Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon, my Darlings. For today’s Tarot Tuesday blog post, we will be exploring the Celestial Tarot Cards! Lately, I have been thinking a lot about how the three Tarot cards that depict celestial bodies are interrelated. As I got to think more about this, I knew that I wanted to do this as a post. So, without further ado, let’s look at how the Star, the Moon, and the Sun are interrelated!
The Star is the seventeenth card of the Major Arcana, and is a card full of hope, and also a beautiful reminder to be a bit kinder to ourselves. The Moon is the eighteenth card of the Major Arcana, and is a card of duality, a card that denotes heightened intuition, but also reminds us of the Moon’s uncertainty, being only half-light at night, not to mention the connection between the Moon and lunacy. The Sun is the nineteenth card of the Major Arcana, and is a card of warmth, joy, and optimism, as the Sun seeds new life in the Spring and Summer months.
Now, the most obvious connection people will first think of is between the Moon and the Sun cards, for we forever see the Moon and Sun as balancing energies. In many cultures, the Moon is feminine, and the Sun is masculine, which is definitely entwined with traditional Tarot interpretations. Yet, it must be noted that this is not always the case, for there are many Solar Goddesses, including an abundance of Solar Faery Queen Goddesses in Celtic lore, while there are few, if any, Lunar Faery Queen Goddesses.
I do not jest or exaggerate when I say this. In fact, the only Lunar Faery Queen Goddess in Celtic mythology I can think of is Arianrhod, whose name, meaning Silver Wheel, lends us to believe she had Lunar ties even in ancient times, but we cannot be fully sure. After all, the only thing known for sure is her tie to the constellation Corona Borealis, which is called Caer Arianrhod in Welsh, so we know she has Stellar ties, but not necessarily Lunar ones! Beyond this, in my study of Vedic Astrology, I have learned that in Vedic and Hindu belief, the Moon is seen as masculine, not feminine. So, there is a lot of nuance when it comes to the traditional dichotomy of Moon equals feminine and Sun equals masculine. Of course, we know that much of the Lunar associations with the feminine have to do with the close relationship between the menstrual cycle and the Moon cycle, as well as that of the tides of the ocean, given that Water is a feminine element! Needless to say, it is truly endlessly fascinating to me to dive into how the Sun and Moon are viewed across cultures, and I thought this post was the ideal place to mention these things.
Now, moving on, while the Sun and the Moon are linked in a balanced dichotomy of day and night, the next obvious link is between the Moon and the Star. The Moon and the Star are both seen as nighttime celestial bodies, as that is when they are both most visible. This link is further solidified when we think of the fact that the Moon and the Star are very often both seen as feminine energies. I myself think of the Star as a Divine Feminine card, given its soft and nurturing energy, as well as the innocence associated with the Star card. This innocence is part of what makes me feel that the Star is deeply entwined with the Maiden Archetype! So, yes, when we think of the traditional feminine associations with the Moon and the intrinsic femininity of the Star, they are even more linked.
Finally, I want to examine the link between the Sun and the Star. This is a link that is possibly the most profound, but often overlooked. The Sun literally is a Star! I think that many spend so much time thinking of Stars and the Moon being seen together on a clear and beautiful night that they do not focus on the scientific fact that the Sun is a Star. This makes me think that in the Tarot, we can view the Sun as an evolved form of the Star energy, if you will. Given that the Sun is a very old Star, we can view the Sun in Tarot as a more mature version of the Star energy, while still holding its own unique energy with the typical associations. This makes even more sense when we think of the fact that both the Star and the Sun cards have links to optimism and joy. Only the Star holds this energy in a more gentle way, while the Sun holds this energy in a bolder way!
I hope that you have enjoyed this look at the Celestial Tarot Cards. What is your favorite connection between these energies? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is a Celestial Aesthetic collage. I found the collage on https://pin.it/4l6MWDVx1.
LINK TO AVALONIAN ROSE FAERY MYSTERIES PATREON: patreon.com/AvalonianRoseFaeryMysteries
Further Reading
- The Mabinogion translated by Sioned Davies
- Divine Forces of the Lunar Nakshatras by Radhe
- Avalon Within by Jhenah Telyndru
- The Only Tarot Book You’ll Ever Need by Skye Alexander
2 responses to “The Star, the Moon, & the Sun: Exploring the Celestial Tarot Cards”
This is such a thoughtful deep dive into the “Celestial Trinity” of the Major Arcana! Your analysis of the Sun as a “mature” or “evolved” version of the Star’s hope is a perspective I don’t see often—it perfectly captures that transition from the gentle, quiet faith of the Star to the bold, undeniable vitality of the Sun.
“Maranda, I loved your point about the Sun being a Star! It’s such a profound scientific bridge to a spiritual connection. My favorite takeaway is your exploration of the Star and the Moon as nighttime companions. Viewing the Star through the lens of the Maiden Archetype adds such a beautiful layer of innocence and ‘nurturing hope’ that contrasts so well with the Moon’s more complex, shadowed intuition. It really highlights how the celestial cards guide us through different ‘lights’ of the human experience.
I am so glad that my insights on the Celestial cards resonated with you! I totally agree with your statement that they guide us through different ‘lights’ of the human experience. Well said! As always, thanks for reading and commenting.