What Does the Star Card Mean?
The star Tarot card is one of the most intriguing cards in the Rider-Waite Tarot deck. The Star's meaning holds a powerful message that relates to an important part of the life journey.
The Star often appears when you may need some words of encouragement and a reminder of your strengths, abilities, and purpose. It's a dreamy card that invites you to channel your intuition in order to achieve the great things that await you.
In this article, you'll take a deep dive into the star card, its place in the Fool's Journey, and what it means when it appears in a reading.
Star Tarot Card Associations:
Element
Air
Zodiac
Aquarius
Planet
Uranus
Keywords
Renewed hope, life's challenges, own abilities, dry land, core essence, inner resources, renewed faith, inner strength, soul's purpose, feeling hopeless.
Imagery
The imagery on the Star tarot card occurs sometime in the evening.
A starry night sky hangs overhead, and a naked woman kneels beside a pool of water.
There is a large star cast across the sky, beaming down onto the woman.
Around the large Star, there are seven smaller stars glistening throughout the night sky.
The woman is holding two containers of water.
Her left hand is pouring a pitcher of water onto the ground while her right hand pours a pitcher of water into the small pond before her.
How the Star Tarot Card Meaning is derived from its imagery
The women's bare appearance symbolizes her vulnerability and willingness to bear all the layers of herself.
Anything that isn't who she truly is has been stripped away, and she's left with her core self.
The pouring of water symbolizes a balance within herself and the peace she's made with her inner emotions.
This is also represented by her legs appearing to be on different terrain.
Her right foot shows she acknowledges her emotions, and her left leg kneeling on the ground symbolizes her acknowledgment of her mind.
The large Star represents who the woman is.
As above, so below, she is just as grand and magnificent as the cosmos above her.
The moon glistens down on her and the lake in a manner similar to the dream states this card alludes to,
The seven small stars are associated with the number 7.
In numerology, 7 symbolizes a deeper truth or understanding.
The Star card often represents one's spiritual growth and development, which requires a deep look into themselves.
The Star in the Fool's Journey
Understanding the Star's meaning starts with understanding where it occurs along the Fool's Journey.
The Tarot card that precedes the Star is the Tower [link]. The Tower is notorious for its destructive meaning. It represents sudden upheaval, a fast and brutal collapse of a structure that has stood tall for some time.
The Tower could relate to the end of a relationship, losing a job, having a business go under, or even the termination of a belief or worldview. In the moment, the violent nature of the Tower may be painful and even scary.
However, destruction is an important part of growth. Like a forest fire, which burns down all the trees and makes way for a new forest to emerge, the tower embodies getting rid of something to make way for something new and better.
It makes sense then that the Star is the Tarot card that follows. The Star shines hope and encouragement down upon you. Whatever it is that crashed down in your life may leave you feeling confused and unsure of how to move forward, and that's why the star appears to guide you.
When the Star emerges in a Tarot reading, you should be pleased to know that it is a good sign. Now, we'll break down its upright and reversed meanings.
Star Tarot Card Meanings
The Star Upright
The Star upright meaning holds a powerful message.
When Star appears in the upright position, the general meaning is a renewed sense of hope.
You may have been through challenges recently that made you question your value, worth, and even your spirituality.
This card signifies a time when you are tapping back into your core essences, listening to your inner voice, and developing a more positive outlook on life.
When Star appears, you're being guided by the universe to tap into your abilities to help you achieve your desires. Instead of looking outward, or trying to obtain a certain status or goal before going after your desires, go for them now.
Star is a reminder that even if you aren't exactly where you want to be in life, you have everything that you already need within yourself.
You're no longer going through a rough patch, you're beginning to find the light again, guided by the Star, and it's time to embrace your true value.
As a major arcana card, the upright Star card comes after you have surmounted hardships and are prepared to unlock higher levels of consciousness.
Star Upright When Asking About the Future
If you're questioning whether or not you have what it takes to achieve a certain goal or desire, the upright star card confirms that you have exactly what you need. Reflect on how you've approached your past or present, and identify where you rejected your own practical abilities or did not realize their value.
You may benefit from strengthening your spirituality, as this may be the driving factor as to why you aren't able to achieve what you desire. Your personal projects or goals may be out of alignment with your soul's purpose.
The Star in Reverse
The reversed star card appears in a tarot reading during a time when you may be hopeless or stuck in a state of despair. You're not recognizing your value or abilities and are instead looking at your external circumstances to help you achieve what you desire.
You may be experiencing low self-worth, have lost faith in your spirituality, and have a lack of creativity. If this resonates, find ways to feel inspired again.
The Star is outside at night, which can be a bit exhilarating. Spend time outdoors at night, look up at the stars, and reconnect with your soul's purpose. You have the gift of life in the palm of your hand, and you have the innate ability to make choices and take action toward what you desire.
Go inward, and listen to your inner voice. Be creative, find new ways to express yourself, and practice cultivating a positive mindset. Don't allow yourself to stay stuck in negative emotions or lack of practicality. Find the balance needed to step one foot on land again.
Reversed Star Tarot Card When Asking About Love
If the star card appears in reverse during a love reading, it may be a sign that the relationship may soon dissolve due to a lack of belief or inspiration within it. If this is a relationship you want to keep, find ways to add a sense of creativity to it.
The reverse star card meaning for love may also represent a relationship that doesn't allow you to shine and holds you back in some way. If this resonates, find a solution to allow you to have more freedom within your relationship.
You Are a Star
The Star is a major arcana card that doesn't have a negative meaning. It's a sign of hope, inspiration, and encouragement. If Star appears in your reading, remind yourself of how truly amazing your experience within the universe is.
You were created to experience life and to help the universe understand itself. The Stars are part of you, deep in your soul; allow them to shine through everything you do.
As you are bogged down by the stresses of daily life, you might lose sight of the big picture. The star reminds you not to forget about the profound beauty and magic of existence on Earth.
Don't Give Up
Hope doesn't have much impact on a sunny day when the winds are at your back and all's right with the world. But hope can make a life-changing difference when you're at a low point.
Life has a way of throwing punches and curve balls that can break down even the toughest people. At the lowest points, we all question whether we are going to quit or keep moving forward.
And at the low points, sometimes a little spark of hope is all you need to keep pushing on.
If you are at a low point when the Star emerges, let that be a clear sign not to lose hope. Keep going, because you are going to make it. Even if all seems lost, keep hope in your heart that the Universe will get you to where you want to be, because it will as long as you don't give up.
It's darkest before sunrise. The hardest moments, the ones that push your resolve to the breaking point, come right before a major win.
When you find yourself totally broken down, having given your 110% with nothing left in the tank, just keep going a little bit further. You're seconds away from victory.
Final Thoughts on the Star
Regardless if the Star appears in career readings, a health context, or in a response to a love question, the meaning is similar: have hope for the future because good things are coming.
The unnecessary has been cleared out from your life. Now, all you have to do is raise your consciousness to appreciate and attain the gifts that await you.
Just as the Star card shows a dreamlike scene, it urges you to tap into the dreamlike nature of your Intuition to move towards that which you do not fully understand. It's fine if you don't have all the answers, just move forward to claim what the Universe has in store for you.