Tarot Meanings for Healing:
The Sun

The Sun (IXX)

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The Sun and Its Meaning for Healing

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(Keywords: Joy, vitality, clarity, success, inner child healing, illumination)

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Overview of The Sun

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The Sun is the nineteenth card of the Major Arcana, symbolizing joy, optimism, clarity, and the radiant energy of life itself. Traditionally, the card depicts a bright sun shining in a clear blue sky, symbolizing truth, illumination, and the life-giving force of positivity. In the foreground, a child rides a white horse with open arms, representing innocence, purity, and freedom. Behind them, a wall of sunflowers stands tall, symbolizing growth, prosperity, and the beauty of life in full bloom.

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The Sun is one of the most positive and uplifting cards in the tarot, bringing a sense of renewed energy, success, and unshakable confidence. Unlike The Moon, which represents illusion and uncertainty, The Sun represents truth and clarity—the light that dissolves confusion and brings everything into sharp focus. It speaks to a period of happiness, alignment, and feeling fully in tune with one’s true self.

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When The Sun appears in a reading, it signifies a time of success, joy, and abundance. It is a reminder that healing is possible, that struggles can be overcome, and that embracing life with an open heart leads to profound renewal.

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The Sun and Healing

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The Sun’s energy in healing is deeply connected to vitality, self-acceptance, inner joy, and the power of light to dissolve darkness. Healing through The Sun is about embracing life with gratitude, stepping into authenticity, and allowing warmth and positivity to infuse the mind, body, and spirit.

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Healing Through Joy and Vitality

One of the most important lessons of The Sun is that joy is healing. Many people associate healing with deep, serious introspection, but The Sun reminds us that playfulness, laughter, and pleasure are just as essential to well-being.

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Healing requires welcoming joy back into life, even after difficult times. The Sun encourages:

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• Reconnecting with what brings genuine happiness and enthusiasm.

• Allowing play, creativity, and spontaneity to restore the spirit.

• Engaging in physical movement, fresh air, and activities that awaken energy.

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Even in the midst of healing, joy can exist. The Sun teaches that laughter, excitement, and a sense of adventure are not distractions from healing but integral to it.

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Healing Through Clarity and Truth

The Sun represents the dissolving of illusions and the power of truth to heal. Where The Moon creates uncertainty, The Sun brings clarity, allowing one to see things as they truly are.

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Many struggles arise from confusion, self-doubt, or not fully understanding one’s own emotions or situation. The Sun shines light on these areas, helping to bring insight and a clear vision of the path ahead.

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Healing through The Sun’s energy involves:

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• Letting go of doubt, fear, and mental fog, embracing confidence in one’s journey.

• Seeking truth in all things, even when it is difficult.

• Trusting one’s own wisdom and recognizing personal strengths.

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The Sun assures that honesty—both with oneself and others—creates the foundation for true healing.

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Healing Through Inner Child Work and Reconnecting with Innocence

The child on The Sun card represents the pure, unburdened self—the part of us that exists before fear, trauma, and conditioning take hold. Healing through The Sun often involves reconnecting with the inner child, embracing innocence, and allowing oneself to feel safe, free, and loved.

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For those carrying childhood wounds, The Sun encourages:

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• Revisiting what once brought happiness and excitement as a child.

• Practicing self-compassion, treating oneself with the same kindness as a child.

• Releasing shame, guilt, or limiting beliefs that were placed upon the self in early life.

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True healing is about returning to the light-heartedness and boundless love that exists within. The Sun reminds us that we are meant to shine and experience life fully, without fear or restriction.

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The Sun Reversed: Overview

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When The Sun appears reversed, its energy shifts from radiance and joy to self-doubt, emotional exhaustion, or a temporary inability to see the light. The reversed Sun can indicate feeling disconnected from happiness, struggling with self-worth, or experiencing delays in healing.

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This card may appear when someone:

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• Is struggling to see the positive side of a situation, feeling weighed down by negativity.

• Feels burnt out or drained, unable to access their usual sense of energy and optimism.

• Has lost touch with their authentic self, feeling disconnected from joy and playfulness.

• Is allowing fear or self-doubt to cloud their confidence and clarity.

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Unlike the upright Sun, which radiates certainty and happiness, the reversed Sun suggests a temporary dimming of light—whether through exhaustion, pessimism, or forgetting one’s own worth.

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The Sun Reversed and Healing

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The reversed Sun highlights barriers to healing caused by disconnection from joy, exhaustion, or difficulty believing in one’s own light. Healing is being blocked because self-doubt, negativity, or past wounds are clouding one’s ability to embrace happiness and confidence.

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Healing Through Reigniting Passion and Energy

A major challenge when The Sun is reversed is feeling disconnected from vitality and enthusiasm. Healing requires:

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• Identifying what has been draining energy—whether emotional burdens, unhealthy routines, or external stress.

• Rekindling excitement for life by engaging in passions, hobbies, or social connections.

• Prioritizing self-care and replenishment rather than pushing through exhaustion.

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The reversed Sun asks: Where have I lost my spark? What would bring light back into my days? Healing happens when energy is restored, even in small ways.

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Healing Through Overcoming Self-Doubt and Remembering One’s Worth

The reversed Sun often appears when negative self-talk or insecurity is dimming one’s confidence. Healing through this energy involves:

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• Challenging limiting beliefs about happiness and self-worth.

• Recognizing where fear or perfectionism is preventing full self-expression.

• Affirming personal strengths and embracing life without unnecessary self-judgment.

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True healing happens when one realizes that happiness is not something to be earned, but something that is always available within. The reversed Sun reminds us to step into confidence and embrace our natural brilliance without fear.

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Healing Through Allowing Light to Return

Sometimes, The Sun reversed appears when someone has been through a difficult period and has forgotten what joy feels like. This card encourages:

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• Taking time to acknowledge pain without letting it define the future.

• Trusting that happiness is still possible, even after hardship.

• Choosing to allow joy in, even in small ways, without guilt or hesitation.

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Healing through The Sun reversed is about reclaiming light after darkness, knowing that even the dimmest sunrise is still a sunrise, and brighter days will come.

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Final Thoughts

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The Sun, both upright and reversed, teaches that healing requires embracing joy, clarity, and the light within. Upright, it encourages self-confidence, happiness, and the return to an authentic, unburdened self. Reversed, it warns against self-doubt, exhaustion, and forgetting one’s innate worth.

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Ultimately, The Sun reminds us that healing is not just about overcoming pain—it is about reclaiming life, laughter, and the full expression of one’s spirit. Whether through joy, truth, or reconnecting with one’s inner light, true healing happens when we allow ourselves to shine without fear.