Capricorn () is the tenth
astrological sign
In Western astrology, astrological signs are the twelve 30-degree sectors that make up Earth's 360-degree orbit around the Sun. The signs enumerate from the first day of spring, known as the First Point of Aries, which is the vernal equinox. ...
in the
zodiac
The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. The pa ...
out of twelve total zodiac signs, originating from the
constellation of Capricornus, the goat. It spans the 270–300th degree of the zodiac, corresponding to
celestial longitude. Under the
tropical zodiac
The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. The path ...
, the sun transits this area from about December 22 to January 19. In
astrology
Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects. Di ...
, Capricorn is considered an
earth sign,
negative sign, and one of the four
cardinal signs. Capricorn is said to be
ruled by the planet
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius of about nine and a half times that of Earth. It has only one-eighth the average density of Earth; h ...
.
There appears to be a connection between traditional characterizations of Capricorn as a
sea goat
The sea goat is a legendary aquatic animal described as a creature that is half goat and half fish.
The constellation Capricornus was commonly imagined as a type of sea goat. This has been done since the Bronze Age within Mesopotamia. Then the B ...
and the Sumerian god of wisdom and waters, who also had the head and upper body of a
goat
The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...
and the lower body and tail of a fish.
Later known as ''Ea'' in Akkadian and Babylonian mythology, Enki was the god of intelligence (''gestú'', literally "ear"), creation, crafts; magic; water, seawater and lake water (''a, aba, ab'').
Cultural significance
In
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
, the zodiac sign of Capricorn is celebrated as the
Makara Sankranti
Makar(a) Sankranti (), also referred to as Uttarayana, Maghi, or simply Sankranti, is a Hindu observance and a festival. Usually falling on the date of January 14 annually, this occasion marks the transition of the Sun from the zodiac of Sa ...
festival, also known in
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is ma ...
as
Maghe Sankranti.
The
Indian astronomical calendar is not based on the western Gregorian or Julian date keeping system. The Gregorian calendar has fixed days in a year and does not accommodate difference in the actual solar year. Therefore, the festival is celebrated on either of 14 or 15 January every year, when, as per the Indian astronomical calendar, the Sun actually enters the Capricorn sign.
Gallery
File:RR5110-0045R.gif
See also
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Astronomical symbols
Astronomical symbols are abstract pictorial symbols used to represent astronomical objects, theoretical constructs and observational events in European astronomy. The earliest forms of these symbols appear in Greek papyrus texts of late antiq ...
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Chinese zodiac
The Chinese zodiac is a traditional classification scheme based on the lunar calendar that assigns an animal and its reputed attributes to each year in a repeating twelve-year cycle. Originating from China, the zodiac and its variations remain ...
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Circle of stars
A circle of stars often represents unity, solidarity and harmony in flags, seals and signs, and is also seen in iconographic motifs related to the Woman of the Apocalypse as well as in Baroque allegoric art that sometimes depicts the Crown o ...
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Cusp (astrology)
In astrology, a cusp (from the Latin for spear or point) is the imaginary line that separates a pair of consecutive signs in the zodiac or houses in the horoscope.
Because the solar disc has a diameter of approximately half a degree, it is possi ...
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Elements of the zodiac
Astrology has used the concept of classical elements from antiquity up until the present. In Western astrology and Sidereal astrology four elements are used: Fire, Earth, Air, and Water.
Western astrology
In Western tropical astrology, ther ...
References
Citations
Sources
* Longitude of Sun, apparent geocentric ecliptic of date, interpolated to find time of crossing 0°, 30°.... The year stated applies to the December date; the year for the January date is one year greater.
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External links
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Warburg Institute Iconographic Database (over 300 medieval and early modern images of Capricorn)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Capricorn (Astrology)
Western astrological signs
Mythological caprids