For years now, I have had the inconstant custom of pulling a tarot card everyday and then journaling about it. I have typically made an art project out of the journal in which I did this.
I undertook this both as a way to structure what has always been a fairly uncertain habit and as a way to become more deeply familiar with the tarot in general. There are a lot of cards I can pull out and immediately recognize their meaning and significance. Two of Cups? Mutuality! The Tower? Brace for chaotic change!
Apart from a few dozen cards I know like the back of my hand, I often need to pull out a book or two to complete a reading. This project was an effort to foster a closer relationship with the tarot and gain a greater understanding of the both the traditional meanings in the canon and to develop my own particular interpretations.
So today I pulled The Sun – reversed.
A word about reversals – there are two schools of thought on whether or not to include the position of the card in the interpretation. My introduction to the tarot included the idea that cards that came out of the deck upside down – or reversed – had an alternate meaning than those that came out upright. I tend to lean toward that pose philosophically, but I also refer to the materials that come with a particular deck; they each have their own energy and character so if the guide that comes with the cards doesn’t include reverse interpretations, I don’t either.
The particular deck I am using is the one I got myself for my birthday. The Folk Lore Tarot by Rowan Ortins. I was really drawn to the imagery and tone of this deck.
It does include reverse interpretations, so I am applying them to my understanding of this pull.
In the reversed position, the Sun often implies a certain lack of warmth, light, and focus. Upright, the Sun represents a healing and motivating force that can be relied upon to guide the querent* toward a particular goal or outcome. Reversed, it can mean a lack of clarity or optimism.
In my case, this meaning doesn’t resonate in particular at the moment. I am enjoying a welcome respite from a flurry of happenings in what has been a tumultuous year. Rather than missing the glaring light of summer, I am reveling in the peace of the falling dim.
And that’s the thing about the tarot; sometimes the card can be quite literal in suggesting what’s happening. In this case, I think this card was referring to the very concrete reversal of the sun in its course. Which I for one am perfectly content to celebrate.
*Person querying the tarot
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