For a long time the Goddess has been associated with the moon. Although in the ancient world, many different cultures associated it with the sun. With the onset of the patriarchal society, much of the ancient wisdom of the Goddess was suppressed along with it. Any ancient energy sources that she claimed for herself, were removed and given to the newer, “powerful” Gods. She was relegated to just being a moon goddess. She was no longer given the representation of the power of the sun. Not that being a moon goddess is a bad thing by any means. It shows us how much patriarchal societies really stole from our ancient Mother. Aside from the fact that they rewrote all the myths to be in favor of the new gods, they also stripped her of her sacred meanings and connections.
It makes sense that the Goddess is associated with the sun, due to its life-giving properties. The ancients worshiped the sun because they knew how important it was for their survival. The great power of her gave life to their crops and warmed their bodies. Every winter, people from cultures around the world held great festivals to celebrate the power of the returning sun, when life would once again be abundant on earth. The feminine aspect comes to us by those life-giving properties for which the sun is known. The women and the Goddess give birth to a new life. So connecting the Goddess with the sun would make a lot of sense to ancient people.
There are many goddesses associated with the sun, such as Brigid, Aine, Bast, Isis, and Amaterasu to name a few. Brigid and Aine are Celtic goddesses associated with the warmth and life-giving power of the sun. Bast, the cat goddess of Egypt, symbolized the fertilizing rays of the sun. Isis is the Great Mother Goddess of Ancient Egypt. She wears a sun disk on her crown. Finally, Amaterasu is the Japanese Shinto goddess whose name means big bright sky. Her symbol is the rising sun, which appears on the Japanese flag.
If you’ve ever seen the sunrise, I’m sure you’ll find it easy to connect with feminine energy. In fact, I have seen many beautiful sunrises, where I have felt the strong energy of the Goddess. As the sun slips over the horizon, with its colors of oranges and yellows, pinks and reds, she is so majestic in her beauty. She literally stops you in your tracks and you can’t take your eyes off. That great ball of fire that rises has a primary energy, an ancient energy. Connecting with the same ancient people who beheld the same great face of hers. The primal connection to the earth and all the beautiful creatures on it is what you will feel when you connect with the power of the rising sun. She is reborn every day to give the rest of the world a chance to be reborn. Her fertile light makes us humans feel whole and connected. If you haven’t seen a sunrise, do yourself a favor. As you watch, meditate, listen to the sounds of the birds and the other animals getting up for the day. Connect with that ancient life energy, which we used to be so in tune with. After your sunrise meditation, record any thoughts that have come to you.
During one of my special sunrise experiences, I recorded this quote from my thoughts:
I imagine She is Isis waking from her sleep, Spreading her golden wings far and wide, To reach the depths of our souls…
I hope you enjoy working with the ancient feminine power of the sun!
