When I first started my practice I had a tough time making the connection to the Sun as a representation of God. To be honest it is really still much of a challenge when I consider the Christian aspect of my practice. So this week’s topic has given me a lot of thinking to do.
The Sun, in the Pagan aspect, goes back before written history. The earliest known religions tell of Sun Gods ruling the heavens. We have Ra in Egyptian practices and Apollo in the Greek practices. We also see first peoples’ belief in a Sun deity as well. The tracking of the Sun’s solstices and equinoxes have been recorded with wonderful accuracy from Europe to Africa to South America and beyond. The Sun was relied on for the growing and harvesting of food and knowing what was to come next. So it is no secret how important the Sun was to pre-Christian beliefs.
With this being said I still didn’t feel a large connection with the Sun as an aspect of deity as much as most since the Sun doesn’t have great meaning in Christianity. During my time thinking on this topic I kept on coming back to the crucifixion of Jesus. It is said in the Gospels that there was darkness over the land. I became infatuated with this aspect. Some say that this is historically and/or scientifically inaccurate. Even if it is an inaccuracy, I find it fascinating that it was mentioned since there isn’t an overemphasis on the Sun otherwise. When looking at this I am even more fascinated with the synchronistic aspect of the leaving of the spirit of the deity Christ and the darkening of the Sun. I have to wonder if this is an interpretation where the writer had a literary moment and embellished on what actually happened, or if it actually happened. Either way this has become a fixation for me lately.
Do you see the Sun as a God aspect or do you see it as the Fire aspect, penetrating the world with its heat? Do you find it as just a way to track the day? I would love to hear your thoughts on this concept and how you relate to the Sun in your practice, if you even do.
