Prev Page: Moon Arcana <- -> Back to Arcanae
XIX. Sun
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with inherent and inalienable rights; that among these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Overview
The Sun Arcana is the #19 Major Arcana, and is a card of joy. It usually depicts the anthropomorphised sun shining down on a field of colourful sunflowers, whilst a child rides a white horse in front of them.
Sun is often associated with joy, optimism, renewal, enlightenment, energy and purification. Curiously, the Sun often resembles the Tower, in the sense that the Sun can sometimes be associated with immense personal challenges- challenges which the Sun overcomes through persistent, unyielding optimism. When the dawn finally comes, the relief is all the more sweeter for it. In this way the Sun is related to the literary concept of the Eucatastrophe- a sudden and shocking event that in delivers hope and salvation from a situation of certain doom. So in this way it is like Tower, but it is also unlike Tower in the sense that Sun signifies the decisive end to a crisis. This optimistic outlook is tied to the very heart of the Sun Arcana- the idea that there is always room for a sudden deliverance even when all seems condemned. But more than that, Sun is fundamentally energising, bringing life to lifelessness. As the Sun shines, its light gives energy to the world and purifies it of all the suffering that came before. As an side, the presence of sunflowers in the card itself is probably just an artistic flourish, yet sunflowers are highly effective at absorbing radiation from the soil- they are planted en masse to reclaim lands exposed to nuclear radiation, cleansing the soil. Mythopoetically, the Sun represents almost the last step on the journey- here, all falsehood is stripped away as the glorious sun is revealed; within the sun is the universal truth of enlightenment, the light of joy of which all other signs are shadows.
For Sun, the unification of optimism, joy and truth is important, because it frames Sun's optimism as being an honest and mature type. It is not a blind optimism, nor an optimism born of naivety. Sun does not ignore the miseries, injustices or terrors of the world; nor does it ignore the pain and suffering in peoples' hearts, which run so deep. In fact, Sun does the opposite and seeks those things out so it can help, lending its warmth and energy to those problems. This, then, also shows that the Sun is shining a light into the future- a light that promises a better world, if not a perfect one. The flip side of that is that the Sun is often not quite satisfied with the present- this is a good thing, because it is this dissatisfaction that compels the Sun to move forwards and lead people from the old world to the new. At its best, the Sun is a force of good that represents everything worthwhile and noble in the world, a force that cannot help but make the world around them brighter, cleaner and worth living in.
When the Sun is not at its best, however, it can be a force to be reckoned with for all the wrong reasons. Nothing is as bad as the Sun that shines too harshly- their pursuit for improvement becomes unshackled from the strong moral bindings that channel its force. In this way Sun becomes a force of destruction, so focused on improvement that precious things can be destroyed or ruined. Alternatively, the Sun can lose that will, that optimism and hope- and what hope is there for others when the Sun doesn't have the will to shine?
Example Inner Conflicts for Sun include: struggling to remain positive under a massive burden; trying to pursue one's goal despite poor odds; trying to find happiness or satisfaction out of a miserable situation; or trying so hard to accomplish one's goals that they burn out.
Mechanically, the Sun Arcana focuses on the attack, balanced with support- often supporting the offensive powers of its allies. Thematically, the Sun benefits from good access to Fire, Light and Offense Support spells.
Aptitude-wise, the Sun is an offensively-focused Arcana dedicated to general, balanced close-combat offense. Alternatively, it can also be given the Social aptitude allowing it for greater out-of-combat utility, or using it to fuel Fellowship improvements that can aid its spell power.
Arcana Qualities
| SUN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristic Bonus | Character Aptitudes | Persona Aptitudes | Magic Characteristic |
| +5 WS and Fellowship | Weapon Skill, Offense, Social | Offense, Support | Fellowship |
