SUNdra as...SUNdra
Or something about the Sun card
Now. I'm a Moon person. I was born under its influence, and my first tarot card is the Moon. Even now I'm wearing a silver bracelet with mother of pearl crescents, a crescent choker and an amethyst crescent. Yep, that's how mooned I am.
Quite obviously, I prefer the night to the day, and Sun isn't really my thing. I don't feel that good in the sun if it takes longer than a couple of hours, and I don't usually wear gold- I make an exception only for my sun pendant dedicated to Apollo, and that thing is bloody heavy, just like the sun god’s character. I have my heart to the Moon long time ago, and I always look for it in a deck I'm thinking of buying. But, the sun…
The Sun is supposed to be this fab thing. The optimistic, lovely, formidable, warm, caring, itsgonnabealright kind of card. Whenever you get it in the spread, you always make a joyful reel around the sun and think that from now on it's gonna be wonderful.
However.
The Sun isn't that easy. The Sun has a golden youth on a white horse, riding through the fields in complete awesomeness. It's packed to the brim with meanings, senses and midtones. Any doubts? Look here.
However you turn it, it's so full…of itself, that even the great Sun King Louis XIV would pale in comparison. That's the thing: the Sun is an egocentric. It's a narcissist. A rock musician, basking in attention, Elvis singing to the crowds and loving it, or Tom Jones in his prime, or wait, Tom Cruise in ‘Rock of Ages':
It could be Freddie of course, but Freddie is a wonderful example of the warm and all-loving sun. Bon Jovi or Michael Buble also fall into that category. Think about Robbie Williams, Michael Jackson or Frank Sinatra- these men are also perfect embodiments of this major.
In the best sense.
Sinatra, especially, although by birth he was a double Hanged man and a Tower. But his persona I think is what makes up the Sun. Stylish, immaculately dressed, rich and beloved, talented and famous. The king of the stage. And yet, far from humble. Many stories say that Sinatra was a narcissist, an egotistical, self-centered and arrogant, obnoxious and unsupportable. That, boys and girls, is The Sun of the tarot.
It's all about itself. It doesn't need anybody else. It's an Achilles, an Apollo, a young king full of himself. The Sun is harsh. It seems warm, but it's cold inside. You know what I mean? It has light, but it's only there to show the world how cool its bearer is. The light is only a decoration, a nice lighting for the best performance. And it sometimes hides the trauma.
While you dazzle, you don't think about the pain, the loneliness or the times when you're not dazzling everyone. The harshest of truths is always hidden by the harshest light, like the bright lights of the operating room hide blood, guts, gore and death at times.
The Sun doesn't show up to make you good. It shows up to remind you about the lessons you have to learn to move forward.
Don't be blinded by the light, look beyond.
Sun doesn't always mean warmth.
Light comes after darkness. But it also springs from the darkness. It's a part of darkness. Were it not, you wouldn't be able to see it.
The light is there to show you the truth, and it's not always a pleasant one.
Sometimes it's quite ugly.
Sun shows you where your expectations are wrong.
Sun shows you where selfishness might lead if you're too full of yourself.
Sun isn't your friend or your magical pill that keeps the troubles away. It might be chocolate coated, but it's cyanide. It's here to teach you.
Now think of the card from the pagan perspective. Think of your sun gods. Think of Apollo, Lugh, Lleu, maybe Freyr. Anything in common there?
Yep.
They are NOT sun gods, that's right. They are CALLED that to simplify things.
Apollo is much more than just a sun god. And, the job of the sun god was done by Helios. That's your SUN. Apollo is the golden boy, the arts guy, the soul mate of the muses, the ultimate Renaissance Prince. He shoots, he plays, he dances, he battles, he heals. And he rages. He kills. He hates broken promises. He sends plague to you if you do him wrong.
Lugh is never called a sun god. He's AS BRIGHT as the sun with his reddish golden hair and bright blue eyes. He does everything Apollo does, but with a twist. He gets revenge in the form of riddles, insurmountable tasks - and eventually, death of those who deserved it. Bonus: he also gets gifts. He heals his almost dead son Cu Chulainn in three days, he battles alongside Nuada and becomes king. And he’s realky good at everything from poetry to crafts and prophesies. And, he's not a sun god.
Lleu Llaw Gyffes, their Welsh cousin, is even more mysterious. Traumatized, broken, betrayed, lied to, a motherless (officially) son, his father's best boy - an honest, straightforward young man, - and a mighty warrior, a huntsman, a poet, a lover of truth, a real king, a sportsman, and a shapeshifter. He is mortally wounded, he spends 3 days rotting away and then comes back to life in a new, upgraded form of a mighty, shining avenger. And, HE'S NOT THE SUN GOD.
They all are fabulous teachers. And they almost always talk about similar lessons.
The Sun can destroy you. (Apollo)
When the truth comes out, it can blind you (Lugh)
Whatever and wherever you're hiding yourself, your true self will come out. And when it does, it's gonna be painful, terrible and harsh. But it's gonna be sooooo good. Afterwards. (Lleu)
You see?
Do you still think the Sun is cute?
Perhaps this will remind you of something…
Good day.