*Sun Medicine

SUN MEDICINE

SUN STAR

• The Sun is a star and has a finite life. It is about 4 and a half billion years old so far. In another 5 and a half billion years it is destined to become a Red Giant and after that it will become a White Dwarf. It is getting bigger.

• It is a massive radioactive furnace of hydrogen and helium (and metal elements) and radiates its energy as heat and light emitting photons, which radiate outward, and at the distance we now happen to be from the Sun – 8.3 ‘light minutes’, and between 92.5 and 94.5 million miles – it creates life on Earth by the process called photosynthesis, (i.e. converting light).
  

  Solar Eclipse

• Solar flares, Sun–spot activity and magnetic storms (which create the Northern Lights) seem to have a direct influence on our world and have been noted to fluctuate in approximately 11-year cycles. At this time, in 2009, Sun-spot activity is reportedly very low. It is predicted that the build up to the next high will be over the next 3 years. This cycle of activity has been observed since the middle of the 19th Century and affects not only our weather, but harvests, health and political and military stability. That means we are affected individually too.

• The Sun is the centre of our Solar System, around which our planets orbit.

TIME

• Earth Time has a relativity to our Sun. Our ‘day’ is the time it takes for Earth to rotate once, showing all its sides to the Sun, causing time to pass as night and day. As the Earth rotates on an axis (approx 23 degrees) the length of day fluctuates between the winter solstice (shortest day) and the summer solstice (longest day) giving us seasons. Solstice means ‘Sun still-point’. This fluctuation is because either the Southern Hemisphere or the Northern Hemisphere is closest to the sun, as the Earth rotates around the Sun during the year.
  

  sun clock

• Our ‘year’ is the time it takes for Earth to orbit the Sun once.

• It is thought that it takes approximately 25 million years for the Sun (our solar system) to orbit the galaxy.

• Our time-clock is based on a year of sunrises. Before 1495BC it was 360 sunrises, (suggesting that either the earth’s orbit of the Sun is slower, or it is further away now).
• This is the basis of the 360 degrees of a circle, and 360 can be conveniently divided by each number, 1-12  – except 7 and 11 ( see below*).
• This circle is divided into 24 hours, or 2 turns of 12 hours (1 day, 1 night at the equinoxes) and is based on the 12 constellations and 12 Houses of the Zodiac (see below**).
• In the circle (clock face) of 12 hours, each hour position moves through 30 degrees (12×30=360 degrees).
• If the circle of one hour is divided into 12, each position is 5 minutes (12×5=60 minutes).
• If the circle of one minute is divided into 12, each position is 5 seconds (12×5=60 seconds).
• One hour= 60mins x60secs=3600 seconds. (When life was slower, were there only 6 moments in a minute?)

• The angles of a 6-pointed star are 60 degrees between points on its circle (6×60=360) and 60 degrees within each point (6×60=360). (The 6-pointed star is a whole subject in itself which I may tackle in a blog post soon.)

• *The cycle of the Moon is approx 28 days and when  divided into 4 quarters, or ‘phases’, each quarter is 7 days= 1 week. Saturn, also, has a 28-year cycle, which is 4×7-year cycles. Therefore the ‘7’ cycles do not fit into the 360 degree Sun circle.

• *The Sun demonstrates an 11 year cycle of sun-spot activity and as such does not fit into the 360 degree Sun circle, therefore it does not have a relativity to Earth Time, although it does affect the Earth.

• **NB – if the 13th constellation was brought into the picture, all these calculations would have to change and would present mathematical difficulties, which is probably why the system based on 12 persists.

This is another way to look at time:

There is an appointed time (zman) for everything. And there is a time (’êth) for every event under heaven–

A time to give birth, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted.

A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to tear down, and a time to build up.

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance.

A time to throw stones, and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, and a time to shun embracing.

A time to search, and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep, and a time to throw away.

A time to tear apart, and a time to sew together; A time to be silent, and a time to speak.

A time to love, and a time to hate; A time for war, and a time for peace. –Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

LIGHT

• The Sun is white – but its light scatters when nearing earth. The first frequencies to scatter are ultraviolet and blue, creating our blue sky, leaving the Sun to look yellow, orange or red as seen from Earth. Whole spectrum light is white, where the range of frequencies is all the colours of the rainbow, between ultra violet and infra red. (many more than 7!)
  

  Red Sky

• Our Sun is one of the brightest stars in the galaxy, the others being mostly red dwarfs.

• The colours that we see in our world are relative to the different frequencies in the spectrum of light, and the co-responding frequency of the material from which the light reflects. E.g. all green things vibrate at the same frequency of green in the light spectrum and reflect the light photons into the eye where we register it as green.

SPACE

• Since the creation of our Sun Star, the energy that blasted it into all the matter that eventually formed the planets has propelled the planets out into their orbits, to either return once again to their origin, or to be cast out into space as the Sun burns up and dies.
  

• The solar system is presently located in an interstellar ‘cloud’ (of gas), near Orion, and between Perseus and Sagittarius constellations.

• **The solar system rotates against the backdrop of 12 constellations (groups of stars) that we place in the Zodiac sphere, divided into 12 ‘Houses’ **, and one rotation takes about 26,000 years.

• The Alignment of our Sun to the centre of our Galaxy happens twice in this 26,000 year cycle and it is thought that this will take place next in 2012. This alignment happens when our Sun crosses the Galactic Plane, in its undulating path above and below this plane.

SYMBOLOGY

• The Sun is the Source of our Light, and the direct enlightenment of our physical world, and night-time is the  temporary Dark, or dream time. Our material reality is experienced consciously with our physical senses, but the dream time is experienced unconsciously.
  

  Sun symbol

• It is because of this Light that the Sun is seen as a god – our ‘Sun God’ – and worshiped (because it is distant and powerful) in a long-distance relationship. Its warmth and light is seen as the Sun God’s Love for us because it keeps us alive and happy. It makes living easy for us.

• But it’s power can also destroy us and is feared as the Sun God’s ‘wrath’. It’s power can strike down in Lightning (Solar or Cosmic?), cause the Fires of Destruction, and kill us. If we don’t shelter from it when it is too hot or bright – when it is too powerful – it can harm us.

• And so the way we can communicate with the Sun God is with intent, knowledge and action, in ceremony and ritual designed around the Sun, especially at certain times like the solar eclipses, equinoxes and solstices, and dawn and dusk.

• The Sun God is considered to be masculine, whereas the Earth Goddess is considered to be feminine.  When God’s Spirit – the seed of  life, love and light – enters the Earth Body – the womb of creation –  it conceives new life  and God Consciousness is born. We can see this miracle in everything that lives and grows.

• But everything that grows, will eventually come to Death – just like the Sun God at sunset and at the Winter Solstice (shortest day/longest night). This includes humans: we are born, we live and we die.

• Yet Life is reborn in a re-creation, a renewal of creation, and in re-incarnation, or re-in-body-ment, of new life. Just as the Sun God is reborn every sunrise and each new year. It will continue in this way until the Earth Body cannot re-create; when the Earth Goddess becomes too old, too hot or too cold to pro-create physically and sustain life (if we don’t destroy her first). This is in direct relation to the age of the Sun God, which will also eventually die. But as it is the Source of all life, perhaps life returns again to the Source?

 

zodiac

**ASTROLOGY – ZODIAC Wherever the Sun is placed when you are born will determine which Sun Sign of the Zodiac you are. Leo is the happy sign that is ruled by the Sun itself. The sun aligns with each constellation in turn, for about 2165 years, (if the cycle is divided equally, rather than to sidereal time) but appears to go backwards. The buzz-word is that we have just left Pisces and are now in Aquarius. This is generally thought to be incorrect by astronomers, (rather than astrologers) who disagree amongst themselves but taking an average, expect the transition into Aquarius to happen in about 600 years. Nevertheless, a transition doesn’t happen over night and may well start its effects earlier. The Zodiac is divided into 13, not 12 Houses, each relating to a constellation. The 13th one, Ophiuchus, has been left out as it is a short transition, and the tradition of 12 persists. All these placements, alignments and configurations affects us all in differing ways at different times. It can be thought of as moving through a rainbow, basking in turn in a different colour, or a range of notes, enjoying different music. It is a different experience.

RELIGION – The ‘All-that-is’ God may or may not be the Sun. (I feel that as we know there is more beyond our Sun, the ‘All-that-is’ God, would be bigger than the Sun, but of course would include the Sun as it would include everything). In Christianity, there are claims that ‘Christ’ is the living Sun consciousness/Spirit that expressed itself specifically through one man, for the enlightenment of Humanity. Another Archangel of the Sun is Lucifer, a fallen Angel. Perhaps Lucifer brought visible light and created illumination and Christ brought the invisible Light and created spiritual enlightenment.  When talking religion, each has its own expression.

Sun God

MYTHOLOGY – There are probably as many names for the Sun God as there are cultures around the world. What is sure is that they all recognise the power and importance of the Sun. Apollo and Archangel Michael perhaps represent messengers from the Sun God. Quetzalcoatl, of the Aztec/Toltec time, from Middle America, was more a living Sun god who brought enlightenment to man, like Jesus Christ, of the Bible Times, from the Middle East. Chinese fire dragons represent the Sun’s energy on and in Earth. Here are some other Sun gods:

(continued below this chart…)

Name of God	Nationality or Religion	God or Goddess or ?	Notes
Amaterasu	Japan	Sun goddess	One of the few Female aspects of the Sun god
Apollo/ Michael	Greece and Rome	Sun god	A messenger from the Sun as he visited mankind
Freyr	Norse	Sun god	Not the main Norse Sun god, but a fertility god associated with the sun.
Garuda	Hindu	Bird God	Birds are often seen as messengers to the Sun
Helios, Helius	Greece	Sun God	Before Apollo was the Sun god of the Greeks, Helios held that position.
Huitzilopochli	Aztec	Sun God	One of many. The Aztecs used gold to please their Sun gods, as the Sun appeared gold.
Inti	Inca	Sun God	The Inca Shamen flew to the Sun and back with messages.
Liza	West African	Sun God	A female name in the West, but this may not be female.
Lugh	Celtic	Sun God	The Celtic fire festival of summer, high sun, is named after Lugh.
Ra, Re	Egypt	Mid-day Sun God	One of the Egyptian gods shown with a solar disk. Center of worship was Heliopolis. Later associated with Horus (time) as Re-Horakhty. Also combined with Amun to form Amun-Ra, a solar creator god.
Sol, Sunna	Norse	Sun Goddess	She rides in a horse-drawn solar chariot across the sky from east to west.
Sol Invictus	Roman	Sun God	The unconquered sun (reflecting their desire to be unconquered?). A late Roman sun god. The title was also used of Mithras.
Surya	Hindu	Sun God	Rides the sky in a horse-drawn chariot.
Tonatiuh	Aztec	Sun God	Relating to a different phase of the sun?
Utu, Shamash	Jewish	Sun God	Depicted as a winged solar disc

SUN MEDICINE – The Sun has always been honoured by all cultures worldwide, in rituals and ceremonies, prayers and supplications because of the recognition of its power and importance. For pagan and indigenous groups, the four seasonal Fire Festivals offer rites of passage and initiation. The Glastonbury pop festival may be seen as the modern day version of the summer solstice festival, and Christmas is a Christianising of the winter solstice festival. The equinoxes were also fire festivals for seed-sowing and harvesting. Fire is used in nearly all ceremonies, sometimes as candles, to represent the Sun’s power and light.

TREES, Plants, Animals and Us – As our largest plants, trees photosynthesise sunlight on a grand scale. They store the Sun’s energy as oils in their wood. Logs used for fires release the stored Sun energy, concentrated over hundreds of years, as they burn, and we can enjoy the light and warmth of the Sun during the cold dark months. Fossil fuels are stored sunlight from over millenia. All plants photosynthesise the sun’s energy into sugars, carbohydrates, vitamins and proteins, the edible ones being food for us. All food is stored sunlight. In the absence of plants, we can eat animals, which have also stored sunlight by converting their food into flesh. Our bodies are stored sunlight.

Sunbathing

NATURAL HEALTH – It is vital to all living things to be exposed to the Sun’s light and warmth. Sunlight synthesises in melanin, in human skin, to protect it, causing it to darken, (tan) and it promotes ‘vit’ D, (a prohormone) essential for healthy skin and bones. Sunlight is uplifting, energising and creates happiness. Even on a dull day, sunlight can penetrate cloud and be therapeutic to mood and health. Ideally we were made to live outside, but originally we may have had more hair  or stronger skin to protect us. Sunlight activates the pineal gland and creates melatonin at night, which is beneficial for our biological time-clock, bio-rhythms and sleep. But like everything, too much can be detrimental.

SUN WATCHING – Since the beginning of time humans have sat and contemplated the rising and setting sun. There is good reason for this. First, it is good to contemplate the start and end of a day; to plan, and to reflect, to pray and to give thanks to the source of life. It is meditative to watch the sun arrive and disappear and puts life into perspective. It allows a sense of peace and contentment in the spirit of man, and assists enlightenment.

Sungazing

There has been a revival of this act of sun-gazing, encouraged by the wise elders of both east and west. There is a time when it is beneficial and not harmful to look at the Sun, but go with caution. (A few minutes after sunrise and before sunset). If you are new to doing this, start with only a few seconds and build the time slowly and carefully. This practice will change your life.

LIFE BEYOND – When considering LIFE, we observe everything that we can and draw our knowledge from it   But it is one thing to have knowledge, and another thing entirely to have the wisdom to use it well! It is within the experience of many, that the finite life of our physical dimension has another, more mysterious, magical and miraculous aspect that is beyond the physical dimension and unrestricted by time. Beyond our solar system there is an array of constellations, and a Galaxy that is spiraling around. Beyond this galaxy there is Outer Space with more galaxies and Super Novas and universes. Outer space is a mirror image of our inner space. (As above, so below). If we go inward far enough, we now know that something extra-ordinary happens. A single light particle, which is also a wave vibration through a range of frequencies, can exist in at least two places at once. That gives it a quantum potential of being either this or that or something else. But what determines it’s fate? How does it choose? Is it random or does it have a design, a purpose and free will? Can we influence it – when we relate to it?

Take that knowledge and go outward as far as we can and the same law may apply. A single Sun, Galaxy and Universe can possibly exist in at least two potential places. So what determines which exists and which doesn’t? Possibly only our observance and perception, experience, acceptance and/or belief of it.

THE MIND OF THE SUN (CONSCIOUSNESS)

Living Sun

If there is one thing that is unique to the experience of  the human being, it is that we can think: we are conscious, or sentient. Using this power of thought we can become ‘Enlightened’. And by using this power of thought we can determine, in every second, whether to do this, or to do that, or something else. In this way we use our MIND to create, with free will and the power of choice.

If we humans can create, and we are such minute specks in a vast physical world, and we know that the Sun can create life on earth, is it not impossible to speculate that the Sun has a MIND too? Is this not the SOURCE of our creative, powerful, either/or potential, which makes our existence unique? And if we, as living entities, are conscious, with an ability to make choices, surely the SOURCE of life is CONSCIOUS too.

If we are the embodiment of our CONSCIOUSNESS, is not every living thing the embodiment of its consciousness?

space sun

So, is the SUN the embodiment of its CONSCIOUSNESS?

And beyond the Sun…….

Wendy Salter

(Original writing plus some referenced data)