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Compatibility
Aries Rat and Capricorn Horse

As combative and intense as any relationship under the sun—yet there may be critical benefits here, as firstwest and secondwest offer rare prospects for personal growth, and the firsteast and secondeast can provide extraordinary achievements and social impact.

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 RAT and CAPRICORN HORSE 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."

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Chinese Zodiac sign, the Rat
Chinese Zodiac sign, the Horse

Chinese Zodiac

Rat and Horse

Compatibility overview

Western astrology is generally more forgiving of potential discord than its Chinese counterpart. Unfortunately, the match between the firsteast and the secondeast has a reputation for seriously destabilizing energy. This can produce a myriad of conflicts. The prognosis is not all negative, however. For as unsettling as it can be for the parties themselves, this match-up is capable of generating some awesomely powerful impacts.

Rat and Horse - Relationship Horoscope

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

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

Facing each other diametrically across the Chinese zodiac wheel are the six infamous Opposite combinations. Traditionally, these matches are understood to involve nearly constant and irreconcilable tension. In the case of the Horse and the Rat, the dashing independence of the former collides with the latter's calculating cleverness.

The Horse is perhaps the sign with the greatest need for freedom. It is almost impossible for them to feel comfortable if they sense they are being controlled. The Rat, on the other hand, is a profoundly social, romantic creature. Their inner fulfilment depends on closeness to others and being able to use their strategic skills to promote their own interests and those close to them. A combination of the Horse and Rat thus tends to produce a vicious circle where both are constantly on edge. The Horse can feel restricted and manipulated, where the Rat feels abandoned, vulnerable, and unappreciated.

Recurrent problems are especially a feature of love affairs. The old adage about opposites attracting can draw these two together initially, and strong sexual tension is not unexpected. But eventually the Horse's craving for independence is likely to lead to withdrawal or selfishness. The neglected Rat may become increasingly needy and could even turn to scheming against the distant, aloof Horse.

Characteristically for Opposite matches, however, the troublesome aspects of this energy can generate extraordinarily potent results. Imagine partner stand-ups, where the force of two people pushing backwards into each other propels them upward. Because the Horse and Rat have so little in common, any kind of collaboration, alliance, even feud, that brings them together benefits from a complete spectrum of energy. The potential for capturing attention or generating triumphs of innovation is virtually unlimited.

To be sure, the partnership may prove too combative for the parties themselves to really enjoy each other's successes. But with soothing influences on the Western side, or earnest mutual understanding, these two may be able to profit admirably from the powerful, if conflictive, energy that unites them.

Celebrity Rat/Horse Pairings*

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

Robin Wright and Sean Penn
Robin Wright and Sean Penn (click for attribution/s)

Sean Penn (8/17/1960, Leo Rat), Robin Wright (4/8/1966, Aries Horse) : The two actors shared an on-off relationship from 1989 to 1995 and had two children together. After separating in 1995, they reconciled and married in 1996. They filed for divorce in 2007, reconciled again for a time, and finally divorced in 2010. Penn said in 2018, "[We] don't have a lot of conversation...We don’t not get along. We have very separate relationships with our kids at this point and it seems to work better that way because they are making their own decisions. As it turned out she and I did not share the same ethical views on parenting, including the continuing parenting of adult children."

David Duchovny (8/7/1960, Leo Rat), Téa Leoni (2/25/1966, Pisces Horse) : The two actors married in 1997 and had two children together. They separated in 2008 before Duchovny received treatment for sex addiction. After reuniting for a time, they divorced in 2014. Leoni has described: "David gave me the two greatest gifts on the planet; I don't know how I could ever hate him...I'm not playing stupid—I understand feelings can get hurt and things can get icky. We've had our moments like that. But these kids are too important, and he feels the same way."

Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant
Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant (click for attribution/s)

Carmelo Anthony (5/29/1984, Gemini Rat), Kobe Bryant (8/23/1978, Virgo Horse) : These US basketball legends shared an amicable but heated on-court rivalry, especially during the 2009 Western Conference Finals. Anthony has described: "You know Kob, man, he going at your neck. He’s saying [expletive] to you, elbowing you. I had my braids back then too, so he’s touching my head. I’m like, 'What the [expletive] are you doing? Don’t touch my head.' You know what I’m saying? Like, 'Don’t touch me no more, dawg.'" When the pair faced each other, they would embrace and say, "It's war."

Jennifer Garner (4/17/1972, Aries Rat), Halle Berry (8/14/1966, Leo Horse) : The two actors testified together before a California State Assembly Committee about the need for their children to be legally protected from the paparazzi. Berry said at one point, "We're moms here, just trying to protect our children."

Sonia Sotomayor and Clarence Thomas
Sonia Sotomayor and Clarence Thomas (click for attribution/s)

Clarence Thomas (6/23/1948, Cancer Rat), Sonia Sotomayor (6/25/1954, Cancer Horse) : These US Supreme Court judges have starkly different reputations. However, while alluding to conflicts about judicial business, Sotomayor has spoken of the friendship between them: "I see in [Thomas] the basic caring about people that I have. We are both committed friends and committed family members. And so, in seeing that good in him, there is no reason for me to take our personal disputes and translate it into our personal interactions. We work together. We have to work together for the rest of our time on the court."

Marlon Brando (4/3/1924, Aries Rat), James Dean (2/8/1931, Aquarius Horse) : There have been rumours that these two actors shared a disturbing intimate relationship, with Brando attempting to dominate Dean in various ways. What is more certain is that Dean idolized Brando, copying his choices of motorcycle and bongo-playing hobby, while Brando made publicly disparaging comments about Dean. "Mr. Dean appears to be wearing my last year's wardrobe and using my last year's talent," is one quote attributed to Brando; "I gave [Dean] the name of a psycho-analyst and he went. At least his work improved," is another.


Combined Relationship Horoscope

Final Words

The Square combination of firstwest and secondwest may sometimes wonder if there is anything they agree about at all, yet this potent connection also offers rare opportunities for both signs to crystallize who they are and what they want out of life, and to cultivate greater self-awareness, patience and generosity in communicating. On the Chinese zodiac side, the energy between the firsteast and secondeast is similarly powerful and conflictive—though again there are countervailing positives, as few combinations can summon such a spectacular and impactful coalescence of energy. It may take a supreme effort to maintain this ferocious connection over the long term, but for as long as it endures, this is a recipe for a blazing, unforgettable relationship.

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