horizon astrology banner image with composite nebula formations

Compatibility
Aries Dog and Capricorn Rat

The famously combative firstwest and secondwest combination is capable of yielding profound benefits, even if the often caring and respectful match between the firsteast and secondeast is at times hesitant to provide complete support.

Western Zodiac sign, Aries
Western Zodiac sign, Capricorn

Western Zodiac

Aries and Capricorn

Compatibility overview

This match attracts powerful energy, with strongly positive and negative influences. In the Western zodiac, Square relationships like that between firstwest and secondwest are both confrontational and stimulating. In this case, though, while there is a chance of feuds and conflicts, the balance tips towards mutual support and positive growth.

Aries and Capricorn - Relationship Horoscope

Read more about the ARIES and CAPRICORN zodiac signs...

Read more about the ARIES DOG and CAPRICORN RAT combined zodiac signs...

When Capricorn and Aries find themselves paired together, peace and tranquility may be far from anyone's mind! This is a whirlwind combination, where even mundane subjects can provoke intense debate.

On the face of it, there is little favourable about this energy. Capricorn's solid Earth element is generally hard to reconcile with Aries' more ephemeral Fire. Further, these are both Cardinal signs, so each is accustomed to being the initiator of any project—there is no mixing of modalities, which can be more naturally conducive to teamwork. As a result, Capricorn's patience and capacity for hard work may strike Aries as boring, even stifling. Conversely, Aries' brand of ambitious idealism could seem wild and profligate to the usually steady Capricorn.

However, while the unsettling edge of this relationship can initially make the parties annoyed, even angry, it can just as easily manifest as a kind of mystified admiration or sexual attraction. In fact, the most likely effect is a combination of bewilderment and chemistry. Over time, the ambiguous character of this match may prove its greatest strength. Capricorn and Aries are both, in radically different ways, famously capable of achievement, and of securing and wielding power.

The watchword for Square relationships like this is growth. If these two can learn to accommodate their contrasting instincts and channel them for mutual gain, then it would be unwise to bet against them achieving, indeed exceeding, any goal they set their minds to.

Celebrity Aries/Capricorn Pairings*

*Click on the names to see both Western and Chinese zodiac matches for that pairing.

Brad Hall and Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Brad Hall and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (click for attribution/s)

Brad Hall (3/21/1958, Aries Dog), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (1/13/1961, Capricorn Rat) : The two actors have been married since 1987 and have two children. Describing how they worked together on the short film, Picture Paris (2012), Louis-Dreyfus said: "The reality is that we really collaborate on everything. And we have worked with each other a number of times in the past, but this was particularly elevating and thrilling because we were calling the shots. We both felt like we were back in Chicago doing theater — like we were 25 or 30 years ago. We were our bosses then, and if he was happy and I was happy, we’d move on together. This had a very indie feeling and I loved it. It was a very exhilarating experience."

Jim Parsons (3/24/1973, Aries Ox), Todd Spiewak (1/19/1977, Capricorn Dragon) : The actor and producer have been in a romantic partnership for around 20 years, and also run a production company together. For years the prospect of them marrying was a topic of talk show and press speculation, and in 2014 Parsons posted a statement denying a report in The National Enquirer that the two were engaged. They eventually married in 2017. Speaking about the relationship, Parsons described in 2013: "I've never considered my relationship with Todd to be an act of activism. Rather simply, it's an act of love, coffee in the morning, going to work, washing the clothes, taking the dogs [out] — a regular life, boring love."

Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins
Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins (click for attribution/s)

Emma Thompson (4/15/1959, Aries Pig), Anthony Hopkins (12/31/1937, Capricorn Ox) : The two British actors are good friends who have collaborated multiple times, including in the films, Remains of the Day (1993), Howard's End (1992), and King Lear (2018). Thompson described in 2018: "I’m fearless now. I was doing King Lear with Tony Hopkins and he said, 'Isn’t it great? I can do absolutely anything now.' That’s how I feel...[Hopkins] watches and listens and he’s completely without defenses or any internal systems that might get in the way. He’s not protecting himself. You know that you can do anything and what will come back from him has nothing to do with the actor and everything to do with the part. He’s remarkable in that way."

Eddie Murphy (4/3/1961, Aries Ox), Nicole Mitchell Murphy (1/5/1968, Capricorn Sheep) : The actor/comedian and model were married from 1993 to 2006 and have five children together. They began their relationship in the late 1980s, although separated briefly in 1990, during which time Eddie Murphy fathered a child with casting director Tamara Hood.

Elton John and Rod Stewart
Elton John and Rod Stewart (click for attribution/s)

Elton John (3/25/1947, Aries Pig), Rod Stewart (1/10/1945, Capricorn Monkey) : The two celebrated UK singers have shared a famously contrary relationship, going back to Stewart's cover of the Elton/Bernie Taupin song, 'Country Comfort' in 1970, about which Elton said: "[Stewart] couldn’t have got further from the original if he’d sung 'The Camptown Races'!" During the 1980s, Elton playfully shot down a blimp promoting a forthcoming tour by Stewart. In 2019, things turned more serious for a time, after Stewart accused Elton's farewell tour of "money-grabbing". Stewart later explained: "I was a bit spiteful when he announced his tour. I regret it, I really do regret it. So we’re mates again now. I do love him. We’ve always been fierce enemies, as you know, through the years, but it’s always been at a playful level. But we had the worst row, like a married couple. It went on forever."

Mackenzie Scott (4/7/1970, Aries Dog), Jeff Bezos (1/12/1964, Capricorn Rabbit) : The author and Amazon founder were married from 1993 to 2019 and had four children together. Shortly after they announced their separation, it emerged that Bezos had been the victim of an extortion attempt about an affair with Lauren Sanchez, a former news anchor. In the 1990s, Bezos and Scott shared adjacent offices at a hedge fund office in New York, before Bezos developed his idea to sell books over the internet, and the couple moved to Seattle. Scott described in 2013: "I have no business sense whatsoever, but I saw how excited [Bezos] was...Jeff is the opposite of me. He likes to meet people. He’s a very social guy. Cocktail parties for me can be nerve-racking. The brevity of conversations, the number of them—it’s not my sweet spot."

Bruce Lee with a decorative starry background

Explore sign profiles for combined Western and Chinese zodiac signs.

Male and female statues embracing with a decorative starry background

Explore the Golden Nine most compatible matches by combined sign, or the challenging energy of the Four Challenges.

Liza Minnelli with a decorative starry background

Match a celebrity with any combined sign or birthdate.


Chinese Zodiac sign, the Dog
Chinese Zodiac sign, the Rat

Chinese Zodiac

Dog and Rat

Compatibility overview

This is an intriguing, if occasionally inconsistent, combination. The energy between firsteast and secondeast is not classically recognized as either brilliant or dangerous, but there are some important synergies that in the right circumstances can lead to a supportive and successful bond.

Dog and Rat - Relationship Horoscope

Read more about the DOG and RAT zodiac signs...

Read more about the ARIES DOG and CAPRICORN RAT combined zodiac signs...

In the Chinese zodiac, the 12 signs are divided into four Trine Families (much as the Western signs share four different elements). The respective families of the Dog (with the Horse and Tiger) and Rat (with the Monkey and Dragon) are not generally thought of as especially compatible—indeed, some matches across the two kinship groups can be potentially unstable (e.g. the Dog with the Dragon, or the Rat with the Horse). Relations between the Dog and Rat therefore need to rely on synergies between their individual characters, rather than a more mystical harmonious connection. Fortunately, these two can easily share some important ideals.

Homeliness and a desire for privacy are common for natives of both the Rat and Dog years. Perhaps more importantly, the Dog tends to pride themselves on their upright moral values, particularly the benefits of hard work, and ensuring that giftedness and effort is encouraged and rewarded. Given the Rat's usually prodigious cleverness and intuition, there is much for the Dog to admire and support. Natives of the Rat year tend to be more consistently cheerful and confident than the sometimes anxious Dog, so the Rat will have many opportunities to offer care and calming advice. The Dog's deeply-felt gratitude will make the Rat feel greatly appreciated.

There are some potential disturbances here as well, owing to the contrasting energies shared by the respective sign-families. The Dog can be extremely earnest, for example, in circumstances where the Rat's instincts are more pragmatic. Matters of shared resources or fidelity could be areas where the Rat is happy to take a more laissez-faire approach. While the Rat is sensitive to the Dog's worries up to a point, they may also find the Dog unnecessarily dour at times, which can make the Dog feel as if they are not being taken seriously.

Overall—especially if both parties have discrete areas of responsibility rather than trying to do everything together—there are real prospects for happiness and effective collaboration between these two signs.

Celebrity Dog/Rat Pairings*

*Click on the names to see both Western and Chinese zodiac matches for that pairing.

Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj
Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj (click for attribution/s)

Katy Perry (10/25/1984, Scorpio Rat), Nicki Minaj (12/8/1982, Sagittarius Dog) : The singer and rapper are friends who collaborated on the song, "Swish Swish" (2017), and performed together at the 2010 VH1 Divas Salute the Troops concert ("Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"), and the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards. Minaj posted after the VMAs, "It was an honor to share the stage with my sister @katyperry last night. I love this little baby. She and I can go months w/o speaking or seeing each other but as soon as we link back up, it's nothing but genuine love & respect. I'm so proud of you Katy Kat."

Jean-Michel Basquiat (12/22/1960, Capricorn Rat), Madonna (8/16/1958, Leo Dog) : The pop music icon and celebrated artist shared a brief romantic relationship in the early 1980s. Madonna has described: "I remember getting up in the middle of the night and [Basquiat] wouldn’t be in bed lying next to me; he’d be standing, painting, at four in the morning, this close to the canvas, in a trance. I was blown away by that, that he worked when he felt moved." About their break-up, she has said: "He wouldn’t stop doing heroin. He was an amazing man and deeply talented, I loved him...When I broke up with him he made me give [the paintings he gave me] back to him. And then he painted over them black."

Angela Bassett and Courtney B Vance
Angela Bassett and Courtney B Vance (click for attribution/s)

Courtney B Vance (3/12/1960, Pisces Rat), Angela Bassett (8/16/1958, Leo Dog) : The two actors first met in the 1980s when they were both studying at Yale University, then reconnected in the 1990s. They married in 1997 and have two children (twins). In 2020, Bassett described: "Staying together so long, whether in the industry or not, I think the important thing is that you gotta marry the right person. Make sure you're both looking in the same direction, basically. You're not clones of each other, but you have similar or closest similar belief systems and, you know, pleasant personalities. Because we all have strengths, strengths and weaknesses, and we want to support one another. But I think also recognizing that we are each individuals, we have our individual dreams and desires and hopes and ways of doing things."

David Fumero (12/29/1972, Capricorn Rat), Melissa Fumero (8/19/1982, Leo Dog) : The two actors met when they both appeared in the long-running soap opera, One Life to Live (1968-2012). They married in 2007, and have two children. Melissa Fumero described in 2020: "We've been married for a while, and it's not always rainbows and sunshine, but we really are best friends. [David] has endless energy and patience. I marvel at how long he can play with our 4-year-old. And he's a baby whisperer too. [8-month old] Axel will be crying, and David will swoop in, and the baby immediately starts laughing."

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck (click for attribution/s)

Ben Affleck (8/15/1972, Leo Rat), Matt Damon (10/8/1970, Libra Dog) : The two actors have been friends since childhood, sharing one of the highest profile "bromances" in the world. They have collaborated multiple times, including co-writing and co-starring in the film, Good Will Hunting (1997), and acting together in the films, Field of Dreams (1989, both uncredited), School Ties (1992), Chasing Amy (1997), Dogma (1999), Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019), and The Last Duel (2021). In 2007, Affleck described: "Before Matt, I was by myself. Acting was a solo activity where I'd just go off and do something, act in a little TV show or something, and no one understood it. None of the other kids knew what it was I did, how it worked, or anything. All of a sudden, I had this friend, Matt, and he gets it and wants to do it and thinks it's interesting and wants to talk about it. Soon both of us are doing it."

Eminem (10/17/1972, Libra Rat), Lil Wayne (9/27/1982, Libra Dog) : The two rappers are friends who have collaborated multiple times, including on the songs, "Drop the World" (2009), "Forever" (2009, with Drake and Kanye West), "No Love" (2010), and "If I Die Young" (2012). Interviewed by Wayne in 2020, Eminem said, "I never got a chance to tell you but, yo, ‘Mona Lisa,’ your two verses on that s—...gotta be one of the top five verses of all time...I love when rappers are able to tell a story and don’t compromise any of the punchlines. It’s great to see you and me still doing it." Wayne responded, "[T]hat right there alone, it shows the beauty of what we do, period." Wayne described in 2022, "I did a bunch of joints with Em, that’s ma man. When you get on that joint with Em it’s like a championship game, and you win it, and they ask you how does it feel. I came in with my game plan and I expected my game plan to work. When you send a song to Em you attack it like that, like Nah, yo not going to do me like this. Either we going be right here (level) with it, and we’re going to make a beautiful, wonderful great song, but you ain’t going do me that (above me). And that’s what we did. Can nobody say anybody got bodied. I just made sure that he didn’t body me, cause that boy is a monster."

Heidi Cruz and Ted Cruz
Heidi Cruz and Ted Cruz (click for attribution/s)

Heidi Cruz (8/7/1972, Leo Rat), Ted Cruz (12/22/1970, Capricorn Dog) : The US politician and businesswoman have been married since 2001, and have two children. Heidi Cruz described in 2013: "Ted is very much a visionary. He is very strategic, and he’s very practical, and he does what needs to be done, not what everybody wants him to do...I want to make sure that everybody is comfortable. I want to make sure that everybody is talking to each other."


Combined Relationship Horoscope

Final Words

firstwest and secondwest share a Square aspect that represents some of the most challenging energy in the Western zodiac—yet even as they struggle to reach agreement together, they can reap far-reaching benefits in terms of individual priorities, growth and direction. Complicating matters here is the combination of the firsteast and secondeast, who may admire and care deeply for one another, but who can also feel instinctively somewhat nervous or distant when together for extended periods. Ultimately, the best aspects of this relationship have terrific potential, and with requisite independence and clear communication, these two may achieve lasting personal growth and solidarity.

Statue of angelic cherub with decorative starry background


Also on Horizon Astrology...

Aretha Franklin with decorative starry background

Explore celebrity news and events through a lens of the Western and Chinese zodiacs .

Leonardo DiCaprio with decorative starry background

Explore sign profiles for combined Western and Chinese zodiac signs.

Frank Sinatra with decorative starry background

Match a celebrity with any combined sign or birthdate.

Elton John performing in the 1970s wearing flamboyant outfit with decorative starry background

Explore the combined Western and Chinese zodiac signs for celebrities from all walks of life.

John Lennon and Paul McCartney with decorative starry background

Explore relationship horoscopes for any two celebrities.

Toni Morrison with decorative starry background

Explore your Golden Nine most compatible combined signs - with celebrity examples.

Director Kathryn Bigelow with a decorative starry background

Explore the Four Challenges, your most challenging energy matches - with celebrity examples.