VelaraEarth · Cardinal · Ruled by Saturn
Capricorn
Capricorn plays the long game. Ruled by Saturn, it is the sign of structure, mastery and goals measured in years rather than weeks.
- Dates
- December 22 – January 19
- Symbol
- The Sea-Goat
- Element
- Earth
- Modality
- Cardinal
- Ruling planet
- Saturn
- Exaltation
- Mars
- Opposite sign
- Cancer
- Body (classical)
- Knees
Personality
The Capricorn nature
Capricorn is cardinal earth: practical ambition that takes the first step and then the next thousand. It is known for discipline, responsibility and a dry sense of humour. People rely on it. It can carry too much alone and treat rest as something to earn — and it often gets lighter, not heavier, with age.
Growth edge: Measuring its worth by more than what it achieves.
Born on the cusp?
The dates move. Your chart doesn't.
The Sun is in exactly one sign at any moment, but the switch-over shifts by up to a day from year to year. If you were born near December 22 or January 19, only your exact birth time can say which side of the line you're on.
Capricorn shares its element with Taurus and Virgo. Its opposite sign is Cancer.
Sun-sign traits describe a twelfth of the world. Your Moon, Rising and planets make them yours.
The Big Three
There's more to you than Capricorn.
Your Sun sign comes from your birthday. Your Moon and Rising signs need the full date, time and place — and they change far faster.
Sun — your core self and identity. Changes sign about once a month.
Moon — your emotions and inner needs. Changes sign about every 2.3 days.
Rising — how you meet the world. Changes about every two hours on average.
The myth
The story of the sea-goat
When the monster Typhon attacked the gods, they fled in animal shapes. Pan leapt into a river and turned his lower half into a fish while keeping the head of a goat — and Zeus set that shape in the stars.
The Goat-Fish is one of the oldest figures in the sky: Babylonians linked it to the water god Ea, and it appears on seals from around 2000 BCE.
The ♑︎ glyph shows the head and horns of a goat ending in a fish's tail.
In the night sky
Capricorn among the stars
Its brightest star, Deneb Algedi — “tail of the goat” — is an eclipsing pair of stars that orbit each other about once a day.
The Tropic of Capricorn got its name because the Sun used to stand in Capricornus at the December solstice. Precession has moved it into Sagittarius; the name stuck.
FAQ
Capricorn, quickly
What are the Capricorn dates?
Capricorn season runs from about December 22 to January 19. The exact moment the Sun changes sign shifts by up to a day from year to year, so if you were born near either date, your birth chart settles it.
What element is Capricorn?
Capricorn is a cardinal earth sign. It shares its element with Taurus and Virgo.
What planet rules Capricorn?
Capricorn is ruled by Saturn.
Sources
- Theoi Project — the myth of Capricorn
- Constellation Guide — Capricornus
- Wikipedia — Capricornus (constellation)
- Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos I (rulerships, exaltations) — LacusCurtius
- Wikipedia — Astrological sign
- Wikipedia — Astrological symbols
- Wikipedia — Zodiac Man (classical body associations)
Dates are given in UTC unless noted; local dates can differ by a day. Last checked 4 October 2026.
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