The Sun Card: Rays of Joy

Of this card, The Sun from The Fey Tarot, Riccardo Minetti writes: "...the Sun is an Arcana that by nature is without any kind of ambiguity. It has no shadows, no veils, no half-measures. The sun represents all truths, all certainties...the joy of fullness and of security, when no doubt troubles the soul."

The Sun card is filled with so much positive energy and is generally considered one of great joy. When it comes up in a reading or I have to write about it for a book, sometimes I find I don't have much to say because it seems so simple and clear. For the Mystic Dreamer Tarot, I wrote: "The Sun brings a simple message of joy."

But perhaps I've been wrong in over-simplifying the idea of joy. As I thought about it and read what some other people say about joy, it became clear that joy is complex and very individual. Here are some thoughts about joy:

"The secret of joy in work is contained in one word—excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it."—Pearl S. Buck

"Things won are done; joy's soul lies in the doing."—William Shakespeare

"I define joy as a sustained sense of well-being and internal peace—a connection to what matters."—Oprah Winfrey

"Happiness depends upon ourselves."—Aristotle

"... joy and sorrow are inseparable…together they come and when one sits alone with you…remember that the other is asleep upon your bed."?Kahlil Gibran

Within this handful of thoughts we find that some people find joy in doing things. Others, like Oprah, find joy in being rather than doing. Aristotle is among those who think joy (or happiness) is a state of mind or a choice. And Kahlil Gribran reminds us of the complex relationship between joy and sorrow.

So, like most other tarot enthusiasts, I turn to the cards when I want to discover more about something. Hence, the Rays of Joy Spread. It can provide very illuminating results, although I'm still chewing on the fact that Death turned up in my "how do you give or share joy?" position.

1. How do you define joy?
2. How does joy connect you to the divine or your Higher Self?
3. How do you express joy in your daily life?
4. How do you receive joy?
5. How do you give or share joy?
6. What gives you joy intellectually or how do you experience it intellectually?
7. What gives you joy creatively or spiritually or how do you experience it creatively or spiritually?
8. What gives you joy physically or how do you experience it physically?
9. What gives you joy emotionally or how do you experience it emotionally?