The Sun tarot card from the 1909 deck by Pamela Colman Smith

The Sun tarot card meaning

The Sun upright is one of the brightest cards in the deck, pointing to joy, success and clarity, a time when things feel warm, open and good.

joy
success
warmth
confidence
clarity

Draw a card Ask yes or no

Arcana	Major
Number	XIX (19)
Astrology (Golden Dawn)	Sun
Yes or no	Yes upright, maybe reversed

Written by Orbitarot · Sources: our own meanings; card art by Pamela Colman Smith, 1909; A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1910 · Updated October 7, 2026

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What the card shows

A large sun with a calm human face shines over a field of tall sunflowers growing behind a gray stone wall. In front of the wall, a naked child wearing a flower wreath and a red feather rides a white horse bareback, arms spread wide, with a long red banner flowing beside them. The child is read as innocence and freedom, the white horse as purity and strength, and the open arms as the confidence to meet life without fear.

The Sun upright

The Sun is pure warmth. When it appears, it usually brings good news: things are working out, efforts are paying off, and you feel more like yourself. There is nothing hidden on this card. Everything is out in the open, lit from above, and that clarity is part of its gift.

Upright, the Sun favors celebration, play and doing what you love. It can point to success, recognition or simply a run of good days. The child on the horse rides without saddle or reins, completely at ease, which suggests that this is a time to relax and enjoy rather than control. Let yourself be seen. Share your ideas, your happiness and your plans. Others are likely to respond to your openness. The Sun also lights up relationships and family life, bringing laughter and closeness. If you have been through a hard stretch, this card is a reminder that brighter days do come.

The Sun reversed

temporary clouds
dimmed joy
overconfidence
delayed success
inner child blocked

Reversed, the Sun is rarely a bad card. The light is still there, but clouds may be passing in front of it. You may feel less upbeat than usual, or success may be taking longer than you hoped.

Sometimes the reversed Sun shows that you are getting in your own way, for example by expecting too much, comparing yourself to others or forgetting to enjoy what you have. In other readings it warns against overconfidence. Either way, small things help. Get outside, spend time with people who make you laugh and do something just for the fun of it. Your natural brightness tends to come back once you stop pushing so hard for it.

The Sun in love

Upright: For singles, the Sun suggests a happy, open-hearted time when you shine and attract warmth. Couples can expect joy, honesty, fun together and a bond that feels easy and bright.

Reversed, it can show a relationship going through a dull patch or one partner feeling unappreciated. Bring back playfulness and the spark is likely to return.

The Sun for career and work

Upright, the Sun favors success, recognition and work that feels fulfilling. Confidence and a positive attitude are likely to carry you far.

Reversed, it can point to delays or a dip in motivation, but the overall picture is still positive. Avoid overpromising and keep going.

The Sun as feelings

They feel genuinely happy around you, and you make them feel warm, light and fully themselves.

The Sun as advice

Step into the light, share your joy and let yourself enjoy what is going well.

The Sun in a tarot reading

The same card reads differently depending on where it lands. These are the readings our spreads use when The Sun appears in each position. Try it in a three card reading, Celtic cross.

Upright

As the past	Warmth, success or simple joy marked the recent past. Efforts paid off, you felt more like yourself, and that confidence carried you here.
As the present	Things are working out. There is clarity, warmth and good energy around you, and this is a time to enjoy it fully.
As the future or outcome	Sunlight is breaking through ahead. Your efforts are likely to show and your confidence to grow as the situation becomes clearer.
As the obstacle	Overconfidence could be the snag. When everything feels bright, it is easy to overlook a small problem or assume success without doing the work.
As advice	Step into the light and be yourself openly. Share your joy, celebrate what is going well and let your natural confidence lead the way.

Reversed

As the past	Worry and delays clouded your joy for a while. Success took longer than you hoped, and that left you a little less sure of yourself.
As the present	The light is still there but partly hidden. You may feel less upbeat than usual, or results may be slower to arrive than you expected.
As the future or outcome	The clouds are clearing, though perhaps more slowly than you would like. Joy here is delayed rather than gone for good.
As the obstacle	Expecting too much or trying too hard is what gets in the way. Pressure and perfectionism can dim the happiness you are reaching for.
As advice	Lighten up and let some of the pressure go. Do something playful, lower the bar for perfection and let the joy come back naturally.

What A. E. Waite wrote about The Sun in 1910

Waite designed this deck with Pamela Colman Smith and published its meanings in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910, public domain). His words, as printed:

Divinatory meaning:

Material happiness, fortunate marriage, contentment.

Reversed:

The same in a lesser sense.

Joy and contentment are shared, though Waite's version is plainly worldly: material happiness and a fortunate marriage. His reversal, the same in a lesser sense, matches the modern view that the joy is still there, only partly hidden.

Is The Sun a yes or no card?

Upright: Yes The Sun shines openly on a joyful scene, so upright it is one of the clearest yes cards in the deck.

Reversed: Maybe Reversed, the outcome is still positive but delayed or dimmed, so the answer is maybe, leaning hopeful.

Ask your own question with the yes or no tarot. No cards at hand? The yes or no oracle answers with a pendulum.

Learn more: how to read reversed cards, how to read this card with others, whether The Sun is one of your birth cards, its astrology correspondence.

Questions

What does The Sun mean in tarot?

The Sun upright is one of the brightest cards in the deck, pointing to joy, success and clarity, a time when things feel warm, open and good. Reversed, the Sun suggests joy is still there but partly hidden, perhaps by worry, delays or trying too hard, so the light just needs uncovering. Yes or no: Yes upright, maybe reversed.

What does The Sun reversed mean?

Reversed, the Sun suggests joy is still there but partly hidden, perhaps by worry, delays or trying too hard, so the light just needs uncovering.

Is The Sun a yes or no card?

Yes when upright. The Sun shines openly on a joyful scene, so upright it is one of the clearest yes cards in the deck. When reversed, it leans maybe. Reversed, the outcome is still positive but delayed or dimmed, so the answer is maybe, leaning hopeful.

What does The Sun mean as feelings?

They feel genuinely happy around you, and you make them feel warm, light and fully themselves.