The Star
Whenever all hope seems lost, it will reappear to
prove that you have really lost nothing, except
perhaps your sight of the path to enlightenment.
And in the absence of that sight, the Star will
light your way. Its light is not a blinding flash
like the lightning bolt of the Tower, but a soft
radiating glow that warms and comforts, rather
than burning and destroying. You must remember
that both of these energies ultimately come from
the same place in the sky - from Heaven. After the
light of the Tower destroys the false path you
were following, the kinder and gentler light of
the Star will lead you back to the right path.
In terms of symbolism this card is similar to
Temperance; there is a figure by a pool with two
cups. But while the contents of the Cups were
mixed with each other in Temperance, here they are
mixed with the waters of the eternal spirit of the
Divine. When you cannot help yourself, the Star
tells you to look to the heavens for guidance. Or,
more appropriately, look to the spark of divinity
that lies within yourself that you could not see
or acknowledge before. Each of us has a little
piece of the Star deep inside, waiting to cast its
light into the world to light the way. This is
what Crowley meant when he affirmed that "every
man and every woman is a star."
The Star is a card of faith, both in your own
power, and in powers greater than your own. When
the Tower sweeps away all the negativity in your
life, you once again need something to fill the
void, and faith is a good place to start. What
exactly is faith? It could be said that faith is a
conscious belief in an unconscious experience, of
which we may not be directly aware, but of which
we can still feel the effects. This definition
fits both belief in a deity and belief in your own
abilities. Having faith in any power will allow
that power to manifest in your life. Believing
that something will happen is as sure a way as any
to make it happen.
There is a lot of meditative imagery on almost all
renditions of the Star, though the most
interesting symbol on the Rider-Waite version of
the card is the pool of water at the center of the
scene. On some decks the naked woman is standing
in the pool, but in the Rider-Waite version she
kneels beside it. Notice that her right foot rests
on the water but does not break the surface. Once
faith is placed in its power, the pool of the
subconscious becomes able to support the conscious
mind. The miraculous ability to walk on water is
symbolically translated here into the ability to
trust in another power, whether in the heavens or
in yourself. Once that trust is achieved, anything
is possible.
There are few cards more positive than the Star,
because when it appears in your life it is nothing
less than a beacon of hope and inspiration. In
times of darkness it shows that there is a way
out, and tells you not to worry, for illumination
and freedom are at hand. All you need is something
in which to place your faith. So trust in
yourself, and in whatever powers you believe
control the universe, to help you through
difficult times. Let the infinite energy of the
Star warm you and rejuvenate your soul, to provide
the strength and the clarity of purpose you need
to continue on your journey.
It is important to keep in mind, however, that the
Star is never a card that shows the final solution
to any problem. It simply shows the hope and faith
to get to wherever you're going; without hope we
can accomplish nothing, but hope is only a
beginning. Now that you have been inspired, you
still have much work to do in order to bring your
vision into manifestation. You must combine the
solidity of material existence with the waters of
your emotions and of your spirit. This is a time
when miracles can happen, so kick off your shoes
and wade into the pool, confident that the water
will support you until you reach the other side.
This page was made by James Rioux (The Black
Shadow), bsh...@nbnet.nb.ca.
Copyright 2000 James Rioux.
http://www.ata-tarot.com/resource/cards/