The Sun is card number 19 in the Major Arcana, one of the most joyful and affirming cards in the entire tarot deck. It follows The Moon's world of shadow, illusion, and the disorienting depths of the unconscious, and arrives as the light that dispels all of that. Where The Moon obscures and confuses, The Sun clarifies and illuminates. Where The Moon asks you to navigate by instinct through uncertain terrain, The Sun gives you everything you need to see clearly: the full, warm, generous light of genuine understanding, genuine joy, and the uncomplicated happiness of being exactly and openly who you are.
What the Sun Tarot Card Symbolizes
In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, a radiant sun blazes in the top portion of the card, its rays both straight and wavy, representing both the direct light of conscious understanding and the flowing warmth of vitality and life force. Below it, a young child rides a white horse with complete fearlessness, arms spread wide, holding a large red banner. The child is naked, symbolizing a complete absence of pretense, mask, or concealment. There is nothing hidden here. The child is fully, joyfully, unashamedly themselves.
Four sunflowers grow behind the low wall in the background, turning their faces toward the light. Sunflowers always face the sun: they represent the natural orientation of living things toward what gives them life, warmth, and growth. The wall itself is not a barrier but a boundary, the edge of a known world that the child has grown beyond, now riding easily in the open space beyond it.
The white horse carries the child effortlessly. In the tarot, white horses often represent purity of purpose and the kind of clean, forward moving energy that is entirely aligned with what is genuinely good. The horse does not need to be urged or directed. It moves naturally and willingly because the direction is right. Unlike The Chariot's sphinxes held in check by sheer force of will, The Sun's horse goes joyfully of its own accord.
The Sun Tarot Keywords
Upright: joy, success, vitality, clarity, happiness, confidence, warmth, radiance, optimism, abundance, independence, truth, genuine self expression, enlightenment, celebration
Reversed: temporary setbacks, excessive optimism, difficulty letting joy in, inner cloud obscuring genuine happiness, delayed success, or the need to look more honestly at something that is being idealized
The Sun Numerology, Astrology, and Element
The Sun carries the number 19, which reduces to 10 (1+9) and then further to 1 (1+0). The Sun is therefore deeply connected to the Wheel of Fortune (10) and to The Magician (1): it shares the Wheel's quality of the great cycles completing and beginning again, and The Magician's quality of confident, directed will bringing something real into being. But in The Sun, these qualities have matured into something even fuller and more luminous than either of those earlier cards.
Element: Fire, the element of vitality, radiance, creative energy, and the life force itself. The Sun is the supreme Fire card in the deck: not the directed fire of will, not the controlled fire of inner strength, not the driving fire of ambition, but the primordial fire of the sun itself, the source of all life, warmth, and light from which everything else draws its energy.
Planet: The Sun itself. In astrology, the Sun is not a planet in the traditional sense: it is the central star of the solar system and the most significant body in the natal chart, representing the core self, conscious identity, and vitality. In tarot, The Sun card carries this central, life giving, radiant quality fully.
Astrology: Leo, the sign ruled by the Sun, governs radiant self expression, creative confidence, and the warmth and generosity of someone who is fully at home in who they are. Leo's energy is the energy of The Sun card made into a zodiac sign: the joy of being fully, openly, authentically yourself, expressed outward with warmth and genuine confidence.
The Sun Upright Meaning
The Sun upright means something genuinely good is happening or is on the way: success, clarity, joy, or the kind of radiant confidence that comes from being fully, openly yourself without pretense or concealment.
When The Sun appears upright, it is one of the most unambiguously positive cards in the deck. This is not a card with a lot of shadows or cautionary notes attached to it. It is a card of genuine, clear, full spectrum good: good news, good outcomes, the experience of real happiness that is not complicated by underlying anxiety or uncertainty.
The Sun also speaks to clarity after a period of confusion: the fog lifts, the answer becomes clear, the truth that was obscured by shadows or uncertainty comes fully into view. Whatever has been murky or unclear, in a situation or within yourself, The Sun says that clarity is available and the light is real.
At its deepest level, The Sun is about the joy of genuine self expression: the happiness of being fully, authentically yourself without performing, managing how you are perceived, or hiding what is true. The naked child on the horse is not self conscious. They are simply, completely, joyfully present in their own life. That quality of uncomplicated presence in your own joy is what The Sun most fully represents.
The Sun Reversed Meaning
The Sun reversed does not negate the good that the upright card represents, but it suggests that the joy or clarity available is temporarily obscured, delayed, or harder to access than it otherwise would be.
When The Sun appears reversed, it rarely means the outlook is genuinely bad. More often, it means the sunshine is there but something is getting in the way of fully feeling or accessing it: temporary setbacks, excessive or naive optimism that is not accounting for the real complexity of a situation, or a pattern of difficulty in allowing genuine happiness and ease rather than always waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The Sun reversed can also point to a situation that is being idealized or viewed through a lens that is preventing an honest assessment of what is actually true. The light is powerful, but too much undifferentiated light can also create its own kind of blindness, the inability to see shadows because you are looking directly at the sun.
The Sun in Past, Present, and Future Positions
The Sun in the Past Position
The Sun in the past position points to a period of genuine happiness, success, and confident, joyful self expression that influenced who you are now. A time when things were clear, when you felt fully yourself, when success and joy were real and present. The memory of that, the knowledge that this quality of experience is available to you, is part of what you carry forward.
Reversed in the past position: A time when joy or success was within reach but was temporarily blocked, or when excessive optimism prevented an honest assessment of a situation that ultimately cost more than it needed to.
The Sun in the Present Position
The Sun in the present position is a genuinely wonderful card to see. It says what you are currently experiencing, or what is currently available in your situation, has the quality of The Sun: clarity, success, joy, confidence, and the genuine warmth of being on the right path and knowing it.
Reversed in the present position: The good that is present in your current situation may be temporarily harder to feel or access than it actually warrants. Something small is casting a shadow over what is genuinely good. Noticing what that is will help.
The Sun in the Future Position
The Sun in the future position is one of the most affirming cards to see in that position. It says something genuinely good, joyful, successful, and clear is coming. Whatever is difficult or uncertain now will not remain that way. A time of real warmth, genuine happiness, and the kind of clarity that makes everything easier is ahead.
Reversed in the future position: Success is still ahead, but the timing may be slightly delayed or the path toward it slightly more winding than hoped. The light is coming. It is just a little further down the road than the most optimistic projection might have suggested.
The Sun Tarot Meaning in Love and Relationships
In a love reading, The Sun upright is one of the most affirming cards in the deck: it points to genuine happiness in a relationship, deep mutual joy, and the kind of love that makes both people feel more fully themselves rather than less.
The Sun in love is not the dramatic, complicated, shadowed love of the more complex cards in the deck. It is the love that is simply, genuinely good: a relationship in which both people feel seen, valued, and at liberty to be fully themselves. If you are single, The Sun can indicate a period of genuine happiness in your own life that is the best possible foundation for attracting real love, and it can also indicate that a joyful new connection is on the horizon.
In an existing relationship, The Sun points to a period of warmth, ease, and genuine happiness together. It can also indicate that a relationship has reached a stage of real, settled confidence: the anxiety and uncertainty of earlier stages have given way to something steady, warm, and genuinely nourishing for both people.
Reversed in love: Difficulty allowing yourself to fully experience or trust the happiness that is present, or a relationship that is being idealized in ways that are preventing an honest view of what is actually there.
The Sun Tarot Meaning in Career and Finances
In a career reading, The Sun is one of the strongest indicators of professional success, recognition, and the kind of genuine confidence that comes from doing work you are truly suited for and that you genuinely love.
This card supports everything that involves moving into the light: stepping into a more visible professional role, receiving recognition for work you have done, achieving something you have been working toward, or simply arriving at a phase of your professional life where you feel genuinely energized and fully yourself in what you do.
Financially, The Sun is an excellent card for abundance, generosity, and the ease that comes with genuine financial stability and success. It points to a period when financial conditions are clear and positive, when what has been worked for is producing real results.
Reversed in career: Success may be slightly delayed or partially obscured. Or excessive optimism may be preventing honest assessment of what a professional situation actually requires before it can produce the success the upright card represents.
Is The Sun a Yes or No Card?
The Sun is an emphatic yes, one of the strongest yes cards in the entire tarot deck.
When The Sun appears in a yes or no question, it is one of the clearest, most unambiguous affirmations available. Yes. The situation is good. The outcome is positive. The path forward is clear and well lit. This is the card that says: whatever you are asking about, the light is on this.
Reversed, the answer is still yes, but with a small note: the timing may be slightly off, or there may be something worth looking at more honestly before the full affirmation of The Sun can arrive. But the fundamental answer remains positive.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Sun Tarot Card
What does The Sun tarot card mean?
The Sun tarot card means joy, clarity, success, and the genuine happiness that comes when you are fully, openly yourself. It is one of the most positive cards in the deck, representing the full, warm, generous light that dispels confusion, illuminates the path, and affirms that something genuinely good is present or on the way.
What does The Sun reversed mean?
The Sun reversed does not negate the good the upright card represents. It suggests the joy or clarity available is temporarily obscured or harder to access: temporary setbacks, excessive optimism, difficulty allowing genuine happiness in, or a situation being idealized in ways that prevent honest assessment. The light is still real. Something small is casting a shadow over it.
Is The Sun a yes or no card?
The Sun is one of the strongest yes cards in the tarot deck. When it appears in response to a yes or no question, the answer is clear and genuinely affirmative: yes, the situation is good, the outcome is positive, the path forward is well lit. Reversed, the answer is still yes with a small note about timing or honest assessment.
What does The Sun mean in a love reading?
In a love reading, The Sun is one of the most affirming cards in the deck. It points to genuine happiness in a relationship, deep mutual joy, and a love that makes both people feel more fully themselves. Reversed, it can indicate difficulty fully trusting or experiencing the happiness that is actually present, or a relationship being idealized rather than seen clearly.
Is The Sun the best card in tarot?
The Sun is widely considered one of the most positive cards in the tarot deck. It represents the fullest expression of genuine joy, success, clarity, and authentic self expression. Whether it is the best depends on what the reading needs, but in almost any context, The Sun's appearance is a genuinely good sign.
What number is The Sun?
The Sun is number 19 in the Major Arcana. Numerologically, 19 reduces to 10 and then to 1, connecting The Sun to both the Wheel of Fortune's great cycles completing and beginning again and The Magician's confident, directed creative will, both now expressed at their most radiant and luminous level.
What zodiac sign and element is The Sun card?
The Sun is associated with Leo and the element of Fire. Leo is the sign ruled by the Sun in astrology and governs radiant self expression, creative confidence, and the warmth and generosity of someone fully at home in who they are. Fire here is the primordial fire of the sun itself, the source of all life and light from which everything else draws its energy.
What does The Sun mean in the future position?
The Sun in the future position is one of the most affirming cards to see there. It says something genuinely good, successful, joyful, and clear is coming. Whatever is difficult or uncertain now will not remain that way. A time of real warmth, genuine happiness, and the clarity that makes everything easier is ahead of you.
When to Call a Psychic About The Sun
The Sun appears in readings at moments when genuine good is present or incoming, but also at moments when someone needs help trusting the good they are in the middle of, when the habit of expecting difficulty makes it hard to simply enjoy and accept what is actually going well. If you are in a period of genuine happiness or success and you want a reading to help you understand what has made it possible and how to sustain it, or if you are navigating a major life situation that is genuinely going well and you want to make the most of it, we are here. Call us at (800) 966 2294.
Related Tarot Cards
The Sun follows The Moon in the sequence, arriving as the light that dispels The Moon's shadows, illusions, and the disorienting depths of the unconscious. After The Sun comes Judgement, which takes The Sun's clarity and uses it for the deepest kind of reckoning: the honest assessment of a life fully lived. The Star earlier in the sequence shares The Sun's quality of genuine hope and forward facing radiance, though The Star's light is gentler and more distant where The Sun's is immediate and full. If The Sun appeared alongside The World in your reading, the combined message is one of the most powerfully affirming in all of tarot: genuine, completed, celebrated success that has arrived at its fullest expression.