Capricorn, the Goat, is the tenth sign of the Zo­di­ac. The sun enters it on or around December 22, at the winter solstice. Capricorn belongs to the ele­ment earth, its quality is cardinal and its charge is negative. Its Ruler is Saturn, and Mars exalts in it. Its motto is: "I use." In the horo­scope chart, Capricorn brings ambition and a constructive drive to planets or Houses therein.



Your sign

Those who have Capricorn as their star sign are born when the sun was in Capricorn, normally December 22 - January 19 (it differs slightly from year to year, be­cause of the leap years). Therefore, it is also - more correctly - called the sun sign.
     The sun in your horoscope is your natural self - what you are when you relax, when other planets in your horoscope are not active. It is your basic drive, a character you have as an ingredient - more or less evident in all you do and all you are. It is the most important point in your horoscope chart, but of course it is not the only thing that describes your personality. You need to look at all the components of your birth chart, to get a correct astrological description of your­self.
     If your sun sign is Capricorn, you are a person with a drive, with the energy to reach results whatever you do. You want to accomplish, to drag things to com­pletion. You have the ability to accomplish concrete results, even when the initial ideas may have seemed vague or even unrealistic. The result might not be all that was imagined in the beginning, but it is there, and it is real. You have ambition, and the perseverence to realize several of your goals. What you start you want to finish, although that often means a lot of hard work. For you, the satisfaction is in the completion.
     A Zodiac sign does not give exactly the same influ­ence all through its 30°. Its first third has something of a cardinal quality, whatever the quality of the sign as a whole is, its second third is slightly more fixed in quality, and the last third is more mutable.
     If the sun is in the beginning of Capricorn, you are very ambitious indeed, and whatever you begin you complete, no matter how much of an effort it takes. You can be quite demanding to others, too. If the sun is in the middle of Capricorn, you have great perseverance. You know that in the long run, anything can be accom­plished, so you are in no hurry - but your goals are set. If the sun is at the end of Capricorn, you have a ten­dency to be impatient and might take on yourself tasks that may be too much even for you. Occasionally, you push yourself too much.

Your father

The sun in the horoscope also represents your father (the mother is represented by the moon).
     If you have the sun in Capricorn, your relation to your father is one of mutually high demands. You ex­pect a lot of each other. There is respect, but also intolerance if the demands are not met. There can also be some rivalry about authority. Your father demands to be obeyed, and it happens that you do the same. When your aims are not the same, there can be a noisy and lasting battle of wills, but when you agree on some­thing to accomplish together, you can be very efficient and cooperate wonderfully to reach results. It is when you do things together that you enjoy each other's company the most.

The planets

When another planet or other point of the horo­scope is in Capricorn, it is also affected by the sign, get­ting some­thing of its character. Here are those points, what they stand for, and how they are affected by Capricorn:


    Sun   basic drive - Capricorn brings an ambition to accomplish great things.
    Moon   longing - Capricorn brings a need to get things done and to be in control.
    Mercury   curiosity - Capricorn brings a sharp mind focused on solving problems.
    Venus   affection - Capricorn brings a capacity to easily get things done, and technical skills.
    Mars   aggression - Capricorn brings an unbending will and strong perseverance, as well as lots of stub­born­ness.
    Jupiter   luck - Capricorn brings success in con­structive and concrete matters, the ability to accomplish great things.
    Saturn   duty - Capricorn brings a grim and focused mind, seet on duty and on doing what must be done.
    Uranus   contemplation - Capricorn brings a com­petence to analyze complex situations and reach wise decisions.
    Neptune   fantasy - Capricorn brings dreams and visions of a concrete nature, many of them possible and rewarding to realize.
    Pluto   catharsis - Capricorn brings ability to handle crisis and to excel where others fail.
    Ascendant, AC   attitude - Capricorn brings an atti­tude of authority, demanding the respect of others.
    Medium Coeli, MC   self-image - Capricorn brings a sense of being able to do just about anything, and the inclination to try.

The Houses

In the astrological Houses, the Zodiac signs also bring their characters, influencing the environments de­scribed by the Houses. Here are the twelve Houses, what they stand for, and how Capricorn affects them:

1. Identity - Capricorn makes you seem competent and worthy of respect.
2. Resources - Capricorn makes you in control of your material situ­ation.
3. Communication - Capricorn makes you accom­plish great things with your friends, and your studies are focused.
4. Home - Capricorn makes your home your castle, and your family well organized.
5. Pastime - Capricorn makes you enjoy to have plans and get lots done, in your free time.
6. Work - Capricorn makes your work ambitious and constructive.
7. Partners - Capricorn makes your relations fixed and committed.
8. Unknown - Capricorn makes you able to keep control even when the unexpected happens, and in life-crisises.
9. Travel - Capricorn makes you plan your travel and reluctant to return.
10. Carreer - Capricorn makes you ambitious and capable to have a successful carreer.
11. Ideals - Capricorn makes you work hard to make the world a better place, never just talking about it.
12. Shortcomings - Capricorn makes it difficult for you to keep your goals and to reach lasting results.

     Of course, all of the above is very general, mainly to give you an idea of how the sign works in the horo­scope. You need to study your horoscope chart care­fully, to make a nuanced and deeper interpretation.

© Stefan Stenudd