The Sun is a primordial symbol, represented by ancient peoples simply as a circle with a dot at its centre. It also sits at the centre of other symbols: the winged disc, the source of Solar rays (themselves symbolised in menhirs and obelisks), the monastic tonsure of the head, haloes above holy people and Solar crosses, as well at the centre of concentric circles or labyrinths such as those at Nazca. As the 19th card in the major arcana of the Tarot, it symbolises the dual gifts of light and heat – the rain of gold pouring out from it represents spiritual riches and the philosopher’s gold of the initiated alchemist.

The Sun features on the national flags of the Antigua & Barbuda, the Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, Nepal, Tibet, Argentina, Uruguay, Bangladesh, Macedonia, Kiribati, Kazakhstan, Kurdistan and Kyrgyzstan.

The Sun has always been used as a symbol of deities and powerful leaders. To quote from the Book of Symbols, “ It gave rise to Hinduism and Islam, Sabeism (star worship), and the esotericism of Zoroaster, to Sufism, Pantheism, the worship of Baal, Helios, Sab (“the Very-High”), Zeus, Apollo, Jupiter, Amun, Horus, Osiris, Harpocrates, Toum, Memom, Cronos, Shamash, Haraktes, Phoebus, Bel (meaning high, chief, king, lord, master), Ashur, Adod, Jehovah, Mithras, Viracocha….”[i]

At the very heart of all this symbolism is the fact that the Sun, as the life-giving source at the centre of our Solar System, has always been seen as the physical manifestation of God, the Invisible and the Spiritual - a symbol of the First Cause.

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FOOTNOTES:
[i] The Mammoth Book of Lost Symbols, by Nadia Julien, (Marabout, Alleur (Belgium)) 1989