XIX – The Sun Tarot

XIX

XIX_the sun

“the pursuit of happiness”

symbols
The Pursuit of Light, Life and Vitality

archetypes
Helios, Hyperion, Apollo

date and ritual
Summer solstice – celebrating life

planet
Sun

Path of Resh: Hod – Yesod

 

The card of „The Sun“ is all about the pursuit of life, light, happiness and satisfaction. There is no actual perfection in this reality possible, just like there is no unity, but only duality. Therefore the path and the search for this state is the goal already. You can see this stony path is leading up to a mountain top, which represents the symbolic destination of the journey. However from the position of the top there is only one way to go – which is down. This recurring ups (climbing the mountain) and downs  (falling, down swinging or jumping from the top of the mountain) act like waves during our life’s. The sum of all waves, which we either ride or drowning in are represented by this card.

The pursuit of walking on a new path is always born by the wish to experience more of the whole spectrum of light. This wish can only emerge, when one has a stable base from where to start his journey from. Usually the way to the top only has a chance to succeed if one has arranged his life in order. It is necessary to leave one’s „comfort zone“ to symbolically climb a mountain. If there is no established comfort zone or stable daily routine the wanderer would be unprepared and fail on his journey.

Often the path includes learning something new and the achievement of some kind of knowledge – in short one learns to understand the world and his surroundings in a wider spectrum of the whole. 
Physically like light can only be observed in different wavelengths, all beings observe their environment only from their subjective point of views. This view never represents what we call truth because regarding each subject there are countless connected aspects a single being cannot observe and know of simultaneously. 

Learning about, and experiencing a different approach of a subject gives us the opportunity to triangulate our philosophical angles within ourselves. This results in knowledge but also carries the burden of responsibility with it.  

Also „turning on the light“ and unveiling a truth is often the kill-switch for romantic, or mystic expectations – so even light has it’s demerits. 
The division of unity has it’s physical expression in the division of the atomic nucleus (an “as above so below” analogy). As a result, light can be observed in it’s different wavelengths but never as a whole. This splitting phenomenon corresponds to the hermetic idea of the archetypes, or alchemical elements, planets and zodiac signs. Compare to the card of „0 – The Fool“ and the evolving melody of creation with it’s different notes.

Experiencing light in it’s different wavelengths/ physical colours is analogue to experiencing the different archetypes, signs and elements on their own. These aspects are separated for a reason. Like light in a radiating state would be destructive and destroying, the different aspects of our reality (or the sum of all thoughts) would also mean confusion and insanity if they are experienced as a whole at the same time. Or said in a common metaphysical expression „No one can experience god without turning crazy“. 

The creator is not the actual source of light. A symbolical creator would represent the sum of all parts and thoughts – symbolizing unity. Light is always the outcome of a reaction which would implicate two opposites or duality. 

The aspect of time is also relevant because it allows us to undergo different currents and sample various aspects, one after another, which then helps us to triangulate our experiences, as mentioned above in order to gain an overview of the whole. Just regard the example of the Tarot deck. As a whole the various combinations can represent each plot, path and aspect of reality but each card has to be understood on its own at first. If the different cards are not explored in detail a connection would not be understood. „The Sun“ summarizes all these paths we have already walked and explored and gives the opportunity to collect inspiration from the experiences within, to attempt a new walk up the mountain.

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