March 29, 2024
Ask Astrology

While January 18th to January 23rd are the days when the Sun can change signs, the Capricorn-Aquarius cusp date range extends from January 16th to January 22nd. If you happen to be born on one of those days, you are “on the cusp” of Capricorn and Aquarius.

Leading with Capricorn

If you happen to be born “on the side of” Capricorn, then Capricorn traits lead your Sun sign expression. The symbol for Capricorn is the goat, and more traditionally, a half-goat, half-fish (goat head, fishtail) creature.

As the Cardinal Earth sign, these individuals initiate by taking responsibility, setting lofty goals, and producing for compensation.  They are at their best testing themselves against standards, pursuing achievements, and getting results.

They must learn compassion to manifest their best results. Being near Aquarius makes them more socially conscious, which helps these Capricorn individuals be less ruthless and more humanitarian.

Strengths of the Sun in Capricorn on the Cusp of Aquarius

Unlike full-on Capricorn individuals, these people can be more visionary and concerned with the greater good. Positively, they will be more willing to do what is best for the community, which can help them get extremely loyal customers and employees than what you might see with a typical Capricorn.

Weaknesses of the Sun in Capricorn on the Cusp of Aquarius

A Capricorn Sun near Aquarius can pick up some of the detached and “could care less” behavior that plague the shadow side of Aquarius, which can rob Capricorn of his or her natural drive to succeed in an ethical way, leading to a “not my problem” attitude that a full-on Capricorn would not express.

Leading with Aquarius

If you happen to be born “on the side of” Aquarius, then Aquarius traits lead your Sun sign expression. The symbol for Aquarius is a woman pouring water from an urn, which often leads people to think that Aquarius is a water sign; it is not.

As the Fixed Air sign, these individuals work hard to find their role in the community, to bring ideals into the world, and to connect people into cohesive groups. They are at their best finding their niche, socializing, and visualizing the future. They must learn quiet fortitude to manifest their best results.

Being near Capricorn makes them more serious and dutiful, which helps these Aquarius individuals be capable of seeing their ideals manifest in reality.

Strengths of Sun in Aquarius on the Cusp of Capricorn

Unlike full-on Aquarius individuals, these people can be willing to do the hard and practical work to make the world a better place. Positively, they will be more inclined to see how ideals will work in real life, which can help them be very good watchdogs for the public good, making them much more capable of change than what you might see with a typical Aquarius.

Weaknesses of the Sun in Aquarius on the Cusp of Capricorn

An Aquarius Sun near Capricorn can spend too much time trying to make others follow them down a “bad idea” path, which comes from the shadow side of Capricorn and can rob Aquarius of his or her natural ability to be attuned to the needs of the community, leading them to promote narrow tribalism over the good for all that a full-on Aquarius would find reprehensible.

The Points Involved: Saturn and Uranus

Each sign has a ruling astronomical point. Saturn rules Capricorn and Uranus rules Aquarius. So, the Capricorn-Aquarius cusp individuals merge or blend Saturn/Uranus.

Saturn represents your Way of Structure. Its placement in a Sign and a House reveals how we want to structure our lives and where we face restrictions that we must overcome or accept.

Uranus represents your Way of Awakening. Its placement in a Sign and a House reveals where we must be unconventional and challenge norms, where we need to do or encounter the unexpected, and how we need to express our authenticity.

These individuals will have a more balanced masculine and feminine energy instead of leaning heavily into the feminine energy of Capricorn or the masculine energy of Aquarius.

They can move more comfortably and fluidly with their need to do what is right and necessary (Saturn), while also making sure to break through to bring about new ideas (Uranus).

Capricorn Aquarius Cusp Compatibility

Cusp individuals can work very well in relationships because they have a connection to two energies as part of their natural design. Imagine that each sign has its own language.

A “pure” Capricorn individual talking to a “pure” Aquarius individual may really struggle to communicate, the same way someone who only speaks Taiwanese might struggle with someone who only speaks German.

The cusp individual is bilingual and can speak both languages, which makes them very valuable to society. Essentially, they can translate between signs.

Here we discover why the simple model of compatibility or incompatibility is insufficient to explain real relationships out in the world. There is a good chance that “cusp sign” individuals are involved where two signs that should work well together do not, and two signs that should struggle together, actually work.

In the first case, the influence from one of the extra signs causes friction; and in the second case, one of the extra signs smooths out the friction. Therefore, basic compatibility measures are just starting points for understanding how any two people might relate.

The Capricorn Aquarius cusp individuals have a much wider range of compatibility because they can work well with earth and air signs. And, they can complement water and fire signs.

If they happen to lead with Capricorn, then they will favor earth and water connections (Taurus, Virgo, Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces). If they happen to lead with Aquarius, they will favor the air and fire sign connections (Libra, Gemini, Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius).

Even if for Capricorn Aquarius cusp people might be in some way challenging for both,  when finding the common ground, it will bring some positive surprises.

The Bridge Between

One useful way to understand the progression of the signs, starting with Aries and going all the way through to Pisces, is to see them as a series of evolving steps. Capricorn is the “I produce” sign of the Zodiac and Aquarius is the “I civilize” sign.

Individuals with Sun signs in the middle dates and degrees of the sign are here to work on the central energy of that sign. But individuals born on the cusp are here to work on the transition from one energy to another.

Therefore, the Capricorn-Aquarius cusp individuals are here to learn how to “be productive contributors” to society and “make the world a better place”. On the positive side, this “in-between” cusp energy gives them a broader view.

On the negative side, they can feel “caught” in between, making it harder for them to find a place that is a perfect fit.