The Star: Tarot Arcana XVII Meaning, Hope and Serenity

In brief: number, names and keywords

The Star is the seventeenth card, with the same number and the same name in both traditions. It follows The Maison Dieu and is often read as the calm that follows the shock. The number seventeen, 1 + 7, is sometimes reduced to 8, the number of the sideways infinity: an energy that circulates.

The Star is one of the most loved cards among readers. Its image is simple and its symbolism clear. We present it here with the same caution as the others: a symbol, not a promise.

Keywords: hope, serenity, inspiration, trust, generosity, openness to the future.

The image in the Tarot de Marseille

In Marseille, a young naked woman kneels at the edge of a pond, one knee on the ground, holding a jug in each hand. She pours the water from one into the pond, and from the other onto the ground. Above her, a large eight-pointed star is surrounded by seven small stars.

In the setting, a few plants and a shrub, on which a bird is often perched. The sky is full of stars. The mood is calm, nocturnal or twilight. There are no sudden gestures: a woman makes a simple, repeated movement in an open landscape.

The image in the Rider-Waite-Smith

In the Rider-Waite-Smith, a naked woman kneels at the edge of a pond, one foot in the water, one knee on the earth. She pours the water of the first jug into the pond and that of the second onto the ground, where it divides into five streams. The sky bears a large yellow eight-pointed star and seven small white stars.

In the background, a bird (an ibis) perched in a tree, a landscape of gentle hills and a midnight-blue sky. The whole is luminous and free of threat. The woman's nudity is natural, without staging: it speaks of trust and simplicity.

Symbolism of the elements in the image

Here are the details that come up most often in traditional readings. They are paths for interpretation, not official definitions.

• The eight-pointed star: a steady light that guides: the North Star of the navigators' tradition. Eight is the number of the sideways infinity.
• The seven small stars: in tradition, the seven planets visible to the naked eye in antiquity, or more broadly a constellation of landmarks.
• The two jugs: giving to the earth and to the water: nourishing what is visible and what is invisible, without counting.
• The nudity: sincerity, accepted vulnerability: being oneself without a mask.
• The pond: the unconscious or the inner life, gently replenished.
• The bird (or the ibis): light thought, the messenger; in Waite the ibis is linked to Thoth, the Egyptian god of writing and knowledge.

Upright meaning

Upright, The Star traditionally suggests hope returning, serenity after a trial, inspiration and trust in the future. It is read as generosity (giving without counting), a return to calm, openness and simplicity. The card has a gentle tone: one breathes, one recovers, one looks into the distance.

In a reading, it may invite you to reconnect with what gives you momentum, to let yourself be inspired, to share your dreams without pressure. It announces no result, but encourages a reasonable hope. In the journey of the Fool, it is the breath after the storm.

Reversed: two schools of reading

School 1: the opposite. Reversed, The Star speaks of discouragement, disillusion, a lack of faith in the future, or idealism without action.

School 2: a block. Hope is there but hesitant: tiredness, cynicism, difficulty believing in what is coming. The card then invites you to regain your strength before dreaming again. Several tarot readers, moreover, read only upright cards.

In common areas of reading

Tarot does not say what is going to happen: it offers images for reflection. Here, in symbolic terms, is what this card can suggest depending on the theme of your question.

• Personal reflection: recharging, regaining confidence, welcoming inspiration. A possible question: what gives you hope again, even modestly?
• Relationships: sincerity, calm after an argument, generosity. The card evokes bonds in which one can be oneself.
• Work: inspiration, creativity, a project becoming clearer, sharing knowledge. Symbolically, a horizon opening, with no result promised.
• Money: generosity, sharing, measured trust in the future. It predicts nothing and does not replace the advice of a finance professional.

Combinations with neighbouring cards

A card is rarely read on its own: its neighbour qualifies it. Here are some common pairings, to be taken as starting ideas.

• The Maison Dieu: shock and calm: after the collapse, the light returns.
• The Moon: hope and doubt: The Star lights the way, the Moon clouds the view, two night skies.
• The Sun: hope and joy: from the gentle glow to full light.
• Temperance: calm and measure: two cards of gentleness and flow.
• Death (the nameless arcanum): ending and trust: a passage that opens onto a new impulse.

To learn how to combine cards, try the three-card spread. To place this card among the 22 major arcana, see our guide to the major arcana.

Word of the day, question and practice

Word of the day: Hope. For the day, note three small things that gave you hope, even tiny ones: a kind word, a ray of sunshine, an idea.

Question to ask yourself: What gives you hope again, even modestly?

Writing (10 minutes). Write a list of seven “small stars”: seven things, people or habits that guide or comfort you. Choose one for the week and note how you will give it a moment.

Short meditation. If time allows, look at the night sky for a few minutes; if not, imagine it. Breathe gently and let a simple wish come, without trying to make it happen right away.

History and variants of the card

The Star appears in fifteenth-century Italian tarocchi, in varied forms, always turned towards the sky. From the outset it refers to astronomy, navigation and guiding stars. In Marseille, it takes the form of a woman pouring water under a starry sky, accompanied by a bird.

In the nineteenth century, occultists linked it to the Egyptian goddess Isis or to the constellation of Aquarius. For the Golden Dawn, it is tied to Aquarius and to the letter Tzaddi (“the fishhook”). Aleister Crowley later swapped this attribution with that of The Emperor, which illustrates the variability of correspondences.

Variants: some editions show a single jug, others two; the number of stars may vary; the bird is sometimes a butterfly. The general idea remains that of a serene woman who gives, under the protection of a night light.

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to The 22 Major Arcana, card by card.