TAROTThe Star
Upright
Hope, growth, healing, mind and body in perfect alignment.
A readiness to embrace the future.
Hope; the universe is on your side. Spiritually attuned to successful paths. Possible burst of creative flair and new ideas. ‘Good things will happen to good people’.
Intuition
The Star is represented by the Goddess Hebe. Although the Aquarian archetype is often linked with Ganymede, Hebe is also a water-carrier and is associated with the Fountain of Youth.
This is shown in the image. The water is energised by the star and makes the dead tree stump sprout back into life.
Reversed
Lack of hope, regression, disbelief. Disconnection between wants and needs.
Self-sabotage or lack of belief in good fortune.
The universe is on your side but you are not tuned to receive it through inability to allow old wounds to heal, to forget the past, or to look to a brighter future.
Astrologia
Innovative, love of humanitarian causes; working towards a dream of equality. Independent and curious with a diverse social network. Can become rebellious or socially detached, or concentrating on logic over emotion.
The Star
After the upheavals of the Tower, the Star represents regrowth. Just like the star sign Aquarius (which is represented by Air carrying Water), mind and body are now in perfect alignment, making you also aligned for success.
The big message of the Star is hope and optimism for the future. Humanitarian and creative projects will succeed and now is a time for personal and spiritual growth.
Relationships will go well. The balance of Air and Water means your intellectual and physical needs will be met as long as you believe in yourself.
The downside via the reversed card is that you may still be reeling from the Tower. Old injuries, a past you cannot forget, or being too defensive to see how life has changed for the better. When both Air and Water are both strong but going in opposite directions, self-delusion or sensitivity and strong emotions are real problems!
The Star card is often strongly associated with the star sign Aquarius, which in turn is associated with the mythical cup-bearer Ganymede, who became the constellation of Aquarius. The Tarot card is however feminine, pointing to another mythical cup-bearer; Hebe.
Hebe
Hebe is the personification of youth. Although some myths cite a fountain of youth, in Greek myth, Hebe herself is that fountain. We can see this in the card; the water from Hebe nourishes a dead tree stump back into life. This water was capable of bringing youth back to mortals and possibly the best boon and good fortune available in the universe as it is a key to immortality, representing infinite growth through forever-youthful energy.
Hebe is also associated with brides and was often seen in later Western art, presumably via paintings to celebrate young women on their engagement. Hebe’s husband is also notable; Heracles (Hercules).
Finally, Hebe was occasionally worshipped along with Hera as a mother-daughter combination similar to Demeter-Persephone. This implies Hebe (as with Persephone) as symbolic of new life in the cycle of birth-life-death.
Description and Symbology
The card shows Hebe at the edge of a lake, with one foot in the water and the other on the ground. This, along with the two water containers Hebe holds are somewhat reminiscent of the Temperance and High Priestess cards.
One stream of water flows upwards and seems to be energised by a large 8 pointed star. This water falls onto a seemingly dead tree stump causing it to grow into life. Note that it is not the water itself that causes life, but its interaction with the air it passes through. This symbolises the mix of air and water creating life. Constantly experiencing new ideas and emotions are the true elixir of youth. Without them both you age before your time!
That the star is giving the water its life-giving properties also tells us that the universe itself is sometimes on our side, and when that happens, we receive the most prized boons of all.
The cycle of water-air-rain is implied here, signifying a constant cycle. It also represents the cycle between the subconscious and conscious and how emotions often do not just come from experience but also rise up from our subconscious.
Another stream of water flows directly into the lake, feeding the stump at its roots, again representing the concept of multiple flows. To grow you need to nourish mind and body, conscious and subconscious, and having structure and creativity within your life.
With regard to the last point, we also see an eagle (symbol of Zeus/The Emperor) beside Hebe, providing the structure.
Card Icon
The card icon is the sign of Aquarius.
Hebe as the Fountain of Youth
Hebe represents one of the biggest boons the universe can bestow; eternal youth. When good luck and growth comes our way as a pair, it is nothing short of rejuvenating.
The Star
The Star represents the universe bestowing good fortune
Water flowing through Air
Like the star sign Aquarius (an air sign that symbolizes water but is not itself a water sign), the Star represents air (Swords, ideas) even though there is water (Cups, emotion) present. The growth represented by the Star involves both ideas and emotion; when both are perfectly aligned with the universe, great potential occurs!
Multiple flows
We see two streams of water representing duality and flows. True growth requires attending to multiple areas such as mind and body, the emotional and intellectual and meeting both conscious and subconscious needs. Hebe’s stance, with one foot in the water and the other on solid ground, also points to dualities first seen in the High Priestess and Temperance cards.
The Tree stump
The tree stump represents you after the trials of the Tower. Perhaps lifeless but not beaten. The powers of The Star will rejuvenate, hence the tree shows new growth.
The Eagle
Hebe is often depicted with an eagle accompanying her, which in this deck alludes to the Emperor. Without some kind of low level structure and protection in your life you may not be ready to accept the good luck the universe sends your way.
Tips for Readings
The following table shows the upright and reverse meanings for general questions. The last row ('Yes/No') is useful when you are picking a single card to decide a yes or no decision.
Upright
Reversed
Harmony, growth and understanding. Have faith in any new relationship.
Emotionally and physically satisfied.
Things should be going well but you are self-sabotaging or lack belief in yourself or the relationship.
Success and professional growth. Bringing new ideas and getting noticed for it. Maintain focus and trust in yourself and success will come quickly.
Trust yourself and stay persistent. You will succeed but the path to career growth and promotion may be longer than expected.
Growth and balance. Stay the course in any current treatment as it is likely to succeed. Any new health regime will work well as long as you maintain confidence in your abilities.
You are either being impatient for things to get better or self-sabotaging and/or being half-hearted in a new health regime.
Patience and persistence will be needed. Results will come but slower than you envision.
Trust your inner intuition; you are likely to be correct. For any self-discovery started recently, you are on the right path.
A period of confusion. Reassess your assumptions and goals to check they are sensible and achievable. Self-reflection may be necessary; do you really believe the path you are taking?
Have faith in yourself in any dealings.
You have everything you need as long as you trust your own abilities to do the work and check the details.
Failure will only come if you are not true to yourself and fall towards greed or deceit.
Unexpected setbacks may befall any financial transaction. It will eventually succeed if you are patient and persistent but it will take longer than expected.
If you cannot afford delays on an upcoming deal, consider holding off or backing out until you feel more confident.
Yes because the universe is on your side!
Probable no (unless you are patient enough to be able to wait for results).
Reading the Card
The upright card
The upright Star card represents new hope for the future and a spurt of growth or new energy. It can represent a period of healing after previous obstacles or a new period of life that is free of previous constraints.
The upright Star card represents new hope for the future, and a spurt of growth or new energy.
The star can also be about new ideas and thoughts, and heralds a period of creativity at work or in any artistic endeavor. The ideas can be spiritual in nature, pointing to a new way of thinking or seeing the world, particularly after previous setbacks. Both mind and body will heal and embark together on a new and more positive journey.
Finally, it can represent an upcoming positive opportunity. This will be unplanned and unforeseen, making it seem to be good luck.
The reversal
The reversed Star card refers to the same sense of luck and growth but something is blocking you from accepting it. Sometimes luck comes our way but we are too concerned about previous failures and the daily grind to see it, or are too focused on the past to see a brighter future.
Success, recovery or growth may still come but it will be slower, or feelings of hopelessness, and disillusionment may force stagnation. A lack of self-belief and a greater sense of self-sabotage may be at play.
In all of these cases the card asks you to look at yourself and consider if you are missing chances by looking in the wrong direction, lack motivation, or are failing to reach for a helping hand when it is offered.
Card Design Process
The Star card design was mainly taken from the symbology for the star sign Aquarius that the card is closely aligned with.
Final Words
The Star card symbolizes hope, growth and potential. It suggests a period of transformation, possibly from a period that was full of obstacles. It confirms your ability to move forward to a brighter future.
