Today's Goddess: Shakuru

Sun Dance (Northcentral United States )

Themes:  Theft; Divination; Sun; Truth; Magic

Symbols:  Sun; Gold/Yellow Items

About Shakuru:  Pawnee Daughter of the Moon and Goddess of the sun, Shakuru joins summer celebrations by shining her light on today's ceremony.  In Pawnee stories, Shakuru's son became the first man on earth, making her the mother of humankind.

To Do Today:  About this time of year the Plains Indians gather to welcome the sun and all its power.  All manner of magical practices take place during this rite, including divinations to uncover a thief or murderer using totemic practices.  For our purposes this might translate into divining for a totem animal whom we can call on for guidance and energy in times of need. 

To do this you'll need a lot of animal pictures (cut from magazines or anywhere else you can find them).  Make the images the same shape and size to ensure randomness.  Sit quietly with these face-down before you and ask Shakuru to guide your hand.  Don't move quickly, and wait until the paper below your hand feels warm, a sign of Shakuru's presence.  Turn it over and see what animal it is, then read up on that creature in folklore collections to see what message it's bringing you.

As much as possible, try to move clockwise today (imitating the natural movement of the sun through the sky).  Walk through your house going to the right, stir your coffee clockwise, clean windows using clockwise strokes, and so forth.  This honors Shakuru and draws the sun's blessings into your life.

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By Patricia Telesco~ From "365 Goddess"  and GrannyMoon's Morning Feast