The Star. Tarot Card 17, Major Arcana. Symbols, Meaning & Interpretations

By Pamela Coleman Smith

Introduction

The Star card is number 17 in the Major Arcana of the tarot deck. It is a card filled with symbolism, often associated with hope, inspiration, and spiritual insight. Below is a detailed list of the primary symbols found in The Star card and their interpretations:

The Star Card (Number 17)

Large Central Star

• Meaning: Hope, guidance, and inspiration.
• Interpretation: The large central star represents hope, guidance, and a sense of inspiration. It symbolizes a guiding light that leads one towards their true purpose and higher self.

Seven Smaller Stars

• Meaning: Chakras, planets, and spiritual insight.
• Interpretation: The seven smaller stars often represent the seven chakras, indicating spiritual enlightenment and balance. They can also symbolize the planets, highlighting cosmic influence and harmony with the universe.

Naked Woman

• Meaning: Purity, vulnerability, and truth.
• Interpretation: The naked woman represents purity and vulnerability, signifying an open and honest connection with the self and the universe. Her nudity symbolizes truth and the stripping away of illusions.

Two Vessels

• Meaning: Balance and flow.
• Interpretation: The two vessels symbolize the balance and flow of energy between the conscious and subconscious minds. They represent the harmonious exchange and the nurturing of both aspects of oneself.

Pouring Water into a Pool and onto the Land

• Meaning: Nourishment and renewal.
• Interpretation: The act of pouring water into the pool and onto the land represents nourishment and renewal. The water in the pool signifies the replenishment of the subconscious, while the water on the land nourishes the material world, indicating a balance between both realms.

Green Landscape

• Meaning: Growth and fertility.
• Interpretation: The lush green landscape symbolizes growth, fertility, and the flourishing of new ideas and opportunities. It represents the potential for renewal and the abundance of life.

Tree with Bird

• Meaning: Connection to nature and spirituality.
• Interpretation: The tree symbolizes growth and stability, while the bird represents spiritual ascension and freedom. Together, they signify a deep connection to nature and the spiritual realm.

Starry Night Sky

• Meaning: Infinite possibilities and inspiration.
• Interpretation: The starry night sky represents the infinite possibilities and the vast expanse of the universe. It signifies a sense of wonder, inspiration, and the endless potential for growth and discovery.

Mountains in the Background

• Meaning: Aspirations and challenges.
• Interpretation: The mountains symbolize aspirations and the challenges one must overcome to reach their goals. They represent the journey towards self-fulfillment and the higher self.

Number 17

• Meaning: Spiritual insight and personal growth.
• Interpretation: The number 17 is associated with spiritual insight and personal growth. It signifies the potential for profound understanding and the realization of one’s spiritual path.

One Foot on Land, One Foot in Water

• Meaning: Balance between the material and spiritual worlds.
• Interpretation: The position of the woman’s feet signifies a balance between the material world (land) and the spiritual realm (water). It indicates the importance of grounding oneself while staying connected to spiritual insights and emotions.

Flowing Hair

• Meaning: Freedom and natural beauty.
• Interpretation: The flowing hair of the woman symbolizes freedom, natural beauty, and a connection to the natural world. It represents the unencumbered and authentic expression of oneself.

Conclusion

These symbols collectively emphasize themes of hope, inspiration, renewal, and spiritual insight. The Star card encourages the seeker to remain hopeful and inspired, to nurture both their spiritual and material aspects, and to stay connected to their true self and the universe. It serves as a reminder that even in challenging times, there is always a guiding light and the potential for renewal and growth.

The Platonic Solids

In the name of the Most Gracious, Most Merciful, embark upon the journey of the Star, traversing through the celestial harmony of divine geometry, from the solid Cube to the golden Unity in the spiral of existence.

The Star, standing in the place of the Cube, corresponds to the Earth element. This signifies the soul’s awakening to hope and inspiration, a grounding in the promise of divine guidance. It is the echo of divine music that sings softly in the stillness of the night, guiding the seeker through the luminous pathways of the self.

Progressing towards the Octahedron, an embodiment of Air, the soul feels the refreshing breeze of inspiration, lifting it beyond the material confines of the Cube. The Star, with its radiant light, guides the seeker to internalize this inspiration, this breath from the Divine, which illuminates the mind with clarity and vision.

The seeker transitions again to the Octahedron, reinforcing the lessons of Air. This repetition represents the rhythm of divine Zikr, a serene remembrance that resonates in the heart, allowing the gentle winds of inspiration to dispel the shadows of doubt within the self.

Moving towards the Tetrahedron, the symbol of Fire, the Star guides the soul to the transformative flame of hope. This fire, bright and invigorating, burns away the remnants of despair, refining the soul and preparing it for the ascent into higher realms of consciousness.

The soul’s journey through this gate involves various expressions: solitary contemplation, communal aspirations, and cosmic symphonies, all under the shimmering light of the Divine. As it is said, “When you are together, I will always be with you.” All harmonics align into a higher resonance, amplifying the soul’s radiant vibration.

The journey takes the seeker to the Icosahedron, representing Water, where the flowing currents of emotion and the wisdom of the heart merge. The Star, like a celestial navigator, steers the soul through these sparkling waters, teaching the balance of hope and serenity, of compassion and joy.

Transitioning to the Dodecahedron, representing Spirit and the universe, the Star leads the soul to the realization of universal harmony, the unity in multiplicity, as symbolized by the twelve faces of the Dodecahedron, reflecting the cycles of the cosmos. Here, the soul witnesses the divine beauty in all creation, understanding the radiant harmony of the universe.

The journey moves once again to the Icosahedron and then back to the Dodecahedron, signifying the rhythmic flow of life, the pulse of existence that moves between the seen and the unseen, the individual drop and the boundless ocean, guided by the Star.

Finally, the journey culminates in Unity, represented by the endless fall into the golden spiral. The Star, having led the soul through its transformative illumination, now points towards the Divine, towards the unity of all existence.

The golden spiral, an embodiment of divine harmony and proportion, mirrors the soul’s return to its origin, to its unity with the Divine. It is a homecoming, the return to the eternal garden, the Garden of Eden.

This journey of the soul, as guided by the Star through the mystic dance of the Platonic solids, embodies the Sufi path — a path that starts from the self, purifies the self, and eventually transcends the self, merging into the One Beloved.

As in the “Conference of the Birds” by Attar, it is in the reflection of the Spirit in the waters that the true Self is revealed, and in the heavens, the ultimate Self is seen.

Such is the divine love story, the sacred dance of existence, revealed through the Star.