HORIZON ASTROLOGY

Western Zodiac Compatibility
Capricorn and Leo

Compatibility overview

This mysterious, yet often enchanting, combination is one of the most curious in the Western zodiac. firstwest and secondwest can seem like chalk and cheese, and historically many astrologers have been skeptical about their connection. But there is often a surprising depth of feeling between these two, and close personal or creative partnerships can prove to be delightfully warm and rewarding.

Capricorn and Leo - Relationship Horoscope

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

An interval of five signs in the Western zodiac, as there is between Leo and Capricorn, is called a Quincunx (or inconjunct). This is one of only two minor aspects (with the Semi-sextile), meaning the energy here is gentler, more open to variation, than other aspects.

Classical astrologers were wary of the Quincunx, believing that an angle of 150° meant these two signs were total strangers. Certainly the respective elements here create some key disparities. Fire sign Leo is typically a blazing individual, dynamic and impactful when at full roar, but apt to dwindle into smoke when neglected or disappointed. Capricorn, by contrast, manifests the steady dependability of Earth, preferring incremental development, restraint, and patience. Hence Leo can often find Capricorn to be an unadventurous hand brake, while Capricorn sees Leo as unpredictable and high maintenance. Though equally strong-minded, these signs' instincts could hardly be more contrary when it comes to their public profiles. Leo is a natural-born show-person, rarely as comfortable as when displaying their prodigious talents on as wide a stage as possible. Capricorn, on the other hand, tends to believe that real power is exercised behind the scenes, and that public performance, when necessary, is purely a means to an end.

The strange magic of the Quincunx, however, means that the tensions in this relationship are often not experienced as disturbing. Indeed, Capricorn and Leo often find their differences charming or entertaining. Feelings of near-spontaneous friendship or attraction are common here. More importantly, the respective modalities augur well for longer-term teamwork. Capricorn's pure Cardinal modality brings an always-beginning receptiveness to new ideas and directions, while Leo's Fixed energy provides the productive force necessary for accomplishment and resolution. Collaborative endeavors—creative projects especially, but extending to home and family—can harness the contrasting qualities of these signs into an intriguing and effective union.

Capricorn and Leo may face ongoing challenges meeting in the middle. This pair could find they manage best taking individual responsibility for different aspects of shared projects, rather than working hand in glove. They should also address disputes or frustrations immediately—Quincunx energy is too indeterminate to cope well with built-up resentment. With some independence and open communication, however, this can prove to be a thrillingly enjoyable, rewarding, and successful relationship.

Celebrity Capricorn/Leo Pairings^*

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

Barack Obama and Michelle Obama (click for attribution/s)

Barack Obama (8/4/1961, Leo Ox), Michelle Obama (1/17/1964, Capricorn Rabbit) : The 44th US President and First Lady have been married since 1992 and have two children. In 2017, Michelle Obama described: "I loved the life we had built for our girls. I deeply loved the man I had built that life with…and I didn’t want that to change if he became president. I loved Barack just the way he was. You see, even though back then Barack was a senator and a presidential candidate…to me, he was still the guy who’d picked me up for our dates in a car that was so rusted out I could actually see the pavement going by through a hole in the passenger side door. He was the guy whose proudest possession was a coffee table he’d found in a dumpster, and whose only pair of decent shoes was half a size too small."

Helen Mirren (7/26/1945, Leo Rooster), Taylor Hackford (12/31/1944, Capricorn Monkey) : The actor and director have been married since 1997. Mirren has described: "A really important part of love is to maintain your own sense of identity. In a way, that's the most important thing of all, to not subsume yourself into someone else, far from it. Be honestly and authentically who you are...It's work. And it's very important to allow the person you love to be who they are — even if [sometimes] you don't like it very much."

John Huston and Ava Gardner (click for attribution/s)

John Huston (8/5/1906, Leo Horse), Ava Gardner (12/24/1922, Capricorn Dog) : The actor and director became lifelong friends after they worked together on The Night of the Iguana (1964). Gardner described: "I have only one rule in acting—trust the director and give him heart and soul. And the director I trusted most of all was John Huston. Working with him gave me the only real joy I’ve ever had in movies…[Huston] felt the character, especially the way I played her, was warmer, more human, a better person than [writer] Tennessee [Williams’] original ending allowed, and he had the scene rewritten to emphasize that point. Tennessee was never happy with that, but anyone seeing the film knows that John’s choice was the only one that fit."

David O. Russell (8/20/1958, Leo Dog), Bradley Cooper (1/5/1975, Capricorn Tiger) : The director and actor famously collaborated (with Jennifer Lawrence) on three consecutive award-winning films: Silver Linings Playbook (2012), American Hustle (2013), and Joy (2015). Cooper described: "Now [Russell's] like my brother. That's not just because he's here, or because we're doing this interview. It's just the truth. I love working with David so much. Every day, I remind myself, 'You get to work with the greatest director around. And he asks you to collaborate with him.' There are times when you realize you're threading the needle in a beautiful way, which happened a lot with Richie DiMaso [the character Cooper played in American Hustle]. I love that character so much."

James Baldwin and Martin Luther King Jr. (click for attribution/s)

James Baldwin (8/2/1924, Leo Rat), Martin Luther King Jr. (1/15/1929, Capricorn Dragon) : The writer and civil rights leader shared a mutually admiring relationship. In 1961, King wrote Baldwin: "Your analysis of the [race relations] problem is always creative and penetrating. Your honesty and courage in telling the truth to white Americans, even if it hurts, is most impressive." Baldwin described in a 1961 essay: "[T]he Reverend King is not like any preacher I have ever met before. For one thing, to state it baldly, I liked him. It is rare that one likes a world-famous man—by the time they become world-famous they rarely like themselves, which may account for this antipathy. Yet King is immediately and tremendously winning, there is really no other word for it...[T]he fact that King really loves the people he represents and has—therefore—no hidden, interior need to hate the white people who oppose him has had and will, I think, continue to have the most far-reaching and unpredictable repercussions on our racial situation."