What is Capricorn in Western astrology?

Definition

Capricorn is the tenth of twelve equal 30-degree signs of the zodiac, spanning the 270th to 300th degrees of celestial longitude and named after the constellation Capricornus, the goat.

In plain words

Capricorn is the tenth of twelve equal thirty-degree signs in the tropical zodiac, spanning the 270th to 300th degrees of celestial longitude. Wikipedia's article on Capricorn says the Sun passes through it from about December 22 to January 20 under the tropical zodiac. Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos places Capricorn in the solstitial sequence, and Astrology.

Also asked as

• What does Capricorn mean in Western astrology?
• What are Capricorn's element, mode and ruler?
• Is Capricorn a sign or a constellation?
• What are the traditional dignities in Capricorn?

History

Capricorn is a zodiac sign whose name comes from the constellation Capricornus, the goat, and it spans the 270th to 300th degrees of the zodiac in celestial longitude, according to the Wikipedia article on Capricorn. In the tropical zodiac, the Sun passes through this sign from about December 22 to January 20, as the same article reports, so readers can use these dates as a shared starting point.³

Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos, the classical astrological text, places Capricorn among the solid-to-solstitial sequence of signs. Ptolemy states that the two signs of the winter solstice group are Capricorn and Cancer. Within the masculine and feminine division, the Tetrabiblos assigns Capricorn to the feminine and nocturnal group, which gives beginners a clear classical frame for the sign.¹

Quick timeline

1. Early record — Capricorn is a zodiac sign whose name comes from the constellation Capricornus, the goat, and it spans the 270th to 300th degrees of the zodiac in celestial longitude, according to the Wikipedia article on Capricorn. In the tropical zodiac, the Sun passes through this sign from about December 22 to January 20, as the same article reports, so readers can use these dates as a shared starting point.³
2. Classical framework — Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos, the classical astrological text, places Capricorn among the solid-to-solstitial sequence of signs. Ptolemy states that the two signs of the winter solstice group are Capricorn and Cancer. Within the masculine and feminine division, the Tetrabiblos assigns Capricorn to the feminine and nocturnal group, which gives beginners a clear classical frame for the sign.¹
3. Later transmission — In the Tetrabiblos, Ptolemy describes Capricorn as the sign of Saturn's house. He says Saturn is assigned the signs opposite Cancer and Leo, namely Capricorn and Aquarius, because these signs are cold and wintry.¹
4. Modern usage — Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos holds that Mars receives Capricorn as his exaltation, since Mars becomes more fiery there because in it he is farthest south. The same text places Jupiter's depression in Capricorn.¹

What classical and modern sources say

Classical view

In the Tetrabiblos, Ptolemy describes Capricorn as the sign of Saturn's house. He says Saturn is assigned the signs opposite Cancer and Leo, namely Capricorn and Aquarius, because these signs are cold and wintry.¹

Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos holds that Mars receives Capricorn as his exaltation, since Mars becomes more fiery there because in it he is farthest south. The same text places Jupiter's depression in Capricorn.¹

Ptolemy's account gives Capricorn a place within the solstitial grouping of signs, which the Tetrabiblos uses to explain how each sign acquires its qualities.¹

Modern view

Under the tropical zodiac, the Sun passes through Capricorn from about December 22 to January 20, according to the Wikipedia article on Capricorn. Readers can use these dates as a shared reference point when comparing charts across published sources.³

Astrology.com describes Capricorn as the tenth sign and mountain goat of the zodiac, with the symbol of the Sea-Goat. It gives its dates as December 22 to January 19 and names Saturn as its ruling planet. Comparing these date ranges with the Wikipedia figures is a useful growth exercise, because it shows how sources draw sign boundaries differently.⁵

The building blocks and rulership

Sign basics

Capricorn is a zodiac sign whose name comes from the constellation Capricornus, the goat. Wikipedia's article on Capricorn says it spans the 270th to 300th degrees of the zodiac in celestial longitude. Astrology.com calls Capricorn the tenth sign and mountain goat of the zodiac, tied to hard work, and gives its symbol as the Sea-Goat.³⁵

Classical roots

In the Tetrabiblos, Ptolemy describes Capricorn as the sign of Saturn's house. He says Saturn receives Capricorn and Aquarius because these signs are cold and wintry. Ptolemy also holds that Mars receives Capricorn as his exaltation, since Mars becomes more fiery there because in it he is farthest south.¹

Modern dates and ruler

Under the tropical zodiac, Wikipedia's article on Capricorn says the Sun passes through the sign from about December 22 to January 20. Astrology.com gives its dates as December 22 to January 19 and names Saturn as its ruling planet. Comparing these ranges shows how sources draw sign boundaries differently.³⁵

Element and mode

Wikipedia's article on Capricorn classes it as one of the three earth signs, alongside Virgo and Taurus, and as one of the four cardinal signs. Astrology.com describes Capricorn as a cardinal earth sign and says it is in polarity with the cardinal water sign Cancer, whose moon rulership contrasts with Saturn-ruled Capricorn.³⁵

The astronomy

Capricorn is ruled by the planet Saturn, and its opposite sign is Cancer. Wikipedia's article on Capricorn gives this sign-wheel definition, which is a formal convention for organizing the zodiac. Readers can treat it as a fixed reference point when they compare how sign wheels are laid out across published sources, and seeing the convention written down makes each comparison easier to follow.³

Capricorn, traditionally ruled by Saturn, stands opposite Cancer, ruled by the Moon: the two signs sit 180 degrees apart. Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos sets out this opposition, and the distinction keeps measured quantities separate from symbolic meanings.¹

Where astrologers differ

Capricorn is classed as one of the three earth signs, alongside Virgo and Taurus, and as a negative sign and one of the four cardinal signs, according to the Wikipedia article on Capricorn. Astrology.com describes Capricorn as a cardinal earth sign and says it is in polarity with the cardinal water sign Cancer. Astrology.com also sets Capricorn's public achievement and stern authority against the moon rulership of Cancer, a contrast readers can explore. These categories differ by source and tradition, so comparing the Wikipedia article with Astrology.

Then and now

Then

In the Tetrabiblos, Ptolemy describes Capricorn as the sign of Saturn's house. He says Saturn is assigned the signs opposite Cancer and Leo, namely Capricorn and Aquarius, because these signs are cold and wintry.¹

Now

Under the tropical zodiac, the Sun passes through Capricorn from about December 22 to January 20, according to the Wikipedia article on Capricorn. Readers can use these dates as a shared reference point when comparing charts across published sources.³

Worked out from the evidence

Reasoned from the cited facts, not stated outright by any one source.

Capricorn's classical and modern descriptions both place it at the winter solstice, so readers meeting it in older texts and in current almanacs can connect the two through the same season.

Saturn is linked to Capricorn in both classical and modern sources, so a reader who learns the ruler in Ptolemy's account will recognise the same planet named in current astrology.

Not yet confirmed

• Which exact date range marks the start and end of Capricorn, since the sources give December 22 to January 20 and December 22 to January 19?
• How far the classical sign boundaries and the modern tropical boundaries agree is left unsettled by the sources available here.

Follow the parts of Capricorn

Continue through Sagittarius, Aquarius.

Questions people also ask

What does Capricorn mean in Western astrology?

Capricorn is the tenth of twelve signs, named after the goat constellation Capricornus, and Astrology.com calls it the tenth sign and mountain goat of the zodiac, tied to hard work.³⁵

What are Capricorn's element, mode and ruler?

Astrology.com describes Capricorn as a cardinal earth sign, and Wikipedia's article says it is one of the three earth signs and one of the four cardinal signs.⁵³

Is Capricorn a sign or a constellation?

Capricorn is a zodiac sign, and its name comes from the constellation Capricornus, the goat. The sign spans the 270th to 300th degrees of celestial longitude, a measured range given in the Wikipedia article on Capricorn.³

Method and review

Every statement about Capricorn was checked against the wording of its 5 sources (Ptolemy (LacusCurtius), Encyclopaedia Britannica, Wikipedia and Astrology.com), and its positions and boundaries were calculated with Astronomy Engine. How the Machine works.