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Radiant-Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot- Key 17- The Star
The Modern Witch Tarot- Key 17-The Star
In the Rider-Waite-Smith and The Modern Witch Tarot rendition of the Star, the Great Mother is shown pouring her water (Mem) on both the Water and the Earth. The Sun above implies that She is the Mother of every living thing under the Sun, which is Tiphareth on the Tree of Life. Behind her is the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" with the Bird of Hermes in it branches of the Waite card or flying above the Modern Witch Star-Lady. Referring both to the Garden of Eden and the Magician Card of Hermes-Thoth-Mercury. The Hebrew word kokab, means Star, but more specifically it means Mercury. The inclusion of Mercury-Magician, implies that we must use the will power of the Magician as the directing force in meditation, to understand this path of Tzaddi (meaning-fish hook) which the Star Card represents on the Tree of Life. The eight pointed stars all refer to the Key number and the opposite composite of Hod- the 8th Sephiroth known in English as Splendor and the Key 8- Strength Card. A vague reference to the raw Natural Kundalini force.
As stated: In the Qabalistic TAROT-THE STAR, is the 28th Path of Tzaddi that connects the Sephiroth Netzach (Victory) to the Sephiroth Yesod (The Foundation). This is the path called the Natural Intelligence, by Dr. Paul Foster Case, founder of the Builders of the Adytum, in his instructional text, Thirty Two Paths to Wisdom; Natural intelligence because it is the Path of proper approach to the Divine Energy inherent in each person. It is the Natural Intelligence, as it represents the proper use of Imagination----which is Divine Intelligence used in "image making:. Many people call it the Creator.
In the Thirty Two Paths of Wisdom, the Magus Paul Foster Case stated that: The twenty eight path [Path of Tzaddi} is called the Natural Intelligence, and it is so called because through it is consummated and perfected the Nature of every existing thing under the Sun." {the brackets are my own insertion).
Qabalists know the Star Card represents the proper use of imagination, through the energy of meditation.
Even though meditation feels like a personal activity, successful meditation shows us that it is not we that are meditating but rather, we are the meditated! Truth be known, The Higher Self brings the Personality into meditation. In the context of meditation, the Personality uses the Path of Tzaddi, The Fish Hook, in searching for reality in the context of meditation; However, meditation is also The Higher Self angling to pull the Personality up from the depths of self-enclosure which is a reality imposed on us by the physical senses.It helps to understand that we are not a brain, nor any kind of separate physical device. We are both the Transmitter and the Transmitted; a ternary combination of Spirit- I, Mind-Am and Body-Me. Just as a Radio Transmitter (in our case-Spirit) transmits frequency "everywhere but nowhere" at the same time and would be unheard without a radio receiver, so would the frequencies of Spiral Energy (Spirit) be unheard without a physical vehicle tuned to that infinite frequency. In this scenario, Spirit is the Collective Unconscious, and the individual frequencies would be Soul Stations while the human vessel would be the receiving radio controlled- robotic/Avatar - artificially intelligent-power tool of the Divine Creative.
The Star Card figure, represents the most pure manifestation of the Great Mother Binah (3rd Sephira) at the level of Personality, preceding enclosure in matter. She is the Same figure found in The Empress, in her royal regalia; The High Priestess and in The Universe cards; However, here She is illustrated as unveiled or un-robed, on both the Rider-Waite-Smith and Modern Witch Tarot- Star Cards, further representing Her purity and unburdened freedom and not trying to balance or control anything.
The Star is associated with the love and the inspiration sign of Aquarius. In the ancient world, Saturn was said to govern Aquarius, referring us to Binah the 3rd Sephirotic Being and The Universe key 21.
Because the Star card represents the universe resolved into its ultimate elements, it relates to many more Paths than any other card in the deck. Thus, I recommend getting the text book by Dr. Paul Foster Case, TAROT-a key to the Wisdom of the Ages-and studying the many Hebrew lettered path-chart on the Tree of Life that he presents in the book.
To the Initiate or aspirant, the Star card represents the "Lower Eden", from which the Personality originates and the Emperor, represents "Upper Eden" where the Fiery Higher Self originates, i.e., The Solar Logos. Here to, we see a relationship of The Star Path (Tzaddi) relating to another Path, that of the Emperor (Heh). The Star card also relates to the Planet Venus, which to the ancients was seen as the "Morning and Evening Star", also referred to as Lucifer, the Most beautiful of all Archangels, referring to the Sephiroth Tiphareth-Beauty, which is the Solar Logos. To the enlightened, Lucifer is not seen as a underworld figure, but rather the Higher Self. But with proper enforcement of propaganda, the meaning of Beauty (Synchronicity) became an Underworld Angel who was so narcissistic that he challenged God----which is the common dogma or Christian view. We all must study history to see how the Christianity took the names of gods and goddesses of other religions and demonized them, which only contributed to ignorance and lost self-awareness. The truth is that the Latin word Lucifer is similar to the Greek Christos (Sun, also Zeus Christos or Sun of God) ----both relating to the fiery Sun/Son of God....The Solar Logos and/or our Higher Self. Lucifer is Latin for "light bearer" and/or the Star Venus. The 7 stars surrounding the Main Golden Star, are the number of Venus and the number of major chakras in the human form.
The Trees, in the background on both Modern Witch and Rider-Waite-Smith-Key 17- The Star, refers to the brain and nervous system. Isis, Virgin Empress or Nature, who is symbolized as the kneeling woman whose left leg supports her weight and rests upon the earth and/or physical plane. Her right leg maintains her balance, and rests upon the waves of the pool, thereby, indicating balance is maintained by control of vibration/frequency. Then there are five streams of water, all of which represent the common knowledge of five senses; However, according to Yogis and Modern Medical Science, there are actually 33 senses (3+3=6-the number of the Soul). Hence, Revelation is the stage of unfoldment attributed to the Star-Key 17.
The Maiden, is the Empress who has entered a new state of innocence (Maid-Mother-Crone also spirals). She eventually becomes the consort of the Hero Son (soul), who now struggles forward in his path in search of her and towards the communion of Anima and Animus that forms an independence of Self-Awareness called the Divine Androgyny and/or Divine Hermaphrodite.
As always, language falls short here. The only true way to experience the Energy that is the Star, is a refined sense of intuition brought on by meditation practices. This Maiden who is the essence of inspiration for the hero (Galahad and his search for the "Holy Grail"), is a very real condition of consciousness called the Sol Invisibilis (Latin-"The Invisible Sun"), Lumen Naturae (the "Light of Nature"), among other descriptive terms. Whereas, many descriptive terms are entirely symbolic, other terms, often thought to be symbolic, mean exactly what they literally say. Such is the case with the star as Sol Invisibilis. This is an inner light, it is a central point of brilliance, which anyone can experience simply by closing their eyes and "looking" for it. In symbolic terms, it is that into which the emerging self is born, just as the Central Sun of the Milky way galaxy, presents the Energy from which the stars are born. This inner light is both guide and gateway. The 2 pitchers represent Sun and the Moon merge different aspects of consciousness (rationale and imagination), returning them to the primordial pool from which they came. Both to effectively work with this archetype requires one to be experienced in meditational practices. For she is the one meditating you into existence.
When the Rider-Waite-Smith or the Modern Witch-Key 17- Star Card , is thrown during a reading the querent shall be or will be experiencing:
- Hope, faith and unexpected help for 17 weeks or 17 months.
- Self esteem and confidence contributing to self-efficiency and talent.
- The querent, upon meditating, shall hear their own song (sound frequency), becoming harmony and then emoting love, calm and peaceful agility.
- Despair has turned to hope.
- Basking in peace and serenity.
- Basically the querent is or will be, experiencing freedom from all masks, illusions and restrictions while being replenished by the pure waters of the Universal Unconscious.
If ill defined by the accompanying cards, there can be the experiencing of:
- Dreaminess, and deceived hope.
- Despair.
- Feeling of hopelessness.
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