The Sun Asks Us to Radiate Joy: A Look at the Impact of Major Arcana Card Nineteen
The Sun is a symbol of pure happiness. As a tarot guide in the Major Arcana, The Sun offers warmth, positivity, inspiration and vibrant success. There is a reason we all feel a little lighter and more connected when basking in solar-powered energy. We were not meant to thrive in the darkness alone.
Although we are comprised of both Sun and Moon vibes, we feel most comfortable when living solidly within our daytime persona—the one that reflects the best of our inner world and that we share outwardly. The Sun gives us permission to celebrate ourselves and the vivaciousness of a life well lived.
Another side of The Sun is that he encourages us to access our inner child. This is the place where our purest joy is expressed. We feel complete there. We are more in tune with our inner knowing and the collective consciousness that binds us to every living thing.
It is also from this place that we can free ourselves from the duality that keeps us locked in the good-versus-bad dynamic. The Sun shows us a glimpse of the contentment that accompanies enlightenment at the end of The Fool’s journey. We haven’t reached the finale just yet, but this sneak peak is enough to keep us going strong until we arrive.
In reverse, The Sun feels less expansive. Instead of shining his brilliance on us, this tarot guide becomes a call to find where his shimmer is being obscured by the clouds. This position is an indicator that we cannot find what makes us feel alive at the moment. We are disoriented, dissatisfied, lonely, thwarted and wandering directionless in the dark.
The Sun in reverse tells us to reconnect within before attempting to shine outwardly. This might feel selfish at a time when your ego is already crying, “woe is me!” but this is not the case. When we are not in harmony with ourselves, it can feel impossible to relate to others. This is the sign we need to access our sadness and mine it for clues. When we have clarity, we must act with the fiery ambition of a Sun god. The only way out is through. Beware the temptation to get too close to the burning heat emanating from this celestial body, but do not hesitate to put on your wings and fly.
We will explore these themes further in four general energy readings. These readings use tarot cards to give an overarching perspective about someone’s present circumstances. They are not meant to answer a specific question or address a specific topic.
The main purpose of this post is to show how The Sun impacts and is impacted by the tarot cards around him. We will also explore how the card’s orientation affects the message. Each reading is written as if I am speaking directly to you.
One other thing to note: This blog post is written in conjunction with the Cup of Sugar tarot newsletter. While you do not need to receive the newsletter to understand the readings below, it will give greater context to the cards. If you’d like to sign up to receive the remaining newsletters in the series, you can do that here.
Spread 1: Your Blissful Ignorance is Coming Back to Bite You
This tarot spread is interesting, as it features a lot of Major Arcana cards. When this happens, the message is speaking to big-picture themes that are essential to guiding your path forward. The Sun, The High Priestess and The Tower all have important messages for you—both in isolation and as a group. The Six of Swords helps to clarify these themes and offer guidance about how best to proceed right now.
Let’s begin with The Sun. In this position, the card tells me that you’re feeling positive and hopeful for the future. You can see beyond your limited self and know that there is full-time contentment that awaits you if things continue as they are. You’re a person who likes to focus on the good, which means any setbacks simply become a part of the journey.
This is a lovely approach to life. It’s about to be tested. Your current bliss should be celebrated, but you should also know that it’s partially the product of willful ignorance. You often minimize issues that require attention. The rest of the spread tells me that these are things you cannot avoid forever.
The reversed Tower is a symbol of upheaval. Those minor challenges you’ve been letting run their course? They’re about to get very big and unwieldy, very fast. Your happiness has been built on what you’ve created for yourself, but the foundation was faulty. You slacked on the maintenance. Things need to be changed. You feel unwilling to do so, but it must be done. You can cut your losses now or pay for them more painfully down the line.
The reversed High Priestess says that your circumstances now are the product of ignoring your intuition. While The Sun shows that you feel connected to your deep knowing, The High Priestess’ position tells me that you often do the opposite of what you’re being called to do. This has created quite the predicament for your head and your heart. It’s time to explore what is preventing you from leaning into your spiritual wisdom. You’ve chosen ignorance for so long, you’re left feeling distrustful of what you truly know.
The reversed Six of Swords tells you to fight against your instincts to flee in the face of adversity. The shit is about to really start hitting the fan, and it can be tempting to run from the rubble when it feels like everything you love is being destroyed. Channel the strength of The Sun.
Your inclination has always been to see the good, and this is the test of that approach. Double down. Listen inward, and if you can’t hear anything among the noise, listen harder. You have always known the way to your peace. The road there has become rockier, but it will still get you where you need to be.
Spread 2: Don’t Let Fears and Inaction Thwart Your Joy
It’s an odd thing to feel pure joy and utter terror at the same time, but that’s exactly what the combination of The Sun and Nine of Swords tells me about your current state. You feel light, playful and abundant in the daytime, but the darkness of the night delivers a potent dose of imagined fears and lifelike nightmares.
The Sun says that you feel connected to yourself, that you are enjoying a period of complete harmony and absolute delight. The Nine of Swords says that you feel attacked from all angles, that you cannot shake the feeling that your happiness is fleeting and unsustainable in the long run.
And what is the result of this push-pull of light and dark forces? Inaction. You are stuck in place, unable to move forward for fear of tipping the scales toward misery. Is it possible that your contentment is making you anxious? I get the sense that you’re so worried about doing the wrong thing that you’re inadvertently thwarting your joy, cutting it short unnecessarily.
How do I know? Because both the Ace of Wands and the King of Wands appear in reverse. The Ace is the beginning of the suit. It is a card that indicates a spark of momentum. It is a powerful sign that you need to take action. In reverse, this progress is being delayed indefinitely. By staying frozen where you are, you miss the opportunity to pounce on that fleeting blaze of inspired action.
The King of Wands is the unofficial end of the suit. Although the journey of the suit is played out from Ace to Ten, the family cards run from Page to King. The King of Wands is the purest form of divine masculine energy for this suit. He takes the characteristics of the wands—fire element, motivation, action, creative energy—and maximizes them. In the upright position, he is in control of these forces. In reverse, they control and overwhelm him.
Here, the reversed King tells me that you’re growing angry with yourself. The warmth you feel from The Sun will soon cause you to overheat and burn out. You’re not in control of yourself right now, and this is leading you to become impatient. If you don’t get moving soon, you’re bound to lash out and alienate the people around you.
It’s time to release your fears and take a step forward. Even if you’re moving in the wrong direction, it will be better than where you are right now. The movement is the key. Wander for a bit if you need to. You’ll find the path that you’re meant to follow soon enough.
Spread 3: A Clear Path Forward Comes From Within
It’s easy to lose your way when you rely too much on the input from your peers. It can be helpful to ask your community for feedback, but it can also distract you from your all-knowing inner truth. The Sun in reverse tells me that you’re feeling disoriented and a bit directionless. You’ve temporarily lost your way. This state is bringing you down. Your ego is more than a little bruised.
The reversed Four of Wands is what gives me insight into how the people in your life may have knocked you off balance. I don’t think this was malicious. The people closest to us want to see us win. They give advice with the best of intentions, not knowing that it can blur the lines of what is right to do and what is actually right for us.
The reversed Two of Swords is a sign that the blindfold you’ve been wearing is coming off. You’re on the verge of concluding a stalemate between what others have advised and what your intuition is telling you. You’ve felt helpless in the dark for some time. You’re ready to open your eyes and let in the light.
The best way to see where you need to go is to stop striving. The Ten of Swords is asking you to surrender. Put your thoughts on pause and go deeper. The answers you seek are swirling within you. Let go of what you’ve been told, release what you think should be done. Allow the voice of your most authentic self vibrate into your consciousness. Clarity is coming. You’ll hear it in your silence.
Spread 4: Disconnection is the Source of Your Discontent
Another tarot spread with an abundance of Major Arcana cards, the message here is quite different from the first in this post. Here, we have an interesting play between upright Moon and reversed Sun. It feels intuitive: The Moon rises after The Sun has set. Similarly, when The Moon is in her preferred position, The Sun is less prominent and more likely to show his shadow self.
Let me explain. In your case, The Moon is upright because you’re in a state of embracing your darker, moodier, more mysterious characteristics. You are doing a deep dive of your subconscious to uncover the fantasies and illusions that live below the surface.
Because your focus is on this after-dark space, The Sun has a harder time shining. You can easily get lost navigating this territory with only the subtle light of The Moon to guide you. If you stay in this place for too long, you become self-absorbed, disconnected from others, unable to experience the invigorating renewal of your happy place. The Sun’s reversed orientation speaks to this conflict.
The Magician in reverse adds another layer to the story. In this position, you have severed your connection to your magic. You have many gifts to share with the world, but you’re not using them. I get the sense that you feel they aren’t enough, they aren’t worthy. You’re too busy comparing yourself to others to see that what you have is worthy on its own.
Judgment is encouraging you to reconcile these feelings. Instead of being drawn to the edges of your extremes (like being all lunar energy and lacking solar power), find your way toward balance. You will act in your best interests when you manifest from this place. It’s not as hard as you’re making it. Being willfully stubborn will get you nowhere. You may even be pulled farther from your true self. Give your magic space to flourish. Reconnect to your purpose and see how easily things begin to flow from within.