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Tarot - Star
Tarot - Star
Symbolism of the XVII arcanum
The Star card is the seventeenth of the major arcana. In the Tarot of Marseille, from which most later decks originated, it depicts a starry sky with a prominent central eight-pointed star surrounded by seven smaller ones. The seven smaller stars have a total of 52 long spikes and an additional small spike. A naked woman, kneeing by the side of a river, pours water from two jars. In the background, a black bird resembling a raven haunches from a tree growing on a mountain slope. The symbolism cannot be immediately associated with the familiar one from the Jewish-Christian tradition prevalent in Renaissance Europe at the time the Tarot first made their appearance.
An interpretative key comes, as in the case of neighboring arcana in the Tarot of Marseille, from the Mesopotamian tradition. The most brilliant object in the sky, besides the sun and the moon, is Venus, which was traditionally associated with the goddess Ishtar. The symbol of Isthar, in Mesopotamian iconography, is an eight-pointed star, reflecting the 8-year cycle in the appearent position of Venus.
The seven smaller stars, which in many ancient cultures were closely connected with Venus and were referred to as the Seven Sisters, are the Pleiades. The Pleiades align with Venus according to a cycle slightly longer than 52 lunar years (Age of Seth), while the number of weeks in a solar year is also slightly above 52.
In the Descent of Ishtar, the naked goddess is sprinkled with the waters of life. In the Sumerian text Inanna and the Huluppu tree, the Huluppu tree was growing on the bank of the Euphrates, and in its foliage nested the Anzu bird. The South wind tore it off, and Ishtar-Inanna planted it in her mountain garden.
© Copyright 2009, Pierfrancesco La Mura
© Copyright 2009, Pierfrancesco La Mura
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