Seven Stars around the Star

lucifall

The Pleiades above,are, the same as the seven Churches Below.
All is One....As above So Below.

It is difficult to place this in context, but what we know is that the Pleiades are important in all world religions. I am sure my Girlfriend in Heaven is dwelling between the seven Pleiades on a Chariot. She appeared to me several times that way in my dreams.
The Star Card is related to Aquarius, the New Age time we are getting in. Maybe we will be thought lessons in the Aquarius Age which we cannot understand with our intellect and emotions, now. Something will happen to open the gate to new dimensions, and that something,in my opinion, will have to do with the Seven Sisters, Astarte(Venus) and the Water-Bearer(Aquarius)

Light Lucifall
 

Brilliance

The Pleiades (Seven Sisters)

What is the intended symbolism for the seven lesser stars around the main Star? I know the main Star is the Higher Self-- what of the other seven, with the one close to the head of the Lady of the Star? Chakras? Planets? Pleiades? Phases of evolution?

I see them as the Pleiades (Seven Sisters), that are located in the constellation of Taurus.

This makes sense because some (like A.E. Thierens) associate The Star card with Venus, the ruler of Taurus. Venus represents beauty, harmony, youth, rejuvenation, love, hope, optimism which fits The Star card in my opinion.
 

Richard

Waite intended the Star to be Sirius, not Venus.

Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Part I, Section 2. "The Star, Dog-Star, or Sirius, also called fantastically the Star of the Magi."​

As Abrac suggested, according to Waite, the Star represents Binah, and the seven other luminaries are the seven Sephiroth beneath Binah.

Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Part II, Section 2. ".....But she is in reality the
Great Mother in the Kabalistic Sephira Binah, which is supernal
Understanding, who communicates to the Sephiroth that
are below in the measure that they can receive her influx."​
 

Zephyros

When dealing with any kind of Qabalistic symbolism, it is important to remember that the Tree works as a well-oiled machine and its greatest feature is its interconnection. While the Star does represent the Great Mother, the void of the universe in which we all swim, that same Mother is in herself a Venusian figure. Seven stars for Netzach, attributed to Venus. Seven "real" Sephiroth under the Supernals, which in itself connects to Netzach as implying that the power that rules the universe is Love, in essence, the annihilation of opposing forces. Seven for Zain, the Hebrew letter attributed to the Lovers, again an apt association.

One can, of course, make up their own associations, but it is doubtful how well those associations would fit in the bigger scheme of things.

Sauron said:
“Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men, doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.”
 

Richard

Yes, the Venusian aspect of Binah (Sephirah 3) is also represented by the Empress (Trump 3), whose shield bears the Venus glyph. The Sirian aspect is associated more with the Isis manifestation.
 

Zephyros

Yes, the Venusian aspect of Binah (Sephirah 3) is also represented by the Empress (Trump 3), whose shield bears the Venus glyph. The Sirian aspect is associated more with the Isis manifestation.

'Round and around we go. The Empress is attributed to Daleth, which has the value of 4 and is card number 3. 4+3=7. I love this stuff so much because it's just so damn satisfying. :)
 

Richard

Moreover, the extension of 3 is 6 (1+2+3=6), the Lovers, which connects Binah to Tiphareth, the central Sephirah. The other direct path from Binah to the lower seven Sephiroth is 7, the Chariot, whose Sephirah is Netzach!

ETA. The amazing internal consistency of the GD correlations between Tarot and the Tree is, for me, strong evidence that it must be essentially correct.
 

Gofannon

Does this have any relevance?

Amo 5:8

Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD(YHVH) is his name:
 

Gofannon

The 8 pointed star is a symbol of Ishtar/Inanna. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishtar

"Besides the lions on her gate, her symbol is an eight-pointed star.

The lion was her symbol.
In the Babylonian pantheon, she "was the divine personification of the planet Venus."

So a definite connection to Venus, but I am sure that the 8 pointed star is also a symbol of Sirius.

From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirius

"In Theosophy, it is believed the Seven Stars of the Pleiades transmit the spiritual energy of the Seven Rays from the Galactic Logos to the Seven Stars of the Great Bear, then to Sirius. From there is it sent via the Sun to the god of Earth (Sanat Kumara), and finally through the seven Masters of the Seven Rays to the human race.[129]"

My interpretation of the Galactic Logos is YHVH.

The Star card is Aquarius, the opposite sign being Leo or the Strength card. A goddess with a lion is also a symbol of Ishtar.
 

Abrac

I think if it's relevant to you it's relevant. There are as many ways of looking at this as there are groups of seven. If a person wants to get a look into what Waite was thinking when his tarot images were created, his Azoth, or, The Star in the East is hard to beat.

For example there's this:

"Thus in the light of the Hermetic philosophy, the path of perfection becomes the path of beauty, as it is that of peace and joy. There is an exterior complexion of the ripe and perfect peach which is an index of its sweetness and delight; so do the Seven Gifts of the Spirit beautify by radiation from within the casket [i.e. the body as a vessel] in which they are enshrined."​

Some of the same language is used both in Waite's Pictorial Key description and this quote. For example, the Seven Gifts beautify "by radiation." The PK says "A great, radiant star." The seven lesser stars aren’t described as radiant, but also have eight "rays."

And there's this from the PK description:

"It has been said truly that the mottoes of this card are 'Waters of Life freely' and 'Gifts of the Spirit.'"​

The large star probably represents Spirit, or the Divine in man and the universe. Thus, the lesser stars represent "Gifts of the Spirit."

Waite mentions the Seven Gifts of the Spirit a couple of other times in the book so it was something that was at least fairly important to him. :)