A naked child on a white horse holds a red banner, and happily basks in the sun. In the background, sunflowers grow. This card is about happiness, pure and simple - basking in the joy of being alive. Uncomplicated and yet profound.

 

The sun and the youngster remind of Apollo, the athletic Greek god of light and the sun, truth, healing, music, and poetry. In contrast to Dionysus' dark and wild drunken ecstasy (which is represented by the Devil), Apollo's happiness is bright, clear, rational, harmonious. That doesn't mean it can't be celebrated exuberantly, though. As Oprah Winfrey says: "Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance."

 

The beautiful thing about this kind of happiness is that it can be found inside ourselves. It depends upon ourselves, and it's free and infinite. A priest once told a young Desmond Tutu: "When you are standing against the wall with friends basking in the sun, there is no less sun because you are sharing it."

 

However, it's not always easy to experience this 'joie de vivre'. Sometimes the skies of our lives are cloudy and we can't seem to find the sun. In these moments, it may help to realize that the sun is, in fact, still there behind the clouds. Search for it by practicing gratitude for all the good things in your life, following the Sun through the day like the sunflowers do.