The Star

"I will love the light for it shows me the way; yet I will love the darkness for it shows me the stars."

- Og Mandino

Associations / Attributions

Card Meanings / Keywords

Golden Dawn

Hope, faith, unexpected help, dreaminess.

Waite

Loss, theft, abandonment, hope, bright prospects. Reversed: Arrogance, haughtiness, impotence.

Crowley

Hope, unexpected help, clearness of vision, realization of possibilities, spiritual insight, dreaminess.

Personal

Inspiration, guidance, insight.

Synopsis

The Star is associated with Aquarius and the Aquarian qualities of hope, optimism, humanitarianism, and foresight. From the earth, The Star is a divine light to guide us in our journey through the night. From the perspective of The Star itself, we are invited to take a wide and far-ranging (if somewhat distant) view of our situation.

In the last several decades many have heard of the “Age of Aquarius” related to the procession of the vernal equinox into the sign of Aquarius from the sign of Pisces. This is suggested in the trump image as the pouring out of the waters of Pisces by the Water Bearer. In this way, The Star may best represent our present period of transition as a global culture from being motivated by deep personal feeling to motivation through inspired thought for the whole.

Aquarius is driven by ideals and works very well in the world of the abstract; this double-edged sword of elemental air can protect and cut through obstacles with sharp insight, or become rigid, unyielding, and threatening. While transitioning from one age to another, we must not lose sight of the positive growth that occurred and carelessly throw out the tools and life essence we gained during the last ages with the proverbial bath water. As we skyrocket in technological innovation and greater and greater abstraction that attempts to bring equality and knowledge to all, we must remember our deep personal connections and the life waters of our spirit.

Though they rest in the constellation of Taurus, the Pleiades are sometimes alluded to in seven smaller stars or a seven-pointed star in the image. As one of the four fixed astrological signs (along with Taurus, Leo, and Scorpio), Aquarius is represented in the four kerubic symbols found throughout the tarot (either as an eagle or a human, depending upon the creators of the particular deck). Both of these symbols connect to powerful imaginal realms and are ripe for deep contemplation.

The Star is a distant dream coming to fruition and the dawning of an enlightened perspective. It offers us guidance through our current transition while taking a broad and balanced perspective that accounts for all points of view.

Poiesis

Bound from the bright side of the moon
We leap beat by beat on the song of flight
Her sisters guide the way, Iris winks with delight
Beyond color, beyond light we see the patterns and play of fellows and fates
The signs whisper a world around us, the coming age awaits
Follow the star—as so many before us—to find our way
Listen to the starlight, the herald of a new sun’s day

Having emerged from the sea, what waters may I let flow back into the source and which do I need to carry to sustain myself and others on the next part of the journey? How may I transform my deepest dreams and desires to serve an ideal greater than myself?