Deities of Summer
As the Wheel turns and the days stretch long under bright skies, you may feel the call to expand your practice and work with the spirits and Deities of summer, those beings who dwell in warmth and illumination. Whether you follow an ancestral path or a more intuitive craft, aligning with these solar Deities can root you deeper in seasonal magic and offer guidance for developing your witchcraft practice.
I’m sharing just a few Deities from my background that are closely associated with summer. They are drawn from Celtic, Nordic, and other European sources, and a few ways you might work with or honor them in your practice, which mostly comes from my personal style of witchcraft.
Lugh – The Shining One
Celtic (Irish)
Lugh of the Long Arm, Lugh the Many-Skilled, Lugh the Bright. He is the solar warrior, poet, healer, craftsman, and protector of the land. Lugh is most often honored at Lughnasadh (or Lammas), the first harvest festival, but his energy is present throughout the summer. He embodies light not only as sunlight, but also as brilliance, wit, mastery, and the fire of creative power.
Ways to Work with Lugh:
Light a candle at midday and offer a skill or talent of yours in his honor.
Leave offerings of bread or seasonal grain at a crossroads, your garden or field edge.
Call on him when you need courage, precision, or to master a craft.
Áine – Lady of Light and Sovereignty
Celtic (Irish)
Áine is a Goddess of the sun, love, fertility, and sovereignty. She is often associated with Midsummer and the fae realms. In Irish lore, she is also linked to the land itself, particularly in County Limerick, where her presence blesses both crops and people. Áine walks between worlds, carrying radiance, wild sensuality, and asks us to walk with pride and self-authority.
Ways to Work With Áine:
Craft a flower crown and dedicate it to her.
Make a cordial of fruit and rose petals to offer her.
Ask her for guidance in matters of love, passion, or claiming your power.
Baldur – The Beloved and Bright
Norse (Nordic)
Baldur is the Norse god of beauty, peace, and the high sun. He is beloved among the gods, often seen as a symbol of purity, light, and the knowledge that all things must fade. Baldur’s presence in summer is poignant, reminding us of the sweetness and shortness of this life.
Ways to Work with Baldur:
Meditate at sunset and ask for insight about impermanence.
Place St. John’s Wort, Chamomile, or Daisies on his altar.
Honor him and other Norse Gods with praise poems and poetry.
Freyr – Lord of the Summer Fields
Norse (Nordic)
Freyr is a Vanir God of fertility, prosperity, and the sacred bond between land and people. He brings peace and bounty, ruling over the sun's blessing on growing fields and the passion of summer unions. Freyr is deeply connected to the cycles of life, and his magic is earthy, sensual, and generous.
Ways to Work with Freyr:
Pour fresh water or mead into the earth as an offering.
Celebrate your body with movement, dance, or pleasure.
Plant seeds or tend your garden in sacred reciprocity.
Freyja – Flame of Love and Wild Power
Norse (Nordic)
Freyja is a Goddess of love, beauty, magic, and battle. She embodies fierceness and sexuality. She teaches us to claim pleasure without apology and to walk the world with both softness and strength. Through the abundant days of summer, Freyja reminds us that desire is sacred and that joy, too, is a form of power.
Ways to Work with Freyja:
– Wear something that makes you feel radiant and bold.
– Offer her roses, amber, or a drop of wine beneath the summer sky.
– Call on her when you’re ready to step into your full, sovereign self.
– And remember that cultural norms around beauty are limited and often skewed.
Sunna – The Radiant Sun-Chariot
Norse (Nordic)
Sunna is the Norse goddess of the sun, driving her bright chariot across the sky each day. She is the embodiment of the sun itself, warmth, movement, and the life-giving power of light. Her energy is bold but benevolent, perfect for rituals of clarity, confidence, and forward momentum.
Ways to Work with Sunna:
– Greet the morning sun with an open heart and whisper her name.
– Charge talismans or spell tools under the high summer sun and ask her to bless them.
– Call on her when you need focus, vitality, or purpose.
Dazbog – The Giving God
European (Slavic)
Dazbog is a solar God of abundance and giving. He is one of the few Slavic or early European Gods for whom there is written evidence. Although he is often associated with the sun, he probably originated as a God of earthly wealth, since his earliest name likely meant the "giving God." The Slavic word for sun is feminine or non-gendered. In the nearby Baltic, the sun Deity is a Goddess – Saule, and this is true in many countries of that region.
Ways to Work with Dazbog:
Make an altar of shiny, precious things from the earth,
Hold his name in your mind as you make donations.
Honor him with lighting a candle and making an offering.
Sulis – Solar Waters and Sacred Healing
Celtic (Britain)
Sulis is a Celtic Goddess of healing and sacred wells, most famously honored at the thermal springs of Bath. She holds a rare balance, solar fire and sacred springs. Her presence brings both illumination and restoration, making her a powerful ally for summer spells of wellness and purification. The Romans embraced her when they conquered the area and associated her with Minerva and built a temple over the prehistoric springs where early Iron Age people left votive offerings and worshipped.
Ways to Work with Sulis:
– Collect or bless water under the midday sun for healing work or to give as an offering.
– Take a sacred bath with sun-charged herbs like chamomile or calendula to hold her power.
– Offer her gratitude at natural springs, fountains, or dedicate a golden glass bowl to represent her sacred springs.
Sun Gods From Around the World
There are Deities of the sun and summer in many different cultures. Research the Deities of your background and others, but be respectful of cultures that have closed practices. Some of these Deities may have specific rituals or ways they prefer to be worked with.
There’s Shamash of Mesopotamia, worshipped in the ancient city of Ur as the god of justice and light; Ra of Egypt, who sails the solar barque across the sky; and Amaterasu of Japan, whose light brings order and life. In ancient Greece, Helios drove his chariot of fire, while in Rome, it was Sol Invictus who ruled the daylight hours. Prehistoric solar discs carved into Neolithic stones have been found dedicated to the deities of Vedic India. The sun has always been seen as sacred and divine.
Inviting the Deities of Summer
In my own eclectic practice, I often reach out through dreams, trance journeys, lighting a candle, and making offerings. Listen for who calls to you and who answers your call. If you're new to working with Deity, researching seasonal divine beings is the perfect way to start since you already have a somatic sense of what they are like.
Enjoy the sweetness and blessings of summer’s sun!
Colette Gardiner
© Copyright ~ Colette Gardiner Golden Web LLC 2025