Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon, my Darlings.   For today’s post, I will be looking at one particular aspect of the film Stardust, which is based on the novel by Neil Gaiman.    So, on my most recent rewatch of Stardust, I took note of a particular scene in which a Unicorn comes to the aid of Yvaine.

This really got me thinking about why exactly the Unicorn was so attracted to the Star.  For those who are unfamiliar with the novel or film, Yvaine is literally a Star who has fallen from the sky.   I have come to the conclusion that the reason for the Unicorn to be so attracted to Yvaine has to do with her innocence, as she is truly Pure of Heart!   Unicorns are famed for being attracted to Maidens, often only appearing to virginal young women in the most commonly known folklore.   We can see that Yvaine certainly fits the archetype of a Maiden in many ways, but she is not simply the young, virginal woman, as Yvaine is truly an immortal Star.   Yvaine has been watching humans for centuries, making her much wiser and knowing than the traditional Maiden is often seen to be.   

I want to note that this Pure-Hearted energy is very in line with the Star card of the Tarot, which is all about hope and optimism for the future.   The wisdom of the Star card is giving the advice of allowing yourself to breathe instead of rushing to complete future tasks, which is where the hope and optimism truly come in!   I have to wonder if the Star card was intentionally thought of when crafting the personality of Yvaine as a character, or if this is simply a common way of viewing a Star, with the whole ‘Wish Upon a Falling Star’ phrase so well known.   Either way, I am so glad that I can make this connection!

Now, back to the matter of Yvaine’s Pure Heart in the story.   Yvaine’s Pure Heart is shown through her desire to return home, to her family in the cosmos, to the other Stars.   However, her Pure Heart is made all the more clear by her willingness to help Tristan throughout the course of the film.   Of course, as one would expect, the two fall in love in the process!   Yvaine becomes the Queen of Stormhold when Tristan finds out that he is the heir to the throne, and after decades of ruling, they both return to live amongst Yvaine’s family of Stars.   In this way, they both get the happy ending they want and deserve.   Yvaine just needs to wait longer, but she is given true happiness in her marriage to Tristan, so the waiting is not a problem!

So, at the end of the day, it is Yvaine’s true Purity of Heart and I would argue, her magickal nature of being a Star (the energy of Starshine, if you will) that draws the Unicorn to her.   The Unicorn in the narrative shows us her internal kindness, as we have a specific association between Unicorns and innocence!   I hope you have enjoyed this short post meditating on the nature of including a Unicorn in the plot of Stardust.   What is your favorite thing about Yvaine as a character?   Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is a production still from the film of Yvaine riding the Unicorn.   I found the picture on https://hauntedeyeball.wordpress.com/2012/02/27/stardust-neil-gaiman/.

LINK TO AVALONIAN ROSE FAERY MYSTERIES PATREON: patreon.com/AvalonianRoseFaeryMysteries 

Further Reading/Watching

• Stardust by Neil Gaiman
• Stardust (2007)