CAPRICORN
Capricorn
in a birth chart
Capricorn is a cardinal earth sign ruled by Saturn. In a birth chart it describes the part of a person that builds something durable: patient, responsible, self-governing, and willing to wait for a result that lasts.
- Dates
- December 22 – January 19
- Element
- Earth
- Modality
- Cardinal
- Ruler
- Saturn
The sign itself
Capricorn begins at the December solstice, the year's shortest day — a start made in the least favourable conditions. That is the sign's whole character: beginning anyway, and building slowly.
Saturn rules Capricorn, so structure, time, and consequence are the sign's material. Authority here is usually self-imposed long before anyone else asks for it.
Where Capricorn shows up in a chart
Capricorn marks where a person takes responsibility early.
- Sun in Capricorn — purpose pursued through discipline and a long horizon.
- Moon in Capricorn — comfort through competence, containment, and being depended on; feelings kept managed.
- Rising in Capricorn — a composed, serious, capable first impression, and a chart run by Saturn.
- Capricorn on a house cusp — that area of life is worked at steadily, and held to a high bar.
At its best and at its cost
At its best: integrity, endurance, dry humour, and the ability to carry something for years. At its cost: austerity, over-responsibility, and measuring worth by output.
In a child's chart, Capricorn reads as a child who takes things seriously and needs permission to be small — not a little adult.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions people ask
- What are the Capricorn dates?
- The Sun is in Capricorn from about December 22 to January 19 each year, beginning at the December solstice.
- What planet rules Capricorn?
- Saturn rules Capricorn, which is why the sign is associated with structure, patience, responsibility, and time.
NEIGHBOURING SIGNS
See where Capricorn actually falls in your family's charts.
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