn, my monthly advice column where your questions meet equal parts astrology, intuition, and Capricorn-level realism. In this edition, we’re talking about the upcoming transits and how this can affect your projects, the collective’s aesthetic and marketing and a little throwback to the very beginning of my business. Because sometimes to look ahead, we need to look back for a second.

Question 01

I’d argue that there’s no better moment to do branding work than a Venus (or Mercury) retrograde and I’m going to tell you why.

I think of retrogrades as reverse tarot cards. Where the traditional meaning of the planet turns inward instead of outward. And branding is ultimately about going inward first, asking the deeper questions, and then being able to create visuals that have meaning. Since Venus is the planet most often associated with beauty and aesthetics, this retrograde is prime time to rethink your brand. Especially if you’re Venus-ruled (Taurus or Libra rising) or you have prominent Leo placements. But honestly, I think we’ll all be feeling this to some degree.

If you’ve been feeling like your current branding isn’t speaking to you (or your audience) in the way that it used to, maybe it’s time to reflect on the ways your brand and business has changed and shifted in the last few years:

• Have your offerings changed?

• Have your values shifted?

• Is there a bigger dream you have now that needs a larger container?

I’ve written a few different answers on how to know when it’s time to rebrand, but my biggest piece of advice is always the same: sit down and listen. Really listen. See what your inner guidance is trying to tell you. No one knows your business the way you do, and this is your world that you’re creating. And if you’ve been asking for a sign, this Venus retrograde might just be it.

Question 02

I could answer this question in a million different ways, but today I want to give you the advice I give most business owners that are just starting out. And here’s where the hot take begins:

The business plan you write out before you begin probably won’t be the one you’re following a year later. So I’d personally not dwell on that too much. Keep an open mind when I tell you this:

What actually helped me most was working through my beliefs around miney and my sense of deserving to be successful.

My money story was rough. I believed things like “more money, more problems.” I worried that having money would somehow make me lonely or a bad person. I was afraid I wouldn’t know how to manage it, or that I’d finally build something only to have it all taken away.

My money story when I first started out was far from great. I believed the old adage “more money, more problems”. I was scared that having money would somehow make me lonely or a bad person. I was also deeply afraid that I wouldn’t know how to manage having more money, or that if I built something it would be taken away from me.

And while some of these fears still come up (and I’m still actively working on them). Doing work like the TBM Money workshop, learning about Spiritual Surrender (hello It’s Not Your Money) and straight up spiritual therapy with Alexia Landa has done wonders to my relationship with abundance.

Whatever beliefs you’ve inherited around money will eventually show up in your business, because owning a business is in fact the greatest spiritual journey there is (said like a true Cap). The sooner you start tending to that overgrown inner garden, the easier it will become to build something that supports you and your growth. You don’t have to know it all, or be perfectly healed. But your beliefs will absolutely shape your experience (!!!)

Question 03

I love love love this question and might turn it into a series if inspiration continues to be so loud. I do see a shift from the handmade, nostalgia-fueled, whimsical energy that defined the Pisces/Virgo eclipses era and a move toward something that is bolder, more niche, more playful and much more future-facing now that we’re entering Leo/Aquarius territory.

I think the Leo of it all feels especially loud because Jupiter is there for the next year and we have so much going on in Leo right now. When I think of Leo, the first thing I think about is self-expression. Not performing for someone else’s gaze, but for you. And whatever is the you-est you is what needs to be expressed.

Boldness will be rewarded, being your full quirky self will feel extra magnetic. The question I personally keep coming back to is “Who am I today?” Not yesterday or five years ago, but who I am now. That’s what I’m anchoring both my life and design choices in.

I don’t think anyone can say with certainty exactly what this era will look like, but if the Pisces/Virgo years gave us Brat Summer, whimsymaxxing, handmade everything, and the explosive rise of AI, I’m incredibly curious to see what this next chapter brings. My best guess is that the push pull between self and society at large will be so absolutely fascinating and we will be reminded time and time again that our choices both at a large and small scale have meaning and weight. And choosing yourself while also examining the impact on your own little microcosm will be important. My hope is that whatever era we enter reminds us how much agency we actually have. That the things we create, consume, support, and pay attention to shape the world around us. Because where our attention goes, energy flows.

That’s all for this month’s Ask the Capricorn, thank you for trusting me with your questions. I absolutely loved these questions and hope their answers brought you clarity, inspiration, or at the very least, a gentle nudge forward.

If you want your question featured in the next edition, you can drop it in the comments below or keep an eye on my Instagram stories, I’ll be opening up the question box again soon.

With all the love,

Daniela

P.S.
If you’re wanting to build a brand that lasts the test of time, I’d love to help. Branding is my love language, and I work with soul-led founders to create visuals and strategy that align, inspire, and expand. You can learn more here or send me a note anytime.