Now you wouldn't suspect that Capricorn friend of yours to be a social climber, or even of being particularly ambitious, yet sooner or later you'll hear about his being promoted to district manager or executive vice-president. Don't let his quiet, unassuming manner fool you. The goat will always have his eye on the mountaintop and secretly dream of one day being there. He'll plod tirelessly in the same routine for years, waiting patiently in the background, never shunning the opportunities for advancement which inevitably come his way. Just as mountains erode with time and landslides can change the general terrain, obstacles to the goat's success will eventually yield to his perseverance, allowing him to rise easily to new plateaus of success. He'll be the employee who is never late in fifty years, taking his work very seriously. He'll gradually assume more and more responsibility, becoming indispensable to his company, and is inevitably promoted to higher positions. His hoofs are steeled with the qualities of assiduousness, industry and patience, and they are forever ready to cling onto any advantages encountered during his mountainous climb.

Learning to recognize Capricorn may be somewhat of a trick, not that there aren't some obvious physical traits, but the appearance of these natives is often greatly mitigated by other planetary influences. Nonetheless, Saturn natives in general will have medium to large frames, their bodies appearing big-boned, lank and angular. The limbs will tend to be long, and the hands, feet or knees may be accentuated in some way, seeming not to go with the rest of the body. The head will appear to be longer than it is wide, although a certain accentuation of the jaw can give a squarish appearance. The flesh on the face will often be noticeably thin, giving the impression of the bones being just beneath the surface, although this is not always the case. The forehead is high, often with frown lines, and the eyes will usually be small and piercing. There is a serious cast to the mouth expressing the ambitious, persevering character underneath. The nose will often be straight and long and the chin determined. The whole general expression is formal and grim, suggesting the Saturnian qualities of austerity, shrewdness and intense reserve. As untenable as any of these characteristics may be, there is one Capricornian trait which is almost always present. Saturn natives will always give you the impression of having their feet planted firmly on the ground. There is a look of resolve in their stance and bearing, and even when these natives move there is always an appearance of cautious deliberation.

All this talk about Capricornian austerity can easily lead you to believe these natives as some kind of ruthless social climbers or miserly old Scrooges, but nothing could be further from the truth. One of the most delightful Capricornian traits is their sense of humor. Though they may be persons of few words, their dry, somewhat dour comments can be extremely funny. Consider the stage antics of Capricornian Steve Allen or the dry wit of Saturnian Carey Grant, and you won't easily dismiss January-born as gloomy. Steve Allen knows how to woo his audience with the casual one-liner, saying only a few essential words and leaving the rest to your imagination. In his movies, Carey Grant exhibited a special knack for making even the most ordinary of lines seem funny by his somewhat understated delivery. As clowns, these natives won't be the extroverts, wildly kicking up their heels or flamboyantly indulging in slapstick. They'll be the comedic straight man, delivering their gems of humor with pan-faced expressions and droll mannerisms, which only tend to make their comments all the more humorous. Their unruffled temperament, mastery of subtlety and sense of comedic timing can easily be regarded the hallmarks of low-key comedy.

At a party, you'll easily spot the Capricorn for his characteristic wry humor. The cut-up Cancers, the flagrant Leos, the verbose Geminis and good-natured Sagittarians will all be vying for their share of the laughs, when suddenly the most reserved, conservative-looking one in the group will step out of the background and sum up the whole humorous bend of the conversation in a few terse remarks which you'll find irresistibly funny. Watch out, you've just been floored by the Saturnian sense of humor, and the purveyor himself will join in on the laughs with his characteristic downturned smile, seeming to grin and frown at the same time. Perhaps the reason so many Capricorns have such a genuine sense of humor is that they understand seriousness so well. They instinctively accept the need for hard work, responsibility and structure, and their adeptness at humor creates the necessary balance of comic relief.

You won't find many Saturn natives lounging at the beach, grooving at a disco, partying wildly or indulging in other forms of idle amusement. The Capricorn native is too serious-minded to really understand such capriciousness. Not that he couldn't enjoy a little bit of carefree fun every now and then, he'd just feel more comfortable in his normal shroud of self-reserve. Capricorns' favorite haunts are more apt to be a museum, art gallery, the opera, theatre, a concert of classical music, a lecture or business convention. If you do find him at a party, it will probably be a charity fund-raising affair, a premiere of a play or movie or the social event of the season. Capricorns are very status-minded, remember, and they'll find it hard to pass up an opportunity to show off the laurels of their hard work. Any notable social event in town can be a showcase for Capricornian indulgences, and expensive furs, exquisite jewelry, the latest fashions, prestigious cars and a smattering of high-bred manners will definitely be in order for the occasion. Even if their immediate finances don't permit an extravagant lifestyle, January-born can unconsciously adopt the mores, attitudes and mannerisms of the elite, and they'll secretly dream of finally reaching the mountaintop and belonging to that distinguished class of people. Examine your Capricorn friend closely next time you happen to catch him at a business or social gathering. Now doesn't his strong, assured manner and attitude of calm reserve make him appear as if he's already made it? Even when their bank statements don't coincide with their aspirations, Saturn natives do know how to make an impression among the well-to-do, and they'll often be invited to high-society soirees because of it. Besides, the goat will never shirk an opportunity to advance himself, and who knows what may come of his upper-echelon hobnobbing?

As unassuming as Capricorns are in character, they won't refrain from ostentation in other ways. Even though they rarely show it overtly, they secretly desire recognition, and they'll have their share of status symbols to show off the results of all their patient labors. Saturn natives can live under very austere circumstances for years, tolerating conditions that would break most others, but once they can afford it, they'll gladly turn in their beer for champagne and their baloney sandwiches for caviar. A handbag by Gucci, fashions by Dior, or cologne by Lauren can be as important to these natives as their next meal, not only for personal pleasure, but for the impression they can make on others. They'll never shout for recognition, but they may conveniently hang their coat off the back of a chair to reveal the designer label or casually flash a collection of sixteen credit cards from their purse or billfold when making a purchase.

The Capricorn's love of finer things will naturally be evidenced in the selection of a major status symbol such as a house or a car. In a car, their needs go far beyond mere transportation, and Capricornian predilection dictates the classic lines of a Mercedes, Rolls, Continental or other luxury cars over more sporty models. They won't mind spending a few extra dollars at the gas pump to make that extra impression, and these natives know how important appearances can be, especially in business. Even if the Capricorn you know drives a more modest-priced vehicle, he'll demand it be large, new, and probably have it outfitted with several "extras" to give the added feel of luxury. January-born are no less discriminating when it comes to the selection of a house. Just as they'll gravitate to the upper echelons of society, Capricorn natives will visualize their homes on top of a hill or at least in the better part of town. They'll demand a large, imposing structure with large rooms, and outer appearance will be just as important as inner comfort. The rooms will have a warm, earthy feel, usually with lots of wood and brass, and decorated tastefully with genuine antiques and expensive artifacts. Some Capricorns may have to live in an apartment or in an abode less than to their liking for a time, but just as their zodiacal mascot eyes the mountaintop with yearning, these natives will dream of a lifestyle not yet realized, but in the making. They'd sooner do without than settle for anything less than the best, and owing to their patient persistence and ever-upward glance, their very practical dreams inevitably become a reality.

The Capricorn's preoccupation with status shouldn't lead you to believe them as some kind of elitist snobs, for that would certainly be too rash an appraisal of their true natures. These natives are actually quite humble, unobtrusively fulfilling their duties with hardly ever a complaint. They'll never ask for a raise unless they feel they truly deserve it, and once they assume a higher position, they'll quietly take over the reins with modest authority. Rather than step on toes to achieve their goals, they wait and endure until the fruits of their patient efforts inevitably and irrevocably come to them. Their sights are set high just like the Sagittarian, but unlike the archer, their goals are more practical. They figure it's better to live in the better part of town than to live on the other side of the tracks, and who could argue with them? They expect nothing more than what they have earned and deserve.

Capricorn's ruling planet, Saturn, is sometimes called the karmic planet, and characteristically, these natives' lives are sometimes tinged with an element of destiny. They'll often meet just the right people at just the right time to help them on their way. A Capricorn friend of mine had once been stranded with a flat tire in a rural area of Mexico. Who should come by to help but a person whom he had helped in a similar situation years earlier in the Nevada desert. The chances of their meeting again (and in Mexico no less!) were almost non-existent, yet what the Capricorn had put out years earlier had inevitably come back to him when he really needed it. Capricorns subconsciously know that whatever they put out, good or bad, will eventually come back to them, and this is perhaps why they are more willing than other signs to put their noses to the grindstone to reach their goals. They instinctively know that honesty, integrity and perseverance are the only true ways to reach the top of the mountain, and all other paths are only there to tempt and confound the less shrewd.