Seeing Stars - Tarot: The Star and Major Arcana
, by Brian Campbell, 13 min reading time
, by Brian Campbell, 13 min reading time
The Star Tarot & The Major Arcana: What Does It All Mean? The Star is a card of hope, renewal, and spiritual rebirth within the Major Arcana. In this blog, we’ll explore its symbolism, the journey from The Tower to The Star, and the wisdom it holds for those seeking inner peace. Discover how The Star helps you find your authentic self after periods of challenge and why it’s a guiding light for your spiritual path. Perfect for Tarot enthusiasts looking to deepen their understanding of the Tarot and unlock the true power of this healing card.
What does The Star mean to me? When I began my tarot journey oh so many years ago, I was enamored with this card – and, to this day, I still am.
I see her, I see her surroundings, and I want to step into that card and live. When I meditate on this very card, I step into the world – I speak with her, I ask her questions and receive her wisdom. It’s that wisdom that keeps me coming back to this beautiful and mysterious woman.
Let’s start at the beginning. When I was first starting to get interested in the Tarot, I had not a clue where to begin. All I knew was that I was captivated by the cards, the pictures, the symbolism, but what did it all mean?
Certainly, there had to be a better way to learn about these cards without the mundane task of reading a book and memorizing the tarot card meanings. At the time, which was around thirty years ago, there wasn’t the internet; I couldn’t simply consult with everybody’s best friend, Google, and get the answer. It was a time where one would have to go to the library and research, or go to the local bookstore and look at the New Age section in the hope of finding that book that had all the answers.
Well, I was never particularly studious in those days. I wanted quick answers and didn’t want to have to work at studying and looking for meanings. The problem was, the Tarot requires much more than a quick read, and it was this realization that began a long road to figuring out this beautiful and mysterious discipline called the Tarot.
I bought my first deck at age 16, and really wanted badly to achieve mastery. I thought I wanted to be a Tarot expert; I would want to read for friends, but I always struggled. I would certainly get accurate readings, but I always had to consult my books for meanings. I just couldn’t seem to memorize the vast array of knowledge about each and every card.
I truly had a deep love for the cards, but for one reason or another, I couldn’t commit them all to memory. I decided to put them down for some time due to frustration at my inability to instantaneously pull every meaning out of my mind.
Sometime down the road, perhaps six months or so, I watched a friend get a Tarot reading at a New Age expo. It was during that reading that I became more familiar with what the Tarot really is and how to use it.
I watched the reader do a full Celtic Cross on my friend and never once recite “the 4 of Wands means celebration” or something along those lines. The reader never gave a textbook meaning; rather, she told the story of the cards as it was relevant to the question being asked. What I also remember about that reading was the final outcome, or position 10 of the Celtic Cross and that was major arcana 17: The Star.
I had always been fascinated by this card, the mystery that surrounds her. What was she doing out there, without clothing, with all these stars around here? Why did she seemingly not care about anything but emptying out her water into the lake and onto the ground? She seemed happy, but I really didn’t understand what her purpose was.
I decided that I needed to study her – explore the card more, figure her out. Have you ever felt so enamored by something that you were compelled to study it just to satisfy your curiosity? If you have, you can understand my deep fascination with The Star.
Around this time, I read a book that discussed the Fool’s journey through the major arcana, and how the entire flow was major life lessons. I thought to myself, how can I relate this to my friend The Star? I see The Tower precedes her, and that’s totally scary (remember, I was 16 or 17 at the time) and The Moon follows her, but what does it all mean?
Since it would be overwhelming to study the entire major arcana as it relates to The Star, I chose to do the three cards I just named: The Tower, The Star and The Moon.
The Tower. Oh, The Tower. Everybody’s dreaded card.
I’ve pulled The Tower during readings and seen the subject’s desire to run out of the room rather than hear what I have to say. It’s universally a feared card, and not without reason. Out of all the cards, it’s in my top three for warnings.
The difference for me is that warnings are necessary on our path, but I didn’t know or feel this way as a teenager. I saw The Tower and had thoughts of fear, dread, panic, anxiety – just to name a few.
I thought about the three cards and the story being told. The Tower symbolizes destruction, things not working out, the need to start over, ruin, devastation. All those powerful terms played out right before my beloved Star comes to fruition.
At this point, I was beginning to put the story together, at least in terms of how The Tower leads to The Star story. I really started to meditate and study these two cards because I figured at some point, many years ago, there was a meaning to this flow. I didn’t really want to get the meaning from a book, because the Tarot isn’t a black and white discipline.
Suffice it to say, I could interpret that The Tower was not a happy card, not a card that most would be excited to step into. But even as a boy of 16 or 17, I knew life wasn’t always a bowl of cherries, and there were important life lessons to learn. I knew there were times in life when everything around us would fall apart, when we would be uprooted from our comfort zones and forced to start over or make change.
That was exactly what I saw happening in The Tower.
Exactly what this destruction had to do with my beautiful Star, though, was still a mystery to me. Why did she come right after such a devastating card when she looks so serene and peaceful? I really struggled with this for a time, because my young mind thought she should have nothing to be happy about; she had lost it all.
I’ll call this next situation divine intervention, if you will, because I can’t explain it otherwise. I had a dear friend come into my life around this time, and this friend was well beyond her years in wisdom and knowledge. I shared my Tarot study with her, specifically how The Tower could precede The Star, and she said something to me that I’ve never forgotten: “Have you ever been denied something that you just knew you deserved – a job, a passing grade, a new car – only to find out that there was something much better for you later?”
I took that notion and ran with it as a means of interpreting this two-card story. I started to put together that the folks who experienced destruction in The Tower did so to make way for rebirth; they were stripped bare of everything they knew, but not without good reason.
Sure, they didn’t choose to lose everything. In fact, I’m certain at the time they believed everything was good and didn’t think there was any need for change. The universe, the divine powers that be had other plans, hence The Tower.
And so, I had my answer. The Star was a reborn woman, forced to be her authentic self through the universe. She was full of new hope, peace – forced to become who she was meant to be, not who society thought she should be.
If you notice, nearly every picture of The Star shows a woman who is at peace – not gleaming with a big smile, but serene, content to just be herself. She’s a nurturing woman, in tune with her emotions, in balance all around.
It was many years later that I learned about the Chakra system, and that the stars in the card represented them. When all Chakras are in balance, a force within us can manifest just about anything. I’ve chosen to live my life in the way of The Star – constant rebirth, if you will. If something doesn’t work, the universe will let me know. I may ignore the warnings, but it won’t go away until I take action.
The universe, the divine, has a way of getting through to us, and The Star is such a beautiful representation of this notion. We may not like what is happening around us – it may be sad, it may be scary – but getting to the other side can be such a feeling of peace, it’s really indescribable.
Often, a phrase that goes along with The Star is “Out with the old,” and it’s definitely fitting. We as human beings are on a big journey, and that journey will have many twists and turns. One key to happiness that I’ve discovered over the years is to find out what you’re meant to do, who you really are, what makes you tick, and I see The Star as having found that. After turmoil and challenge, she’s emerged as her most authentic self. I aspire to do the same and I hope you will as well.
My study of The Star didn’t end here, I wanted to round out the story with what comes next, The Moon.
What is happening in this card? Well, for sure, I see aspects of the mind – some domesticated, some wild, some ornery. The Moon represents our subconscious; the voices in our head, you might say. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy, and we make things much more dire than they really are.
There is a lot of illusion in The Moon, and mystery as well. Illusion comes from the fact that The Moon itself doesn’t emit light, just reflections from the sun. Mystery comes from the energy that we all can receive from The Moon, especially on nights with a full moon.
If I combine all of these traits, I can summarize that The Moon is a card of internal thoughts; perhaps good, perhaps bad, but not reality. Again, it’s the representation of that subconscious. If we link back to The Tower, then The Star, we can surmise that following the rebirth of The Star, there is some anxiety thinking about the destruction of the past and not wanting to ever experience that again.
The waves in the card are caused by The Moon; she’s a powerful force for certain. The illusion that is her centerpiece is also the illusion that we carry in our subconscious. We can drive ourselves into a downward spiral with thoughts and possibilities that really hold no place in reality, they’re simply fears that we can’t always shake. The Moon is part of the journey, and in this story, it’s The Star experiencing fears of the past and living through that fear to march forward.
Friends, this is what The Star means to me. I try to be that figure, that beautiful being in the card. I meditate on her and step into her world. The problem is, once I’m there, I never want to leave when I’m there. She has a very calming wisdom that I need in my life.
I encourage each of you to get to know her. I think you’ll gain wisdom and inspiration from this peaceful lady. Remember, as you walk your path, that the Tarot is a very powerful thing that requires deep study and deep contemplation.
Today, I’ve told you my story with one card, imagine how we can all benefit from the Tarot. My gift for you today: I challenge you to look at The Star, really get to know her, close your eyes and think about her, how she can help you on your way. Think about how soothing and beautiful a period of rebirth is, about how knowing that the divine universe is holding you and guiding you. That, my dear friends, is The Star. Peace
A Little More About Raven's Cauldron
I’m Brian, a thirty-year Tarot card reader. I own a company called Raven's Cauldron, and we specialize in providing a one stop metaphysical shop experience. After frequenting metaphysical and spiritual shops for decades, I wanted to provide a place in my hometown that provides a wide array of new age, metaphysical and spiritual items. I appreciate you taking the time to read my blog, there will be many more to come.
Brian J. Campbell is the owner of Raven’s Cauldron, established in 2019, and a seasoned Tarot reader with over 40 years of professional experience. Passionate about the metaphysical arts, Brian has dedicated his life to studying spirituality, divination, and the mystical realms, making him a trusted resource for those seeking deeper insight and guidance. His expertise extends far beyond Tarot, incorporating a wealth of knowledge on crystals, astrology, and other esoteric practices. Through Raven’s Cauldron, Brian strives to create a space where seekers of all kinds can explore, learn, and connect with their spiritual path.
www.ravenscauldron.com
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