Overview
Unambiguous joy. The Sun is the most positive card in the deck, full of warmth, clarity, and the simple happiness of being alive. After the shadows of The Moon, The Sun burns away every doubt and illuminates everything with honest light. If you've been struggling, this card says the struggle is ending.
Symbolism
A naked child sits joyfully atop a white horse, holding a red banner that streams behind. The child represents consciousness returned to innocence and simplicity. The white horse signifies purity of purpose and vitality. Behind them, an enormous sun radiates brilliant light, and tall sunflowers grow along a stone wall, turning their faces toward the warmth. There are no shadows in this image. Everything is visible, open, and clear.
Upright Meaning
In love, The Sun is radiant. Relationships are joyful, open, and thriving. There's warmth, playfulness, and genuine happiness between partners. For those seeking love, this card says yes: love is coming, and it will feel easy and natural. In career, success is assured. Recognition, achievement, and the satisfaction of doing meaningful work all arrive with this card. Projects succeed, collaborations flourish, and your confidence is well-founded. Financially, things look bright. Spiritually, The Sun reconnects you with the pure enthusiasm and curiosity you had as a child, before cynicism, before fear. It reminds you that spiritual growth isn't always serious. Joy is sacred too.
Reversed Meaning
Even reversed, The Sun is positive, just dimmer. Happiness is present but harder to access. You might be struggling with pessimism, taking good things for granted, or unable to enjoy success because of inner criticism. The inner child is asking for attention but being dismissed. Sometimes this reversal means delayed success rather than failure.
When You Draw This Card
Celebrate. Something is genuinely going right, and you're allowed to enjoy it without waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Grounded in A.E. Waite's Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1911, public domain), with modern interpretation.