In honor of the Summer Solstice-tide (locally, our festival was delayed until this weekend, so I’m still in solstice-mode), I bring you the rite of Capturing Sunlight, and a chant for Isis as The Radiant One, the Solar Goddess, the Golden One.
The Rite of Capturing Sunlight
Preparation for the Rite: For this rite, you’ll need a sunny day; time your rite for when the sun is high in the sky, also have some flash paper, a good-sized magnifying glass, a small brazier with very small kindling (such as wood shavings and twigs), a yellow pillar candle, and a vessel of water to douse the fire when you’re done.
Build a mound of the kindling and flash paper in the brazier so that when the flash paper ignites, it will catch the kindling on fire. Have the yellow candle ready to light from the brazier fire.
Opening
Stand fully outside in the sunlight and say,
Ritualist: What Exists LIVES when SHE shines!
Close your eyes and let the sunlight shine upon your eyelids. As the red-gold of Isis the Radiant One touches you, She sees you, recognizes you, knows you. And She coaxes you to growth in Her yellow heat. Like a lotus flower blooming, open yourself to Her, Isis the Radiant Goddess—to She Who is called the Gold and the Female Re and the Flame.
Raise your hands in the Gesture of Adoration and address the Goddess.
Ritualist: At this Summer Solstice-tide, at this hour, in the place, O Isis, Your solar fire is in its greatest strength. And so I ask a boon of the strong. I ask You to send a ray of Your soul-illuminating Light to guide me in the darkness of these times. Send Your red-gold sunlight, Goddess, and let Your magic be with me to light my way and illumine the shadows.
In Her name and by Her golden and fiery power, I invoke a ray of sunlight from the heart of the Goddess!
Invoking Her Light
Take out the magnifying glass and focus a beam of sunlight through the glass and onto the flash paper under the kindling. Chant until the flash paper ignites and the kindling catches fire.
Ritualist: (Chanting or singing softly)
Isis, I drink Your sunlight,
Radiant One, I breathe You in.
Isis, I eat Your magic,
Radiant One, take me within.
Once the kindling is burning, light the yellow candle from the fire and keep it protected from any breezes that might extinguish it.
Closing
Ritualist: I thank You Isis for Your Light—and always for your power, wisdom, magic, and love (add your own thanks as you wish). M’den, Iset, accept it, Isis.
Put out the brazier fire and clean up as needed. Take the lit candle to your altar for meditation; you may light it any time you wish to call upon Isis’ illuminating and fiery powers. You can blow the candle out and relight it with a standard firestarter without diminishing its magic.
