Capricorn

Definition

Capricorn is the tenth sign of the zodiac, covering 270 to 300 degrees of the ecliptic — the circle the Sun appears to travel over a year. It is a cardinal earth sign ruled by Saturn, and Mars is exalted (especially strong) at 28 degrees Capricorn, while the Moon is in detriment (out of place) and Jupiter in fall (weakened) here. In the tropical zodiac, the Sun enters Capricorn at the winter solstice (around December 21), the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere. Hellenistic astrology places Capricorn among the movable (tropika) signs and the earth triplicity, the trio of earth signs.

In Tradition

Astrologers in the Western tradition link Capricorn with discipline, responsibility, ambition, and the building of structures meant to last. The cardinal earth quality is traditionally read as practical action set in motion toward solid, long-term achievement.

In Practice

In a birth chart, astrologers read Capricorn placements for ambition, the shape of a career, authority, and the capacity to keep at something. Mars's exaltation at 28 degrees Capricorn is a key dignity — a marker of strength — weighed when judging Mars's condition. Because Saturn rules Capricorn, a Capricorn house cusp matters for duty, limits, and long-range planning. As planets transit, or pass through, Capricorn, they tend to bring themes of consolidation, accountability, and structural pressure. The Sun's entry into Capricorn at the winter solstice is one of the four seasonal ingress charts tracked in mundane astrology — the branch concerned with nations and world events. The Moon in detriment in Capricorn and Jupiter in fall are traditionally weakened placements, weighed in any dignity assessment.

Historical Origin

Capricorn appears as one of the twelve zodiacal signs in the earliest Hellenistic texts. As a solstitial sign, it marks the winter turning point. Hellenistic sources place Capricorn among the movable signs (in Greek, tropika), and the Thema Mundi — the Hellenistic teaching chart — places Saturn in Capricorn as one of the two signs it rules. In medical astrology, the body region matched to Capricorn is the knees and the skeletal system.

Further Reading

• Steven Forrest, The Inner Sky
• Sue Tompkins, The Contemporary Astrologer's Handbook
• Robert Hand, Horoscope Symbols