Meditations for December 2000/January 2001
by Pythia Peay

CAPRICORN NEW MOON MEDITATION

It's a Christmas New Moon in Capricorn this year, following right on the 
heels of the December 21st Winter Solstice. Light, hope, and joy resound through the 
world, heralding a new cycle of seasons and striking gladness in the hearts 
of all humankind. From the ray of sunlight piercing winter's darkness, to the 
wondrous image of the newborn Christ child, the spiritual message of this day 
is universal: do not despair, for something new will emerge from the 
suffering you have endured this year. The convergence of Christmas Day with 
the New Moon in the Saturn-ruled sign of Capricorn gives rise to the impulse 
to celebrate with music, food and drink and to generously bestow gifts upon 
friends, loved ones, and those less fortunate than ourselves. 

THE HORN OF PLENTY

According to tradition, Capricorn means "the horn of the goat." Mythic legend 
has it that it was the sturdy mountain goat Amalthea who nursed the infant 
Zeus. When he accidentally broke off her horn, he vowed to fill it with 
whatever fruits she desired. As king of the gods, he placed her horn-the 
Cornucopia-in the skies as a symbol of abundance and wealth. The priestesses 
of ancient Greece revered the goat as an animal sacred to the Great Goddess 
for its life-giving milk; the graceful curve of the goat's horns became 
revered as an image of the crescent moon. 

To draw upon the power of the Great Goddess as nurturing gift-giver, you may 
wish to dedicate Christmas to the practice of mindful generosity. Inwardly 
drained from the exhaustive preparations that so often turn this holy day 
into a day of horror, take a few moments to fill your heart with spiritual
bounty: light a candle, invoking the dawning light of the winter solstice. 
Think, too, of the crescent moon illuminating the skies with hope. In 
silence, savor these cosmic mysteries within your heart's temple. 

As you do this, picture the crescent moon in your heart as a horn of plenty 
brimming with abundance: gifts of love, hope, faith, food, money, clothing, 
warmth, health, laughter, trust, beauty, security, shelter, and friendship 
spill out in profusion. You may even wish to picture these as material 
symbols: a house, a coat, dollar bills, a loving hug from a close friend, a 
roast turkey, a gorgeous green salad, a bottle of wine, gaily wrapped gifts, 
a house full of family and friends.

Then, imagine that these material gifts transform into richness of emotion 
and spiritual wealth: the horn of plenty in your heart fills with the loving 
kindness embodied by the Christ child, and streams outward, filling the needs 
of those loved ones around you. From deep within, you find the courage to 
bolster those who are afraid; to provide companionship to the lonely; healing 
to the ill; sustenance to the poor; hope to those in despair; inspiration to 
the bored; and joy to the sad and suffering. 

Like an anchor amid the bustle and rush of the holiday, you may wish to 
return to this image throughout the day, experiencing the crescent-shaped 
horn of plenty within your heart as an outpouring of divine abundance, 
prosperity, and well-being.