Embracing the Sun
Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Stephanie Woodfield, author of Celtic Lore & Spellcraft of the Dark Goddess the new Drawing Down the Sun.
Have you ever noticed that stepping outside on a sunny day, and feeling the warm sun on your skin, can put a smile on your face? Or that you may feel less motivated during the winter months? For most of us, a couple of minutes of sunlight is the source of our daily vitamin D, which plays a role in a healthy immune system, and our mental health (among other things). Studies have even shown that sunlight boosts the brain’s levels of natural antidepressants and mood lifting chemicals, compared to the brain’s levels on darker days. The sun has a very real effect on our mood, wellbeing, and even our magick.
Living in New England, I am use to a harsh winter at times. But this past year (with a winter filled with freak blizzards and polar vortexes) has lent a whole new meaning to the phrase “Winter is Coming”—and it has nothing to do with my favorite TV show. Even now, only a few weeks away from Beltane, there are still small patches of snow on the ground here and there. And now more than ever I feel the need to work with solar energies in my daily practices, as we enter the bright half of the year.
We are use to connecting to the moon, and drawing down her energies. But sometimes we forget to embrace her solar counterpart to fuel our magick. One simple way to connect with the sun is to go outside (or stand near a sunny window) and hold your hands up toward the sun. See its life-giving, vital energy flowing down into your arms, draw it closer, then breathe it in. See yourself energized by the life-giving sun.
When working with solar energy or working with a particular solar Goddess or God, I will occasionally charge a piece of jewelry to be worn during ritual or to simply help me connect with the sun’s healing and energetic power. So if, like me, you can’t wait for the warm and vibrant days of summer and want to draw upon the power of the sun in your magickal work, here is a simple blessing you can use to bless an object with the sun’s power.
Hold the object up towards the sun, or place it in a sunny window. See the light of the sun filling and empowering it. Say these (or similar) words:
By count of two, with power this ___ I imbue.
By count of three, fire of the sun come to me.
By count of four health, healing, strength and balance I restore.
Our thanks to Stephanie for her guest post! For more from Stephanie Woodfield, read her article “Reclaiming the Goddess of the Sun.”
