The Star (XVII)

Meanings according to Rider-Waite:

ASTROLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Jupiter in the 11th house as patron and opener of new horizons.

THE STAR The Star is the card of hope, wisdom, and an understanding of the higher interconnections of all things. It indicates that we are at this moment doing or planning things whose results will manifest only in the very distant future, yet for this very reason we may not fully realize what we are doing. Only in retrospect will it become clear to us what momentous decisions we made then (today), under the sign of the Arcanum of the Star. And just as a seed needs time to sprout and become a plant, so too does the Star reveal its fruitful action far from immediately. In traditional Tarot, the Star was in most cases considered one of the three guardian angels, promising a favorable outcome to any undertaking.

From the book: Hajo Banzhaf. TAROT SELF-INSTRUCTOR. Translated from German by E. Kolesov. Publisher: Center for Astrological Research, 1999.

17 - THE STAR Aquarius The seventeenth card of the MAJOR ARCANA is called THE STAR and depicts a maiden seated on the shore (the position of her body resembles a swastika). She holds two vessels in her hands; the contents of one she pours upon the earth, and the other - back into the sea. Above the maiden's head are eight stars, the largest of which is Sirius, and the rest are the seven sacred planets of the ancients. There are suppositions that the young woman symbolizes Isis, filling the Nile with water. (During this period, the Dog Star appeared in the Egyptian firmament.) The nudity of Isis tells us that nature has not yet donned her green raiment, before the rising of the Nile, whose waters give life to plants. The bush and the birds (or butterfly) signify growth and rebirth, accompanying the rising of the river's waters. This card corresponds to the altruistic sign of Aquarius, pouring upon the Earth two streams of water: the dead water of consciousness and the living water of the spirit. The TAROT image depicts a woman watering a desert, from whose moistened soil grows "blossoming nature." Above the woman is a seven-pointed star — symbol of the seven principal planets, into which God, dissolved in space, has incarnated to create new life. The seven-pointed "star of the magi" symbolizes the universality of the human psyche, and the butterfly resting on a flower is a symbol of the renewal of the human soul. (Sometimes THE STAR is depicted as eight-pointed and then serves simply as a symbol of the star-Venus.) The world is created in every moment, and we, humans, are its creators. The immortal God, having created the world, vanishes within it, but in the birth of human progeny a process occurs analogous to the creation of the world. Upon the dead soil of the planets there arise plants, giving birth to the air-spirit, which then, resonating in time with the vibrations of the cosmos, becomes the living soul of animals. And then the animals, acquiring the dead intellect of matter, become humans and begin to destroy this world, in order one day to begin evolution anew from the start. Thus is history made in time, but simultaneously, the same process occurs in every moment and in every human being. The dead water of Aquarius is the creation of forms of matter (Saturn), and the living water is their irrigation by spirit (Uranus), giving birth to life within matter. The sephirah "STAR" itself unites Venus and the Moon, eternal life and the immortal soul. In traditional interpretations, the Seventeenth card of TAROT is a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem, which heralded the coming of the Savior into the world. The Seventeenth ARCANUM calls upon us to surrender to the moment, to the contemplation of the spiritual world; to direct our gaze upon the perfection of the cosmos. This is renewal and rebirth. The Arcanum of THE STAR symbolizes rebirth and the life-giving forces of nature. The number 17 signifies new hope: if one counts beginning from the full moon, it is precisely on the seventeenth night, after the moonless nights, that the slender crescent of the new moon once again appears. THE STAR also gives hopes, whether well-founded or false, distortion of reality, carelessness, thoughts of the future unburdened by cares. Life is not only lived, but also passes in dreams and reveries, and so THE STAR is also the unconscious thirst for life, and the contemplation of higher interconnections, and an unknowable longing coupled with complete irresponsibility.

Upright position the card THE STAR signifies an influx of creative powers, inspiration, new ideas. You know what you are about to say or create, you experience a feeling of peace, you believe in your own strength and will be able to solve all your problems. Your well-being, both physical and psychological, is improving. You have an optimistic view of life and good, entirely achievable plans. Moreover, this card can also be interpreted as unexpected help, a new friend, a new love.

Reversed position the card may indicate that you may wish to pursue a career in the field of art or in any other sphere requiring a creative approach. In certain cases it may signify stubbornness, intractability, an unwillingness to change anything in life, lost chances and unused opportunities. It may also indicate disbelief in one's own powers, pessimism, a negative attitude toward people and events, laziness, sluggishness, slowness, indifference.

"You tried to attain harmony with the world around you, you were ready to share all that you possess — and became convinced that no one needed it. But do not despair! What you have given away will remain yours. Only that which you have withheld will be lost forever. A bright event is coming in your life. Try not to miss your chance." Papus