Capricorn: dates, element, planet, symbolism and associated stones

Who is Capricorn?

Capricorn is the tenth sign of the zodiac. Its symbol is a goat whose body ends in a fish's tail: it is called the "sea-goat." This figure comes from very far back: a creature with a goat's forequarters and a fish's tail, linked to the god of the deep waters, is known in Mesopotamia, and Capricorn is probably one of the oldest figures in the sky. The Greeks linked it to the god Pan, or to a goat that nursed Zeus, depending on the account.

Like Cancer, it gave its name to a tropic: the Tropic of Capricorn, which marks the southern limit of the sun at the December solstice. The name has stayed, even though the sun no longer sits in this constellation on that date.

The traditional sheet at a glance

Capricorn opens winter: the sun enters it at the December solstice, the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere. Dates in the "tropical" zodiac, the one used in most Western horoscopes, vary by a day from year to year (leap years, exact time and place of birth): if you were born on the day of transition between two signs, a birth chart calculated to the exact hour is needed to know which one applies.

The tropical zodiac starts at the spring equinox and divides the year into twelve equal segments of 30 degrees; it no longer matches the position of the constellations in the sky, because of the precession of the equinoxes, a slow movement of the Earth's axis that completes one turn in about 25,800 years. The "sidereal" zodiac, more used in India, follows the constellations instead and therefore gives dates shifted by about three weeks.

Element, modality and ruling planet

Earth: the element of the concrete and of work. Cardinal: Capricorn opens winter; it is associated with the capacity to launch long-term projects. Saturn: a slow planet whose orbit takes nearly thirty years; it evokes time, limits, patience and structure. It rules Capricorn and also Aquarius in the ancient tradition; modern astrologers later gave Uranus to Aquarius.

Symbolic qualities

Capricorn is associated with perseverance, seriousness, prudence, a sense of responsibility, quiet ambition and dry, deadpan humour. In traditional portraits, the flip side is rigidity, pessimism or difficulty relaxing.

As always, this is an archetype: there are playful Capricorns. Keep the image of the goat that climbs without hurry: small successive steps, a way of speaking about patience, with no promise of success.

Relationships with other signs

In astrology, the relationship between two signs is described by the angle separating them in the zodiac. Here is the common vocabulary, applied to Capricorn, with no compatibility prediction at all:

• Opposition (signs 180 degrees apart, six signs apart): Cancer. Astrologers see a face-to-face that complements, a mirror.
• Trine (same element, earth): Taurus and Virgo. One speaks of a kinship of tone, an ease in understanding one another.
• Sextile (complementary elements): Pisces and Scorpio. A link described as stimulating and sociable.
• Square (same modality, different element): Aries and Libra. Tradition sees a tension that either drives things forward or irritates.

These relationships are reading conventions; they predict nothing specific about a relationship as it is lived.

Traditionally associated stones

For Capricorn, traditions differ. Twentieth-century jewellery lists often cite garnet; esoteric lists add onyx, black tourmaline or jet, based on the dark shades associated with Saturn. The lists tied to the stones of Aaron's breastplate do not agree with one another.

Onyx is a black chalcedony, very often dyed; jet is a fossil wood, light and warm to the touch, often imitated with black glass. Ask the seller for the precise nature of the stone.

Mood tips

A "Capricorn" atmosphere is sober and lasting: natural materials (wood, stone, wool), earthy and grey tones, a tidy desk, a project calendar. You might plan the coming season, learn a traditional craft, take a long walk in the mountains or simply keep a progress notebook. A cedar or sandalwood incense (see the smoke-cleansing precautions) suits this. These are ideas for atmosphere, with no forecasting value.

What science says

Scientifically, studies to date have not shown that a birth sign allows a character to be described or events to be predicted; astrology remains a symbolic and cultural language, which can be appreciated for its tradition and its poetry without considering it a science.

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to Guide to the astrological signs.