Introducing The Star XVII
We see a naked woman half kneeling, he right foot on the water’s surface. She holds two jugs from which she pours water onto the pond and the land. Above her is a huge yellow star surrounded by 7 white stars. Behind her is a tree on which an Ibis bird perches.
Symbols & Systems
woman
This woman is graceful and serene, yet focused. Some believe that she represents a goddess associated with the star [planet] Venus. She’s also naked. Being naked is being real, i.e., no pretense, nothing to hide.
facial expression
She’s in the moment, 100% focused on what she’s doing. She watches how the water pours into the pond, which represents the unconscious. She’s aware of her unconscious, but not deep within it: Her right foot is above the water.
Pond
Water represents our unconscious, i.e., the watery depths of our being. This woman’s foot rests on the water, which is a physical impossibility. Perhaps it signifies that to have hope means rising above the mire of emotions and fears that the unconscious can hold.
rivulet
The water poured from the left-hand jug flows over the green, fertile land and divides into 5 rivulets. Some water returns to the pond, signifying that our unconscious is fed by the flow just as much as our consciousness (land) is.
stars
The yellow star has 8 points. The Babylonians believed that their Queen of Heaven, Ishtar, was represented by an octagram, and she ruled over the planet Venus. The word “star” may derive from the name Ishtar.
7 is a sacred number in many traditions and religions, past and present. The 7 white stars represent the 7 chakras, the 7 visible planets in our sky, and the 7 metals of alchemy.
ibis
A bird in Egyptian mythology that represents both Thoth and Hermes, the wisdom carriers. In other words, the stars bring us healing and wisdom.
gods / goddesses
The Star represents all of the gods and goddesses who rule over the celestial stars, especially Sirius.
Female: Star Goddesses, Virgin Mary, Ishtar, Inanna, Astarte, Astrea, Venus, Nuit, Isis, Arianrhod, Aphrodite
Male: Thoth, Nodens, Hermes
number
The number of The Star is 17, whose digits reduce to 1 +7 = 8, or the Strength card. When we have inner strength, we don’t give up: We keep going and maintain our hope. 8 is also the number of points on the star in the Star card.
Astrology
The astrological sign Aquarius rules over the Star Tarot card. According to astrologers and many New Agers, we are now in the age of Aquarius, an astrological age that occurs roughly every 2,150 years, as defined by the sun’s position at the time of the March, (vernal) equinox.
Aquarius is ruled by Uranus, so we have the element of rebellion, which also ushers in the Age of Aquarius, when old ways of thinking and behaving no longer work.
Aquarius rules the ankles and calves, as well as circulation throughout the body.
Kabbalah
The creators of the Rider Waite Tarot deck were members of the Golden Dawn, a group that followed teachings based on the Kabbalah. Kabbalists are mystics who believe that God is neither male nor female, and has many aspects. Kabbalah is all about learning why we’re here, the mystery of the universe, and what the big plan is.
Being the 18th card, The Star corresponds to the 18th Hebrew letter Tzaddik – צ – which may have derived from the Phoenician pictograph for a fish hook. A righteous person in Hebrew is called a tsaddik [fem. tzadikah], a beacon of light to hizzer followers.
On the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, The Star sits on the path between Netzach (victory) and Yesod (foundation). The name of this card is ‘Natural Intelligence’, which implies that there is a native intelligence within each of us, especially when we are calm and meditative, like the woman in the card. She reminds us that when we are still, we can access our natural intelligence.
The message from The Star XVII
For the ancients, the stars moving in the sky gave them direction (when travelling) and guidance on when to sow or reap). For example, the Egyptians noticed that Sirius would appear in the sky every year around the time of the Nile’s flooding, so Sirius became a symbol for life, hope, and fertility.
The Star is telling you that after the upheavals of The Tower, there is calm and peace. You may have gone through a hard time, but this card is telling you that the hard time is over: Now is the time of gentle healing, self love, and optimism. Now you can hope for better times and a bright future. If you’re currently going through a hard time, this card is fortuitous, as it means that good luck is coming your way.
When we go outdoors at night, and look up, the starlight can be soothing and reassuring. On a clear night, go outdoors and look up at the stars. Allow yourself to focus on their healing energies. Pick the brightest star in the sky, and make a wish, then wait for it to come your way. When we have hope, we have courage and the ability to keep going.
Ask yourself these questions:
• What gives me hope right now?
• What kind of spiritual peace am I experiencing?
• What new area of self love is coming into my life?
• What can I dream of that can become reality?
• What kind of healing can I offer myself? What kind of healing might I offer the world?
• What inspires me? What motivates me?
The Star XVII reversed
When I see a reversed card I simply see energy blocked or inhibited in some way.
How would The Star be inhibited?
If the Star is inhibited, you have no hope: You feel stuck, downtrodden, and despairing. You feel there to your core that there’s no way out of your situation. You’re scared you’ll never feel optimistic again. You may also have false hope, i.e., something that you believed would come about failed to.
If you get The Star reversed for yourself or someone else, some questions to ask might be…
• Am I feeling a sense of hopelessness? Can I not see the light at the end of the tunnel?
• Am I not seeing that perhaps there is a way out of this situation?
• Am I negative about where I am? Have I given up?
• Am I sick and feel I will never be well again?
• Do I have a lack of trust in something greater than myself?
If you get The Star reversed, understand that you’ve lost hope. In order to extricate yourself from your situation, you MUST find hope once again. Seek it out, grab onto it, and grasp it tightly as you pull yourself out of the hole. Easier said than done, of course! Remember, though, that the only constant in life is change, and the place that you’re currently in will change in due course.
To sum it all up
The Star card tells you that there’s a star inside of you. Whether it’s your persona, ego, your conscious or your unconscious, you’re now being given the gift of self love, hope, healing, and joy. Grab it!
The Star invites you to bathe in the starlight that is upon you right now.
Aim for your dreams, no matter how big or small.
Wish upon a Star…you can be a winner at whatever you choose. The choice is yours.
