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.