The Sun – Lo Scarabeo Tarot
Associating a story (whether myth, fairy tale or personal experience) with each Tarot card is a wonderful way to both remember the meaning of the card and also to add depth to your readings.
Given that the longest day of the year will soon be upon us (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the Summer Solstice is the 21st of June, 2013), I was inspired to dedicate this month’s article of ‘Telling Tales’ to Apollo, Greek god of the Sun.
Apollo and the Continents by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
Amorous Zeus – King of the God’s – seduced and impregnated the beautiful lady Leto, daughter of Titans. Hera – Queen of the God’s and Zeus’ faithful wife – was blinded with rage, and so she called upon the dragon Python to terrorise the pregnant woman, chasing her from one end of the Earth to the other and allowing her no rest. The dragon was a monstrous beast that crawled in its own slime and it tormented Leto all through her long pregnancy.
Eventually, Leto was able to find sanctuary from the beastly Python on a floating island. She gave birth to her twin children: the Goddess of the Moon Artemis and her brother Apollo, God of the Sun. Clever Leto fed her children on ambrosia and nectar, causing them to grow from babies into bright adults on the same day that they had been born.
Apollo, newly a man, was furious at the way his beloved mother had been treated and he swore vengeance on the dragon who had tortured her. He hunted the Python and when he found it he slew it with a hundred hot arrows as bright and as deadly as sun beams. But when he saw the creature writhing in agony as it died, Apollo was filled with pity and compassion. He took up his pipes and played a lament for the death of the dragon before consecrating the site where the beast had died and founding the oracle of Delphi, where Kings and shepherds alike could consult with prophetic priestesses for divine counsel.
Apollo Vanquishing the Serpent Python by Gustave Moreau
What does the story mean?
The dragon (keep in mind its other name – Python) is symbolic of the torment of the querent: it could represent negative thought patterns, disloyal friends, the end of a relationship… anything that could be considered as deeply unpleasant and impacting negatively on the person. Imagine waking up from a bad dream: the dragon is the darkness that surrounds us and the gnawing fear that won’t let us go back to sleep.
Apollo, on the other hand, is the comforting light of knowledge and understanding that dispels the darkness. How silly those nightmares seem when viewed in ‘the cold light of day’! The God of the Sun slays the beast of fear and pain, but he realises that wisdom can be gained from the darkness and that the dragon has lessons to teach us. That’s why he creates the shrine and installs priestesses (who were known as Pythia) to help anyone who came in need of guidance.
How does this relate to the card?
When the Sun appears in a reading, it casts a positive glow on all the other cards in the spread and reassures the reader that everything will be alright. It also hints that the turmoil the querent may have gone through – or perhaps will go through – will be rich with lessons and that the querent will emerge from their trials as a stronger, wiser individual. Everyone has gone through some sorrow that has brought them to their knees – I know I have! – but afterwards, be it months or years later, we’re usually able to look back and say: “Whew! Well, I’m glad that happened because if it hadn’t, I never would have…” …insert relevant positive outcome here.
The Card
The Child (Apollo, for the thirty seconds that he was small): New beginnings, new life.
Sun: The clear light of day in which you are able to see past your hurts.
Blue Sky: Freedom from the fears of the night.
Horse: Moving forwards towards your true purpose in life.
In a reading, the Sun tells us to focus on the more positive aspects of the rest of the cards in the spread, and to know that no matter what, everything is going to be just fine. This might not necessarily mean that you get the outcome you most desire, but it will certainly be the outcomes for your best good. Everything is coming up roses, my friend!
The Light of Day Spread.
- ‘The Sun’ – this card reveals the heart of your situation.
- ‘Dawn’ – the situation that is manifesting.
- ‘Noon’ – these issues need your focus.
- ‘Dusk’ – the message from your intuition.
- ‘Midnight’ – the resolution.
“Little darling, it’s been a long cold lonely winter.
Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here.
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
And I say it’s all right.”
~ The Beatles.
Love this post?
Then you’re gonna love these!
Telling Tales – the Lovers and the Golden Apple.
Telling Tales – Persephone as the High Priestess.
