Radiance Rising – Embracing the Light Within
by: Robbin Caroll
The Summer Solstice—also known as Litha in pagan and earth-based traditions—is the longest day and shortest night of the year, occurring around June 20–21 in the Northern Hemisphere. It marks a powerful turning point in the natural and spiritual cycles of the Earth.
☀️ Core Meanings of the Summer Solstice
1. Peak of Light and Life
- The sun reaches its highest point in the sky.
- It symbolizes full illumination, abundance, and vitality.
- Nature is in full bloom—this is the height of growth, passion, and creative energy.
2. Celebration of Radiance and Joy
- Cultures worldwide celebrate the sun as a life-giving force.
- It’s a time of dancing, singing, fire rituals, and gratitude for the Earth’s gifts.
- The solstice invites you to shine brightly, embrace joy, and be fully alive in your body.
3. Sacred Balance and Turning Point
- While it is the longest day, it also marks the beginning of the sun’s descent—days slowly begin to shorten.
- This reminds us of the cyclical nature of life: that even in fullness, change is inevitable.
- It invites reflection on how to hold light and shadow together with grace.
🌻 Spiritual Symbolism
| Theme | Meaning |
| Light | Inner clarity, truth, consciousness |
| Fire/Sun | Transformation, purification, spiritual activation |
| Fertility & Growth | Manifestation of desires, divine creativity |
| Celebration | Honoring the sacred joy of being alive |
| Turning Point | Embracing change, preparing for inward reflection to come |
🌞 How It Applies to Personal Growth?
- Ask yourself: What in my life is coming into full bloom?
- Celebrate: What you’ve accomplished or nourished since the Spring Equinox.
- Release: What no longer serves you, especially before entering the more reflective half of the year.
- Align: With your true self—this is a time to express your gifts unapologetically.
🌿 Summer Solstice in Traditions Worldwide
- Ancient Egypt: Associated with the rising of Sirius and the Nile’s flooding—symbol of fertility and renewal.
- Celtic Traditions (Litha): A fire festival honoring the Sun God and Earth Goddess.
- Scandinavia: Midsummer festivals include bonfires, flower crowns, and maypole dances.
- Indigenous Peoples: Solstice ceremonies honor the Great Spirit, the Sun, and ancestral cycles.
✨ Summary Affirmation:
“I honor the light within me.
I rise in joy, passion, and truth.
I dance with the rhythm of life, in radiant alignment with the sun.”
🔆 Summer Solstice Blessing: Radiance of the Sun Spirit
O Radiant Sun,
Golden heart of the sky,
Today we honor your fullest light.
May your warmth awaken the seeds of our dreams,
May your rays illuminate the truth of our path,
And may your fire ignite courage in our hearts.
We give thanks for the abundance of the Earth,
The rhythm of the seasons,
And the beauty that blooms when light is honored.
As the wheel turns,
May we rise like the sunflower to face what is sacred,
May we burn away what dims our joy,
And may we dance with devotion in the glow of our becoming.
We call upon the goddesses of the sun—
Amaterasu, Saule, Áine, Hathor, and those unnamed—
Shine through us now.
Make our lives prayers of light.
Make our bodies temples of warmth.
Make our souls mirrors of the divine sun.
And so it is. ☀️
And so we rise.
Purpose of this Ritual
The Summer Solstice (Litha) marks the longest day of the year-a sacred moment to celebrate abundance, activate inner strength, and embody your full light. This ritual honors your connection to the sun, to the Earth, and to your souls journey.
Ritual Supplies Checklist
- Candle (gold, yellow, or white)
- Flower or Herb (sunflower, lavender, rosemary, marigold)
- Paper & Pen (for releasing & intention)
- Fire-safe bowl or altar space
- Optional: Crystal (citrine, sunstone, carnelian), Oracle Card, Solar Mist or Oil
Step-by-Step Ceremony After Cleansing with Sage
1. Centering Breath
Sit in stillness. Close your eyes. Place your hands over your heart. Take 3 deep, slow breaths:
- Inhale: golden light
- Exhale: anything heavy
Say softly:
“I arrive fully at this sacred moment. I honor the light within and around me.”
- Candle Lighting
Light your candle as a symbol of the Solstice Sun.
Say aloud:
“With this flame, I call in the radiance of the Sun. May it shine through me and awaken my highest purpose.”
- Release & Burn
Write one thought, fear, or habit you’re ready to release. Hold it gently, breathe into it, and when ready, burn or tear it.
Whisper:
“I offer this to the fire of transformation. I am ready to rise renewed.”
- Solar Intention Setting
Hold your flower, herb, or crystal. Speak an intention into it.
Examples:
I welcome peace into my heart.
I call in courage and clarity for my next chapter.
I invite joy and sacred play into my life.
Place this item on your altar or carry it with you for the season ahead.
5. Affirmation of Light
Place both hands over your heart and say this affirmation:
“I am the light.
I rise with the sun.
I shine with purpose, peace, and power.
My heart is open.
My path is clear.
I am radiant and whole.”
Repeat 3x. Let the words soak into your cells.
6. Solstice Blessing
With eyes closed or looking toward the candle, receive this blessing:
“May the sun awaken the sacred spark within you.
May your truth rise with the dawn and illuminate your path.
May you burn away what no longer serves and boldly bloom into your becoming.
You are a vessel of divine radiance-blessed, powerful, and free.”
Optional: Journaling Prompt
- What truth is rising in me this Solstice?
- How am I being called to shine more brightly?
- What part of myself am I ready to honor and share with the world?
Closing the Ritual
Blow out your candle.
Thank the sun, the Earth, and your inner self.
Say aloud or in your heart:
“I close this ritual with deep gratitude. May I walk forward in radiance, rooted in light and love.”
Goddesses of the Sun
1. Amaterasu (ah-mah-teh-RAH-soo)
Realm: Shinto Sun Goddess of Japan
History: Amaterasu is the principal deity in Shinto mythology, born from the left eye of the creator god Izanagi. She is revered as the goddess of the sun and the universe, and the imperial family of Japan claims descent from her. One of her most well-known myths involves her retreat into a cave after a family conflict, plunging the world into darkness until the other gods lured her out with joy and light.
How She Helps Us:
Amaterasu helps us reclaim our light after periods of darkness, encouraging us to shine even when we feel hidden or diminished. She embodies radiance, leadership, inner worth, and the power of presence.
How She Assists the Modern Woman:
She empowers women to take up space, to express their authentic selves boldly, and to lead with dignity. In times of withdrawal or self-doubt, she reminds us that our light matters and is meant to be seen.
Affirmation:
“I rise from the shadows and shine with the full power of my radiant truth.”
Journal Prompt:
When have I hidden my light, and what would it feel like to fully allow myself to be seen?
Associated Flower:
🌼 Sunflower – Represents solar energy, confidence, and unwavering light; just like Amaterasu, sunflowers turn to face the sun, symbolizing hope and illumination.
Associated Crystal:
🔆 Citrine – A stone of joy, abundance, and radiant self-expression. It aligns with Amaterasu’s ability to restore light and awaken vitality.
Associated Essential Oil:
🌞 Sweet Orange – Uplifting and invigorating, it supports mood elevation and creative energy. Like the sun, it brings warmth and clarity to the emotional body.
2. Saule (SOW-leh)
Realm: Baltic Sun Goddess (Latvian and Lithuanian)
History: Saule is one of the most revered deities in Baltic mythology. She is the goddess of the sun, fertility, and life. She drives her chariot across the sky by day and sails the seas in a golden boat by night. Associated with the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, she brings warmth, light, and the turning of the seasons.
How She Helps Us:
Saule brings nurturing light to all living things, supports fertility (both literal and creative), and protects the vulnerable, especially women and orphans. She represents the cyclical rhythms of life and renewal.
How She Assists the Modern Woman:
She helps women reconnect with their innate creative power and encourages consistency in self-care and emotional cycles. She offers stability and gentleness through life transitions.
Affirmation:
“I honor the radiant rhythms of my inner sun and trust in my creative light.”
Journal Prompt:
What part of my life is asking for gentle light, attention, and nurturing warmth?
Associated Flower:
🌼 Marigold – Symbol of resilience, warmth, and protection. It’s often used in solar rituals and reflects Saule’s golden energy.
Associated Crystal:
🔆 Amber – Fossilized sunlight, protective and warming. Resonates with Baltic energy and Saule’s ancient light.
Associated Essential Oil:
🌞 Helichrysum – Known as the “everlasting” oil, it supports emotional healing and regeneration, echoing Saule’s eternal cycles.
3. Sol (SOHL)
Realm: Norse Sun Goddess
History: In Norse mythology, Sol (also called Sunna) drives the sun-chariot across the sky, chased eternally by a wolf named Sköll. Despite her fate to be devoured during Ragnarök, she continues her path each day, a symbol of bravery and cosmic order.
How She Helps Us:
Sol teaches courage, perseverance, and radiant resilience even when under threat. She offers strength through fear, clarity, and devotion to purpose.
How She Assists the Modern Woman:
Sol ignites fierce independence and helps women walk bravely in alignment with their truth—even when it feels risky or opposed.
Affirmation:
“I rise each day with courage, burning brightly through doubt and fear.”
Journal Prompt:
Where in my life do I need to summon greater courage and light?
Associated Flower:
🌼 Daffodil – A sign of renewal and bright beginnings. Like Sol, daffodils bloom through cold ground with fierce vitality.
Associated Crystal:
🔆 Sunstone – Stimulates self-empowerment, joy, and personal will; perfectly aligned with Sol’s fiery spirit.
Associated Essential Oil:
🌞 Ginger – Warming, empowering, and fiery, it energizes the solar plexus and boosts inner strength.
4. Áine (AWN-yuh)
Realm: Celtic Irish Sun and Sovereignty Goddess
History: Áine is a powerful goddess of summer, love, fertility, and the sun. She is closely connected to midsummer celebrations and the land of Ireland. Known for both her beauty and sovereignty, she could bless the land with abundance or withdraw her favor, bringing famine.
How She Helps Us:
Áine brings sensuality, sovereignty, and deep embodiment of nature’s pleasures. She supports love, sexual empowerment, and the honoring of boundaries.
How She Assists the Modern Woman:
Áine teaches women to reclaim their sensual nature and set radiant boundaries. She helps reconnect with the sacredness of desire, pleasure, and self-respect.
Affirmation:
“My desires are sacred. I honor my light, my body, and my power.”
Journal Prompt:
What does sacred pleasure mean to me, and how can I embody it more fully?
Associated Flower:
🌸 Wild Rose – Soft yet strong, it represents sacred love, beauty, and feminine power. Áine’s essence is in every wild bloom.
Associated Crystal:
🔆 Carnelian – Enhances vitality, passion, and personal sovereignty. It echoes Áine’s vibrant, embodied fire.
Associated Essential Oil:
🌞 Ylang Ylang – Sensual, heart-opening, and restorative. Supports self-love and feminine radiance.
5. Hathor (HAH-thor)
Realm: Egyptian Solar and Sky Goddess
History: Hathor is one of Egypt’s most beloved deities, known as the goddess of joy, music, motherhood, and the rising sun. She was often depicted as a solar cow goddess, symbolizing nourishment, fertility, and divine radiance. As the “Eye of Ra,” she could embody fierce solar power as well as nurturing compassion.
How She Helps Us:
Hathor brings joy, artistic expression, and sensuality into balance. She embodies both motherly love and creative passion.
How She Assists the Modern Woman:
Hathor empowers women to embrace their multifaceted nature: fierce and soft, radiant and grounded. She encourages expression, celebration, and unapologetic joy.
Affirmation:
“I shine with joy, beauty, and divine creative power.”
Journal Prompt:
What parts of my joy or creativity am I ready to express more freely?
Associated Flower:
🌺 Lotus – Symbol of spiritual awakening, beauty, and rebirth. Hathor’s essence blossoms in joy and divine wisdom.
Associated Crystal:
🔆 Tiger’s Eye – Encourages balance, courage, and creativity—perfect for Hathor’s radiant grounding.
Associated Essential Oil:
🌞 Rose – Uplifting and heart-opening, supports love and emotional richness, echoing Hathor’s beauty and devotion.
6. Brigid (BRIH-jid or BREE-jid)
Realm: Celtic Goddess of the Sun, Hearth, Healing, and Inspiration
History: Brigid is a multifaceted goddess of the Celtic pantheon, later syncretized as Saint Brigid in Christianity. She governs fire, fertility, poetry, healing, and the forge. As a solar goddess, she brings inspiration, illumination, and sacred fire to the heart and home. Her festival, Imbolc, marks the returning light and the stirrings of spring.
How She Helps Us:
Brigid kindles the sacred flame of creativity, healing, and purpose. She helps rekindle inner light during times of burnout or emotional depletion.
How She Assists the Modern Woman:
Brigid supports women in balancing creativity and care. She helps ignite the fire of purpose while offering the warmth of home, healing, and sacred words.
Affirmation:
“The flame within me is sacred. I shine with healing, wisdom, and inspired light.”
Journal Prompt:
Where do I need to tend the inner hearth of my spirit and rekindle inspiration?
Associated Flower:
🌸 Snowdrop – One of the first flowers to bloom near Imbolc, it symbolizes hope, purity, and light after the dark.
Associated Crystal:
🔆 Fire Opal – Sparks creativity and passion; Brigid’s fire in gemstone form, awakening inner flames.
Associated Essential Oil:
🌞 Clove – Stimulating and warming, it awakens energy and boosts courage and clarity—aligned with Brigid’s sacred hearth fire.
7. Sulis (SOO-liss)
Realm: Celtic-Roman Sun and Healing Goddess of Bath (Aquae Sulis)
History: Sulis was worshipped at the hot springs in Bath, England, and later merged with the Roman goddess Minerva. She governed solar healing waters, justice, and prophecy. Her temples were places of rest, renewal, and sacred wellness.
How She Helps Us:
Sulis heals through warmth, ritual, and the rejuvenation of body and soul. She connects solar energy to water—restoring vitality through purification and light.
How She Assists the Modern Woman:
Sulis helps women pause, cleanse, and recharge. She teaches that healing is both a spiritual and physical act, encouraging sacred self-care and boundaries.
Affirmation:
“I am bathed in sacred light. My body and spirit are healed, whole, and renewed.”
Journal Prompt:
How can I make rest and ritual part of my healing journey?
Associated Flower:
🌼 Chamomile – Gentle solar energy that soothes and restores. Calms the nervous system and invites peace.
Associated Crystal:
🔆 Golden Calcite – Amplifies sunlight energy and supports the solar plexus, inner strength, and optimism.
Associated Essential Oil:
🌞 Roman Chamomile – Cooling, calming, and balancing for emotions; it mirrors Sulis’ healing waters and warm light.
8. Uzume (OO-zoo-may)
Realm: Japanese Shinto Goddess of Dawn, Mirth, and Solar Joy
History: Ame-no-Uzume is the joyful goddess who danced to lure Amaterasu out of hiding, bringing sunlight back to the world. Known as a goddess of laughter, dawn, and revelry, she used humor, sensuality, and ecstatic movement to restore cosmic balance.
How She Helps Us:
Uzume brings laughter, celebration, and levity. She teaches that joy is a sacred act and that sensual expression can restore life’s flow.
How She Assists the Modern Woman:
Uzume inspires women to express joy without shame, to move their bodies freely, and to use humor and lightness to navigate even the darkest times.
Affirmation:
“My joy is divine. I dance in the light of laughter, love, and life.”
Journal Prompt:
Where can I invite more humor, dance, and joy into my healing?
Associated Flower:
🌺 Peony – Symbol of joyful beauty, sensual fullness, and celebration—perfect for Uzume’s radiant play.
Associated Crystal:
🔆 Citrine – Lifts mood, sparks laughter, and enhances expression and abundance.
Associated Essential Oil:
🌞 Lemongrass – Refreshing, cleansing, and mood-lifting, it supports a bright and awakened spirit.
9. Xihe (ZEE-huh or SHEE-huh)
Realm: Chinese Solar Goddess of the Eastern Sky
History: Xihe is the ancient Chinese sun goddess and mother of the ten suns in early mythology. Each day, one of her suns rides across the sky in a chariot. She represents solar balance, cosmic order, and maternal wisdom. Her story emphasizes harmony, light, and celestial rhythm.
How She Helps Us:
Xihe brings order, clarity, and the discipline of divine timing. She supports structure, insight, and the alignment of our daily lives with higher cosmic rhythms.
How She Assists the Modern Woman:
Xihe assists women in finding harmony between daily responsibilities and higher purpose. She offers strength through rhythm and encourages leading with light-filled wisdom.
Affirmation:
“I rise in harmony with the sun. My path is guided by light and cosmic rhythm.”
Journal Prompt:
What rhythms in my life are in harmony with the light—and what needs realignment?
Associated Flower:
🌸 Magnolia – Symbol of strength, nobility, and grace—just like Xihe’s presence in the sky.
Associated Crystal:
🔆 Clear Quartz – Amplifies solar energy, brings mental clarity and spiritual alignment.
Associated Essential Oil:
🌞 Frankincense – Sacred and grounding, it enhances wisdom, focus, and connection to divine order.
Native American Sun Goddesses
10. Komorkis (koh-MOR-kiss)
Realm: Blackfoot (Siksika) Sun Goddess
History: Komorkis, also known as “The Sun’s Wife” or “Moon Woman,” plays a role in the Blackfoot mythologies as the consort of the Sun. In some stories, she is a figure of powerful feminine energy who aids in the creation of the world and intercedes on behalf of humanity.
How She Helps Us:
Komorkis connects light with love, nurturing, and intercession. She helps bridge the divine masculine (the Sun) with the compassionate feminine (the Moon).
How She Assists the Modern Woman:
Komorkis teaches balance, relationship harmony, and standing in one’s sacred role. She encourages women to act as healers and protectors of life and cosmic cycles.
Affirmation:
“I am the bridge between light and life. I walk in beauty and sacred balance.”
Journal Prompt:
How do I hold the balance between giving and receiving, light and rest?
Associated Flower:
🌼 Evening Primrose – Opens in the moonlight; represents feminine cycles, nurturing, and subtle strength.
Associated Crystal:
🔆 Moonstone (with Sunstone) – Balances feminine and solar energy; perfect for Komorkis’ harmonizing nature.
Associated Essential Oil:
🌞 Geranium – Balances emotions and hormones, supports gentle heart-opening and feminine power.
11. Tsohanoai (so-HAH-noh-eye)
(Note: often referred to as a sun god, but some traditions depict a dual spirit or include a female aspect)
Realm: Navajo (Diné) Solar Spirit
History: In Navajo cosmology, Tsohanoai carries the sun across the sky in a blanket, placing it on a peg at night. In some interpretations or stories, a feminine counterpart to this solar journey is present in the Navajo mythos through the roles of Changing Woman (Asdzą́ą́ Nádleehi) or White Shell Woman, who embody solar and lunar cycles.
12. White Shell Woman (Dóliiłchííʼ Baaʼ Hózhó)
Realm: Navajo (Diné) — Sister of Changing Woman and Solar Life-Bringer
History: White Shell Woman is one of the sacred twin sisters in Navajo belief. She represents light, fertility, protection, and feminine life force. She birthed the Hero Twins who defeated the monsters of the world, helping restore balance. Her connection to the east (the direction of the sunrise) links her directly to solar themes.
How She Helps Us:
She brings clarity, protection, renewal, and a sense of belonging. She assists in personal rebirth and empowerment, especially after trauma.
How She Assists the Modern Woman:
White Shell Woman empowers women to rise from adversity with grace, to claim their divine lineage, and to protect their path with courage and light.
Affirmation:
“I rise each day in beauty and strength. I am protected and reborn in the light.”
Journal Prompt:
Where in my life do I need to rise again, stronger and more luminous?
Associated Flower:
🌸 Yucca Blossom – Sacred plant of the Southwest, symbolizing resilience and sacred emergence.
Associated Crystal:
🔆 White Shell or Selenite – Soft, purifying light that clears and restores energy; represents her radiant, gentle strength.
Associated Essential Oil:
🌞 White Sage Hydrosol or Essential Oil – Clears stagnant energy and invites sacred clarity; often used in purification rites.
13. Estsanatlehi (es-tzahn-AHT-luh-hee) (“Changing Woman”)
Realm: Navajo (Diné) Goddess of the Sun and Seasons
History: Estsanatlehi is one of the most revered Navajo goddesses, representing the changing seasons, the life-death-rebirth cycle, and solar renewal. She is ever-young, yet constantly transforming with the rhythm of nature. She was created from a piece of turquoise and light by the Sun and is often viewed as a solar goddess of transformation.
How She Helps Us:
She brings change with grace, the strength to adapt, and rebirth after endings. Her solar connection reminds us that every dawn is a new beginning.
How She Assists the Modern Woman:
Estsanatlehi teaches the power of transformation through feminine cycles—embracing aging, shedding, and re-emerging with wisdom and strength.
Affirmation:
“I embrace change as sacred. I bloom, release, and rise with the sun in every season of my life.”
Journal Prompt:
What part of me is ready to transform—and how can I honor the process?
Associated Flower:
🌺 Indian Paintbrush – Symbol of vibrant transformation, creativity, and living beauty in the desert.
Associated Crystal:
🔆 Turquoise – Sacred to the Navajo, it connects earth and sky, supports healing, wisdom, and protection.
Associated Essential Oil:
🌞 Myrrh – Deeply healing and grounding, used in rites of transformation and sacred maturity.
14. Pah (PAH)
Realm: Keres Pueblo (New Mexico) — Sun Spirit
History: Among the Keresan-speaking Pueblo peoples, Pah is the feminine solar spirit who represents life-giving warmth and divine radiance. She is honored during sacred ceremonies such as the Corn Dance, where the sun’s life-force is invoked to nourish crops and bring balance to the people.
How She Helps Us:
Pah embodies sacred sunlight as nourishment for the earth, spirit, and people. She offers vitality, warmth, and balance with nature’s cycles.
How She Assists the Modern Woman:
Pah teaches the value of consistency, tending to growth, and walking in right relationship with life. She helps modern women return to the cycles of nature and root their radiance in reciprocity.
Affirmation:
“I grow in harmony with the sun. My light nourishes what is sacred in me and around me.”
Journal Prompt:
What daily rhythms help me feel connected, grounded, and radiant?
Associated Flower:
🌽 Corn Blossom – A symbol of life, fertility, and nourishment; central to Pueblo traditions and aligned with solar growth.
Associated Crystal:
🔆 Golden Healer Quartz – A powerful healing stone, it promotes balance, vitality, and solar harmony in the physical and energetic body.
Associated Essential Oil:
🌞 Copaiba – Earthy and warming, it connects solar light to grounded growth, easing emotional tension and supporting resilience.
15. Meda (MEE-duh)
Realm: Algonquian (Great Lakes Region) — Female Sun Spirit (lesser-known oral traditions)
History: In some versions of Algonquian storytelling, the sun is described as female or having a feminine force who watches over the earth and maintains life with unwavering vision. While not as well-documented, these stories honor the sun not only as a celestial object but as a wise, constant grandmother-like figure.
How She Helps Us:
Meda represents ancestral light and elder wisdom. She encourages clarity, sustained effort, and spiritual vision in everyday life.
How She Assists the Modern Woman:
She empowers women to trust their inner knowing and to see through illusions. She guides with the steady gaze of the sun—illuminating truth gently but persistently.
Affirmation:
“I see clearly with the light of wisdom. I walk my path with trust and vision.”
Journal Prompt:
What truth is asking to be seen more clearly in my life right now?
Associated Flower:
🌻 Black-Eyed Susan – Symbol of encouragement and spiritual sight; thrives in the sun and mirrors Meda’s constancy.
Associated Crystal:
🔆 Yellow Jasper – Grounds solar energy and strengthens insight, endurance, and protection on your path.
Associated Essential Oil:
🌞 Bay Laurel – Opens spiritual sight and supports clarity of direction; invokes sacred vision.
16. Selu (SEH-loo) (Corn Woman / Sun-Aligned Earth Spirit)
Realm: Cherokee — Corn Mother, closely tied to solar cycles
History: Selu is the Cherokee Corn Mother, a goddess of life, nourishment, and sacrifice. Although often considered an Earth deity, her life-giving role is intimately tied to the sun’s seasonal journey, as she governs the growth of crops and sacred timing. Her solar aspect comes through her role in the harvest and her body becoming nourishment after death.
How She Helps Us:
Selu offers sacred sustenance, generosity, and the wisdom of sacrifice. She teaches that life is cyclical, sacred, and interconnected.
How She Assists the Modern Woman:
Selu reminds women to honor their contributions and the ways they give life—physically, emotionally, creatively. She encourages self-respect and ancestral wisdom.
Affirmation:
“I am sacred nourishment. My gifts feed life and honor all who came before me.”
Journal Prompt:
What do I offer the world from my deepest self—and how do I replenish that offering?
Associated Flower:
🌸 Milkweed – Symbol of sustenance and sacred giving; once used by Indigenous peoples for both practical and spiritual purposes.
Associated Crystal:
🔆 Garnet – Deep, life-affirming energy; supports grounded giving, ancestral connection, and resilience.
Associated Essential Oil:
🌞 Basil – Supports energetic renewal, clarity, and sacred strength in body and spirit.
17. Tonatiuh (toh-NAH-tee-uh) – Feminine Interpretation
Realm: Aztec (Mexica) – Sun Deity with Feminine Aspects
History: While Tonatiuh is traditionally known as a masculine sun god in Aztec cosmology, many modern interpretations and oral retellings suggest that solar energy was not strictly gendered. The feminine counterpart is reflected in Tonantzin (“Our Revered Mother”), a powerful solar-mother aspect honored at sacred temples like Tepeyac—where the Virgin of Guadalupe was later superimposed.
How She Helps Us:
She offers solar compassion, divine protection, and fierce maternal strength. She is both life-giver and destroyer, teaching reverence for cosmic balance.
How She Assists the Modern Woman:
Tonantzin helps women embrace the full power of sacred motherhood, leadership, and ancestral pride. She invites healing through reconnection to divine origins and feminine solar lineage.
Affirmation:
“I carry the power of my ancestors. I shine with radiant strength, wisdom, and grace.”
Journal Prompt:
How can I reclaim the solar power of my sacred feminine lineage?
Associated Flower:
🌺 Mexican Marigold (Tagetes) – Used in Day of the Dead ceremonies, symbolizing ancestral light, protection, and divine memory.
Associated Crystal:
🔆 Obsidian (Golden Sheen) – Mirrors inner truth, clears trauma, and reflects ancestral solar fire.
Associated Essential Oil:
🌞 Copal – Sacred resin used in Aztec and Maya rituals; purifies, protects, and connects to divine sun energy.
18. Nokomis (noh-KOH-miss)
Realm: Ojibwe / Anishinaabe – Grandmother Sun / Grandmother Earth
History: Nokomis is honored as the Grandmother figure in many Ojibwe and Anishinaabe stories. She represents the ancestral feminine force of wisdom, often interpreted as both Grandmother Earth and Grandmother Sun, depending on the tradition. She raised the culture hero Nanabozho and is seen as a guiding light.
How She Helps Us:
Nokomis offers wisdom, nurturing, and enduring light across generations. She brings peace, storytelling, and strength rooted in ancestry.
How She Assists the Modern Woman:
She nurtures the inner wise woman and teaches the value of presence, listening, and holding space for others. She encourages reconnection with heritage and intergenerational healing.
Affirmation:
“I am rooted in the wisdom of my ancestors. I walk in the light of their love and strength.”
Journal Prompt:
What story from my lineage do I carry, and how can I honor it in the light?
Associated Flower:
🌸 Wild Rose – Sacred to many First Nations, symbolizing love, generational healing, and feminine strength.
Associated Crystal:
🔆 Labradorite – Stone of the Northern Lights, enhances ancestral connection and visionary insight.
Associated Essential Oil:
🌞 Cedarwood – Used in purification and elder blessing rituals; grounding and deeply ancestral.
19. Ishkoday (ISH-koh-day) (“Fire Woman”)
Realm: Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) — Spirit of Fire and Solar Warmth
History: Ishkoday is not a single defined goddess but a feminine archetype of fire and light found in stories of the Sacred Fire. This spirit is honored in Midewiwin (traditional medicine society) teachings, which emphasize balance between fire, spirit, and heart.
How She Helps Us:
She brings passion, warmth, guidance, and healing through fire. Ishkoday teaches transformation, courage, and the sacred responsibility of tending the inner flame.
How She Assists the Modern Woman:
She supports emotional release, creative ignition, and deep heart-cleansing. She helps women own their emotional power with grounded spiritual responsibility.
Affirmation:
“The fire within me is sacred. I tend it with courage, reverence, and joy.”
Journal Prompt:
What fuels my inner fire—and what needs to be released to keep it burning clean?
Associated Flower:
🔥 Fireweed – The first to bloom after forest fires, it symbolizes rebirth, renewal, and fierce resilience.
Associated Crystal:
🔆 Carnelian – Activates passion, courage, and spiritual warmth—resonates deeply with Ishkoday’s flame.
Associated Essential Oil:
🌞 Cinnamon – Invigorating and warming, supports courage and passion with sacred fire energy.
20. Oshkikwe (osh-KIH-kweh) (“Day Woman”)
Realm: Great Lakes Indigenous (Anishinaabe, Dakota) – Solar Day Spirit
History: Oshkikwe is the spirit of the daylight in several oral traditions. While not as widely documented in Western sources, she appears in certain teachings as a guardian of sunrise, clarity, and the feminine force that walks with the sun through the sky.
How She Helps Us:
She brings illumination, truth-telling, and energetic renewal. Oshkikwe clears the fog of confusion and invites fresh perspective.
How She Assists the Modern Woman:
She supports clarity of purpose, revitalization, and walking through life with direction and integrity. She reminds us that each day is sacred.
Affirmation:
“Each day I rise with renewed clarity and walk with the power of the sun.”
Journal Prompt:
What clarity is being offered to me right now through the light of truth?
Associated Flower:
🌞 Sunflower – Turns to the light and brings positivity, vitality, and focus—aligned with Oshkikwe’s bright path.
Associated Crystal:
🔆 Yellow Aventurine – Clears the mind, boosts joy, and supports clear decision-making aligned with solar will.
Associated Essential Oil:
🌞 Lemon – Clean, energizing, and clarifying; refreshes the mental and spiritual body.
5 radiant Sun-Themed Oracle/Tarot Spreads
Here are 5 radiant Sun-Themed Oracle/Tarot Spreads designed to help you work with solar energy for clarity, confidence, manifestation, and divine purpose. These spreads align beautifully with the goddesses of the sun and can be used during sunrise, solar holidays (like the Summer Solstice), or whenever you need to ignite your inner light.
☀️ 1. “Awaken Your Inner Sun” 3-Card Spread
Purpose: To connect with your inner radiance and soul truth.
- Where is my inner light strongest right now?
- What is currently dimming my light or confidence?
- How can I shine more boldly in alignment with my soul?
🔮 Use this spread at sunrise or when starting a new project or personal chapter.
🔥 2. “Solar Sovereignty” 5-Card Spread
Purpose: Reclaim personal power and shine unapologetically.
- What power am I meant to claim at this time?
- Where have I been playing small or dimming myself?
- What fear needs to be transmuted by light?
- Which solar goddess or archetype is guiding me now?
- What action will root me in radiant self-leadership?
🌞 Ideal for working with goddesses like Amaterasu, Áine, or Sekhmet.
🌻 3. “The Radiant Path” 6-Card Spread
Purpose: Illuminate your next aligned steps with solar clarity.
- Where am I currently on my soul’s path?
- What lesson is rising with the light?
- What must be released in order to move forward?
- What gift or talent is ready to be expressed?
- How can I walk in greater harmony with my purpose?
- What outcome awaits if I walk fully in my light?
🔅 Use during the Summer Solstice, personal rebirth rituals, or when seeking vision.
🌞 4. “Solar Seed Manifestation” 4-Card Spread
Purpose: To plant, nourish, and grow a sacred intention using solar energy.
- What intention is ready to be planted in the light?
- What energy is needed to nourish this seed?
- What obstacle needs to be transmuted by the sun?
- What will this intention grow into when fully illuminated?
🌿 Can be paired with solar herbs (like calendula, sunflower) and oils in ritual.
☀️ 5. “The Sun Wheel” 8-Card Spread (for Sabbats or Year Cycles)
Purpose: Track your journey through the solar year and embody your highest light.
- Winter Solstice – What light is gestating in darkness?
- Imbolc – What is stirring awake within me?
- Spring Equinox – What new energy is being born?
- Beltane – What desires seek to be honored?
- Summer Solstice – Where can I shine at full power?
- Lammas – What am I harvesting from the light?
- Autumn Equinox – What is ready to be released?
- Samhain – What wisdom remains as the light wanes?
🌞 Use once a year or seasonally to work with the Wheel of the Sun.
Bell's Mountain Connection 