Hanson Roberts - The Star

[Madame Squee]

Tonight, I'm looking at The Star.

First, I have to echo virtually everyone posting in this study group: I love the expressive quality of the images in this deck!

The Star features a handsome young woman, nude and draped in her long, thick hair, standing in a lake. She's pouring water from each hand -- one stream is splashing back into the lake and the other onto a flowering plant on shore. Behind her, stars are beginning to sparkle in a darkening sky, but it's still light enough to see the reflection of a distant mountain range in the lake. Her gaze is directed upward, and, while her face is reflecting the dying sunlight, her eyes have captured the starlight. A plump songbird, at roost in a large tree for the night, appears to be performing evensong, from a branch just above the young woman's head.

How peaceful, lovely, serene... perfect.

This card is a sensory experience for me -- full of sounds: the water, splashing into water and into the foliage, the birdsong, the lake, lapping shore and crickets. The air is warm, body temperature, and full of aromas: lake, flowers, damp earth, clean air. It puts me in mind of camping out on vacation as a child. Everything was so new and such an adventure, and the summer was going to last forever!

The LWB says, "A naked young maiden pours the waters of life from her open palms. This signifies the stirring of new ideas and the precipitation of new concepts. Although the maiden appears complacent, her outlook remains one of aspiration and hope. Hovering in the sky above her is one huge star - the Star of the Magi - surrounded by seven smaller stars which shine upon the earth. The eight-pointed stars of hope ascend above the maiden. A bird and flowers evidence the birth of life and promise."

For me, the most important phrase in the above paragraph is "the Star of the Magi", because it envelopes the entire story of the Wise Men, who searched for and found what they believed they would find, in spite of difficulty and obstacles. The appearance of the Star inspired their faith, but they put in the time and energy to make the journey and complete their mission - they didn't stay home, hoping the Star would come to them, and miss their chance!

Well, this is a good one to go to sleep on. Good night, everyone!

 

[Satori]

What strikes me about the image is that her hands are open to the heaven's seemingly ready to receive blessings. But her hands are full of water...and there is a sense to me of it being sort of silvery and magical like mercury...so it almost seems...and the water bubbles that are in the card as well seem to support...that she is herself a conduit for blessing. That she is transforming the water into something that will conduct energy, and that the starlight is somehow influencing this transformation.

The woman is the Star, come to earth, to bring the creative energy of the cosmos to earth. And in that coming anything is possible. Any creation, any endeavor can be blessed and can be transformational, if we will only accept the gift.

 

[Morwenna]

I like this version of the Star best of any I've seen.

Her serenity shows in several ways: her facial expression of course, but also her stance, and the fact that she's not looking at what she's doing (as in other decks) but is unselfconsciously pouring out the water with her bare hands, not using any vessels.

And the stars themselves are so vibrant, unlike the hard diagrammatic stars in several other decks (including other favorites).

The whole atmosphere of this card I find breathtaking.

 

[~tarot dummy~]

what do you think about the reversed star?

 

[suzsus]

I noticed this post is from several years ago, but that no one ever posted a reply to the last question! Generally I read the star as a hope card. Reversed, I see the star as a lack of hope, perhaps hopelessness, or not having the ability to see a positive future or not having the ability to create a better future. Obviously it depends on the other cards surrounding the star and what position of the spread it appears in, such as with any card. This card is very 'fluid' as other people mentioned (water symbolism in the imagery): by this I mean that the card is more easily influenced by others it appears with; they determine the amplitude of the hope or lack thereof.

 

[FallynRaiyn]

to me she is someone very much alive, in touch with life, all aspects of it. She exists to LIVE. to EXPERIENCE. she soaks it all in and there is a magical quality that she gleans from every experience. someone who can trust the machinations even behind the most confusing or hurtful happenings in her life and can use them to better herself and those around her.

 

[FallynRaiyn]

double posted.