The Sun Tarot Card Meaning

The Sun represents optimism, joy, and faith. It’s likely the most positive card in the entire Major Arcana. When it appears, it suggests that we’re not only feeling extremely happy, but we also have faith for the future ahead.

The Sun shows that we believe in abundance. We have faith that there is always enough to go around in the world, that we can always get what we want, and that everything will get better—no matter the situation. The idea behind The Sun is that we’ve learned to trust the Universe around us. And the comfort of simply “letting go” and having faith that everything will be okay, is not only a mature stance, but a practiced one.

The Major Arcana is considered to be a representation of “the hero’s journey”—meaning that each card, from The Fool to The World, are gradually imbued with more serious undertones. The first half of the Major Arcana—which includes cards like The Lovers and Strength—represent more identity-building themes and naive characteristics. The second half—including The Tower and Death—represent cards of high-caliber themes. Because The Sun (19th card) is so deep into the Major Arcana, its “faith” isn’t unhinged or unjustified. It comes from a place of personal peace and happiness within. So, it’s much more mature in that way.

Reversed meaning: If the upright Sun symbolizes utter happiness and joy, then the reversed version of this card can indicate that we don’t have enough joy in our life. In fact, it sometimes represents a time when we are so low, we might even be feeling depressive symptoms. We may feel detached from society in that nothing good happens for us or that we’ve missed the boat of happiness in some way.

Astrological significance: The Sun has a very simple connection to astrology; it represents the planetary sun. The sun, in astrology, represents our ego, identity, and core personality. It’s the biggest essence of who we are. While that person can change over time, most notably, the sun indicates how healthy and happy our ego is. So, The Sun tarot card can actually symbolize how good we feel about ourselves on any given day. If you pull The Sun in an upright position, we might be feeling really good about ourselves. It shows a person who feels comfortable in their own skin and excited to show the world who they are. They believe in themselves and can see themselves achieve the best in the future.

So, naturally, a reversed Sun card can indicate the opposite. It suggests someone whose ego is out of check and imbalanced. This person will likely feel poorly about themselves. They may also feel as though their contributions in life aren’t recognized or important—and therefore, they don’t feel important. So, this isn’t just about feeling confident in one’s self. It’s also about feeling seen.

Numerological significance: The Sun is the 19th card in the Major Arcana. If you bring 1 + 9 together, you get the number 10. This number represents a level of perfection and completion. However, it should be noted that 10 can be split up into another number: 1 + 0 = 1. So, in that sense, 10 can indicate completion, but also new beginnings (1). We talk about The Sun as a card of both happiness and optimism for the future. “Happiness” might be associated with 10 as a number of completion. However, “optimism” might be associated with 1, due to its forward-thinking mindset.

Key actions:

• Simply believe in yourself and the fact that anything you dream of is possible. Even if your life isn’t “perfect” now, believing that it can get better is the first step toward manifesting “better” to you.
• “Happiness” starts from within. This card really promotes the fact that if you feel good about yourself, then you’ll feel great about life.
• Create a gratitude list. This will help you set your mindset in a more positive headspace.
• Create a vision board. The Sun is all about believing that anything is possible. What better way to do that than by offering a visual of those things for you to look at every day.
• Hang or place The Sun tarot card in a prominent location in your house. Sometimes, we need a visual reminder to make the most of things. Doing this allows that reminder to be front and center.
• Do things that make you happy. This one seems obvious, but it’s what The Sun is all about! Whatever it is that brings you joy—whether it be eating cake, going on nature walks, or spending time with your dog.
• Literally go outside. The Sun is fueled by positive, radiant light. It can sometimes help if you attempt to absorb that energy via the actual sun itself. It’s even better if you can fuel your body, mind, or soul at the same time. For example, sitting in an environment that you love (like the beach). Another example might be setting up a picnic with your favorite food.
• See a therapist. If you find that you’re pulling The Sun in a reversed position a lot of the time, it might be helpful to seek out help from a licensed professional. Oftentimes, The Sun reversed tells us that inner work needs to be done—particularly around confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth.

Yes/no meaning: The Sun is almost always a YES. When it appears upright, it tells you that you’re on the right path. In fact, “who you are” as a person matches exactly with what you’re doing or trying to achieve. And when it appears reversed, it’s still encouraging you to follow that dream. But instead, it’s suggesting that you work from within to get the support that you need. Oftentimes, we need at least one person to believe in our dreams. And sometimes, that one person starts with YOU.