People throughout time have celebrated the return of the sun by honoring the goddesses, gods, saints and other entities that represent to them this pivotal time of year. Honoring the richness of these cultural beliefs can open doors to a deeper understanding of how we are connected to each other. These stories, rituals or prayers can also become a conduit to enter our own state of grace.
For each of the names below I've listed a link to a website that shares more information, just to start you on your journey.
For each of the names below I've listed a link to a website that shares more information, just to start you on your journey.
Amaterusa (Japan): "Amaterasu Omikami (‘the great divinity illuminating heaven’) is the sun goddess, the most important deity of the Shinto religion and ruler of Takama no Hara (the High Celestial Plain), the domain of the kami or spirits..." http://www.ancient.eu/Amaterasu/
Sunne (Scandinavia): "In Norse mythology, the Sun is associated with the female while the moon is considered male. This is possibly due to the long, dark winters of Scandinavia and that the coming of the sun is associated with warmth, light, light, and fertility..." http://reclaimingthedarkgoddess.blogspot.com/2010/04/sol-goddess-of-sun.html
Lucia (Sweden): “Lucina themes are banishing, kindness, charity, health and protection. Her symbols are candles (light sources). Lucina means light..." https://journeyingtothegoddess.wordpress.com/tag/st-lucia/
La Befana (Italy): "In Italy, there remains today, a tradition involving the beneficent witch Befana. She is one of the three goddesses of Fate in Tuscan Witchcraft: Rododesa, Marantega and Befana. Befana may be considered the Italian version of Santa Claus. She is dressed as a Renaissance peasant woman and may be seen as the Hecate aspect of the Goddess..." http://moonpathcuups.org/rituals/lafesta.htm (Nice site; I particularly like the "calling in the directions" on it.)
Oya (Africa): "Oya is the primeval Mother of Chaos, the destructive force of the Goddess. She is the Wild Woman, the Force of Change. With Her machete and flywhisk Oya rips down the old in order to make way for the new... https://goddessinspired.wordpress.com/2012/04/15/oya-the-dark-goddess-of-storms-destruction-and-change-of-the-yoruba-people/
Persephone (Greek): ..."Each year as Persephone left to join her husband in the Underworld, Greek mythology tells us that the goddess Demeter would begin to grieve, bringing on the cold, barren winters. But a few months later Persephone, the goddess associated with awakening, would return to bring spring and its verdant growth in her wake . . . thus were the seasons established..." http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/greek_goddess_persephone.htm (I particularly like this website because it tells more than just the Persephone story with Hades. It includes examples of how she was involved in other legends. She took her duties as Queen of the Underworld seriously as well as her relationship to her mother.)
Tonantzin (Mexico)
Sunne (Scandinavia): "In Norse mythology, the Sun is associated with the female while the moon is considered male. This is possibly due to the long, dark winters of Scandinavia and that the coming of the sun is associated with warmth, light, light, and fertility..." http://reclaimingthedarkgoddess.blogspot.com/2010/04/sol-goddess-of-sun.html
Lucia (Sweden): “Lucina themes are banishing, kindness, charity, health and protection. Her symbols are candles (light sources). Lucina means light..." https://journeyingtothegoddess.wordpress.com/tag/st-lucia/
La Befana (Italy): "In Italy, there remains today, a tradition involving the beneficent witch Befana. She is one of the three goddesses of Fate in Tuscan Witchcraft: Rododesa, Marantega and Befana. Befana may be considered the Italian version of Santa Claus. She is dressed as a Renaissance peasant woman and may be seen as the Hecate aspect of the Goddess..." http://moonpathcuups.org/rituals/lafesta.htm (Nice site; I particularly like the "calling in the directions" on it.)
Oya (Africa): "Oya is the primeval Mother of Chaos, the destructive force of the Goddess. She is the Wild Woman, the Force of Change. With Her machete and flywhisk Oya rips down the old in order to make way for the new... https://goddessinspired.wordpress.com/2012/04/15/oya-the-dark-goddess-of-storms-destruction-and-change-of-the-yoruba-people/
Persephone (Greek): ..."Each year as Persephone left to join her husband in the Underworld, Greek mythology tells us that the goddess Demeter would begin to grieve, bringing on the cold, barren winters. But a few months later Persephone, the goddess associated with awakening, would return to bring spring and its verdant growth in her wake . . . thus were the seasons established..." http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/greek_goddess_persephone.htm (I particularly like this website because it tells more than just the Persephone story with Hades. It includes examples of how she was involved in other legends. She took her duties as Queen of the Underworld seriously as well as her relationship to her mother.)
Tonantzin (Mexico)
Lucina, goddess of light,
Come to your daughters.
Mother above, heaven shining
All faces turn toward the sun.
Remember us
In the turning of the wheel.
We call to you, Return!
Mother below, quiet and deep,
This is your time to sleep.
Remember us
In your winter’s dreaming.
We call to you, Return
Come to your daughters.
Mother above, heaven shining
All faces turn toward the sun.
Remember us
In the turning of the wheel.
We call to you, Return!
Mother below, quiet and deep,
This is your time to sleep.
Remember us
In your winter’s dreaming.
We call to you, Return