Welcome and blessings to all in our community

Dear Shamanic Community of Austin

Join us for the month of August as we reflect (literally) with the power of the Sun.

Sun Medicine

The sun has always been a powerful spirit, providing warmth, allowing crops to grow, bringing drought and famine. There has been Worship and sacrifice to the sun spirits for thousands of years, all over the world. For modern spiritual and shamanic practice, the sun provides cleansing and purification and even as a conduit for channeling higher spirits.

Throughout history, cultures around the world have revered the sun not only as a life-giving force but also as a symbol of healing and rejuvenation. The belief in the sun’s healing properties traces back to ancient civilizations all around the world, where various practices and rituals centered around harnessing the sun’s energy for therapeutic, energetic, and spiritual purposes. And even today, remedies and cures are still in use.

• Ancient Egypt: In ancient Egyptian civilization, the sun god Ra was the ultimate healer and provider of life. Temples dedicated to Ra served as centers for healing, where priests and healers would perform rituals and prayers to invoke the sun god’s blessings for the sick and ailing. Sunbathing and solar therapies were also common practices, believed to restore vitality and promote overall well-being.
• Ancient Greece: The Greeks held the sun god Apollo in high regard, attributing healing, and purification abilities to him. Apollo was associated with the medicinal arts, and his temples called “Asclepions” served as places of healing. People would visit these sanctuaries to seek cures for their ailments through prayer, dream incubation, and exposure to sunlight.
• Traditional Chinese Medicine: In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the concept of “yang” energy is closely related to the sun’s qualities. Yang is associated with warmth, light, and activity, and it plays a vital role in maintaining balance and health. Sunlight exposure, particularly during specific times of the day, stimulates the body’s energy channels and promotes healing.
• Ayurveda: In the ancient Indian system of Ayurveda, the sun’s energy is a potent source of healing and vital energy (prana). Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) is a well-known yoga practice that involves a series of postures performed facing the sun, believed to invigorate the body, mind, and spirit.
• Heliotherapy in Modern Times: In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, heliotherapy gained popularity as a medical treatment for various diseases. Physicians believed that exposure to sunlight could cure conditions like tuberculosis, rickets, and skin diseases. Sunlight was a disinfectant, as well, especially during the First World War, where open-air treatments were employed to prevent infections in wounded soldiers.

Native American cultures also have a deep and spiritual connection to the sun. While specific practices and beliefs varied among different tribes, there are sun-related healing rituals and ceremonies still practiced today. Here are four examples:

• Sun Dance: The Sun Dance is one of the most well-known Native American ceremonies related to the sun. The ceremony, practiced by various plains tribes, such as the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho, typically takes place during the summer solstice and is a powerful spiritual event involving fasting, dancing, singing, and other rituals. The participants seek both personal and community renewal, healing, and a connection.
• Solar Alignment Observances: Native American tribes, such as the Ancestral Puebloans (Anasazi) and the Hopi, constructed ancient structures like cliff dwellings and kivas that aligned with the solar patterns. These structures provided a space for various purposes, including healing ceremonies. The alignment of these sacred spaces with the sun’s movements served both practical and spiritual purposes, reflecting the tribes’ deep understanding of the celestial connection to healing.
• Ritual: In Central and South America there are instances of sun worship found within the mythology and religious systems, recognized within the symbolism of carved reliefs, on painted pottery, and within giant geoglyphs created on the desert floor. The more prominent societies were the Aztecs, Inca, Maya, Moche, Nazca and Chavin. Within these cultures, the sun was honored in overly complex ways to track the changing seasons. Sun rituals, festivals, and sacrifices provided a way to appease the gods and bring good fortune in the fields and on the battlefield for the wellbeing of the entire population.
• Sun-related Herbal Medicine: Native American medicine people often incorporate sun-related elements into their herbal remedies. The harvesting and preparation of plants that thrive under sunlight takes place during specific solar events, such as solstices and equinoxes, and can heighten the healing properties of the plants. These medicinal herbs can treat various ailments and restore balance and harmony within the body.

While advancements in modern medicine have provided alternative treatments and therapies, the belief in the sun’s healing, energetic and spiritual properties persist in various forms. Sunbathing, outdoor activities, and sunlight exposure boosts mood, enhances vitamin D production, and promotes overall well-being. And even today within different belief systems, being in the sun is a method of purification and spiritual connection.

Take your own shamanic journey or meditation and explore your relationship with the sun. Discover for yourself through your own practice what power, wisdom, and healing the sun can provide you.

Her is wishing you all a quiet, restful and productive exploration in the August sunshine.

Please visit the Shamanic Community of Austin Meetup site for all current event listings and to RSVP.

Please RSVP with integrity. A solid head-count before each event helps us better plan and better serve the entire community.

Looking forward to seeing you in circle soon!

With so much deep love and honor,
The Leadership Team for the Shamanic Community of Austin
SCA offers a combination of in-person and on-line events.

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