The Sun card in Tarot
The sun
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| The Sun TOCC |
With the dawn of each new day, there is something we take
for granted – the sun. Think on this.
For most of us, astronomical aspects of the sun
and its planetary system within the galaxy and the universe is too vast to be perceived, but every day we see this enormous ball of fire, which is forever exploding violently, spewing gasses, emitting radiation, and spreading light over our entire solar system. If its light didn’t shine on earth, again and again, as it does, we would be like a lifeless dull asteroid floating in the darkness of space.Almost all life on
earth depends on the heat and light of the sun where it is neither too hot nor
too cold for living creatures to survive on its surface. As we orbit the sun, obviously,
we are aware that we experience ultra-lightness and total darkness within 24-hour
periods of day and night and, in our 1,000 mile an hour rotation, the sun
appears to come up in the East and set in the West every day. During the four
seasons of Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall, the sunlight is always changing because
of the earth’s 23.5 -degree tilt on its axis and we experience fluctuations in
the amount of light received from very little to a lot in a year. Mars receives
sunlight too, but so far, there are no living beings there to partake in it. In
the article, “The Secret Life of the Sun” (Scientific American, June 2018)
the author states that, “The sun was born
in a cloud of gas and dust … when enough matter condensed to ignite nuclear
fusion.” Think of it as nuclear furnace where hydrogen fuels its core and is
constantly emitting an enormous amount of light traveling at 186,300 miles a
second throughout our solar system. With a diameter of 864,000 miles, it is a radiant star central to eight planets
and situated on the edge of the vast Milky Way Galaxy, home to perhaps 200
billion other stars. How do we react to this thought? As simply as possible. Some people get up in
the dawn of morning and go outside to greet the sun and express their gratitude
for another experience of light and life in our lives. Let us welcome every new
day of sunlight and revel in a sense of aliveness.
Light
Over the centuries, we have seen various interpretations of
the significance of sunlight and investigated how it has influenced the daily
lives of past populations. In a historical sense, beginning with early
peoples, we have learned how some groups linked their lives with the changing light
of the sun and observed its cycles in their ancient religions. In those times,
many communities worshipped the sun through symbolism and myths. Symbols of the
sun, which were symbolic of their god “Ra” or “Atum,” are evident in hieroglyphs
and tomb paintings of the earliest Egyptians. They thought the sun was the eye
of Ra, the generator of life on earth.
“Ra means either sun or light. Our sun is the
eye of Ra and not Ra himself”
Moustafa Gadalla, Egyptian
Cosmology (Bastet Publishing, 1977)
In another context, the term light
had significant meaning in an esoteric sense. Biblical writings, as in the Old
Testament, began with “Let there be light,” with the first day of creation. (Gen. 1:3) And then the stellar system with the
sun and the moon was created on the fourth day (Gen
1:16-17). In 1 John 1:5, of the
New Testament, it says: “…God is light and in Him is no darkness at all,” which
is interpreted in the Oxford Bible to mean Light
that: “…represents absolute holiness without taint of evil.” “Arise, shine for your light has come…” (Matt. 5:16). In Greek myths, the sun god was Apollo, known
as the god of light, who was depicted in sculpture with sun rays streaming from
his head. In Old Europe, archeologists have shown that over 3,000 years ago, people
celebrated the sun in important astronomical alignments of huge stones in their
megalithic structures, which can still be measured, such as Stonehenge and
Avebury in England. Here, certain placements of stones in circles measured the
apparent motion of the sun and moon. In Ireland, near Dublin, at the Neolithic
Newgrange Tomb, there is a “roof box” over the entrance through which the sun
shines on Midwinter Day - the Solstice
- and illuminates the inner passage of 62 feet. Massive stones, each weighing 2
to 14 tons, line the interior and are incised with spirals. At the end, a
triple spiral is illuminated by the winter light on Midwinter day. Researchers
have conjectured that these spirals symbolize natural sources, such as blind
springs underneath, where perhaps, in those prehistoric people’s beliefs, this
symbolized rebirth and renewal where spirits travelled to and from the
underworld. (See The Avebury Cycle by Michael Dames, Thames and Hudson, 1977)
This winter day,
It is warm in the sun
But cold! (Onitsura)
Light in
Art
In late Gothic Art, the artist, Hieronymous Bosch (1450-1516)
painted
what is essentially “The Light at the End of The Tunnel.” In Cardinal Grimani’s Altarpiece, he
painted the Ascent of the Blessed where
little figures appear to be moving through a tunnel into the bright light at
the end. Concerning this enigmatic painting, Hans Belting, in his book, Hieronymous Bosch, Garden of Earthly
Delights (Prestel Publishing Ltd, 2002) states
that, “The light lends added drama to
cosmic spaces by illuminating the darkness, culminating in a tunnel of light
leading to the celestial paradise, which is present only in absolute light
radiating into the tunnel.” In a
more scientific sense, Leonardo DaVinci (1452-1519) and
Claude Monet (1840-1926) studied the effects of light on
nature. Monet painted the many ways sunlight fell on haystacks at different
times of the day. Leonardo carefully observed light and dark patterns and drew
diagrams of the way objects reflected light, such as in a still life and, he
showed what happens in the absence of light as he scrutinized variations of
darkness in the cast shadows.
Enlightenment
“Those
of us who choose to be spiritual seekers and transformers must now move
into the world with the same degree of
commitment to our spiritual selves as we would
have if we renounced the world.”
“Living in the Light,” Shakti Gawain (Whatever Publishing, 1986)
In a metaphysical sense, light
means spiritual illumination and enlightenment, which enables us to see circumstances
clearly - in contrast to situations that seem obscure and foggy or mysteriously
dark. Sincere seekers contemplate an inner transcendent light in stages of meditation as they search for spiritual
illumination in their lives. In meditation, some sense they are being animated
by the divine life force and feel they are connecting to a luminous energy from
the never-ending cosmic source. For them, this brings clarity to some of the
truths about themselves and life on earth. Buddhists speak of this heightened awareness as
“enlightenment, Nirvana.” They have seen “the Light.”
“Enlightenment is an experience, not an
idea. The person feels struck by a burst of light…”
Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom, Rachael Pollack (The Aquarian Press, Ltd, 1980)
What do you want? “… a
better life,” says Edith in the TV series, Downtown Abbey. Don’t we all want a better life? Enlightenment in
Buddhism means letting go of attachments. It is a search for truth about this
life and the true nature of reality. It is a “…realization of the universal law of Oneness wherein there is no
‘these and those.’” (Nyogen Senzaki, Buddhism and Zen, Philosophical Library,
1953). In meditation, one hopes to discover Truth. Nirvana may be brought about by examining oneself and discovering that
materialistic desire is the root
cause of anxiety and suffering. “I want this, I want that. Please God, grant me patience and give it to me right now!” The
experience of enlightenment is
transformative and can only be reached in the absence of desire. In Zen, an
awakening can occur by practicing mindfulness
and following the 8-fold path to union with wisdom, in Oneness. This state
is achieved through right view, right conduct in thought, speech, action, resolve,
livelihood, and mindfulness. Inner peace is found in dealing with, and
transcending, the duality of the “monkey mind” chattering away in our heads.
There is an unpretentious logic in this - having to do with how we perceive the
world. That tree we see is a tree. The image we have in mind about the tree is
not the tree, it is an illusion in our imagination. Just as in a still-life painting, the table
and the flowers are not the real table and flowers, only a facsimile of what
they really are.
“Buddha means an enlightened
mental state or condition.”
Nyogen
Senzaki, Buddhism and Zen (Philosophical
Library, 1953)
Age of
Enlightenment
From a totally different perspective, the term “enlightenment” can
also refer to radical changes in thought, which historically, has spurred revolutions. What occurred in the Western World of thought in the 17th 18th century is not to be confused with spiritual or religious enlightenment.
It was a political and philosophical movement that promoted science and reason
over myth and superstition and has since been called The Age of Enlightenment. It centered on the idea that reason was
the source of knowledge, which included liberty, progress, constitutional
government, and separation of church and state. It was a time of revolutionary cultural
change that began with the liberation of Europe from the tyranny of feudalism
and absolute monarchies. It was the influence behind the American Revolution
where the colonies separated from the British Monarchy and became their own
nation, and all people were deemed to have inalienable rights to life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness. In Europe, the French Monarchy ended in the
Revolution of 1789 with the establishment of a Republic. And the Hapsburg dynasty
formally collapsed in 1918 during World War I and then new nation states were
established. The British Monarchy still continues with lesser governmental powers and a Constitutional Monarch
in Queen Elizabeth II.
Tarot Interpretation
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| B.O.T.A. deck |
In Tarot and Astrology, the meaning of The Sun card centers around perceptions of enlightenment and joy in
our lives. The Sun in Astrology is the archetypal symbol of the constellation Leo the Lion, signifying regal courage
and strength of purpose, desire and will power. “…the
Arcanum, The Sun with which we are occupied is an Arcanum of children bathing
in the light of the sun – implying simplicity and enthusiastic joy.” (Anonymous author of Meditations on the Tarot, Putnam 1985) In a Tarot reading, this means a person is fully awake, experiencing happiness and the good life; going forward with hope, energy, enthusiasm, and optimism. With The Sun card in Tarot, this means we can proceed in the radiance of
light with a sense of
commitment to love and magnificence wherever we are. The
Sun card signifies the positive aspects of the promise of good things
to come and brings something new with the dawn of every new day. The light in your life is when you or someone else
brings inspiration and joy and good feelings to the rest of us, of being
uplifted in everyday experiences, “You light up my life!” It is the gift of
happiness and of feeling really alive and present with the ability to participate
fully in everything. For yourself, you are being in charge, taking on
leadership with courage and strength and making things better for everyone. This
may seem obvious, but as we know, there are some things we can’t be sure of, although
we can be sure that while we are living on the earth – the earth is still here and the sun is still shining on it.
One more note:
When we are having scary thoughts
about life on earth and what is happening to the earth, climate catastrophes
and all that, keep in mind what E.O. Wilson has said succinctly, “…to stave off
a mass extinction crisis…set aside half the planet as permanently protected
areas for the ten million other species.” (See “The Wildest Idea on Earth,” Tony
Hiss, (Smithsonian
Magazine, September 2014). Let’s
do our best to make sure there is still a healthy earth for the sun to continue
to shine upon.
Resources:
The Dream of Reason, Anthony Gottlieb (W.W. Norton 2000)
The Notebooks of Leonardo DaVinci, Jean Paul Richter (Dover Publications 1970)
Zen and Reality, Robert Powell (Viking Press 1961)
Resources:
The Dream of Reason, Anthony Gottlieb (W.W. Norton 2000)
The Notebooks of Leonardo DaVinci, Jean Paul Richter (Dover Publications 1970)
Zen and Reality, Robert Powell (Viking Press 1961)
