The 10th Sign of the Zodiac is represented by the mountain goat or, more anciently, the sea-goat. The Babylonian God Ea was depicted as half fish and half goat. He was the god of wisdom who brought the arts of civilization: agriculture, astronomy, mathematics, reading, writing, architecture and medicine to mankind from the depths of the ocean. Capricorn represents discipline, responsibility and practicality as seen in the mountain goat who scales the most difficult peaks. It can also be pessimistic, overly conventional, rigid and materialistic. Capricorn is an earth sign and therefore has yin or feminine energy.

I see Capricorn's motivating desire in terms of striving to achieve a goal. To the goat, fulfilment is always over the next peak. Her heroism is not the glorious charge of Aries or the grass-roots humanitarianism of Aquarius. Capricorn heroism is the dogged determination to use her skills for a practical cause; a need to give of oneself to posterity. Good examples are Republican President Richard Nixon stubbornly advocating unpopularly-liberal-sounding National health and education plans or Catholic Mother Superior Frances Xavier Cabrini who, despite numerous difficulties, used her practical spirituality and administrative acumen to open over fifty schools, orphanages and hospitals from New York to Nicaragua.

Capricorn's time of year is winter. This is when we celebrate our family and religious traditions by gathering with our family and friends. We collectively look back on the past year and forward to the New Year. Discovering more about our traditions and celebrating our own family heritage is very much a Capricorn activity. Go ahead and watch some good Christmas shows together but take some time to tell your own family stories too.

The time of the winter solstice in ancient Roman culture was the Saturnalia. This was a community wide party in which peasants were served by the wealthy and servants were waited upon by their masters. The tradition of caroling derives from these practices, as does the office Christmas party. Later Europeans carried on the Saturnalia tradition by mummers (strolling players) or carolers. Carolers go from house to house singing and are served punch and cookies by those they visit. The Saturnalia made each participant realize that riches and good fortune are ephemeral and that all people are useful and necessary in society; a very Capricornian sentiment.

Capricorn begins with a full moon. By now, many of us have heard conflicting rumors about this 133 year phenomenon. We address that below in our Frequently Asked Questions section if you'd like to learn more.

Dec 22, 1999 the winter solstice is Yule or the festival of lights. This celebrates the shortest day of the year when the solar deity is seen as traveling through the underworld before he reappears gradually as shown by the lengthening days. This is when we are to light a bonfire with our fellow villagers and celebrate the gradual reappearance of the light. The Yule ceremonies of different cultures all tend to center around thanking the gods for what we have received in the past year and putting forward our wishes for the new year.

We think of this newsletter as a community forum. You, our friends and clients, can participate by letting us know what topics you would like us to cover. We would love to see reader submissions throughout the newsletter. We celebrate diversity and we'll print whatever you send in whether it be Wiccan, Christian, pagan, New Age, etc. as long as it reflects Love. Send in your own book reviews, ideas for rituals, ideas about stones, tell us your experiences with stones or ritual and ask us questions. We love answering questions!

Do you know what would have happened if it had been Three Wise Women instead of Three Wise Men?

They would have asked directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, and brought practical gifts.

Winter Solstice Celebration Ritual

This wonderful ritual was sent to us by Emily. It shows beautifully all the elements of a ritual. As you read it, remember that the key with ritual is to not get too hung up in details but to let your intuition and imagination guide you to the correct tools for you. The following is a great example of doing just that!

The Setting: Emily's backyard, in the compressed-gravel circle surrounded by itty redwood trees.

When we begin, there will be a fire lit in the grill (charcoal? with some amount of symbolic oak?), in the center of the circle. Unlit candles around the circle: a small white tea candle in front of each tree, four colored candles in the four cardinal directions, a white and a gold candle in the center. Each participant will also have a white taper (and a holder to rest it in). A bowl of water, a bowl of popcorn kernels, salt, (a broom?), evergreen incense, bay leaves, slips of paper, pencils, ... ? will also be in the circle, on a small table or box. Optional: Holly / mistletoe / pine branches (to decorate table).

1. Cleansing the area

• All (or any, as moved): "Let us consecrate this space for our use tonight."
• Participants light the incense and the tea candles.
• Each participant takes a handful of water and walks around the circle counterclockwise, sprinkling the water around the edge.
• All: "Let no impurity or negative influence enter this circle tonight, but only positive energy and positive thoughts."
• Each participant takes a handful of salt and walks around the circle counterclockwise, sprinkling the salt around the edge.
• All: "Let no malignity or hindrance enter this circle tonight, but only love and well-being."
• Participants stand around the fire.
• All, or taking turns: "We invite all powers of good to bless this space, and let it be a meeting place of love, joy, and truth."

• All go to the north side of the circle and face north; one participant lights the green candle with her taper.
• "We invite the element of Earth into our circle. Help us to find regeneration and peace, as our roots extend deep into the earth, in this solstice time of renewal."
• All go & face east; another participant lights the yellow candle.
• "We invite the element of Air into our circle. Help us to perceive and understand with clarity, as our minds expand to encompass all that surrounds us."
• All go & face south; a participant lights the red candle.
• "We invite the element of Fire into our circle. Help us to direct our emotions and feel profoundly, as our hearts engage in our surroundings, in this time of the return of the sun."
• All go & face west; a participant lights the blue candle.
• "We invite the element of Water into our circle. Help us to feel the ebb and flow of nature, to sustain and be sustained, to purify and be purified, in this solstice time of rebirth."
• Participants return to center. All together light the white candle.
• "All which is good and harmonious, we invite to be with us tonight."
• If any participant wishes to invite a particular force, spirit, or deity, she may do so now if she likes, as long as it doesn't make anyone else uncomfortable.

• "We come here to celebrate the sun return and the birth of the new year. We come to give thanks for our blessings of the waning year, to be cleansed of all wrong intentions and misfortune, and to be reborn into the waxing year."

• Participants write on the scraps of paper any wishes they have for the upcoming year, hopes for the future, or whatever they like, while discussing amongst themselves what the last year has held for them and what the next year might hold. When everyone is done writing:
• "We are thankful for the abundance we have received in the waning year. May we be blessed with health, plenty, and goodness in the coming year!"
• Participants wrap each scrap of paper around a bay leaf and feed it to the fire, maybe (if moved to do so) talking more about things they may be grateful for, or further hopes for the upcoming year.

• "Let us welcome the return of the sun. As the days grow longer, as the new year grows, we rejoice in the return of the light!"
• All participants light the gold candle together with their tapers.
• "Let us celebrate the sun as it is reborn."
• Participants may sing songs, carols such as "deck the halls", play the drums or recorder, or dance around the fire.

• If time allows: participant draws a labyrinth figure on the north side of the fire using a trail of popcorn kernels, because she saw it on the web and thinks it's cool.
• "The solstice is a time of rebirth and renewal for all things on earth. Let us meditate on how we wish to be reborn into the new year."
• Participants may continue drumming or playing music, but may be more pensive. One at a time, if they like, participants may walk to the center of the labyrinth and back, symbolizing the journey and rebirth.
• Eventually, when everyone who wants to has walked the labyrinth, participants may sit around the fire and meditate for whatever length of time seems good.

• All (or taking turns): "Bless the outgoing year and the incoming year. Bless this gathering of love and celebration. Let us enter these days of returning sun with steady step, loving heart, open mind, and all blessings." ("Amen" and/or "Blessed be" and/or "Rock on" and/or whatever)
• "Let our new year be filled with love and rejoicing, as it has begun. May the powers of good speak for our silence, and fulfill the intent of this celebration long after it ends. May peace and love come to the world, and to all its inhabitants, to this night, and the year to come."
• All get up and go to the north. One participant holds up the green candle. "We give our thanks to the element of Earth. Walk in peace." Participant blows out the candle as another participant sprinkles water to the north.
• Similarly with another participant and the yellow candle: "We give our thanks to the element of Air. Walk in peace."
• Red candle (similarly): "We give our thanks to the element of Fire. Walk in peace."
• Blue candle (similarly): "We give our thanks to the element of Water. Walk in peace."
• Participants return to the white (center) candle.
• "We thank all which is good in the world. Let there be balance, beauty, harmony, and peace for all." Participants blow out white candle.
• Participants circle around the central fire and may hold hands if logistics permit.
• "May our circle stay unbroken even as it opens. May peace go in our hearts. May we come together again in peace and good health." ["Rock on" or etc.]
• Participant extinguishes and/or removes tea candle from in front of the path out of the circle, leaving fire & other tea candles lit. We put away the other accoutrements. Then we bring out cookies, other foods, and cups of cider and hang around for a while. FIN!

We've always wondered what would happen if we got the friends we've made through Inga's Earth Magic (IEM) into a room together. Why? Because every one of us is special and has a gift to offer to the world! And if we get enough of us in one place at the same time, something magical is bound to occur! So now we're going to find out!

• When: The 1st Friday of every month starting at 6 PM
• Where: Our place (click on LIBRARY in the navigation bar at the top of the screen and then MAP ROOM for directions)
• What to bring: Whatever strikes your fancy! Food, beer, wine or just your enthusiasm and love!
• How long: Well, however long it takes to reach that magical state so you may want to plan on sleeping with the kitties on one of the couches or bring your sleeping bag and mat and sleep on the floor of Inga's office. Coffee will be served come morning!
• RSVP: Just let us know in advance via e-mail or phone if you are coming and if you are bringing guests so we don't run out of room!

Hey! I was supposed to fill this space with something profound but life is keeping me occupied elsewhere. So many projects, so little time! That's sure my story these days and my heart is telling me to write about how I create a bubble of sanity, peace and enlightenment in the swirling chaos of day to day life. I would love to tell you how I have it all figured out but I won't be doing that anytime in the near future. What I can tell you about is my almost unbearable yearning for personal/planetary healing and alignment with the spiritual world and how I balance that with sustaining myself in the physical world. And in return, I'd love to hear how you are aligning mind, body and soul and what obstacles you are facing. Together, we can create and maintain a bigger bubble!