The Sun Tarot Card Meaning: Upright, Reversed, Love & Yes/No
This is one of the brightest cards in the deck. Let yourself enjoy what is going well and share that warmth with others.
| Arcana | Major Arcana |
|---|---|
| Number | 19 (XIX) |
| Element | Fire |
| Astrology | The Sun |
| Hebrew letter | Resh (Golden Dawn attribution) |
| Yes or no | Yes |
| Upright | joy, success, warmth, confidence |
| Reversed | temporary clouds, low mood, overconfidence |
The Sun symbolism
A naked child rides a white horse beneath a radiant sun with a human face. The child holds a large red banner, and tall sunflowers grow over a stone wall behind. Everything is bright, open and uncomplicated. After the shadows of The Moon, The Sun brings full daylight.
The descriptions on this site refer to the Rider-Waite-Smith deck (1909), illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith and designed with Arthur Edward Waite, which is the reference for most modern tarot. Other decks may show different imagery with a similar meaning.
Upright meaning
- joy
- success
- warmth
- confidence
The Sun is the card of joy, success and vitality. It is one of the most positive cards in the deck, bringing warmth, clarity and confidence to any situation. What was hidden becomes visible and what was uncertain becomes clear.
In a reading, The Sun favours achievements, celebrations, good health of spirit and moments of genuine happiness. It asks you to show up as yourself and enjoy the good things that are coming. Its number is nineteen, which reduces to one: a new beginning with full energy.
Reversed meaning
- temporary clouds
- low mood
- overconfidence
Reversed, The Sun is rarely negative. It usually means a temporary cloud: a delay, low mood or feeling that success is less bright than expected. It can also warn against overconfidence.
The light is still there. Reconnect with simple pleasures and give things a little more time.
New to reversals? Our guide to reading reversed tarot cards explains the different ways readers interpret an upside-down card.
The Sun in love and relationships
Upright in love
In love, The Sun brings happiness, warmth and openness. For singles, it favours meeting someone in a relaxed, joyful setting. For couples, it signals a happy phase and possibly good news for the family.
Reversed in love
Reversed in love, the card suggests a brief period of misunderstanding or low energy that can be overcome with honesty and fun.
The Sun as feelings
As feelings, The Sun means someone feels happy, warm and genuinely positive about you. You make them feel good.
Career and work
At work, The Sun brings success, recognition and confidence. It is a great card for launches, interviews and taking the spotlight.
Money and finances
With money, The Sun indicates prosperity and positive results from past efforts.
Is The Sun a yes or no card?
Yes
The Sun is a clear yes, one of the strongest in the deck.
Want to ask your own question? Try our yes or no tarot, which uses the same yes, no and maybe values shown on this page.
Number, element and astrology
The Sun is card 19 (XIX) of the Major Arcana, the 22 trump cards that describe life's big lessons and turning points. In the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn's system, which shaped the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, it is attributed to the Hebrew letter Resh and to The Sun, giving it the element of fire. In numerology, 19 reduces to 10, linking it with Wheel of Fortune.
Advice from The Sun
Step into the light. Share your good news, enjoy the moment and let yourself be seen.
Example reading
Illustrative example
Someone waiting for the results of a job interview draws The Sun in the outcome position. The card strongly favours a positive result and encourages them to approach the next stage with confidence.
This example is written by our editors to show how the card is read in context. It is not a real client's reading. See our tarot spreads for how positions change a card's meaning.
Related cards
Dream symbols linked to this card
Baby, Sun. Our dream dictionary explains how the same symbolism appears in dreams.
Ask the cards about your situation
Draw three cards for your own question. Every card in your result links back to its meaning here.
Free tarot readingCard of the dayFrequently asked questions
What does The Sun mean in tarot?
Upright, The Sun means joy, success, warmth, confidence. The Sun is the card of joy, success and vitality.
What does The Sun reversed mean?
Reversed, The Sun is rarely negative. It usually means a temporary cloud: a delay, low mood or feeling that success is less bright than expected. It can also warn against overconfidence.
What does The Sun mean in love?
In love, The Sun brings happiness, warmth and openness. For singles, it favours meeting someone in a relaxed, joyful setting. For couples, it signals a happy phase and possibly good news for the family. Reversed in love, the card suggests a brief period of misunderstanding or low energy that can be overcome with honesty and fun.
Is The Sun a yes or no card?
The Sun is a clear yes, one of the strongest in the deck.
Is The Sun the best card in tarot?
Many readers consider it the most positive card in the deck because it represents joy, success and clarity in almost every context.