The Star Tarot Card: The Star card depicts a naked woman kneeling with one leg on the earth and the other in the water. She is pouring out water from two jugs. With one, she is filling up the pond and with the other, she is nourishing the earth. In the background is a tree with an ibis perched on it and in the blue sky are 8 eight-pointed stars; seven small stars surrounding one large one. In the distance, are red mountains.
The Story of The Star Card: Similar to The World card, the woman in this card represents all humanity because from the viewpoint of polarity, the human form is the feminine aspect of the higher self, which is the masculine polarity. The human body is of the feminine polarity as it is the container of the higher self or soul. This is true regardless of if your physical body is male, female, or elsewhere on the gender spectrum. Different from The World card, however, the woman depicted if fully naked and unveiled, indicating a higher level of awareness, vulnerability, knowledge, and surrender.
The Star card, in fact, represents an initial level of awareness of the spirit world. The large star represents her awareness of her higher self, while the 7 smaller ones represent her spiritual guides or soul council (the spiritual soul family that supports her incarnated journey). They can even represent an opening of her 7 chakras (the energetic wheels of energy described in the Yogic tradition). The ibis on the tree is similarly symbolic of opening to higher wisdom as the ibis represents the Egyptian God Thoth which is the provider of knowledge.
It is her connection to these spiritual aspects of herself that gives her the ability to serve others with love and nourishment as represented by the pouring out of water from the two jugs. With one, she pours water and fills a pond, symbolizing her ability to heal the emotional world and unconscious mind. With the other, she nourishes the Earth, symbolizing her ability to heal the body. You might think of her as the archetypical village shaman, witch, priestess, or healer that people turn to for spiritual guidance, healing and support.
To some people who have attained this level of awareness, it may feel that they have attained some form of mastery and they may even call themselves ‘enlightened.’ Yet the reality is far from it. The higher levels of sacred awareness have not yet been fully embodied in this card, they have only been glimpsed. In fact, the separation between the woman in this card and her higher consciousness remains as distant as the stars above. Just because she has learned to tap into it and hear the wisdom of the birds, animals, plants, stars, and spirits, doesn’t mean she doesn’t still have a long way to go on her journey.
Aside from the distance from the stars and from the ibis that tell us that only a glimpse of awareness has been attained, there is also the connection this card has to the number 8. The wisdom coming through the woman in the card is provided to her by the 8 eight-pointed stars above. In addition, the 8 also shows up in the number of the card itself - 17, which added together equals 8.
The number 8 is associated with infinity and is generally seen as a number representing hope, renewal, and new beginnings. From this we can gather that the opening to wisdom depicted in The Star is a new beginning, not an ending. In addition, The number 8 also hints at the levels of consciousness yet to be attained. This is because trump number 8 in the Tarot is the Strength card, which is the higher octave of The Star. In Strength, an infinity symbol is seen directly above the woman in the card. But in the star, infinity has only been glanced at and felt. It has not yet been fully embodied as it will be later on when Strength is attained.
Tying the two cards together, we see that The Star is an initial degree of attainment where the seeker has tapped into the experience of infinity and the love, abundance, and nourishment contained therein. But it will not be until a full understanding of Strength, that it will be embodied. In final contrast with Strength, the woman in The Star is shown naked, while in the Strength card, the woman is clothed in white and decorated with roses. The nudity indicates a deep willingness and receptivity as well as the shedding of identity that has taken place in order to achieve higher awareness, but that the higher self is not yet embodied. The garments in Strength, however, indicate the attainment of purity, the embodiment of the higher self, and a beautiful flowering mind.
Association with Aquarius: The Star tarot card is associated with the sign of Aquarius and represents wisdom and contentment gained through toil, labor, and surrender to deep experience in life. It represents a higher perspective on events (both tragic and festive) and the ability to be at peace with both. It reminds us that as we zoom out to the perspective of the stars, all life on Earth (as well as the Earth itself) is equally fragile as well as deserving of loving-kindness and care.
When to use The Star Card: Use The Star in your meditations when you’re ready to be a receptive vessel for your higher self. When you are clear that the surrender of some part of yourself unto the higher self is what will bring you renewal and joy. Also, use it when there is someone or someplace in your life where you desire to give and serve. This card will help you do that from a place of spiritual awareness and wisdom rather than from selfish desire. In addition, when you find yourself afraid to be vulnerable and honest in your life, meditating on the Star and invoking its energy can help you purify yourself of resistance to being your authentic self.
Most importantly perhaps, if you find that you have developed a ‘spiritual ego’ of sorts, it is time to consider what The Star represents. It will help you remember that just because you’ve opened up to your spiritual side, it doesn’t mean you are flawless. Considering this card will remind you that even though you may be a remarkable healer, there is always more to learn and that placing yourself in a high tower will inevitably invite the lessons of The Tower Tarot card as well.
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