Capricorn and Aquarius Love Compatibility

Expect Earthquakes

A couple in a beach cove
 valentinrussanov / Getty Images

Capricorn and Aquarius are sidekicks on the Zodiac, but how neighborly they are depends on the overall birth chart. There are some glaring differences here, and yet, both share a stern ruler — Saturn — so let's see if Capricorn and Aquarius have any romantic compatibility.

A good way to describe both Capricorn and Aquarius on first dates is collegial. They're friendly, yet there's a distance. With airy Aquarius, they're all about working the room, and it's a warm, yet impersonal kind of relating style. A Seagoat (Capricorn) in unfamiliar territory comes off as guarded, and perhaps a bit formal. The space cushion these two signs naturally create, makes it easy to see if there's common ground for more.

Capricorn in love is security-minded but has a bawdy sense of humor.  

Aquarius in love is detached, friendly and at times, super private.  

This is a pairing where there's a casual, yet detached attitude. This works, because both are careful with commitment, wanting to be sure of what they're getting into!

Chaos and Order

Capricorn is Saturn-ruled, and this is the planet of consolidating gains. If you sense a reserve there, it's the Seagoat's way, to conserve energy and draw to them what they want. Capricorn is an earth sign and has an almost magical ability to magnetize others to do their bidding. There can be a sense of a mountain with Cappy, just as solid, and yet, just as immovable.

Aquarius is also ruled by the order-creator Saturn and is a fixed sign with a lot of staying power. There's a shared ability to see projects through and be thorough and effective. Both signs are go-getters, though Aquarius is more likely to scan the horizon for what's there at the fringe. Aquarius is ruled by the genius breakthrough planet Uranus, and being erratic or odd is as much a part of their character as their capacity to stabilize ideas.

Let's think about these signs and their life missions. Capricorn is here to work with the heavy realities of the earth plane, in a masterful way. Capricorn is an uphill climber, always overcoming the significant challenges that seem to test their character.

Aquarius moves in zigzags rather than in an orderly fashion. This can make Cappy nervous, not knowing what to expect from one day to the next. Aquarius is here to draw down fast cosmic vibes and go about the business of integrating them here on earth. They're often out there, original, provocative, trend-setting or edgy in some way.

These unlikely mates have a lot to offer each other. Capricorn shows Aquarius how to integrate these wild ways into tangible outcomes. And Aquarius is soothing to the often doom-filled Capricorn, being a sign noted for its ability to calm the disturbed. Aquarius keeps Capricorn from sinking too deep in the heavy mud of earthly life. The Waterbearer has been to the mountaintop symbolically and can offer inspiring views to help the Seagoat keep the faith.

Whirled Views

The Goat is cool at first, looking for a sure thing, and finds Aquarius too unpredictable and socially wired. Capricorn wants to work for long-range goals, and involve Aquarius in these plans. Aquarius hates to be pinned down, and rebels against mapping out the future. All this creates friction that often keeps things from going too far.

When dating, the Waterbearer can be turned off by the namedropping, social status-minded Goat. Aquarius hates to be labeled, judged or placed in a particular class category. Capricorn's tendency to put everyone in their place, that craving for social hierarchy, will send Aquarius right out the door. Capricorn sizes things up, looking for a mutually beneficial arrangement — like marriage — for the long haul. The Aquarian chafes at the union being set in stone, something that the stability-seeking Capricorn longs for. But with other planets in harmony, something enduring with plenty of room to come and go, pleases both.

For Capricorn, time is money; for Aquarius time is an illusion. The latter doesn't mind going off on tangents, job-hopping, and creating instant friends. Capricorn prefers to settle into a mega-career, and tends to nurture a small circle of connections. Capricorn might find the experimental, anything goes style of the Waterbearer unsettling. And Aquarius likely finds the Goat's rootedness stifling at times. It's also hard for Aquarius to relate the deeply interior sadness of Capricorn.

If the shared synastry is enough to balance things out, these differences become strengths to offer the other. Capricorn helps Aquarius find the tangible structure for their innovations. Aquarius shows the Goat that there are shortcuts and alternative ways of getting where they're going. Aquarius gives the Goat license to drop the mask of self-control and shocks them into spontaneity. These signs are known to have an uncommonly wise outlook. They're ahead of their time and often preoccupied with making their mark on society.

When they can harmonize the issues of freedom vs. control; chaos vs. order; tradition vs. the wave of the future, the relationship that emerges brings together the best of both their worlds.

Upside: no-nonsense; group-oriented; movers and shakers; society's visionaries; manifesting potential high.

Downside: traditional vs. unconventional; bossy; manipulative; secretive; rigid in some areas; authoritative; resistant to compromise.

Quality and Element: Cardinal Earth (Capricorn) and Fixed Air (Aquarius)