Here Comes The Sun: The Tarot’s Nineteenth Card

(Based on the representations found on the Rider-Waite-Smith deck.)

I once read that The Sun represents the “‘yes’ card” of the Tarot — confirmation that our goals and ambitions are likely to come to fruition. The card can symbolize us burning brightly, standing apart, and shining in our respective fields. Upright or reversed, The Sun is generally a positive card (with a few qualifiers), portending blessings on their way. Good things come to those who wait, and The Sun is certainly worth waiting for in a reading.

Reflecting on this card, I thought about the “heliocentric nature” of oracular divination itself. As querents, we approach the oracle when confronted with some of the great mysteries of our lives. We may ask questions about loved ones, but, more often than not, astrology, Tarot, and other forms of divination seek to address the issues or challenges that we ourselves face. When things are going well we find little reason to pull a card. However, when significant challenges arise, the Tarot, the zodiac wheel, the I Ching, Runes, and countless other divination tools make an appearance. Will I get the job I want? Will a long-lost lover return? When will my fortunes improve? Even, when asking about others, we are ultimately seeking a balm for our own anxieties and apprehensions.

In modern astrology, the sun is regarded as a proxy for the Self or ego, so it only stands to reason that, in correlating the Major Arcana to the planets and signs of the zodiac, The Sun represent…