ReVERSALS: The Sun Reversed

Thirteen

The upright Sun is all about reason, light, order. It is a card of youthfulness, children and music, of clear thought and the feeling that all is right in the universe. Reversed....

1) Opposite: Opposite would most logically be "night" or the "The Moon" but we have those cards already. With the Sun, reason and order SHOULD prevail--with the Moon, emotion and superstition prevail...so what of the Sun reversed? Say that poor logic and bad reasoning prevail. Facts are presented, but taken out of context. Wrong conclusions are reached, arguments are twisted. This is not chaos so much as "disorder." Things are in place, just not in the right place.

Which, frankly, can be far more frustrating than if the Moon were ruling and all was just chaos and anarchy.

2) Blocked: The Sun's energy is all about clarity, reason and light. Blocked gives us an eclipse. Things seem dark, muddled, unclear; illogical--but there is hope that once the eclipse is over, the light will shine again. Give the Sun's connection to children, this could also indicate problems with pregnancy or getting along with young children.

This would also be a bad card for musicians or mathematicans, ruled by the Sun, a reversed card would indicate disccordant music for the musician, and problems wrongly solved for the mathematician. What should make sense and be harmonious is not.

3) Upsidedown: Reverse the Rider card and the Sun sinks down instead of rising up. The child loses his banner and his seat on the horse, the sunflowers wilt. The Sun provides life to flowers to people. If it is reversed and going down, then its light and warmth is fading, and so is the life it supports. The innocence, wisdom and clarity of childhood loses it's triumphant seat and banner as well.

This is not, as with the blocked card, a suggestion that the light is temporarily gone. This is a fading Sun--it suggests that the querent is either unable to recapture youth and childhood--or that they are refusing the light. There is a suggestion here that they would rather be in shadow, then see what the light might show them.

It is possible that the querent is rejecting reason and logic. Or that the querent cannot stop the light from fading. Ignorance is winning, as are the dim and short-sighted forces of cynical adulthood. No one is listening to youthful protests, or thinking of the children, of future generations. Energy fades, the light fades, music and wisdom fade. Something must be done before all the flowers have wilted away.

Other thoughts?
 

poivre

I have no idea, this is just a post!

Could the Sun rx be too much Sun that you are
being burnt from all the glory. Almost that we could
become overconfident so we burn ourself because
other people do not like our aura of glory.
Like shooting yourself in the foot. Not a bad thing,
but not necessary.

You know what I mean to say! LOL

ros :)
 

FaerieStorm

Agree with much of what ros said. The Sun Rv may indicate getting too much knowledge at one time; becoming overwhelmed with new ideas and new views.

The idea of be burnt makes a lot of sense. When you get too much sun, sometimes the exposure can lead to pain. Knowing too much sometimes can do more harm than good.

-FS
 

paradoxx

For me the sun reversed is teh sun dipping into sunset, giving way to the 'lesser powers' of the stars and planets and of course the suns counterpart the moon. Since the moons 'light' is really the suns light in reflection, the meaning of the sun reversed depends on the surrounding cards (if any).

It is a warning to back off, stop stealing teh spotlight, and let others have their glory. Reversed the sun might indicate pessimistic attitudes, delayed or partial success, egotisim, superficial attitudes or boastful attitudes.

In the end though, the sun reversed isn't that bad, it just indicates that success is a little further away than you might like to think, keeping your mind sharp and your attitude positive will help, but also, keep in mind that the sun reversed indicates that others might try to get in your way, let them if you have the time.
 

Lady Orchard

I also see it as an inability to see the warmth and joy that is still around. Focusing on the negatives, a little like the 5 of Cups. Maybe a card of depression or pessimism.
As there are usually 2 children playing in the rays of the sun, it could also be a blockage of emotion between the querent and their "playmate" - partner, friend, twin etc.
 

jojojo

paradoxx said:
In the end though, the sun reversed isn't that bad, it just indicates that success is a little further away than you might like to think, keeping your mind sharp and your attitude positive will help, but also, keep in mind that the sun reversed indicates that others might try to get in your way, let them if you have the time.
I agree with this.....I see the sun, whichever way up, as a positive card. If upright then everything is plain sailing but reversed it may just take a little longer than expected or that there will be a few hiccups on the way.

I also agree that it does depend on surrounding cards and can warn of 'getting burnt'.
 

Thirteen

The Cassandra Card?

Good points on the "getting burned" idea.

Another perspective:
The Sun, ruled by Apollo, can indicate a clarity of sight that sees so far that it almost seems able to predict the future.

So, Upright, would say that you can see pretty much what's coming, and others will listen to what you have to say, do what's right, and things will work out just as you predicted.

Reversed, however, gives you the Cassanda effect. YOU see what's coming, but no one listens to you or believes you. And things turn out badly because of it.
 

obsidian_queen

what about the analogy of having clouds cover the sun? Like someone is actually "settling" for something/ someone when they know that they can have so much more, but somehow lack the energy to go after their true desire?
 

Sobekneferu

I was just looking at this card in reverse and trying to think what the negative qualities of sun would be, in a practical sense. Compare a nice, warm, pleasant day as shown and what can go wrong.

Myself -- and this might just be due to my fair complexion -- began thinking about how that kid on the RW card is going to give himself skin cancer if he keeps riding around naked on a horse in the sun. Premature aging, as well. Sunburn, and the week of pain and peeling. Also, overheating and sunstroke.

In that regard, it is the qualities of the sun card in such overabundance that they "burn" you.

EDIT: I didn't read the whole thread before posting but I see other have thought the same. Admittedly, even as I was looking at the card, one particular image that sprang to mind was a panel from a Wobbly Headed Bob comic, in which a girl declares her love to Bob and he views this as a perfect opportunity to teach her the err of her ways. After a few panels of hearing him talk, she sees all, and is instantly aged 30 years and the pretty, happy innocent of a few panels back transforms into a bitter old woman on this newfound clarity of knowledge. The Sun reversed reminds me of that.
 

Aladdin

Reversed Sun.

If relating to a person this could indicate being kept in the dark of a basement, cellar or generally underground - somewhere daylight never reaches or only dimly. Possible enforced removal from everyday public life.