Capricorn's 1st Decan Influence: "Thoughtfulness" (Dec 21st - Dec 30th)

Capricorn greets us in the stillness of winter with the contemplative idea of its first decan influence, "thoughtfulness" (Dec. 21st - Dec. 30th). Illuminated by Capricorn's two key ideas, "I use" and "I serve", "thoughtfulness" is the fresh new task we encounter after we finally make the decision to act, to use, for our own purpose. (For more on Capricorn's Key Ideas visit "Capricorns Key Ideas, "I Use" and I "Serve"".) We can keep our use from becoming abuse, and allow ourselves to be of use without being taken advantage of, if we learn to act thoughtfully.

"Thoughtfulness" is known as "the consideration of others" and "considerate". It is further defined as "characterized by or manifesting careful thought", and "careful, heedful, or mindful." Most important in these definitions is the presence of "thought", and the inclusion of the idea of "others" furthers hones "thoughtfulness" as a tool for both planning and building stable, long-standing and enduring projects. To get a better understanding of the concept of thoughtfulness so that we may use it capably and functionally in our lives, let's take a closer look at its main idea, "thought".

"Thought" is a noun regarding "the process of mental activity." What it is that one thinks is also known as "thought". If we are to have thoughtfulness then, we like the word itself must begin with the thought. This requires us to recognize that thought exists, and if we are to use it wisely we should learn more about it.

Now there are books and journals and articles and entire philosophies and sciences devoted to the study of thought since the time of Plato, maybe before. So without getting lost in an academic maze, forget what you've heard and simply begin with awareness. Put your awareness, that little light that lies in all of us, shine that beam right on what's crossing your mind like a spotlight on a stage, and do it as much as you can. Right now is this thought's time to shine! Aaaaaannnnd queue!

What is this thought? Where did it come from? Who's voice is it in? What mental speech influences and decides for us our actions for the day? Even right now? By examining our thoughts, we can target what drives us, what motivates us. If we practice this enough, we can learn to examine our thoughts in ever clearer, more define ways, maybe even to the point that we can describe our thoughts with words.

That's not always easy to do. In fact, to try to dictate ALL the thoughts that fly through our mind in a day's time would probably exhaust us. We certainly can't talk as fast as our mind thinks, and communicating those thoughts with others is even slower and less accurate. So we simply begin by learning to bring an awareness to our thoughts ala meditation, yoga, tai chi...I myself like to walk through the forest to hear myself think. But the popularity of these types of activities is less about a new age fad and more about giving ourselves the opportunity to get to know ourselves, our thoughts, and thereby gain some understanding into our relatively unexamined and absolutely personal experience.

Like looking over the engine that powers our car, examining what drives us should be routine maintenance. How's it sound - purr like a kitten or harsh and jarring? How are the pieces working - do they fit well together? How well are they flowing? Too much friction? Maybe they need some grease. Maybe it needs a quart of oil, or maybe it needs an oil change altogether.

Like an engine, the thoughts power the machine. What's the machine's main job? Chances are we all have some idea of what we think it should be. That idea is (or usually is) a part of our higher ideals, and if our thoughts produce actions that align with those higher ideals, then our actions will be satisfying. Our motivations spark a well-oiled engine and we find ourselves acting with more effortless energy, not manic, but inspired. When we align thought with purpose, we ward off exhaustion. We infuse our being with a reason to BE, a recognized reason, which it loves very much. We pace ourselves through pleasant days where we aren't worried anymore about if our thoughts are sound. We know they are because we see what use they serve in the greater picture we've taken time to define for ourselves. Attaching our thoughts to a goal keeps them from going astray, and saves us the time and energy from constantly having to regroup the scattered herd.

In these slower Capricorn weeks, examine your ideas to see if they are a good fit with your big, lofty ideals. Like "be considerate" or "judge not", those kinds of higher ideas. How much of what you think aligns with what you believe you're supposed to be doing? The more they clash, the more tired we'll be as we exhaust our energy trying to reconcile what we think with what we think we should be doing. The more they align, the more joy we experience as our thoughts find expression through purposeful action, an important and celebrated teammate in the game of creation.

Thoughtfulness means consideration. Use this tool to consider your thoughts today, ride the wave of inspiration that swells within when you align your thoughts with purpose, and continue along the sun-beaten path with the confidence of knowing you are a thoughtful being. You really are.