The Sun Tarot Card: Joy, Success & Vitality

After The Moon takes us through darkness, illusion, and the unconscious depths, The Sun appears as card number 19 in the Major Arcana—bursting forth with radiant light, pure joy, and the promise that after every dark night comes a brilliant dawn. Where The Moon represents mystery and shadow, The Sun represents clarity and illumination.

The Sun is the card of joy, success, and vitality. It shows a child riding a white horse under a brilliant sun, representing the pure happiness that comes from being authentically yourself, the success that flows naturally when you're aligned with your truth, and the life force that radiates when you're living in the light. This is one of the most positive cards in the entire tarot deck.

The Sun Tarot Card at a Glance

Number: 19
Element: Fire
Astrological Association: The Sun (vitality, ego, self-expression, life force, consciousness, success)
Keywords: Joy, success, vitality, clarity, optimism, celebration, achievement, authenticity, warmth, enlightenment
Yes or No: Yes—absolutely, positively yes!

The Sun Card Imagery & Symbolism

The traditional Rider-Waite-Smith Sun card is one of the most joyful and straightforward images in tarot. Let's decode the symbolism:

The Radiant Sun

A huge sun with a serene, smiling face dominates the sky, radiating brilliant rays of light in all directions. This represents consciousness, clarity, life force, divine blessing, and the illumination that dispels all shadows. The sun sees everything, warms everything, and brings everything to life.

The Straight Rays

The sun's rays alternate between straight and wavy, representing the balance of masculine (straight, direct) and feminine (flowing, receptive) energies. The Sun integrates both and shines with complete wholeness.

The Child

A young child rides the horse, representing innocence, authenticity, purity, and the true self unburdened by ego, shame, or societal conditioning. The child is often depicted without clothing, symbolizing complete vulnerability, honesty, and the freedom that comes from having nothing to hide.

The White Horse

A white horse represents purity, spiritual power, strength, and the life force under conscious control. Unlike The Chariot's sphinxes that must be controlled, this horse moves willingly—when you're aligned with your truth, power flows naturally.

The Red Banner

A red flag or banner flows from the child's hand, representing vitality, passion, life force, and the celebration of being alive. Red is the color of blood, energy, and embodied existence.

The Sunflowers

Large sunflowers grow behind the wall, their faces turned toward the sun. They represent natural growth, optimism, and the instinct to turn toward the light. Sunflowers also symbolize adoration, loyalty, and the soul's orientation toward the divine.

The Wall

A low stone wall represents the boundary between the cultivated garden (consciousness, civilization) and the wild beyond. But the wall is low—it's not a prison. The child could easily leave if they chose. This represents healthy boundaries without confinement.

The Clear Blue Sky

Unlike The Moon's mysterious darkness, The Sun shines in a clear, cloudless sky. There are no shadows, no illusions, no confusion. Everything is visible, clear, and illuminated.

The Number 19

Nineteen reduces to 10 (1+9=10), and 10 reduces to 1 (1+0=1). This shows completion of a cycle (10) returning to new beginnings (1). The Sun represents the culmination of the journey and the readiness for a new start. It's also 1+9, showing the Magician (1) and Hermit (9)—The Sun manifests wisdom through conscious will.

The Sun Upright: Core Meanings

When The Sun appears upright in a reading, it signals:

Joy & Happiness

Pure, uncomplicated joy. The Sun says: Celebrate! Be happy! Enjoy this moment! This is the happiness that comes from being authentically yourself, from living in alignment with your truth, and from allowing your light to shine.

Success & Achievement

Success in your endeavors, goals achieved, or recognition for your efforts. The Sun indicates that things are working out, that you're winning, and that your hard work is paying off. This is earned success, not luck.

Vitality & Energy

Abundant life force, good health, or feeling energized and alive. The Sun represents the peak of vitality, the fullness of life, and the radiant energy that comes from being well and whole.

Clarity & Truth

Everything is clear, illuminated, and visible. The Sun dispels confusion, reveals truth, and brings understanding. What was hidden in The Moon's shadows is now obvious in The Sun's light.

Optimism & Positivity

A positive outlook, confidence in the future, or the belief that everything will work out. The Sun represents the sunny disposition, the glass-half-full perspective, and the faith that good things are coming.

Authenticity & Self-Expression

Being your true self, expressing yourself freely, or living without shame or pretense. The Sun celebrates authenticity—the child has nothing to hide and no reason to hide it.

Enlightenment & Consciousness

Spiritual illumination, awakening, or the clarity that comes from higher consciousness. The Sun represents the light of awareness that dispels ignorance.

The Sun Reversed: Shadow & Challenges

When The Sun appears reversed, its brilliant energy becomes dimmed or blocked:

Temporary Setbacks

Delays in success, obstacles to happiness, or clouds temporarily blocking the sun. The reversed Sun suggests that joy and success are coming, but not quite yet. The sun is still there—it's just obscured.

Lack of Confidence

Self-doubt, inability to see your own light, or hiding your true self. The reversed Sun can indicate that you're dimming your own shine, playing small, or not allowing yourself to be seen.

Excessive Ego

Arrogance, narcissism, or being blinded by your own brilliance. The shadow side of The Sun is the ego that thinks it's the center of the universe and burns others with its heat.

Unrealistic Optimism

Being overly optimistic without grounding in reality, ignoring problems, or toxic positivity. The reversed Sun can indicate that you're so focused on the bright side that you're ignoring real issues.

Burnout

Exhaustion from shining too brightly for too long, depletion of energy, or needing to rest and recharge. Even the sun sets—the reversed Sun can indicate that you need to dim your light temporarily to recover.

Delayed Success

Success that's taking longer than expected, achievements that are postponed, or recognition that's delayed. The reversed Sun promises that success is still coming—just not on your timeline.

The Sun in Different Life Areas

Love & Relationships

Upright: Joyful, healthy relationships, celebration of love, or partnerships that bring out your best self. The Sun indicates relationships that are warm, honest, and life-giving. Can also suggest engagements, weddings, or the birth of children—literal sunshine in your life.

Reversed: Relationship challenges, delayed commitments, or one person overshadowing the other. Can also indicate that you're hiding your true self in the relationship or that ego is causing problems.

Career & Finances

Upright: Career success, professional recognition, promotions, or work that brings joy and fulfillment. The Sun is excellent for any career where you're in the spotlight or expressing your authentic self. Financially, it indicates abundance, prosperity, and success.

Reversed: Career setbacks, delayed promotions, or work that doesn't allow you to shine. Can also indicate burnout from overwork or ego conflicts in the workplace.

Spirituality & Personal Growth

Upright: Spiritual enlightenment, clarity about your path, or the joy that comes from living in alignment with your truth. The Sun represents the awakened state, the illuminated consciousness, and the happiness of being spiritually aligned.

Reversed: Spiritual confusion, temporary loss of faith, or ego interfering with spiritual growth. Can also indicate spiritual bypassing or using positivity to avoid real issues.

Health & Wellness

Upright: Excellent health, vitality, recovery from illness, or peak physical condition. The Sun is one of the best cards for health, indicating robust wellness and abundant life force.

Reversed: Health issues, low energy, or recovery taking longer than expected. Can also indicate burnout or needing to rest.

The Sun as a Person

When The Sun represents a person in a reading, they are:

• Joyful, optimistic, positive
• Successful, accomplished, recognized
• Authentic, genuine, honest
• Warm, generous, life-giving
• Confident, radiant, magnetic
• Possibly a child or someone childlike
• Solar energy—vital, conscious, expressive
• Potentially arrogant or dimmed if reversed

This could be you, someone in your life, or the energy you're being called to embody.

The Sun's Advice

When The Sun appears as guidance, the message is:

• Shine your light. Don't hide who you are—let yourself be seen.
• Celebrate your success. You've earned it—enjoy it!
• Be optimistic. Things are working out better than you think.
• Express yourself authentically. Be the real you, without apology.
• Embrace joy. Happiness is not frivolous—it's your birthright.
• Trust the light. Clarity is here—see what's illuminated.
• Share your warmth. Your light can illuminate others too.

The Sun in Combination with Other Cards

The Sun's meaning shifts depending on surrounding cards:

• The Sun + The Moon: Balance of conscious and unconscious, clarity after confusion
• The Sun + The Star: Profound hope and joy, dreams coming true
• The Sun + The World: Complete success, total fulfillment, achievement of all goals
• The Sun + Ace of Wands: Brilliant new creative beginning, inspired success
• The Sun + Ten of Cups: Perfect happiness, family joy, emotional fulfillment
• The Sun + Six of Wands: Public recognition, victory, triumph
• The Sun + Three of Cups: Celebration, joy with friends, communal happiness

Journaling Prompts for The Sun

Deepen your relationship with The Sun through reflection:

1. What brings me pure, uncomplicated joy?
2. Where am I hiding my light, and why?
3. What success have I achieved that I haven't fully celebrated?
4. How can I be more authentically myself?
5. What would I do if I had the confidence of The Sun?
6. Where in my life do I need more optimism and positivity?
7. How can I share my light with others?

Working with The Sun's Energy

To embody The Sun's power in your life:

• Spend time in actual sunlight—absorb solar energy and vitamin D
• Celebrate a success—big or small, acknowledge your achievements
• Express yourself authentically—show the world who you really are
• Practice optimism—choose to see the bright side
• Do something joyful—purely for the pleasure of it
• Shine your light—don't dim yourself to make others comfortable
• Share your warmth—be generous with your energy and positivity

The Sun's Lesson: You Are the Light

The Sun teaches that you don't need to search for the light—you ARE the light. Your authentic self is radiant. Your true nature is joyful. Your essence is pure vitality. When you stop hiding, stop dimming yourself, and stop pretending to be less than you are, you shine naturally—like the sun.

This card reminds us that joy is not something we have to earn or achieve—it's our natural state when we're being ourselves. Success flows naturally when we're aligned with our truth. Vitality is abundant when we're living authentically.

The Sun shows us that after every dark night—after The Tower's destruction, after The Moon's confusion—comes the dawn. The light always returns. Clarity always emerges. Joy is always possible. And you—your true, authentic, radiant self—are always worthy of shining.

Final Thoughts

The Sun is the card of pure joy, brilliant success, and radiant vitality. It appears when you're being called to celebrate, to shine, to express yourself authentically, and to remember that you are fundamentally good, fundamentally worthy, and fundamentally radiant.

The sun is shining. The child is riding free. The sunflowers are turning toward the light. Everything is clear, everything is warm, everything is alive. This is your moment. This is your success. This is your joy.

Don't hide your light. Don't dim your shine. Don't apologize for your radiance. You are the sun. Shine.