17 The Star

Are you in a calm state and feeling hopeful? Have you felt that giving more of yourself and your resources would help make the world a better place? Are you inspired toward a new creative path, be it artistic, spiritual or entrepreneurial? Have you turned a corner in feeling sad and are starting to see some hope in a long-term situation? The Star is a Tarot card that will appear in your readings when the glimmer of hope is about to shine, when your generosity of spirit is making an impact and when your peace of mind has elevated your consciousness to the benefit of those around you.

Under an illuminated night sky, a nude woman is outside, kneeling on the grass at a pond. Her foot stretches forward onto the water. Holding a clay pitcher in each hand, the woman is pouring water from one out into the pond in front of her. She is simultaneously pouring water from the other onto the green landscape at her side. The water landing in the pond forms concentric ripples. The water hitting the grass forms streams in every direction. In the sky are eight stars, each with eight points. Central to the composition is a large golden yellow star. It is surrounded by the seven smaller white stars on either side. Under this light, the woman concentrates on the pitcher she is pouring into the pond, while the pitcher she is pouring onto the grass is just as precisely releasing its water.

The unclothed woman represents both purity and vulnerability. The pitchers are symbols of potential and this scene of the woman releasing their contents underscores how The Star card rewards those who are generous at this moment in their life. When we give, we create energy – represented here by the ripples and the streams. The gold star dominating the scene lights up the night in a magical way that the sun never could. In this starlight, vulnerable and pure, giving and genuflecting, the woman will see the world so differently that it will inspire her to create something that is different. This inspiration to create is the manifestation of hope that is the core energy released by The Star card. When we have hope, we have something to live for, somewhere to move towards, someone to love – even if it is ourselves.

If there is a downside to all of this, it is that The Star card is a quintessentially impractical card. The idealism expressed in all of this card's symbols is not solid enough to assist one to feed a family or earn a living. Remember that The Star is otherworldly – the concerns of this world are not arranged in the same priority. A fantastic inspiration is something that has no basis in reality. We must work to incorporate our visions of how the world should be with the reality of the way the world is.

Meaning in Past, Present and Future Positions

Every Tarot reading assigns a meaning to the place that a Tarot card lands. If a card were to be dealt sooner, it might land in the past position, later and it could be in the future position. Some readers mix up the order, but the present position exists to hold the past and future positions together.

When The Star is in the past position, it refers to a good idea you had that began a series of events that led to your present circumstances. If you are in a good place right now, you can thank the intuition and improvisational skills of The Star. If you are feeling lost, the impractical side of this card took you to a place that did not fit in well with everyday realities. Maybe The Star inspired you to pursue your dream of being an artist, but that led to an overpriced art school that did not teach you any new skills. The Star may have left you broke and in debt with all of your hopes for success now expressed in complex philosophy instead of brilliant masterpieces.

When The Star is in the present position, you are on the precipice of making big plans. A new idea of where to take your life has dawned. You may be feeling like you want to contribute to better the planet and humanity. Your idealism about a relationship and your partner will be especially strong now. You may want friends to take notes about how they feel when looking at your situation. You would never take what they wrote seriously now, but in the near future, after the light at the end of the tunnel blinks off for a moment, you can consult what they wrote and see it in a more objective light. People close to you will give you truth that will be hard to handle in the moment but will be valuable reference material soon enough.

In the future position, The Star beckons for you to keep hope alive. You will figure out a solution to any current crisis and will soon be immersed in devising your exit strategy for maximum success. This card is especially lucky in this position. Flirt with abandon around an available, attractive catch. Ask for a raise. Take a chance.

Card Combinations

Cards in a Tarot reading do not exist independent of each other; the cards joining this or any other card in a reading all influence the meaning of each other.

The Star is connected closely to The Chariot card, as they are numbered #7 and #17 respectively. The rider of the chariot wears a crown containing the same stars illustrated in The Star card. If these two pair up in your reading, your idealism will find a manifestation in the world to great success.

When the Ace of Pentacles is in a reading with The Star, a casual inspiration could become a profitable venture. If you have any business acumen, this is one of the best card combinations in the entire Tarot deck.

The Lovers card combines with the Tarot to make you quite blind to any faults that your partner may possess. This blind support could be what he or she needs to become the best match for you. When The Star is in the same reading as The Hermit card, your excitement is hard to share with anyone. Artists and musicians who live in isolated areas that are not familiar with new expressions see this combination often. Another card with a similar outcome is The Magician, although the inspiration it represents puts you in the position of being in control of delivering the vision you have. You will most definitely convince a few people.