The Sun steps slowly into Capricorn at Winter Solstice. On December 21 it stands still before turning North on the horizon. Light, hope, and joy are its themes–it is often imaged as rays of sunlight piercing winter’s darkness. The spiritual message of this day is universal: do not despair; something wondrous and new will emerge from any suffering you may have endured this year. It is a time of beginning. The best meditation on this day might be the simplest–wait for the Sun to find you. Notice how it illuminates your world and give thanks.
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 this Solstice to the practice of mindful generosity. If you’re feeling inwardly drained from the exhaustive preparations that so often turn this holiday season into a time of horror, take a few moments to fill your heart with spiritual bounty: light a candle to bless the coming longer days, which are decreasing, if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere. Either way, let the Sun illuminate your internal skies with hope. In silence, savor the cosmic mysteries within the temple of your heart.
Picture your inner Sun 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 spiritual avatar of your choice, See as it 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 on Solstice day and throughout this season, experiencing the warmth in your heart as an outpouring of divine abundance, prosperity, and well-being.
Beautiful reminder! Thank you!!!!!!!
Love these images, thank you!