The Star

Typically The Star typically signifies hope, tranquility, inner peace, etc. However, a while back, while doing a reading using The Pictorial Key Tarot, The Star came up and rather than getting a sense of hope, the card gave me a strong sense of sexuality and eroticism. In both the Tarot de Marseille and the Rider-Waite Tarot, the female figure depicted on this card is shown nude, but not in an erotic manner. The Pictorial Key's depiction of the nude female figure is, admittedly, more graphic, but in the past I have never gotten a sense of eroticism from it, and certainly not from the way she is shown in the other two decks.


The Star from The Pictorial Key Tarot
© Lo Scarabeo


Tarot de Marseille © Camoin and Jodorowsky
Rider Waite Tarot © U. S. Games Systems Inc.

In my admittedly still-developing knowledge of tarot, it is my understanding that although there are, more or less, typical "standard meanings" for the individual cards, in many cases, a given card can take on an additional or altered meaning, depending on the context. The range of interpretation, from what I can tell so far, seems to range from adhering to very specific traditional meanings for each card, to largely or even fully "intuitive" understandings based on a particular instance. At this point, I am falling somewhere in the middle, depending on the situation. How does one know exactly where to land in any given case? Well, I suppose that one could use one's intuition for this! Is this not, ultimately, what the tarot demands of us?

My interpretation of this card is influenced by both the traditional meanings and by the more erotic sense I got from this card as described above. Also, I have drawn the stars with seven points, not the usual eight. This could be interpreted through an alchemical, Druidic, or even Christian lens. Do I have a specific meaning for this? Well, let's just say that it seemed like the thing to do at the time. Basically, that's pretty much how I'm rolling with these drawings for now; anything is ultimately subject to change.

(drawing completed on May 18, 2009)