Rider Waite Card Meaning - The Star

XVII - The Star - New Hope

Waite specifically refers to the star illustrated on the seventeenth trump card as the “Dog Star,” which is an ancient Egyptian appellation for Sirius – the brightest star in the night sky. The star was especially important to the Egyptians, who marked time in the annual cycles of planting and harvesting by the position of Sirius. In fact, as far back as 3000 B.C., the Egyptian calendar year started on the day Sirius rose just before the sun – an event that signaled the annual flooding of the Nile. Thus, the significance of the Star in conventional tarot interpretation is renewal.

The Star signals new hope for successful plans and ideas. Cycles of decay and destruction have ended, and a new cycle begins. The environment supports growth, and what is sown anew will surely begin to grow now.

Reversed promises a new cycle of growth, but the season is not right yet. Under these circumstances, it is best to remember that delays are not denials and that the new growth will come in good time.