The Sun in Witchcraft

**The Sun in Witchcraft**

The sun is one of the celestial bodies that affect us most directly, but in witchcraft, it gets less attention than the moon. Many witches feel a stronger association with the sun than the moon but have fewer resources to work with. If you are interested in sun work, here are a few resources to get you started!

Correspondences

Crystals

Citrine
Sunstone
Amber
Garnet
Carnelian
Tiger’s Eye

Plants & Flowers

Sunflowers
Rosemary
Marigolds
Citrus fruits
Succulents
Chamomile

Other Correspondences

Yellow, orange, and gold
The Sun tarot card
Mirrors

Solar Deities

I’ll mention a few of the more common pantheons, but there are many others. I’ll be concentrating here on Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Celtic, and Norse.

Egyptian

The earliest deities associated with the sun were goddesses: Wadjet, Sekhmet, Hathor, Nut, Bast, Bat, and Menhit. As early as the 4^th Dynasty, the sun was worshipped as the god Ra, who is portrayed as a falcon-headed god surmounted by a solar disk. His symbol is the Ankh, the symbol of eternal life and the living body. The god Amun is also associated with the sun, resulting in the god Amun-Ra, who is the embodiment of both gods.

Greek

In the Greek Pantheon, the Titan Helios is the physical embodiment of the sun, and the god Apollo, son of Zeus and Leto, drives the chariot that carries Helios across the sky.

Roman

The Roman god of the sun is Sol, which is the route of the word “Solar” for sun-related words. The Romans had a powerful cult associated with Sol. There was an annual sacrifice offered on August 9^th to celebrate Caesar’s victory at Pharsala. There were feasts to Sol on December 11^th and August 28^th. In the later years, there was a major winter solstice feast on December 21^st, the Dies Natalis Invicti. This is the feast that may have influenced the date of Christmas for the Christian church. Sol is also associated with the god Mithras.

Celtic

In the British Isles, the sun is seen as a goddess. These include the Irish goddess Grian (The Winter Sun) and Áine (The Summer Sun). Étaín may also have been considered to be related to the sun, as well as Brighid and the Welsh goddess Olwen. In England, Sulis and Sulevia are also associated with the sun. On the continent, solar gods are more common, including Belenus, Grannus, and Lugus.

Norse

The Norse goddess of the sun is Sól or Sunna. She drives the sun across the sky in her chariot. She is the sister of the moon, Máni, and is the wife of Glenr.

Sun Water

Like the moon, the sun has different phases and seasons. In the spring, the sun’s energy is dedicated to growth. In the summer, the energy leans towards work. In autumn, the sun’s energy leans towards reflection. In the winter, the energy leans towards rest. Different times of the day also have different energies: the rising sun is used for new beginnings and growth. The noon sun is used for peak energy and action. The afternoon sun is used for reflection and banishing energy, and the setting sun is used to promote rest. Sunday is the day dedicated to the sun, so it is the best day of the week to do sun-related workings.

How to Make Sun Water

Fill a jar with water.
Place your jar outside or on a windowsill with good sun exposure. Choose your time of the day depending on what you need the water for.
If you’d like to add intention to your water, write your intention on a piece of paper, fold it and place it under the jar. You can also speak your intention over the jar.
Keep the water out for at least an hour for focused energy, or from sunrise to sunset for more general energy.

You can use your sun water in your workings for added oomph. You can also add it to your bath or use it to bless and charge crystals. To connect with your personal power, you can drink it. You can also sprinkle the sun water around the house to welcome the energy of the sun into your home.

Article by Amanda Pitchford