Welcome to How We…
Each month, members of the Children & Families team will be sharing How We have introduced aspects of our community to our children. We will cover everything from the Aether to Zeus and we invite you on our journey. We continue with How We…Introduce the Sun
The Sun, although an essential part of life it is not something that I regularly connect with in a ritual way. I observe the solstices and have done even when life has meant I have missed all other festivals. However other than the odd reference within circle casting I don’t use the sun.
This year for the Summer Solstice we all wove woollen suns for the altar and that was a lovely way to connect with it at the height of its energy. My kids loved the activity and still have the suns up in their room now the altar has been dressed for Lughnasadh.
Cat
Southeast Liaison, Children & Families Team
The sun, like the moon was introduced at a young age. It’s evident in the sky daily and children are naturally curious about this big shining light that radiates heat. I have explained how important the sun is for many things such as a source of light, vitamins, heat and how the sun helps plants to grow.
We have talked about the setting and rising of the sun, the cycle of the sun through the year and the dangers of the sun.
Sun stories I have told the children include “The legend of Icarus” and myths of Sun deities including Ra the Egyptian falcon headed God.
We have also covered the stories and superstition of solar eclipses and how they were looked upon in fear, although there is a lovely German take that says the eclipse is the Moon man uniting with the Sun woman. What’s interesting here is that the sun is portrayed as a female but in our house the sun is thought of as a male energy.
Hannah
Mid-West & Wales Liaison, Children & Families Team
The sun is obviously a major player in plenty of spiritual paths, and it feels like it should have a serious part to play in family life. However, when I think on it, I don’t think we talk about the sun half as much as we do the moon. In England, this makes no sense, as we see the sun just as rarely as we do the moon—it needs celebrating!
We do talk sun safety a lot; hats, sun cream; don’t look directly at it! And we talk plenty about the seasons: why the sun is higher or lower, why it rises in the east and sets in the west, and all the kids understand the solstices and equinoxes. I guess the sun is our first science teacher and our first point of spiritual connection to the universe and the land around us. It’s also the first look at diametrically opposed aspects within a single object: the sun both harms and heals, giving us vitamin D and fighting depression while also causing sunspots and worse problems if we over-indulge. It gives plants life, but it can also dry them out and kill them. The sun is a great teacher about moderation, but also about joy and dashing out to throw the paddling pool in the back garden on a surprisingly summery day.
Mabh
Secretary, Children & Families Team