By Luna Ravenwood · Updated August 3, 2026
Divination and Dreams Guide
Quick Answer
In the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot tradition, The Star is a Major Arcana card numbered 17 corresponding to Aquarius. Upright it speaks to hope, faith, renewal; reversed it mirrors lack of faith, despair, disconnection. The archetype pairs with Aquamarine for grounded reflection, not prediction.
Upright Keywords
Reversed Keywords
The Star Upright Meaning
After The Tower's destruction, The Star appears, a naked woman kneels by a pool, pouring water onto the land and back into the water. Eight stars shine above her, the largest a guiding light. This is the card of hope after devastation, renewal after loss. The Star doesn't promise that everything will be fine; it promises that you will find meaning in what happened. The woman pours without hesitation, she trusts that the source is infinite, that giving doesn't deplete her.
In the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot tradition, this card is read through three reference works. According to Rachel Pollack in Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom (1980), The Star functions as one station in the deck’s unified literary sequence. Arthur Edward Waite in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910) describes the original symbolism Pamela Colman Smith painted into the card. Mary K. Greer in Tarot for Your Self (1984) describes the upright meaning as the archetypal opening, the question the card offers, not the verdict it delivers.
The Star Reversed Meaning
Reversed, The Star signals a loss of faith, the hope that sustained you through The Tower has dimmed. You may feel disconnected from your purpose, spiritually dry, unable to see the point. The reversed Star asks: have you stopped pouring because the well is truly empty, or because disappointment has made you afraid to hope? Sometimes faith must be practiced mechanically before it becomes felt. Pour anyway. The water will return.
How The Star Speaks Across Traditions
The archetype suggests this card's symbolic language doesn't stop at the tarot deck. In my practice with the cards I keep finding the same pattern named differently across traditions, Carl Jung called this archetypal cross-pollination, and Joseph Campbell traced it through the hero's journey. The links below follow The Star's thread into other lineages on this site:
- loving-kindness (mettā) practice, Aria, Sharon Salzberg lineage
- the Heart Chakra (Anahata), Cassandra, Hindu chakra tradition
Today’s Guidance
“Hope is available to you today, not naive optimism, but the quiet faith that comes after you've survived something difficult. The Star says: you made it through. Now let yourself heal.”
Morning Intention
Identify one source of hope in your life, no matter how small. The Star's morning begins with gratitude for what survived.
Midday Reflection
Where are you withholding hope out of self-protection? The Star at midday asks you to risk believing that things can improve.
Evening Release
Release despair. Hold your aquamarine and pour your attention toward what's renewing, growing, healing. The Star shines brightest against the darkest sky.
“I am renewed. Hope flows through me like water, infinite and patient.”
Crystal Companion: Aquamarine
Aquamarine carries the tranquil, hopeful energy of still water under starlight, The Star's essential frequency. It renews faith and soothes the wounds left by The Tower's revelation.
Aquamarine
A serene blue stone of calm courage, clear communication, and emotional flow.
Numerology of The Star
The Star carries the number 17. In the Pythagorean tradition, this reduces to 8, the number of abundance, power, and material mastery. The archetype is striking: the star embodies the same vibration that Life Path 8 natives are here to learn.
Notice the pattern: when this card keeps appearing in readings, or when 17 keeps appearing in your day, both are likely pointing at the same lesson. See more in the angel number meanings guide.
Astrological Correspondence
The Star · Aquarius · Hebrew letter Tzaddi (צ)
Astrid Moon would read The Star as fixed Air, Aquarian hope, the gentle light after the storm. The card arrives as quiet restoration and renewed faith in the future.
Card Details
Number
17
Suit
Major Arcana
Element
💨 Air
Astrology
Aquarius
Neighbouring Cards
The Star in Love, Career, Finance
The same archetype mirrors different territory depending on the question. Read how The Star meets specific dimensions of your life.
What’s Next?
Three good directions while The Star is in the room.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Star tarot card mean?
In the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot tradition, The Star is a Major Arcana card corresponding to Aquarius. Upright it speaks to hope, faith, renewal; reversed it mirrors lack of faith, despair, disconnection.
What crystal pairs with The Star?
Aquamarine is the crystal companion for The Star. Aquamarine carries the tranquil, hopeful energy of still water under starlight, The Star's essential frequency. It renews faith and soothes the wounds left by The Tower's revelation.
Is The Star a yes or no card?
In yes-or-no readings, The Star answers yes. The Star shines with hope, renewal, and faith after difficulty. The answer is a bright, hopeful yes. Have faith that what you desire is flowing toward you. The universe is supporting your wish.
What does The Star mean reversed?
Reversed, The Star signals a loss of faith, the hope that sustained you through The Tower has dimmed. You may feel disconnected from your purpose, spiritually dry, unable to see the point. The reversed Star asks: have you stopped pouring because the well is truly empty, or becaus
How to Read a Spread
Luna Ravenwood's free guide: the structure of the deck, three spreads and what each is for, the three schools of reversals, and how to read for yourself without flattering yourself.
We respect your inbox. Unsubscribe anytime.