Solstices & Spirituality

 

The Spiritual Sun 

As we’ve learned through our assignments and reading, the spring and fall equinoxes are the times when the Sun appears to cross the equator, causing daytime to be the same length at almost all latitudes. These two days, in addition to the winter and summer solstices, held high significance in ancient spirituality. The adoration of the Sun is seen in a huge variety of ancient cultures, from Egyptian to Mayan to Incan, from Greek to even Christian identities, as it serves as a representation of the path to holiness or enlightenment. This is seen more obviously in the sun gods of ancient religions, but is also present in more modern expressions of religion – for example, the timing of the story of the birth of Jesus Christ at the winter solstice and His rising at the spring equinox. Cultures throughout time and across the Earth have developed (or recognized, depending on one’s point of view) the presence of a greater “Spirit” of sorts, and it’s interesting to see how the natural patterns of the universe have influenced organized religion and thus modern society.

“Thou shinest in the horizon, thou sendest forth thy light into darkness, thou makest the darkness light with thy double plume, and thou floodest the world with light like the Disk at break of day. Thy diadem pierceth heaven and becometh a brother unto the stars, O thou form of every god.” – “Hymn to Osiris”, The Egyptian Book of the Dead