- Dates
- 22 December to 19 January
- Symbol
- ♑ the Sea-goat
- Element
- Earth
- Modality
- Cardinal
- Ruler
- Saturn
What the Capricorn sign means
Capricorn, the Sea-goat, is the tenth sign of the zodiac and the archetype of the builder: earth by element, cardinal by mode, and ruled by Saturn. In astrology, someone is "a Capricorn" when the Sun was in Capricorn at their birth, roughly 22 December to 19 January. Those cusp dates shift by a day some years, so if you were born near the edge, only your actual chart settles it.
The Capricorn temperament
Earth signs run on steadiness, the senses, and a love of what is real and usable. As a cardinal sign, it initiates: it is happiest starting things and setting a direction. Put together, Capricorn tends towards the patient long climb, respecting effort and time, building for later, and like every sign it holds both a gift and its shadow. Vela reads none of this as a verdict on who you are, only as a lens for noticing.
If Capricorn is your Sun sign, where do you recognise the builder in yourself, and where is it a costume you have outgrown?
Read Capricorn in depth
Your sign is one of three placements that matter most. Read Capricorn as a Sun sign, your Capricorn Moon, and your Capricorn rising, see the personal planets in Capricorn (Venus, Mars), read today's Capricorn horoscope, or explore Capricorn compatibility.
Frequently asked
What are the Capricorn dates?
The Sun is in Capricorn from about 22 December to 19 January each year. The cusp dates move by a day some years, so if you were born near the edge, casting your chart is the only way to be sure.
What element and ruler is Capricorn?
Capricorn is earth by element and cardinal by mode, ruled by Saturn.
Is astrology a prediction?
Not in Vela's hands. Your sign is a lens for reflection, a way of noticing patterns in yourself, never a forecast of what you must do or become.