I never considered myself as a sun worshipper. I’d scurry towards the shade once the sun shines its blinding light on me. The sun meant sweat, the roasting of the skin and the distinct smell that a single whiff of it revealed one toiled without the comforts of roof and shade.
But after a decade of living in a country where the winters can be grey and bleak, I find myself chasing after every ray of sun I could get. Each morning, the corners of my mouth turn as the pull of a string reveals the light of the sun, kissing the terracotta shingles of the apartment building across ours. The sun makes the spring skies bluer. The sun’s warmth allows me to sit on the park bench in the chilly air. The sun allows me to see clearly what is ahead of me.
Once the Texas summer months hit, my relationship with the sun changes dramatically. I go back to retreating indoors. The sun unbearable, scorching, punishing. Behind the cooler conditions indoors - in central cooling with the fans whirring, spinning, I worry for those who do not share the same privileges as mine.
This made me think of the Sun card of the tarot. The 19th card, after the eerie, mystical darkness and confusion of the night of the Moon, comes the Sun.
A naked baby, a single feathered crown on its head, with a radiant smile, riding bareback on a white horse. His arms and legs extended in a joyful release. The sun, though its face intense, extending the fullness of its rays, up in the sky, behind him. A row of sunflowers and a stone wall now behind the babe. The red fabric dances in the air as the child rider and its steed move away from the wall.
When one pulls this card in a reading, it is sheer, childlike, naked and unafraid, unadulterated joy. It is vitality. It is the I can see everything clearly now where I am headed and will do so with all my heart and soul.
It is no coincidence that I write this on Easter Sunday. After the darkness of the death of Christ, he comes out of the cave, of death in a triumphant blinding light. The Christ overcame the darkness and He lives again.
Of course, the sun is not always sunshine and happiness. We all know how the sun can strike us down and cause heatstroke, droughts that parch the earth and all life on it. This also means that the sun can grind us down if we are not careful. As with Icarus who flew towards the sun, your wings made of wax can melt and sent you hurtling back down to the earth.
The sun also plays a role in Vedic astrology. But not in the same way you know in Western astrology, where the sun somehow takes the lead. I used to read my daily horoscope based on my sun sign as most of you probably do. But in Vedic astrology, I learned that the sun is simply one part of the whole.
In Vedic astrology, the planets’ movements are tracked in reference to the stars and not the sun and earth. This is why it is also known as sidereal astrology or “in respect to the constellations or fixed stars.” To illustrate, the sun, specifically, moves through the different zodiac signs, the constellations, made up of stars, across around thirty days. So why am I reading the sun horoscope daily if it changes over a longer period of time?
The Sun is also known in its sanskrit name “Surya” [And for those of you, like me, who practice yoga, are definitely familiar with the phrase “suryanamaskar” or “sun salutation.”] It is the god of the sun. It is said to be one of the most powerful grahas that can cause other planets to “explode” or go combust.
In Jyotish, as the system is not only anchored psychology, but covers the entire life of a person, not only does the sun represent one’s vitality, leaders and leadership, confidence and ego, but also one’s father, and authorities such as government, your employer or boss. It also represents one’s heartiness, resistance to disease, the fiery constitution, digestion, bones among others as Vedic astrology plays a role alongside Ayurveda or the science of Indian medical knowledge, system and practice.
As in the tarot, the sun is life giving, but can also be life taking. One can be overconfident to the point of recklessness. One’s ego can railroad decisions. The authorities can rule over you in the most cruel ways possible. The Sun, though it gives light, also gives rise to the shadow. Without the light, there is no shadow. They co-exist in dependence, one that we must embrace and learn to dance with.
What I am reading:
I read through one children’s book and a graphic novel about Hindu mythology - “Exploring Hindu Mythology” by Don Nardo and “Sita’s Ramayana” by Samhita Arni and Moyna Chitrakar. A lot of Jyotish concepts and stories are closely intertwined and even anchored on this living and breathing mythology.
One story that struck me was about “karma” or the law of action and reaction. The god Vishnu rode on its eagle, Garuda to visit the god Shiva in his palace, Mount Kailash. Vishnu told Garuda to stand and wait outside the palace gates. He did as he was told and saw a tiny bird, admired it with wonder and awe.
Then the god Yama, the god of death, appeared at the entrance. It is said that when Yama locks eyes or even glances a being, it will bring death. Garuda caught Yama look at the little bird and was perturbed that death will come to this tiny being. And so the great eagle picked up the tiny bird and brought it to a forest thousands of miles away for safety.
Garuda made it back to the palace gates just as Yama was leaving Shiva’s abode. With much courage, he asked the god why it glanced at the tiny bird earlier. Then Yama replied how he was puzzled on how this little creature would be able to fly thousands of miles that separated it from its destiny over a short period of time. That was when Garuda realized that it brought the tiny bird to its final resting place, its destiny, without even knowing it.
It is with sad news that I share that Rachel Pollack, author of the tarot classic “Seven Eight Degrees of Wisdom: A Tarot Journey through Self-Awareness” among many of other books and comics, passed away. Her work was and continues to be an anchor in my own tarot education and journey. I am eternally grateful for what she’s been able to share in her lifetime. Thank you.
What I am watching:
I finally got to watch the “The Menu,” the 2022 comedy horror film, a parody of what eating and dining has become, how the gloss and glamour of this part of life, buries challenging and very dark situations for the very people running the show. I highly recommend to watch, especially if you are what we call a “foodie.” It will make you rethink and evaluate what eating and dining means to humanity at all.
If you’d like to read more about tarot cards and their meanings, head on over to what I’ve written below:
Major Arcana
Minor Arcana