17. The Star

Twinkle twinkle.

Upright

Hope, renewal, health.

Reversed

A need for positive outlook and hope, or bewitched by fantasy. Health problems.

Element: Air

If you’ve been following the story of The Major Arcana, we’ve just had a cataclysmic fall from The Tower and now we’re looking up at the open night sky where our creations used to be and feeling… hope?

The Star is the card of hope, renewal, and health. You may feel like you’ve fallen quite far, but The Star is here to tell you that positive change is coming. Despite the general positive feels, The Star’s element is air and not water; this is a card of hope that brings mental clarity. The figure on The Star pours water into a pool and onto the ground. This is a picture of renewal and rest, but unlike the 4 of Swords where apparitions of swords hover above us, The Star’s sky is full of, well, stars. The stars let us know that we can hope; things are going to be better from now on.

When reversed, The Star indicates a need for positive outlook and hope, or it can mean that the wonder of the stars has gone out of control. You may be giving up too easily, or consumed by insecurity and fear, and need to get some positive thinking in your life. On the other side of the spectrum, you may feel bewitched by fantasy, hoping too much. The Star reversed can also mean creative block or health problems. You need to take a lesson from the upright Star and take a rest.