Wisdom Teaching #13

January 11, 2002

This weeks teaching is on our responsible friends of the Zodiac _ our Capricorn's! With the Sun in the sign of Capricorn (Dec 21st _ Jan 20th) we turn our focus to the New Year with new beginnings, setting goals, listing priorities and realizing where our true ambitions lie.

Capricorn is the Astrological sign of the Mountain or Sea Goat. As the symbolism suggests, there is a terrain to climb and deep mystical waters to explore. It is the last earth sign in our zodiac with the quality of leadership (a cardinal sign) assigned to it. You will find many Capricorn's expressing leadership in the public in some way. Accepting authority is a strategy that ultimately helps them acknowledge self-sufficiency and embrace solitude. You will often find the Sea Goat spending time alone learning to accept their successes or failures. This also helps them to realize that no ones approval is ever needed, and all self respect and leadership come from within.

Capricorn's are deliberate, steady, purposeful, reliable, realistic, hard working and practical. They teach us that we all must pursue a great work somewhere in our lives. They help us to embrace the endeavor that will push us to our potential that we know is inherent in our beings. Why should I set goals? Why must I focus and accept the challenges that I have set for myself? At its highest expression, Capricorn teaches us to climb up and never look back. Thus helping us to understand and develop integrity. (No lies or pretenses here.) But, first we must set our goals and list our priorities. This is the great teaching that Capricorns bring us to help start the New Year.

My older sister is a committed Capricorn. Whenever she can, she climbs Cowles Mountain, a beautiful mountain located in the heart of San Diego. She said to me one day, “If you don’t go to the top of the mountain and touch the stone it doesn’t count.” (Such a sisterly thing to say!)

Years ago when she first started climbing the mountain she used to get to the top and then run down. Now she walks down. Sometimes she sits. I have been up that mountain with her. It’s hard. It’s winding. It’s beautiful. Like her, it is solid, has integrity and never lies.

Whenever she sees a non regular climber she’ll usually say, “Oh, by the way, there is a 7-Eleven at the top that sells Gatorade, water and donuts.” I laugh.

In her true Capricorn way, this gentle reminder invites others to accept the internal rewards that go with any task that we undertake. To succeed we must become indifferent to success and failure. It is the path that we must look upon for our greatest achievements.