The Star tarot card from the 1909 deck by Pamela Colman Smith

The Star tarot card meaning

The Star upright brings hope and renewal after a hard time, suggesting that calm, faith and inspiration are returning and that things can get better.

hope
renewal
peace
inspiration
faith

Draw a card Ask yes or no

Arcana	Major
Number	XVII (17)
Astrology (Golden Dawn)	Aquarius
Yes or no	Yes upright, maybe reversed

Written by Orbitarot · Sources: our own meanings; card art by Pamela Colman Smith, 1909; A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1910 · Updated October 7, 2026

On this page (12)

What the card shows

A naked woman kneels by a pool with one foot in the water and one knee on the grass, pouring water from two jugs, one into the pool and one onto the land. Above her shines a large yellow eight-pointed star circled by seven smaller white stars, and a bird sits in a tree on a hill behind her. Her openness is read as having nothing left to hide, the pouring water as renewal flowing freely, and the stars as guidance and hope after darkness.

The Star upright

The Star follows the Tower in the deck, and it feels like the first clear night after a storm. Turning it over often signals a time of recovery and renewed faith. The worst may be over. You can breathe again, and the future starts to feel open rather than frightening.

Upright, the Star invites you to trust that things can improve and to let yourself hope without holding back. The woman pours water freely, giving to the earth and to the pool without worrying that it will run out. This card is gentle, not dramatic. It favors rest, creative work, time in nature and quiet practices that refill you. It can also point to inspiration, such as a dream you had set aside coming back into view. Take small steps toward it. The Star does not promise everything at once, but it shows a sky full of light to guide you, and that is reason enough to keep going.

The Star reversed

discouragement
lost faith
disconnection
pessimism
running on empty

Reversed, the Star suggests hope has dimmed. You may feel tired, discouraged or cut off from the things that usually inspire you. After a long struggle, it can be hard to believe that anything good is coming.

The stars have not gone out; they are just harder to see right now. Be gentle with yourself and focus on what refills you, even in small ways: fresh air, a kind voice, a favorite song. Let others offer support. If you have been doubting a dream, do not abandon it. Rest first, then take one tiny step toward it to remind yourself that it is still possible.

The Star in love

Upright: For singles, the Star suggests a hopeful new connection or a sense of being ready to love again after hurt. Between partners, it brings renewed trust, tenderness and a shared sense of hope.

Reversed, it can show discouragement about love or a relationship that has lost its spark. Small acts of openness can help rekindle faith.

The Star for career and work

Upright, the Star favors work that feels meaningful, creative projects and a fresh start after a setback. Your efforts are likely to be noticed.

Reversed, it can point to losing motivation or doubting your path. Reconnect with why you started before deciding anything.

The Star as feelings

They feel hopeful and peaceful around you, and they see you as someone who brings light into their life.

The Star as advice

Let yourself hope again, take care of your spirit and take one small step toward your dream.

The Star in a tarot reading

The same card reads differently depending on where it lands. These are the readings our spreads use when The Star appears in each position. Try it in a three card reading, Celtic cross.

Upright

As the past	After the storm came a time of recovery. Renewed hope and quiet faith helped you breathe again and brought you to this moment.
As the present	Hope is returning. The worst may be over, and the future starts to feel open rather than frightening.
As the future or outcome	Renewal and peace are on the horizon. Expect a gentle stretch where inspiration returns and your faith in what is possible grows.
As the obstacle	Hope without action could be the snag. Wishing on a star is lovely, but dreams still need small, practical steps to come true.
As advice	Let yourself hope again. Rest, reconnect with what inspires you and share your gifts freely, trusting that good things can grow from here.

Reversed

As the past	Discouragement settled in when hope felt far away. Running on empty after a long struggle shaped how you see things now.
As the present	Hope has dimmed. You may feel tired, cut off from what inspires you or unsure that anything good is coming.
As the future or outcome	If nothing shifts, discouragement may linger. Small acts of kindness toward yourself can bring the light back sooner than you expect.
As the obstacle	Pessimism or lost faith is what blocks the way. Believing nothing will improve makes it hard to take the small steps that would help.
As advice	Be gentle with yourself and reconnect with one thing that lifts you, however small. Ask for encouragement from someone who believes in you.

What A. E. Waite wrote about The Star in 1910

Waite designed this deck with Pamela Colman Smith and published its meanings in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910, public domain). His words, as printed:

Divinatory meaning:

Loss, theft, privation, abandonment; another reading says, hope and bright prospects.

Reversed:

Arrogance, haughtiness, impotence.

Modern readers treat the Star as hope after hardship. Waite listed loss, theft, privation and abandonment first, giving hope and bright prospects only as another reading, and his reversal of arrogance and haughtiness is unrelated to modern discouragement.

Is The Star a yes or no card?

Upright: Yes The Star shines over a scene of renewal, so upright it leans yes and signals hope and improvement.

Reversed: Maybe Reversed, hope is present but clouded by doubt, so the answer is maybe until your confidence returns.

Ask your own question with the yes or no tarot. No cards at hand? The yes or no oracle answers with a pendulum.

Learn more: how to read reversed cards, how to read this card with others, whether The Star is one of your birth cards, its astrology correspondence.

Questions

What does The Star mean in tarot?

The Star upright brings hope and renewal after a hard time, suggesting that calm, faith and inspiration are returning and that things can get better. Reversed, the Star points to discouragement or a dimmed sense of hope, asking you to reconnect with what lifts you even if it feels far away. Yes or no: Yes upright, maybe reversed.

What does The Star reversed mean?

Reversed, the Star points to discouragement or a dimmed sense of hope, asking you to reconnect with what lifts you even if it feels far away.

Is The Star a yes or no card?

Yes when upright. The Star shines over a scene of renewal, so upright it leans yes and signals hope and improvement. When reversed, it leans maybe. Reversed, hope is present but clouded by doubt, so the answer is maybe until your confidence returns.

What does The Star mean as feelings?

They feel hopeful and peaceful around you, and they see you as someone who brings light into their life.