The Sun: Tarot Arcana XIX Meaning, Clarity and Joy

In brief: number, names and keywords

The Sun is the nineteenth card: XVIIII in Marseille (old-style writing), XIX in Rider-Waite. The name is the same in both traditions. It follows The Moon and comes before Judgement: after the night of doubts, full light.

It is one of the cards most unanimously appreciated by tarot readers, for the simplicity of its message: to see clearly, and to rejoice in what is.

Keywords: clarity, vitality, joy, simplicity, conviviality, confidence.

The image in the Tarot de Marseille

In Marseille, a large sun with a human face fills the top of the card. Its rays alternate between straight and wavy, and small coloured drops (red and yellow) fall downwards. Below, two children stand near a brick wall, side by side, sometimes with a hand on each other's shoulder.

The children are barely clothed, or wear simple garments; their gestures suggest companionship. The image is clear, symmetrical and free of threat: the contrast with the Moon is deliberate. The wall can be read as a protected garden, a place to play.

The image in the Rider-Waite-Smith

In the Rider-Waite-Smith, a sun with a face shines in a clear blue sky. Below, a naked child, crowned with sunflowers and a red feather, sits on a white horse and holds a large red banner. Behind him, a stone wall is lined with sunflowers.

There is now only one child (where Marseille shows two), but the idea is the same: simple happiness, innocence regained. Waite adds a white horse, a symbol of purity and calm strength, and a red banner, the colour of vitality.

Symbolism of the elements in the image

Here are the details that come up most often in traditional readings. They are paths for interpretation, not official definitions.

• The sun: light, life, clear consciousness. Its human face reminds us that we are speaking of a sun that is “present” and warm.
• The two children (Marseille): companionship, brotherhood, perhaps Gemini, the Twins of the astrological tradition; play as a source of joy.
• The low wall (Marseille) or the wall (Waite): a protected frame: one can play because one is safe.
• The child on the white horse (Waite): trusting innocence, strength without violence.
• The sunflowers: flowers that turn towards the light: orientation towards what gives life.
• The red banner: vitality, joy that shows itself without shame.

Upright meaning

Upright, The Sun traditionally suggests clarity regained, simple joy, vitality and the wish to share. It is read as optimism, the pleasure of being alive, sincerity, the simplicity of a successful moment. It is the card of conviviality, of childhood, of daylight.

In a reading, it invites you to enjoy what is going well, to show yourself as you are, to rejoice without hidden motives. It may also mark a clear view of a situation. Like every card, it announces no result: it describes an atmosphere, a state of mind.

Reversed: two schools of reading

School 1: the opposite. Reversed, The Sun speaks of joy that is clouded, excessive optimism, an ego that overshadows others, or a light too harsh, which wears you out.

School 2: a block. Clarity is there, but one does not perceive it: tiredness, difficulty rejoicing, passing clouds. The card invites you to look for small sources of light. Several tarot readers, moreover, read only upright cards.

In common areas of reading

Tarot does not say what is going to happen: it offers images for reflection. Here, in symbolic terms, is what this card can suggest depending on the theme of your question.

• Personal reflection: vitality, joy of living, clarity about yourself. A possible question: what gives you the feeling of being alive at the moment?
• Relationships: companionship, transparency, shared pleasure. The card evokes simple and sincere bonds, without calculation.
• Work: visibility, team success, a project that shows itself. Symbolically, a moment when things become clearly visible.
• Money: openness, generosity, measured confidence. It promises no gain and does not replace the advice of a finance professional.

Combinations with neighbouring cards

A card is rarely read on its own: its neighbour qualifies it. Here are some common pairings, to be taken as starting ideas.

• The Moon: night and day: the clarity that follows uncertainty.
• The Star: hope and joy: from glimmer to full light.
• The Lovers: clarity and choice: an enlightened and happy decision.
• Judgement: joy and calling: a light that invites you to reorient yourself.
• The World: joy and fulfilment: the celebration that closes a journey.

To learn how to combine cards, try the three-card spread. To place this card among the 22 major arcana, see our guide to the major arcana.

Word of the day, question and practice

Word of the day: Light. For the day, do one simply pleasant thing: step outside for a moment into the sun or to a window, share a meal, laugh at a small thing.

Question to ask yourself: What gives you the feeling of being alive at the moment?

Writing (10 minutes). Write three memories of moments of simple joy (childhood, holidays, shared meals). Note what they have in common: a place, a person, a sensation. Choose one element to find again this week.

Short meditation. Close your eyes and imagine a soft light on your face. Breathe calmly and let a smile come, even a faint one. Never look directly at the real sun: a mental image is enough.

History and variants of the card

The Sun appears in the fifteenth-century Italian tarocchi, where it takes varied forms, sometimes that of a child holding a sun or of a figure under a bright sky. The celestial bodies of the deck, the Moon, the Star and the Sun, form a trio of cards of the heavens.

In Marseille, the card shows two children (or a pair of young people) near a wall, which is sometimes compared with Gemini or with the image of a garden. Waite and Smith preferred a naked child on a white horse in front of a wall of sunflowers. The Golden Dawn links the card to the Sun and to the letter Resh (“the head”).

For twentieth-century psychological readings, it is the card of clear consciousness, after the night of the Moon. For other authors, the Sun is the last great joy before Judgement: a light that prepares what follows.

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to The 22 Major Arcana, card by card.