The Capricorn symbol: The sea-goat
Capricorn’s sea-goat, a goat with a fish’s tail, goes back to Babylonian astronomy and the god Ea. Greek myth tells of Pan leaping into the Nile to escape the monster Typhon and only half transforming. The image suits the sign: a climber with one foot in the depths.
Capricorn begins at the December solstice, the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the point after which the days lengthen again. The Tropic of Capricorn is named for it.
Saturn rules Capricorn. In astrology Saturn is the planet of time, structure, responsibility and mastery, the slow work that makes things last.
Capricorn strengths
- Discipline
- Does the work when nobody is watching.
- Responsibility
- Is the person others rely on when it matters.
- Patience
- Plans in years, not weeks.
- Dry humor
- Has a quiet wit that surprises people.
Capricorn shadows
- Overwork
- Treats rest as something to earn.
- Reserve
- Keeps feelings so private that others feel shut out.
- Pessimism
- Prepares for the worst and forgets to enjoy the good.
Capricorn in love
Capricorn loves through commitment and actions: showing up, building a future, keeping its word. It may be slow to open up and careful about who it lets in. It needs a partner who is patient with its reserve, values reliability and reminds it, now and then, to stop working and play.
Capricorn at work
Capricorn is built for long-term achievement: management, finance, law, engineering, government, running its own business. It respects hierarchy and earned authority. It does best with clear goals, real responsibility and someone who makes sure it takes its vacation days.
Capricorn and its opposite sign, Cancer
Capricorn sits opposite Cancer. Together they make the axis of public life and private life: Capricorn builds a name in the world, Cancer tends the home. Capricorn often grows by letting itself be cared for.
Best matches for Capricorn
- Capricorn and Taurus Two earth signs: loyal, practical and good at building a life.
- Capricorn and Virgo Earth with earth: shared standards and a quiet, lasting respect.
- Capricorn and Scorpio Earth and water: two determined signs who trust slowly and deeply.
Traditional matches, from how the elements and modalities sit together. Any two signs can work. Capricorn compatibility with every sign.
Capricorn rising
Capricorn rising gives a composed, capable first impression. You tend to look serious and in control even when you are nervous, and people may assume you are older or more senior than you are. The lesson of this rising sign is to let people see your warmth and humor sooner.
Find your rising signMoon in Capricorn
With the Moon in Capricorn, you handle feelings by getting on with things. Responsibility and progress steady you, and you may keep emotions private until you have worked them out. Being allowed to be tired, or not to cope for an evening, is a kind of care you may need to ask for.
Find your moon signCapricorn questions
What are the Capricorn dates?
The Sun is usually in Capricorn from December 22 to January 19. The exact start and end shift by a day or so from year to year, so if your birthday is on the edge, a birth chart calculated for your year, time and place settles it.
What element and modality is Capricorn?
Capricorn is a cardinal earth sign, ruled by Saturn. Its opposite sign is Cancer.
Which signs are most compatible with Capricorn?
Traditionally Taurus, Virgo and Scorpio, because of how their elements and modalities sit with Capricorn’s. Any two signs can work; the pairing pages describe what each match tends to need.
What does it mean to have Capricorn rising?
Capricorn rising gives a composed, capable first impression. Your rising sign depends on your birth time and place, not your birthday; the rising sign calculator works it out.
Further reading for Capricorn
- Signs Least Compatible With Capricorn, and Why
- Capricorn Moon Sign: Emotions, Needs and Loyal Love
- Venus in Capricorn: Loyal Love and What Attracts You
- Capricorn Man and Taurus Woman Compatibility in Love
- Capricorn Season: Dates, Meaning and the Winter Solstice
- How to Get a Capricorn Man to Commit: An Honest Guide