Card 17: The Star

The Star in an Upright Position

The upright position of the Star indicates that the querent is a very ambitious individual with ideas, talents, and a drive to realize goals of all kinds. There is quite a bit of personal energy attached to their goals, and they may be emotional about their need to achieve them. There is guidance available and the querent is searching for or has recently learned what their purpose in life is. There is self-contentment and confidence in one’s abilities. Good luck is also shown in this card and the querent may have an abundance of good fortune in their future or be in the company of someone with this type of good fortune who is going to share this with them. There is a feeling of magic that comes with the card. It is as if the querent has the ‘magic touch’ and is able to manifest their visions in the real world with great.

The Star is also a card of preparation due to luck being about solidly laid foundations. There may be a realization of goals, dreams, and even wishes due to firm foundations and preparation. Hard work helping to build towards dreams. The Star is also a sign of clear thoughts that help one to reach their goals. There is inner wisdom that serves as a compass. This is the inner Northern Star. This card can also show stargazing in its upright position or may foretell of an optimistic individual who enjoys attainment through a positive attitude and refusal to fail. There may have been a promise made to the querent, or he has made a promise to another. This card shows of fulfilment, and the fulfilment of a promise. Falling stars, wishing on a star, and shooting stars are all shown as signs that the divine has heard the querent’s prayers and will grant his wishes.

The Star in a Reversed Position

A Star in the reversed position shows that one’s hopes have not been backed up by the necessary actions and will not be coming to fruition. This stars are under the maiden of this card’s depiction when it is inverted, and it gives the feeling of someone’s dreams being trampled into dust or of hopes being dashed. The querent may find that their dreams were too good to be true, or there are false promises, a lack of ambition, or a lack of direction present with the stars being beneath the earth as opposed to above it. There may be delusions of grandeur or unrealistic goals being set. One may have a false idea about their abilities, talents, or goals. There is no guidance for the querent, or he has no guidance to share with another. The reversed star also shows the maiden falling onto the stars which could signify that the querent is falling for it, being tricked into believing the hype about how they can use their talents, or perhaps he is being used for his talent. Trickery is also seen here as a way to swindle hopeful people out of their money, so this can warn of those frauds who claim to hold cosmic information and profess to help those who would like to sees their wishes come true.

The reversed star shows pessimism and scepticism, which may stem from having had a dose of reality and being brought back to one’s senses after living in a deluded state about an ambitious endeavour. The realization that the stars are just burning balls of gas instead of diamonds twinkling for sheer enjoyment, awaiting the querent’s prayers. There may be bitterness over being unable to achieve one’s goals and there is danger of trying to live through one’s children or others who still have a chance to realize their goals. This may be read for the individual or be someone who the individual will encounter. This reversal shows wishes not coming true like one had hoped. There is a feeling of complete disappointment with what has achieved or not achieved, and there is anger over time wasted on what was never meant to be. The Star in a reversed pose calls for the querent to rely on facts instead of fantasies; things that require work are best focused on now.

Symbolism and History of the Star

The Star card shows us a woman who may be standing with one foot on land and the other in water. She may have two vases and be pouring water out into the water and onto the land from each of them. There are star above her in the sky with one being brighter than the others. This can be interpreted as the North Star or the Sun, which is the star at the centre of the solar system. There may be a tree near her where a nightingale or other bird is perched. The water is life in all forms, the bird is the spirit of each member of humanity, and the Tree of Life is symbolized as well. There is a great deal of creationism imagery here, which makes for a highly cosmic message regarding the spark of the divine.

Numbered Card 17 in a tarot deck, the Star holds a lot of promise for anyone who encounters it in a spread. It shows the hope that is alive and growing after the collapse of the Tower in Card 16. This is the card of twilight, of limitless potential, and of ambitiousness. Yet, the woman seems more invested in pouring her water than stargazing, showing a need for work in order to achieve anything. Perhaps she is trying to catch the stars in her gaze through their reflection in the water. The foot on the land shows that one must stay grounded while pursuing their dreams and should not forget where they’ve come from. The foot in the water shows the female connection to emotion, and also the connection between ambitions and emotion. Emotion can be an excellent fuel for ambition to run on, so this is very appropriate imagery for the Star.

Key Terms

Hopes, Fears, Ambition, Dreams, Reaching Goals, Astrology, Watching the stars, Guidance.