Say yes
One of the simplest cards in the whole of the tarot, the Sun is synonymous with joy, in its purest sense.
It’s about success, good luck, things going your way. The Sun is a life-force that beams down and blesses all it touches with warmth. It encourages growth, it brings things to life. There is so much positive energy in this card, it is beaming with it.
The Sun reminds us to connect to life’s simple joys, the things that make us feel happier, lighter, freer, more connected. It’s about feeling grateful for the good things we have, realising the abundance in our lives, saying yes, and saying thank you on a deep level.
Spiritual gratitude is hard to cultivate at first, but in time becomes a deep and important practice. Through understanding the many forces in nature (not only the sun, but the rain, the earth, the trees and everything else) that sustain us, we see ourselves as part of a whole. We have nothing to prove, we just have to be. The Sun prods us to stand tall and accept the good fortune we have. It asks us to step up and say yes. Yes to life. Yes to ourselves. Yes to all of it.
This card may feel like waking up from hibernation. After a long winter, we finally feel the sun’s rays on our faces and awaken, refreshed and ready to move. It’s the energising nature of that light, the way it encourages us to rise and embrace the day.
Advice from the Sun
Above all, this card preaches gratitude. Write a list of all of the things in your life that bring you joy, and say thank you for each thing. Practice noticing the good fortune that you have, the beauty that surrounds you. Explore the possibility of positivity, and how it feels to view your life with that possibility always in mind.
Sometimes this comes naturally – the glass is half full and the future (and more importantly the present) feels bright, it’s easy to feel positive. Other times though, it can be tough to ‘look on the bright side’. The practice of gratitude and the looking to what really is good in your life can be challenging. Try it anyway. There is energy there to help you.
If the Sun’s essence feels very foreign to you right now, then let this card witness you and encourage you to take hold of your feelings. This isn’t about ‘pulling yourself together’, neither is it any kind of ‘cure’ for depression or grief. It is more about consciously walking with the idea of happiness, knowing that it is an option, and gently moving in that direction. Knowing that you deserve to feel joy in life. Knowing that it’s possible.
The Sun can tell you to stop overthinking and just enjoy what is in front of you. It can say get out there and grab it, or stop and smell the roses, or anything else that means ‘life is good, enjoy it!’ If you’re procrastinating something, you’re probably overcomplicating things. Get back to the essence of the thing. What’s good about this? Why do you want to do it? Let that guide you.
In this sense, it urges you to simplify your life, your situation, your quest, your fears. Focus on what really matters, what is genuine, what is meaningful.
Connect to the things that give you life. Celebrate movement, music, inspriation, dance. Lighten up and let yourself play.
Key words and concepts
- Positivity
- Saying yes
- Joy
- Practicing gratitude
- Success, things coming together
- Life’s simple pleasures
- Allowing yourself to simply be
- Starting an exciting project
- Connecting to a dynamic life force
Some common symbols
- Warm, yellow rays of sunshine (life force, energy)
- Sunflowers (growth and renewal)
- A naked child or person (simplicity)