The Sun

SUN

Some of the attributes of the sun in ancient worship are Power, Glory, Illumination, Life force, Vitality, and The source of life on earth.

All through time the sun has been worshipped in one form or another. To get a good idea of the wide spread nature of solar worship here is a good starting point.





DEITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUN
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ADITI
''The Unfettered''. Hindu mother goddess. She was self-formed and the mother of the sun and moon gods, Mitra and Varuna. She is the unlimited space of sky beyond the far east, the brilliant light from which the gods sprang. She clears obstacles, protects, and solves problems.

AH KINCHIL
Mayan god of the sun.

AKYCHA
Eskimo sun spirit.

AMA-TERASU
''Great Shining Heaven''. Japanese sun goddess, guardian of the Japanese people and ruler of all deities. One of her tasks was to weave sacred robes for the gods. When Amaterasu's troublesome brother Susanowo wreaked havoc on her land, she had to hide in a cave to escape the misery. He destroyed the
forests, rice paddies, and the Heavenly Weaving Hall, killing
Ama-Terasu's favorite weaving maiden. He sealed the cave that Amaterasu was hiding in so that no sunlight could reach the earth. The gods worriedly met to plan a way to free her. After many failures to induce her to leave the cave, the lewd dancer Uzume stepped forth. She danced so that the gods all were delighted and laughed so much that the cave shook. Amaterasu opened the door of the cave a bit to see what was going on,
and asked why they would laugh in such a grim time. Uzume said that they were happy because a new, better, more beautiful sun goddess has come to replace her. Amaterasu immediately demanded to see this goddess, and was shown a mirror. She was startled and spellbound by her own reflection long enough for the gods to drag her from the cave, and so the world was light again and there was much rejoicing. Amaterasu symbolizes warmth, harvest, love, fertility, goodness, wisdom, peace, light, sun, compassion.

AMMA
Supreme African (Dogon) god who created the sun and the moon. The myth of Dogon is used to justify the custom of female circumcision as practiced in many parts of Africa. They said that he tried to procreate with the earth (female) but his passage to her was blocked by a ''red termite hill''. This had to be cut away before he could mate with the earth.

ANHUR
Egyptian god of the power of the sun. He was depicted as a warrior wearing a headdress with four tall, straight plumes. Elements are air and fire.

ANSA
A minor Hindu sun god.

APEP
Serpent in egyptian lore that tried to destroy the sun every day. Apollo Greek god of the sun, light, music, song, medicine, and healing. Patron of herdsmen. Apollo's mother Leto was forced to run from Hera, the jealous wife of Zeus. She went to the Island of Delos and delivered her two children-the twins, Apollo and ARTEMIS. Though the god of light, Apollo had a dark side. Under the name of Carneios, he is seen as a god of death. He and Artemis slew all of their mother Leto's children when Niobe, their grandmother, claimed all of Leto's children were more beautiful than the gods. Apollo was worshipped at the oracle of Delphi, where a priestess who give forth his predictions. The Greeks believed that the egyptian God Heru and Apollo were the same deities. He is the twin brother of Artemis. Apollo's minor associations include black magic, blessing, justice, divination, oracles, prophecy, creativity, fertility, productivity, success.

ATEN
In Egyptian lore, the disk of the sun.

ATIUS TIRAWA
Creation, moon, sun, and stars.

ATUM
Egyptian sun god. In some creation myths he is the creator of the universe. Father of Shu and Tefnut. Astrologically related to the leo sign of the zodiac.

BEL
Celtic (Irish) fire and sun god. Symbolizes element of fire, health.

BOANN
Goddess of bounty and fertility, whose symbol is the sacred white cow. The father of her son Angus was Dagda. To hide their union from Nechtan, they caused the sun to stand still for nine months, so that Angus was conceived and born on the same day.

BRIGHID
Celtic (Irish). One of the triple goddesses of the Celtic pantheon. She is the daughter of The Dagda, the deity of the Tuatha de Danaan, one of the most ancient people of Northern Europe. Some say there are actually three Brigits; one is in charge of poetry and inspiration; one is in charge of midwifery and healing, and the last is in charge of crafts and smiths.
She probably began as a sun goddess. According to legend, she was born at sunrise and a tower of flame beamed from her head.
As goddess of fire and water, she is immortalized by many wells and springs. Most important of her monuments, though, was a shrine at Kildare where there was a perpetual flame burning for Brigit. It was tended by nineteen virgins called the Daughters of the Flame. They would not talk to men, nor could men come near the shrine. When Christianity began its onset, so loved was Brigit that she was made a saint. However, the upkeep on her flame was considered pagan by the church and it was extinguished out of more than a thousand years of burning. St. Brigit remains one of the most popular Irish saints today,
along with Saint Patrick. Identical to Juno, Queen of Heaven. Symbolizes human potential. Also known as Brigit, Brigid, Brigindo, Bride. Dark the bitter winter, cutting its sharpness,
but Bride's mantle brings spring to Ireland.
-Translated from Gaelic text.

DHANVANTARI
Hindu physician of the gods, teacher of medicine to humans. He was originally a sun god.

DHATARA
A Hindu sun god.

FREY
Norse (Scandinavian) God of sun and rain, peace and war, and the
bountiful harvest. He is the son of Nj?rd, husband of Gerd, and the brother of Freya. He symbolizes peace and prosperity.
Futsunushi Fire magic.

HELIOS
Greek god of the sun. His roman counterpart was Sol.

HUITZILOPOCHTLI
National god of the Aztecs, symbolizes storms, the sun, death, war, young men, warriors, soldiers, safe journeys.

ILZAMNA
Mayan sky god and the father of the gods; humankind's creator. Lord of day and night. Omnipotent, remote, and impersonal. Personified the rising sun, light, life, knowledge, and the east. His sign was a red hand. Depicted as a cross-eyed, toothless old man with a lizard body. Animal totems were the lizard and the jaguar. Founder of Mayan religion. Invoke for healing, art, drawing, letters, crops, fertility, water,
regeneration, medicine.

IXCHUP
Mayan moon goddess, married to a sun god.

KHEPERA
''The Self-Created''. Egyptian god of the sun. Symbol is the scarab beetle. Symbolizes the element of air. Also known as Kherpi.

LUCIFER
Italian god of sun and light. Brother and soulmate of Diana, father of Aradia

MITHRA
Persian sun god and bringer of light, a god of wisdom, soldiers and warriors. Can be likened unto Prometheus, who brought fire to man in Grecian mythology. Symbolizes the mystery of magic, fertility, and the element air.

MYSTERE
Haitan Voodoo deification of the sun; also a loa.

NINIB
Near Eastern (Babylonian) god of the summer sun.

NITTEN
Japanese Buddhist sun goddess. Based on the Hindu god Surya.

NYAMIABE
Nocturnal sun, the moon.

OGMA
A great Celtic (Irish) warrior god often associated with Heracles. Patron god of scholars and eloquence from Gaul. He invented the runic language of the Druids, the Ogham alphabet. His name means ''sun face''. Married Etain. Symbolizes image and poppet magic, incantations, charms, health, eloquence, genius, inspiration, language. Also known as Ogmios.

PAIVA
Finnish sun god.

QUETZALCOATL
Aztec god of the wind, sea breeze, and life breath. Creator god,
identified with the planet Venus. He was considered a good god as he required only one human sacrifice a year.
Long ago, there was a race of people who lived in southern mexico called the Toltecs. They were ruled by Quetzalcoatl, who left his home in the land of the Sunrise to help the Toltecs build a strong and prosperous nation. While he ruled, everyone was happy and industrious. Everything grew in abundance, and the people learned many practical arts, even how to make
ornaments and beautiful clothing. They were dutiful but had plenty of leisure time. To the Toltecs, this was a Golden Age.
But neighboring peoples were savage and barbaric and very jealous of the happy Toltecs. They were ruled by warlike and fierce gods. Tezcatlipoca, the chief of these savage gods, disguised himself as an old man and went to Quetzalcoatl, who was very sick. Tezcatlipoca fooled the god into drinking excessive amounts of wine by saying it was medicine, knowing Quetzalcoatl had never tasted wine. Soon he was very intoxicated. Tezcatlipoca took advantage of this opportunity and to bring merciless misery to the vulnerable Toltecs. He brought down plagues and disasters; strife and destruction.
When Quetzalcoatl became sober, he was angry to find that all his hard work had been undone. Furious, he destroyed the gifts he had given the people and left for his own country. The Mexicans believe that, as said in legend, the good god will one day return and bring them back to the enchantment of the Golden Age.

RA
Egyptian sun god, can be likened unto the Christian God, as a supreme deity and creator. He created the 8 great gods and the human race came from his tears. Usually depicted as a human with a falcon or ram head. The sun was either his eye or his body. He traveled the sky every day, passing over the lands and then going into the underworld. Because of this legend, he is considered to be the god of the underworld. Ra also stopped wars between humans because he was too decent to let them
perish. He may be invoked for cat magick.

SAVITAR
All-powerful Hindu god of the sun. He had a golden tongue and golden eyes. He cut off his hand as a sacrifice, so the priests gave him a gold hand in place of it.

SEKHMET
Egyptian goddess of sunset, destruction, death, and wisdom. Originally created by Ra from his fire to be a creature of vengeance who would punish humans for their wrongdoings. However, she became a loving goddess of peace and compassion, and a protectress of the righteous. Symbols are the lion and the desert. She symbolizes health, rebirth, fire, and wisdom.
O Lady, Mightier than the Gods,
Adoration rises unto Thee!
All beings hail Thee!
O Lady, Mightier than the Gods!
Preserved beyond Death
That Secret Name,
O Being Called Sekhmet.
At the Throne of Silence even,
shall no more be spoken than Encircling One!
I lose myself in Thee!
-''Hymn to Sekhmet''

SHAKURA
Pawnee sun god.

SHU
''The Dry One''. Egyptian god of the air represented in human form. Personifies the sun's light. Appears as a warrior, lion, or lion-headed man with a feather. Symbolizes the element air, and possibly fire.

UWOLOWU
African (Akpossa of Togo) sky god and creator of everything including the minor gods. He is invoked for agriculture/harvest, spring, birth, rain, and sun. Gave mankind fire. He is seen as generally beneficant.

VIRACOCHA
Incan great god. An infinite being. Giver of the arts. Symbolizes the sun, storms, lightning, oracles, languages, morality and ethics, rain, water, fertility.

YEMONJA
One of the great African goddesses, specifically of Nigerian Yoruba. She was the daughter of the sea into whose waters she flows. Her breasts were enormous because she mothered so many Yoruban gods. She also is the Mama Watta, or ''mother of the waters'', and gave birth to all the bodies of water in the world. She is the sister and wide of Aganju, the soil god, and together they had Orungan, god of the noonday sun, as their
child. She is known by many different names, each with some variations in character:

As Yemayah or Yemoja, she is the orisha of the oceans, seas, fish, and motherhood. Nurturing, feminine, and life-giving. Considered the epitome of feminine power. Like the ocean, she can be not only gentle but destructive and torrential as well. She holds the secrets that are within the sea. She can be invoked for issues with childbirth, mothers, fertility, or anything involving women's issues or women's mysteries. As Imanje or Yemanja in Brazil, she is the ocean goddess of the crescent moon. As Ymoja in West Africa, she is the river goddess who grants fertility to women. In Cuba, she is Yemayah. Yemaya Achabba, stern goddess - Yemayah Oqqutte, violent goddess - Yemayah Ataramagwa, wealthy queen of the sea
- Yemayah Olokun, dream goddess. She is Agwe in Haitian voodoo beliefs. Finally, she is Yamoja, a combination of the phrase Iyamo eja (''our mother'').

ZIP
Mayan god of the hunt. Protector of the deer. According to legend, the deer created the vagina of the moon goddess by stepping on her abdomen. She was then she was able to bear the children of the sun god. Zip would deceive hunters to believe he was shooting a deer when in fact it was a iguana (a sacred animal of Itzam Na; to kill one is to incite the death
penalty.). To gain Zip's favor through worship and sacrifice results in a good hunt.

Sun worship is a custom that has gone on nearly as long as mankind itself. In North America, the tribes of the Great Plains saw the sun as a manifestation of the Great Spirit. For centuries, the Sun Dance has been performed as a way to not only honor the sun, but also to bring the dancers visions. Traditionally, the Sun Dance was performed by young warriors.
According to historians, Sun Dance preparation amongst most of the Plains peoples involved a lot of prayer, followed by the ceremonial felling of a tree, which was then painted and erected at the dancing ground. All of this was done under the supervision of the tribe's shaman. Offerings were made to show respect to the Great Spirit.

The Sun Dance itself lasted for several days, during which time the dancers abstained from food. On the first day, prior to beginning the dance, participants often spent some time in a sweat lodge, and the painted their bodies with a variety of colors. Dancers circled the pole to the beat of drums, bells, and sacred chants.

The Sun Dance was not held solely to honor the sun -- it was also a way of testing the stamina of the tribe's young, unblooded warriors. Among a few tribes, such as the Mandan, dancers suspended themselves from the pole with ropes attached to pins that pierced the skin. The young men of some tribes lacerated their skin in ritualized patterns. Dancers kept going until they lost consciousness, and sometimes this could go on for three to four days. Dancers often reported having a vision or a spirit walk during the celebration. Once it was over, they were fed, bathed, and -- with great ceremony -- smoked a sacred pipe in honor of the Great Spirit's manifestation as the sun.

At Litha, the sun is at its highest point in the sky. Many ancient cultures marked this date as significant, and the concept of sun worship is one nearly as old as mankind itself. In societies that were primarily agricultural, and depended on the sun for life and sustenance, it is no surprise that the sun became deified. While many people today might take the day to grill out, go to the beach, or work on their tans, for our ancestors the summer solstice was a time of great spiritual import.
The Egyptian peoples honored Ra, the sun god. For people in ancient Egypt, the sun was a source of life. It was power and energy, light and warmth. It was what made the crops grow each season, so it is no surprise that the cult of Ra had immense power and was widespread. Ra was the ruler of the heavens. He was the god of the sun, the bringer of light, and patron to the pharaohs. According to legend, the sun travels the skies as Ra drives his chariot through the heavens. Although he originally was associated only with the midday sun, as time went by, Ra became connected to the sun's presence all day long.
The Greeks honored Helios, who was similar to Ra in his many aspects. Homer describes Helios as ''giving light both to gods and men.'' The cult of Helios celebrated each year with an impressive ritual that involved a giant chariot pulled by horses off the end of a cliff and into the sea.
In Native American cultures, such as the Iroquois and Plains peoples, the sun was recognized as a life-giving force. Many Plains tribes still perform a Sun Dance each year, which is seen as a renewal of the bond man has with life, earth, and the growing season. In Mesoamerican cultures, the sun was associated with kingship, and many rulers claimed divine rights by way of their direct descendance from the sun.
As part of the cult of Mithra, early Persian societies celebrated the rising of the sun each day. The legend of Mithra may well have given birth to the Christian resurrection story. Honoring the sun was an integral part of ritual and ceremony in Mithraism, at least as far as scholars have been able to determine. One of the highest ranks one could achieve in a Mithraic temple was that of heliodromus, or sun-carrier.
Sun worship has also been found in Babylonian texts and in a number of Asian religious cults. Today, many Wiccans and Pagans honor the sun at Midsummer, and it continues to shine its fiery energy upon us, bringing light and warmth to the earth.

At Litha, the sun is at its highest point in the sky. Its power reaches its apex, and we celebrate the raw energy of the sun on the longest day of the year. Because this is the high point of the sun's journey, it is a day of great magical potential. Take advantage of this natural power, harness it, and use it to recharge your magical tools.
Typically, magical tools are consecrated before first use, but it's a good idea to periodically recharge them, just like mundane tools. After all, if you use a cordless drill or a flashlight often enough, eventually the battery is going to wear down and need some juicing up!

Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: Varied

Here's How:

To do this simple ritual, all you'll need is an altar or work space, and your magical tools that need to be recharged. Perform this ritual at noon, outside, on the day of the summer solstice or as near to it as possible. If you can't do it at noon, at least try to perform the rite before the sun sets. If your tradition requires you to cast a circle, or create sacred space, now is the time do so.

Lay all the tools that need recharging on the altar or your workspace. Take a moment to stand in the sunlight, feeling its warmth upon your face. Think about the power of the sun -- it has been a symbol of light and hope and rebirth for thousands of years. Feel its energy as the sunlight shines overhead, and take some time to absorb as much of that energy as you can.

When you are ready, hold the first tool in your hands, and hold it up to the sunlight. Say:
O mighty sun!
I call upon your energy, your strength, your power!
I use your fire to make this tool sacred and strong.
May the power of the sun live each day in this tool.
May the fire of the sun blaze each day in this tool.
May the warmth of the sun carry on each day in this tool.
As I will, so it shall be.

Hold the tool up so that it may absorb the sun's rays. You may even feel it begin to warm, and that's okay, it's perfectly normal. When you're ready, lower the tool. Repeat the process with your other magical items, until you are finished. Once you have blessed all of your tools, allow them to stay outside in the sun for a while, absorbing the energy and power. Bring them in before sunset (remember, some items shouldn?t be left out in the hot sun, like candles!).

Note:
If, for some reason, you are unable to do this ritual outside, or during the day time, you have a couple of other options as a substitute for sunlight. Remember, the sun is the ultimate representation of Fire -- which means you can use a candle, a tabletop brazier, or even your fireplace for this ritual instead.
Tips:
If the summer solstice happens to fall around the time of a full moon, feel free to leave your tools outside overnight for an added boost!

The ancients knew that the winter solstice was the longest night of the year -- and that meant that the sun was beginning its long journey back towards earth. It was a time of celebration, and for rejoicing in the knowledge that soon, the warm days of spring would return, and the dormant earth would come back to life.

On this one day, the sun stands still in the sky, and everyone on earth knows that change is coming.
Because this is a festival of fire and light, feel free to use lots of candles and lights, solar symbols, bright colors, or even a bonfire. Bring light back into your home and your life.

Difficulty: Average
Time Required: Varied

Here's How:

Like any Sabbat, this festival works well if paired up with a feast. Celebrate the sun's return by preparing all kinds of winter foods -- whip up a batch of cornbread, a pot of buttered rum1, plum pudding, cranberry dressing, game stew, etc. Have the whole family eat together prior to the ritual. Clean up, and when you're done, cover your table or altar with candles. Use as many as you like; they don't have to match. In the center, place a sun candle** on a riser, so it's above the rest. Don't light any of the candles just yet.

Turn off all the other lights, and face your altar. If your tradition requires you to cast a circle2, do so now.
Face the candles, and say:
The wheel of the year has turned once more,
and the nights have grown longer and colder.
Tonight, the darkness begins to retreat,
and light begins its return once again.
As the wheel continues to spin,
the sun returns to us once more.

Light the sun candle, and say:
Even in the darkest hours,
even in the longest nights,
the spark of life lingered on.
Laying dormant, waiting, ready to return
when the time was right.
The darkness will leave us now,
as the sun begins its journey home.

Beginning with the candles closest to the sun candle, and working your way outward, light each of the other candles. As you light each one, say:
As the wheel turns, light returns.
Repeat this until all the candles are lit and burning. Then say:
The light of the sun has returned to us,
bringing life and warmth with it.
The shadows will vanish, and life will continue.
We are blessed by the light of the sun.

Take a moment to think about what the return of the sun means to you. The return of the light meant many things to different cultures. How does it affect you, and your loved ones? When you're ready, go through the house and turn all the lights back on. If you have children, make it a game -- they can yell out, ''Welcome back, light!''

If you're not too full from dinner, have some eggnog and cookies on standby, and take the time to bask in the light of your candles and eat some treats. When you're done, extinguish the candles from the outside of the altar working towards the center, leaving the sun candle for last.

Tips:
** A sun candle is simply a candle you've designated to represent the sun in ritual. It can be in a sunny color -- gold or yellow -- and if you like, you can insribe it with solar sigils.

If you like, you can do this ritual on the morning of Yule. Cook a big breakfast with lots of eggs, and watch the sun rise. If you do this, you can eliminate all the candles except the sun candle. Allow the sun candle to burn all day before you extinguish it.

I would like to add on to this by providing links for Helios as well as Apollo. Apollo was not given his own section but he is also indeed a sun god though Helios did come before him but it makes Apollo no less relivant.

APOLLO

Twin brother of Artemis, son of Leto and Zeus. God of prophecy and healing. One of the Olympians and an accomplished archer. His Greek name is actually Apollon and his Latin and Roman name are Apollo. One of his symbols is said to be the laurel tree which commerates his love for the Nymph Daphane. His male lover Hyakinthos was killed by a discus and from it a flower grew, hyacinth. So basically by now your seeing the poor guy is unlucky in love and it often results in death and then the sprouting of a plant or flower. He also slayed the giant Tityos who attempted to kidnap his mother Leto.

Further information about Apollo, Helios, and really Greek gods all together can be found at:

Theoi.com

http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Apollon.html

http://www.theoi.com/Titan/Helios.html

http://www.theoi.com/Titan/TitanisLeto.html

http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Artemis.html