Capricorn zodiac sign

Capricorn dates

Capricorn covers birthdays from December 22 to January 19 in the conventional tropical table used on this site. The exact moment the Sun enters Capricorn changes slightly each year, which is why people born on December 22 or January 19 sometimes find different answers online.

From 1950 to 2050 the Sun entered Capricorn on December 21 in 77 of those years, December 22 in 24 of those years in US Eastern Time. For a birthday on a boundary date, the birth year, time and time zone decide the sign.

Capricorn personality traits

Traditional astrology describes Capricorn as serious, practical, patient and goal-oriented, the sign that climbs the mountain one step at a time. Saturn’s symbolism of time and structure is used to explain its reserve, its dry humour and its reputation for growing more relaxed with age.

Keywords: ambition, discipline, responsibility, patience, structure.

Capricorn in love and compatibility

Capricorn is described as a loyal, steady partner who takes commitment seriously and shows love by building a shared future. Trust is earned gradually.

Traditionally, Capricorn gets on most easily with Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Pisces. Signs described as more challenging are Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra.

Compare Capricorn with any sign in the compatibility checker.

Capricorn in friendship and family

In traditional sign symbolism, Capricorn brings themes of reliability and long-term effort. These examples are prompts for reflection, not descriptions of every person born under the sign.

Friendship

Showing up when you said you would fits the Capricorn theme. Time together does not always need an outcome; a relaxed visit can matter as much as useful advice.

Family and shared life

Shared goals become easier when responsibilities are explicit. Leave room for rest and renegotiation, rather than assuming that the most dependable person should always take on more.

A person’s actions, circumstances and boundaries matter more than a sign label. Explore the symbolism of sign pairings without using it to decide who deserves trust.

Capricorn at work

Management, government, engineering, architecture, finance, law and any career with a clear structure and progression are associated with Capricorn.

Emotional needs and communication

Astrologers say Capricorn needs respect, stability and to feel that its efforts are leading somewhere.

Capricorn is described as measured and reserved. A Capricorn apology is traditionally formal and brief, with responsibility taken and a plan to make things right.

The Capricorn symbol and its mythology

The glyph ♑ represents the sea-goat. The sea-goat, half goat and half fish, goes back to the Mesopotamian goat-fish associated with the god Enki (Ea). Greek writers linked it with Pan, who turned partly into a fish while fleeing the monster Typhon.

The constellation Capricornus gave the sign its name, but the sign and the constellation are no longer aligned. Its brightest star is Deneb Algedi (Delta Capricorni). See when the Sun actually passes through each constellation.

Capricorn traditional associations

Colors and stones vary between modern sources and have no single historical standard. The other associations are long-standing conventions of Western astrology.

More about Capricorn

• Today’s horoscope for Capricorn
• Capricorn in Greek mythology
• The Capricorn tarot card: The Devil
• Capricorn colors and Capricorn birthstones
• Capricorn in 2026: key dates
• Is Capricorn the “most dangerous” sign? Rankings examined

Other earth signs

Continue around the zodiac

Sources

• Astrology.com: Capricorn (conventional dates and associations)
• Wikipedia: Zodiac
• NASA JPL planetary ephemerides (DE440s, used for ingress times)