◎ Lucky dream Traditionally a lucky sign
A lucky symbol of vitality, success and a bright future. A rising sun means a new start; a setting one, a chapter closing.
Category: Nature & weather (how to read this category)
Psychology
The sun stands for consciousness, vitality, success and the father. A bright sun reflects confidence; a hidden one, lost confidence. Too dazzling to look at may mean being overwhelmed by an ideal or a person; scorching with no shade, expectations or attention becoming a burden. Gentle warmth shows the comfort of being watched over.
Folklore and history
Amaterasu, the sun goddess, hid in the Heavenly Rock Cave and plunged the world into darkness, and people still greet the first sunrise of the year. The saying that the sun is watching made it a witness to conduct. Eclipses were long feared as omens, and many cultures told of monsters swallowing the sun.
An illustrated guide that explains Heian-era sorcery and Onmyodo as the "cutting-edge science" of its time — a reference for our sorcery and occult articles.
Illustrated Guide to Court Customs, Sorcery, and Science (Tadaki Hachijo / Heibonsha)
We may earn a referral fee on purchases made through these links.
This site's view
In this site's view, a rising sun is a very lucky dream, hidden strength coming out, like the end of Amaterasu's seclusion. A darkened or eclipsed sun may show something you feel you cannot face the sun with. Strong light casts deep shadow; the wish to succeed hides a fear of being seen.
Going deeper: our reading
The sun is too bright to look at directly, so we sense it through squinting eyes and raised hands. Japanese children often colour the sun red in drawings, while children in many other countries are said to use yellow. In this site's reading, the colour of the sun in your dream reflects how you feel about strength and success right now. A burning red sun suggests passion mixed with impatience; a pale, quiet sun suggests you are holding steady. Sweating under a fierce summer sun hints that you are overworking your body to meet expectations; warming yourself in weak winter light shows that small kindnesses are keeping you going. This is our speculation, but if you could look straight at the sun in the dream, the time may have come to face a big goal you usually look away from.
What to do on waking
Spend five minutes in morning light to reset your body clock. If something weighs on your conscience, settle it while it is light.
In this scene
- ◎Good Calm and clear: things flow smoothly (good)
- ▲Warn Stormy or swallowing you: feelings overflowing or being swept by change (warning)
- Only watching: you see change from a distance — a time to prepare
- It felt good: the lucky reading gets stronger
- ▲Warn It felt frightening or painful: the warning reading gets stronger — rest first
- The same dream again and again: something your mind has not settled yet
A Fukuoka yokai scroll reproduced in book form with a modern-Japanese translation and transcription — a reference for our yokai explainer articles and their illustrations.
The Chikuzen Monster Scroll (ed. Mizuki Kondo, foreword by Natsuhiko Kyogoku / Kawade Shobo Shinsha)
We may earn a referral fee on purchases made through these links.
FAQ
Q. Is dreaming of the Sun a good or bad sign?
A. Traditionally a lucky sign. A lucky symbol of vitality, success and a bright future. A rising sun means a new start; a setting one, a chapter closing.
Q. Why do I keep dreaming of the Sun?
A. A recurring dream usually points to something your mind has not settled yet. Research suggests such dreams tend to stop once the underlying worry is resolved. Keeping a dream diary helps you notice what triggers it.
Q. What should I do after dreaming of the Sun?
A. Spend five minutes in morning light to reset your body clock. If something weighs on your conscience, settle it while it is light.
Related dream essays
- Buying Dreams, Turning Dreams: A Japanese History of Dream Trading and Dream Charms
- True Dreams and Reverse Dreams: Why We Read Dreams Backwards
Read this dream with your own scene in the Dream Dictionary →
More dreams in "Nature & weather"
※ Dream interpretation here is entertainment drawing on psychology and folklore — it is not scientifically proven. "This site's view" is our own interpretation.
