The Star
Major Arcana · Number XVII · Element Air · Planet Aquarius / Uranus
Keywords: hope, renewal, serenity, inspiration, faith
About This Card
A naked woman kneels by a pool beneath a vast, star-filled sky. She pours water from two vessels — one into the pool, one onto the earth — nourishing both the emotional and physical realms simultaneously. Above her shines one large star surrounded by seven smaller ones. The ibis of Thoth — god of wisdom — sits in the tree behind her. The Star follows the Tower: after the destruction, the serenity. After the storm, the sky full of stars.
Upright Meaning
Hope, faith, renewal, serenity, inspiration, spiritual connection.
The Star upright is one of the most beautiful and hopeful cards in the deck. After difficulty, after the upheaval or the grief, this card arrives to say: hope is real. Healing is happening, perhaps more than you can currently see. You are being renewed. This is a card of deep peace, of spiritual connection, of faith in the benevolence of the universe. Let yourself rest in this. Open to receive the healing that is available. Your light is being restored.
Reversed Meaning
Lack of faith, despair, disconnection, discouragement.
The Star reversed points to a loss of hope or faith — feeling disconnected from the sense that things will be okay, that you matter, that the future holds anything worth waiting for. This is a deeply human experience, and this card asks you not to judge yourself for it. It also gently suggests that hopelessness may be a temporary weather pattern, not a permanent climate. What small act of self-care or beauty might let even a little light back in?
The Star in a Reading
When The Star appears in your spread, notice your immediate emotional response — tarot works through resonance. Consider the card's position (past, present, future, obstacle, or outcome) and the surrounding cards, which can amplify or soften its meaning.