THE FOOL’S JOURNEY
On the gloomy spot where The Tower once stood, The Fool sits gazing into the inky sky, his soul empty. He feels he’s lost everything, including himself. Looking around, wondering what was left, he notices a young girl kneeling next to a pond. She is pouring water from two urns.
“What are you doing?” he asks.
“I am refilling this pond so that all who desire may drink, as well as watering the ground so that the seeds will have what they need to grow.”
The Fool kneels next to her, taking a drink from the pond.
“You seem sad, but it’s important to remember that not all is lost. You have knowledge, potential, and hope. Like the stars in the heavens, each of these can be a spot of light to help guide your way. Find your star, and keep hope alive.”
In the dark and desolate sky, The Fool finally spots a flicker of light. He now has a guiding star, and as distant as it is, it gives him hope.
CARD MEANING
The story of The Star is one of hope and faith. Both the lightning bolt that destroyed your false path in The Tower, and the soft, warm glow of The Star, come from the same source. Still, The Star is not a light that comes to destroy, but one that comes to gently lead you to your true path.
The Star is a card of meditation, which is symbolized by the pool in the Rider Waite rendition. Notice that the woman is kneeling by the pool, the weight of her right foot supported on the water. While some artists draw the woman entirely in the pool, here we see this sign of faith, a reminder that the subconscious is strong enough to support the conscious, and as it awakens to the light of within (for we are each a star), we being to see where we are meant to go.
Although The Star lights the way and signals to where you truly belong, it should be noted that this is not a card of completion or outcome. It is still a long road to get to where you need to go, and there is much work to be done, because hope, inspiration, and faith are never the end of the story.
The Star is never negative. The only duality that could exist in the card is if someone is so caught up in their misery that they refuse to see the light of The Star as sufficient to begin their trip down the tunnel to get to the light at the end of it. At some point, even getting to that point becomes the journey, and The Star will illuminate even the darkest of nights.
Regardless of where you place your faith—whether it’s in a deity, a creator, the universe, or yourself—call upon it when The Star appears and you will find that, in faith, the pool of your subconscious is able to sustain you. Miracles are around you at this time, and you will find yourself walking across that pool safely until you reach the other side.