About the Card
English Name(s)
The Star
Correspondences
- Grand Etteilla: Cards Number 4 and 74
- Tarot de Marseille: Trump XVII
Image Description
A trio of Harlequins gather beneath a large eight-pointed star. The star is red and yellow with a green aura, and joined by two red, black, and gold radiating disks in the upper corners. The Harlequin on the left of the card holds up an elaborate crown in his left hand and holds a baton behind his back with his right hand. The Harlequin in the middle of the card looks down with his hands behind his back. The Harlequin on the right looks over at the others with his hands at his sides, a baton hanging from his belt.
Further Notes
This version of the Star card seems to depict the three Magi who in Christian stories are said to have brought gifts to Jesus at his birth. Fittingly, the card meaning from Pratesi’s old Bolognese list is “a present.” I used this as the upright keyword, taking the synonyms from card number 74 in the Grand Etteilla. For the reversed meaning, I referred to the corresponding Grand Etteilla trump.
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Meanings
Upright
A present, gift, donation, generosity, benefit, good deed, service, homage, tribute, offering, legacy, loyalty, contribution, the color white, precious stone.
Reversed
Stripping away, counting, sorting, separation, untangle, inspection, development, deepen, picking-over, remove, deprive, take away, abduct, dispossess, violence, privation, theft, larceny, swindling, fraud, infidelity.