Major Arcana
A radiant sun shines down on a naked child riding a white horse through a garden of sunflowers, a red banner waving behind. The child's arms are spread wide in pure joy and triumph. The Sun is the most unambiguously joyful card in the deck — vitality, success, clarity, and the innocent happiness of simply being alive.
Upright
Reversed
Quick meaning
The Sun represents a radiant sun shines down on a naked child riding a white horse through a garden of sunflowers, a red banner waving behind. The child's arms are spread wide in pure joy and triumph. The Sun is the most unambiguously joyful card in the deck — vitality, success, clarity, and the innocent happiness of simply being alive.
Use the symbol
In a yes or no tarot reading, The Sun is best read through its condition. Upright, it points toward Positivity, Freedom, Fun, Success. Reversed, it suggests Lack of enthusiasm, Excessive enthusiasm, Sadness, Pessimism. The answer depends on whether the situation is moving with the upright lesson or stuck in the reversed pattern.
As advice, The Sun asks you to work with the card's main lesson rather than react from fear. Start with the upright meaning: The Sun Tarot card is the Major Arcana card of positivity, optimism, freedom and fun.
As feelings, The Sun can describe someone experiencing the card's emotional tone. In love readings, its upright energy is: In a love Tarot spread, if you are in a relationship, The Sun is an indication great joy and happiness.
Reversed, The Sun points to what may be blocked, avoided, or expressed in a harder way. Use the reversed meaning as a prompt to slow down and address Lack of enthusiasm, Excessive enthusiasm, Sadness, Pessimism.
Energy in motion
The Sun Tarot card is the Major Arcana card of positivity, optimism, freedom and fun. When The Sun appears in an upright position, things should be going well for you as this card also represents success and enthusiasm. You will find that people are drawn to the happy vibes and positive energy you are giving out and you will bring light and joy to everyone and everything you come into contact with. You will be feeling carefree, liberated and self-assured. It is also the card of truth so if you have been the victim of lies or deception, The Sun is coming to shine its light on the deceit to reveal the truth and the perpetrators of the lies. The Sun Tarot card in an upright position also signifies good luck. Any problems you have been experiencing will melt away with the warmth this card brings. It can also indicate travel to a country with a warm climate.
In a love Tarot spread, if you are in a relationship, The Sun is an indication great joy and happiness. It can be a sign of a period of fun, passion and positivity in your relationship. At the same time, The Sun in an upright position shines light onto everything in its path and this includes relationships, so it can also indicate that any hidden issues in your relationship will be highlighted. Any issues highlighted by The Sun will be resolved for your greater good. This can either take the form of the relationship becoming more open and honest or in some cases ending to allow a better relationship to come to you. Look to supporting cards for verification. Whatever the outcome The Sun is bringing something positive and good into your love life. The Sun can also indicate a celebration such as an engagement or wedding. If you are single, The Sun indicates that a great relationship could be coming your way. It can also indicate that you will be feeling carefree and enjoying the fun aspects of being single. Whether you are involved or single, The Sun is one of the main pregnancy indicators in the Tarot deck. If you are not ready for children, take appropriate precautions.
In a career context, The Sun Tarot card signifies a time of great success! New opportunities will be coming your way and you will be full of optimism and enthusiasm. You will be ready and able to jump in and make any project a success. Financially, you should be doing very well with The Sun appearing in your Tarot reading as it is the Tarot card of abundance. Business ventures, investments and any sort of money making initiatives should be going well for you. If you have any hidden debts, they should also come to the surface during this time so remember to put some of your wealth aside to cover them.
The Sun is the card of vitality so you should be feeling full of life, balance, positivity and wellness when it appears in your tarot reading. If you have been ill, The Sun is a good omen for recovery. If you are trying to get pregnant, The Sun upright is also a good omen as it is one of the main pregnancy cards.
Use tarot for reflection only; it does not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or care.
In a spiritual context, The Sun Tarot card can signify discovering the joy that a spiritual path has to offer. It is the card of enlightenment. After all the challenges, trials and tribulations the Major Arcana has thrown at you, you have finally reached a place of true insight, enlightenment and contentment. You understand your path and you are happy to let things unfold in their own time as you have complete trust in the universe’s love for you and where it is leading you.
Energy under tension
In a general context, The Sun Tarot card reversed can indicate sadness, depression and pessimism. You may be finding it difficult to focus on the positive with this card in your Tarot reading. The Sun reversed does not usually mean that your situation or circumstances are all that bad but that you are feeling pessimistic and focusing on the negative which is affecting your outlook on life. It can signify a lack of enthusiasm for life, being unclear on the right path to take or being unable to see the way forward. This Major Arcana card may show that you are letting negative energy/thoughts close you off to the happiness and joy that is all around you. You have the power to change this by simply allowing yourself to be open to the positive things that are coming your way and by finding gratitude for the good things in your life. The Sun reversed can also be an indicator of being overly enthusiastic or confident to the point that it becomes a negative trait. For example, you may be being so overly confident that you are actually becoming egotistical or arrogant. Or you may be so enthusiastic about achieving your goals that you haven’t stopped to check if they are actually realistic.
In a love context, if you are in a relationship, The Sun reversed can indicate that you are feeling left out in the cold by your partner. Some of the spark or passion may have gone out of the relationship. It can be an indication of a broken engagement or cancelled wedding. It may indicate that you are finding it difficult to see a way forward for you and your partner. It can also signify jealousy or trying to score points off each other. Try to focus on the positive things in the relationship, spend quality time together and remind yourself of why you got together in the first place. If you are single, The Sun reversed can be an indicator that you have become so egotistical that you are putting off potential partners. Trying to impress a potential partner may actually be having the opposite effect as it may come across that you are constantly bragging. Just dial it back a bit. They will respond much more favourably if you drop that ego, just be yourself!
In a career context, The Sun reversed can signify feeling trapped or oppressed by your career. This oppression is more than likely within your power to change. For example, you may be feeling pessimistic and drained because you are working too many hours but you haven’t asked for the time off you need to rest. The Sun Tarot card reversed can also signify success evading you! You may be missing opportunities because you lack the confidence and self-assurance to go for them. Alternately, it can indicate that you may have set unrealistic career goals or may not be taking the appropriate practical steps to achieve what you want but relying on positivity alone to get you there. It can also indicate that you work in a cut-throat environment where being egotistical or competitive may be more valued. In a financial Tarot spread, The Sun reversed can be a bad omen. Investments may take a downturn or you may experience temporary financial hardship. However, The Sun Tarot card reversed usually indicates issues that are of your own making so look at your financial worries realistically and ask yourself if there is more you could be doing to resolve them.
In a health reading, The Sun reversed can indicate that your attitude or negativity may be exasperating your health issues. If you have been ill, The Sun reversed shows that recovery is possible but you will need to be proactive in aiding your recovery and you will need to maintain a positive outlook to help boost your health. The Sun reversed can also indicate a difficult or unplanned pregnancy, miscarriage, stillbirth or abortion.
Use tarot for reflection only; it does not replace medical advice, diagnosis, or care.
In a spiritual context, The Sun Tarot card reversed indicated that you may be struggling to embrace the joy that spirituality has to offer. You may feel that you cannot see your path ahead and have lost trust in the universe’s love for you. You don’t where it is leading you and you don’t trust that is somewhere good because negative thoughts and feelings are overwhelming you. The Sun reversed may also indicate that your ego is preventing you from connecting with your true spiritual self. You must let go of this in order to find enlightenment.
Cards in conversation
Together, The Sun and The Fool blend the lesson of the sun with the energy of the fool. This pairing asks you to read the cards as a relationship between the central theme and the fool stands at the edge of a cliff, knapsack over his shoulder, gazing upward with youthful abandon.
Together, The Sun and The Magician blend the lesson of the sun with the energy of the magician. This pairing asks you to read the cards as a relationship between the central theme and the magician stands before a table bearing all four suit symbols — wand, cup, sword, and pentacle — one hand raised to the heavens and one pointing...
Together, The Sun and The High Priestess blend the lesson of the sun with the energy of the high priestess. This pairing asks you to read the cards as a relationship between the central theme and the high priestess sits between two pillars — boaz and jachin — at the threshold of the sacred temple.
Clarify the card
The Sun Tarot card is the Major Arcana card of positivity, optimism, freedom and fun. When The Sun appears in an upright position, things should be going well for you as this card also represents success and enthusiasm. You will find that people are drawn to the happy vibes and positive energy you are giving out and you will bring light and joy to everyone and everything you come into contact with. You will be feeling carefree, liberated and self-assured. It is also the card of truth so if you have been the victim of lies or deception, The Sun is coming to shine its light on the deceit to reveal the truth and the perpetrators of the lies. The Sun Tarot card in an upright position also signifies good luck. Any problems you have been experiencing will melt away with the warmth this card brings. It can also indicate travel to a country with a warm climate.
In a general context, The Sun Tarot card reversed can indicate sadness, depression and pessimism. You may be finding it difficult to focus on the positive with this card in your Tarot reading. The Sun reversed does not usually mean that your situation or circumstances are all that bad but that you are feeling pessimistic and focusing on the negative which is affecting your outlook on life. It can signify a lack of enthusiasm for life, being unclear on the right path to take or being unable to see the way forward. This Major Arcana card may show that you are letting negative energy/thoughts close you off to the happiness and joy that is all around you. You have the power to change this by simply allowing yourself to be open to the positive things that are coming your way and by finding gratitude for the good things in your life. The Sun reversed can also be an indicator of being overly enthusiastic or confident to the point that it becomes a negative trait. For example, you may be being so overly confident that you are actually becoming egotistical or arrogant. Or you may be so enthusiastic about achieving your goals that you haven’t stopped to check if they are actually realistic.
In a love Tarot spread, if you are in a relationship, The Sun is an indication great joy and happiness. It can be a sign of a period of fun, passion and positivity in your relationship. At the same time, The Sun in an upright position shines light onto everything in its path and this includes relationships, so it can also indicate that any hidden issues in your relationship will be highlighted. Any issues highlighted by The Sun will be resolved for your greater good. This can either take the form of the relationship becoming more open and honest or in some cases ending to allow a better relationship to come to you. Look to supporting cards for verification. Whatever the outcome The Sun is bringing something positive and good into your love life. The Sun can also indicate a celebration such as an engagement or wedding. If you are single, The Sun indicates that a great relationship could be coming your way. It can also indicate that you will be feeling carefree and enjoying the fun aspects of being single. Whether you are involved or single, The Sun is one of the main pregnancy indicators in the Tarot deck. If you are not ready for children, take appropriate precautions.
In a career context, The Sun Tarot card signifies a time of great success! New opportunities will be coming your way and you will be full of optimism and enthusiasm. You will be ready and able to jump in and make any project a success. Financially, you should be doing very well with The Sun appearing in your Tarot reading as it is the Tarot card of abundance. Business ventures, investments and any sort of money making initiatives should be going well for you. If you have any hidden debts, they should also come to the surface during this time so remember to put some of your wealth aside to cover them.
The The Sun is best read by context in yes or no questions. Upright, it points toward Positivity, Freedom, Fun, Success. Reversed, it suggests Lack of enthusiasm, Excessive enthusiasm, Sadness, Pessimism.
Put this symbol in context
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