Seven Stars around the Star

Parzival

What is the intended symbolism for the seven lesser stars around the main Star? I know the main Star is the Higher Self-- what of the other seven, with the one close to the head of the Lady of the Star? Chakras? Planets? Pleiades? Phases of evolution?
 

Abrac

I think it probably depends on who you ask. :laugh: Any group of seven might theoretically be a candidate.

In the Pictorial Key, Waite says The Star is Binah on the Tree of Life. If that's the case, the other seven might represent the seven sephiroth below her. Sometimes the sephiroth are referred to as "lights," which would make sense.
 

rwcarter

In 78 Degrees of Wisdom, Rachel Pollack says
As trump 17 the Star goes beyond 7, with the Star releasing the life force that the Chariot controlled and directed. 1 plus 7 equals 8, and we can see that the Star is Strength raised to a higher level, with the lion of desire no longer simply tamed, but transformed into light and joy.

The stars on the card are all eight pointed which is another reference to Strength.

Rodney
 

Asher

Frank Hall said:
What is the intended symbolism for the seven lesser stars around the main Star?... Phases of evolution?

Wald and Ruth Ann Amberstone offer this (from their book The Secret Language of Tarot): "In several traditions, there are seven rungs on a ladder that lead to heaven and a state of human perfection. One way of representing those rungs is as the seven planets of ancient astronomy...Each of these is a lesson to be learned a step to be taken in spiritual evolution. In the Star card, the entire path of spiritual ascenst, represented by the seven lower stars, is completed in the perfect beauty of the eight star."

Asher
 

Toxicmage

I've always seen the big star as " the north star ", kinda like a destiny thing. Is the querant following their bliss? That bliss is the North Star.
 

canid

I've also heard Pleiades, as you mentioned.
 

Αρσιησισ

In Al-Quran, the surahs called The Mountain, The Star, & The Moon are all in direct succession of one another. Compare this sequence to that of Atu XVI, XVII, & XVIII.

I asked a Sufi friend of mine about this particular surah (The Star) as this convenient coincidence of ordering between the surahs & the major arcana intrigued me. He told me that in the native tongue 'Star' is called 'Najim' which, when not referring to a specific constellation or heavenly body, refers directly to Pleiades!

729
 

lucifall

I think, They are the seven sisters(Pleiaden) around Astarte, the same star, as the Chariot wairs on his forehead.

Light Lucifall
 

lucifall

Seven Sisters Letters to the Seven Churches Revelation

The Seven Sisters are the Mirror in Heaven of the Seven Churches Johannes wrote his letters to. There are examples of that on the internet (I cannot find them now...)
The seven sisters are exactly situated the same in heaven as the towns of the seven Churches of revelation on Earth are!

Lucifall
 

Parzival

The pleiades or the planets or both ? What does this (or these) say in context of the whole picture?