Prayer to Sol

"Apollo, God of Light" by Meynier, circa 1790s

Sol is the deity that is the sun. In the Roman tradition Sol is identified with Apollo, God of healing (and illness), light, music, poetry and prophecy. He is traditionally conceived of as a beautiful youth with long, golden hair. Alternate names for Apollo include Phoebus, the Greek Helios and Sol Invictus, the invincible sun. In the Germanic tradition Sol is a beautiful Goddess, also known as Sunna, who will give birth to a new sun before she is destroyed at Ragnarok. Like Apollo, she is associated with hope, light and divine protection. I do not know if I regard Sol as a God or Goddess. Excepting northern Europe, Indo-European religions generally conceive of Sol as male, but were we to sail to Japan every devout citizen there would swear that Sol (Amaterasu) is female, and it is the same amongst Indigenous Australians (Yhi), and no doubt among many other peoples. Nonetheless, wherever you go Sol is the embodiment of the sun, warmth, light and life. It is in consideration of these fundamental aspects that the following prayers are put forth.

For more on Apollo see Apollo - God of Healing, Music and the Sun. For more on Sol Invictus see The Invincible Sun - Sol Invictus. For more on the Germanic Sol see The Germanic Sun (scroll half way down the post).

Prayer I

Sol rises and fills the air with warming rays,

Gazing on high, supreme healer, creator of days.

Your salubrious beams are dear to all our kind.

Without which to darkness we’d be confined.

Light bringer, heat bringer, soother of the mind.

Downward Sol sends heat: so downward go malaise.

Witness the centre of this sacred universe, all ablaze.

Let Sol bring a remedy, shine forth, banish our maladies

Protect our bodies and our spirits from disease.

Send us good health and good hearts, without pretense,

And may it please you, this offering of wine and incense.

[inspired by various Vedic hymns to Surya, as translated by Griffith]