What is your fondest Christmas wish? A new car? A new widescreen TV? Or something less materialistic, like world peace or a cure for AIDS? This Christmas, Santa may grant your wish. There's something special happening this December 25—a solar eclipse in the sign of Capricorn.

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon in its orbit passes between the Sun and the Earth, temporarily blocking out the light of the Sun. An eclipse is basically a New Moon—the start of a new monthly cycle. The fact that the Moon is in position to block out the Sun makes an eclipse a particularly significant New Moon, and indicates the beginning of an important new cycle.

Grant Lewi wrote in Astrology for the Millions that the Sun "determines what urges and motives dominate your life as it meets the naked eye, the sign position of the Moon tells the desires of your heart that may or may not be expressed or realized in your life." During an eclipse, when the Moon moves in front of the Sun, the needs of the Moon become paramount, and we may suddenly become aware of our heart's desire.

Have We Forsaken Our Heart's Desire?

Because we think with our heads and make most decisions on a logical basis, we often ignore our deeper emotional needs. The adult part of our personality, represented by the Sun, knows that compromises have to be made in life, and the needs of our inner child, the Moon, are often ignored or suppressed. During an eclipse, however, the inner child takes center stage, overshadowing our adult self temporarily.

It can be a time when we have "thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears," because we suddenly realize that we may have until now forsaken our heart's desire, or a time when we finally see clearly what we should do to achieve emotional fulfillment.

Christmas Is for Children

We often hear the expression, "Christmas is for children." It seems to be a way adults have of dealing with the emotional issues surrounding the holidays. We fulfill our holiday obligations almost as a duty because, as adults, that's what's expected of us. But what about our own inner child, our Moon?

Most of us have forgotten how Christmas feels to children—the great excitement and anticipation of waking up Christmas morning to find our hopes and wishes fulfilled under a shining Christmas tree!

Jean Shepherd's wonderful movie A Christmas Story, which is shown on TV every Christmas Eve, is a marvelous depiction of a child's view of Christmas. Young Ralphie wants a "Red Ryder 200-shot air rifle with a compass in the stock." Everyone, even Santa Claus, tries to discourage him, but as only a child can, he doggedly pursues his dream despite all obstacles.

Unlike Ralphie, many of us don't know what we really desire. Our inner child has been stifled for so long, his or her voice can barely be heard. The Christmas day eclipse will provide an excellent opportunity for all of us to listen to our inner child and find out what he or she really wants.

Capricorn Wishes

What message is our inner child likely to send through the Christmas eclipse? The key to this question lies in the sign in which the eclipse will occur. The signs represent reservoirs of energy. The planets, including the Sun and Moon, dip into this energy reservoir to stimulate certain issues in our lives and to provide the energy to make things happen.

The eclipse in Capricorn brings wishes related to that sign. Capricorn is the energy we use to accomplish things. It's the drive toward success, the achievement of position and power. In our horoscopes it provides the energy we need to excel in our chosen careers. Capricorn believes in the work ethic and takes a serious approach to all things.

If we have been expressing the all-work-and-no-play side of Capricorn, our inner child may let us know about it. We may need to find more room for play in our lives.

What do you wish for yourself in your career? Is your job satisfactory, or do you feel you are following the wrong path career-wise? What kind of position do you see yourself in when you daydream about "the ideal job?" Christmas day, focus on that image. Consider what you may need to do to make it happen.

Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, the planet of reality. Saturn is known as the planet of truth, and Capricorns at their best are authentic people. They "tell it like it is" and possess an uncompromising integrity.

Are you an authentic person? Are your actions and words in harmony with your real thoughts and feelings or do you continually compromise your inner truth? What can you do to express more of your real self during the coming year?

Capricorn on a Global Scale

On a larger scale, the Christmas eclipse may bring emotional issues related to Capricorn up for review in the mass consciousness. There may be some event in the news that will give everyone pause to reconsider our ideas in the areas ruled by Capricorn.

In the U.S., bitter political wrangling escalated to the level of legal warfare in the courtrooms, as two ambitious leaders battled for the top job in the nation—a Capricornian drama played out every night on our television screens. Antagonisms and anger were mounting as both sides claimed the other was "stealing the election."

Perhaps on Christmas as the eclipse occurs, we should take a moment to consider what "power" and "position" are really worth. If the cycle of ambitious striving can be broken for just a moment, perhaps we can see a better, more compassionate way.

Globally, nations are drawing lines in the sand, forming boundaries and barriers—all Capricorn manifestations. The Mideast, North and South Korea, Serbs and Croatians, India and Pakistan stand against each other. As the eclipse takes place on Christmas, try to imagine that the boundaries disappear, that there are no countries, and as John Lennon sang, "nothing to live or die for."

At the end of A Christmas Story, Ralphie’s parents are sitting side by side in the darkened living room, listening to Christmas carols, looking past the lighted Christmas tree at the snow falling outside the window. Ralphie is asleep in his bed dreaming peacefully of future adventures with his trusty air rifle. For one night, all seems "right with the world."

This Christmas, may the eclipse bring you your heart's desire, peace on Earth and good will toward men.