THE 2 JARS MEANING in the MAJOR STAR ARCANA CARD

[Mr Green]

Hi, I am interested in what the 2 jars shown on the star card of the major arcana mean. Do they have any connection with the Temperance cards jars?. Is there any hint in the old Italian meanings....... 

[Bodhiseed]

I personally do think the jars are a nod to Temperance; we usually get to the Star because we have not been very balanced in our actions, words or thoughts. I see it also as a reminder that things won't get better by yesterday. Healing and restoration are going to take some time, which requires balance.

You may also find something Robert O'Neill wrote about the Star interesting: "The Tarot images showing the woman with two jars may also relate to early 15th century allegorical images of Grammar, one of the liberal arts." According to The Walters Art Museum, "this personification of the liberal art of Grammar is engaged in an activity to show how ideas impact real life. To demonstrate how important grammar and clear writing are in making ideas "bloom," the artist metaphorically represents Grammar watering two pots of flowers. " The attached image of Grammar is by Laurent de La Hyre.

Edited June 18, 2022 by Bodhiseed

[AnomalyTempest]

1 hour ago, Bodhiseed said:

I personally do think the jars are a nod to Temperance; we usually get to the Star because we have not been very balanced in our actions, words or thoughts. I see it also as a reminder that things won't get better by yesterday. Healing and restoration are going to take some time, which requires balance.

You may also find something Robert O'Neill wrote about the Star interesting: "The Tarot images showing the woman with two jars may also relate to early 15th century allegorical images of Grammar, one of the liberal arts." According to The Walters Art Museum, "this personification of the liberal art of Grammar is engaged in an activity to show how ideas impact real life. To demonstrate how important grammar and clear writing are in making ideas "bloom," the artist metaphorically represents Grammar watering two pots of flowers. " The attached image of Grammar is by Laurent de La Hyre.

 

I find this fascinating and in talking it about this with my SO he asked if each of the liberal arts was represented in Tarot? If the Star can be representative of Grammar what cards might represent the others?

 

On 6/17/2022 at 5:27 AM, Mr Green said:

Hi, I am interested in what the 2 jars shown on the star card of the major arcana mean. Do they have any connection with the Temperance cards jars?. Is there any hint in the old Italian meanings....... 

 

I never gave much thought to the jars before but now my curiosity is aroused on that front as well. I tried googling 'Jar symbology" but got a lot of articles about symbols on jars as opposed to what jars could symbolize. I'll need to refine that search.

 

 

Edited to add: I changed my search to "What do jars symbolize?" and from this website about myths and symbols, they have this entry:

 

jar – depicted with flowing streams of water, the Egyptian and Middle Eastern symbol of fertility; Isis wore a jar shaped amulet representing the fountains of living water; in Indian myth, any deity could be incarnated in a jar of water called a pitha; the Babylonian savior god Nebo was led to the place of his immolation and resurrection by a "jar-bearer"

Edited June 18, 2022 by AnomalyTempest

[DanielJUK]

In Waite's writings about The Star, the relevant part about them is....

 

Quote

.....She pours Water of Life from two great ewers, irrigating sea and land

 

This is the full text about it from the Pictorial Guide here

 

so he calls them ewers, from an online dictionary.... "A Ewer is a pitcher, especially a decorative one with a base, an oval body, and a flaring spout". So they are more open spouted pottery jugs in description.

 

The Temperance angel pours the liquid between two chalices. So it's not an exact fit but there is a symbolic link.

 

On our old forum, Thirteen did a nice comparison of the "pouring" between the two cards, I think that is the link with the vessels.

 

https://www.tarotforum.net/showpost.php?p=990126&postcount=3

[Raggydoll]

There is repeated symbolism in those cards, yes. The RWS Star is watering both sea and land, and Temperance has one foot in the water and the other on land. I think it’s pointing to spiritual synthesis and balance. If you look at how Temperance is pouring, you see that the process is almost defying the laws of nature. One occult aspect of temperance and her pouring is ‘reversibility’. (Once one of the cups is full, she’ll presumably reverse the order and pour the liquid in the other cup. Or as Waite says in his Pictorial key “It is held to be pouring the essences of life from chalice to chalice.”). It’s based on alchemy, ‘reversibility of processes’. So she’s seen as representing a stage in the process of making gold (spiritual enlightenment).
 

By the way, I just noticed something. In another thread we have been discussing an old marseille deck that has keywords written on the cards of the major arcana. And for temperance we have the following :

 

(Reversibility. The text on the left refers to Kabbalistic correspondences)

 

 

And for Star we have Immortality

(here she seem to have one foot in water and one on land but both jugs are pouring into the sea).  It’s worth noting that temperance has a blue and a red cup while star has two red cups. Compare that with the RWS deck. 
 

As Waite says about the Star “She pours Water of Life” (very similar to what’s said of Temperance and pouring the Essence of life) and “The figure expresses eternal youth and beauty”. So there you have the immortality aspect; the holy grail etc. 

 

[Mr Green]

Thanks all for the feed back. And yes I can agree with what your all saying. Hope, healing, guidance in some way, spring, the card can cover a lot of positive messages.

  

[euripides]

I see a connection with classical culture too - where the one jug is pouring onto the other, it's like wine and water being mixed. The Greeks thought that unmixed wine made one mad (which it does in a way!).  Libations were always poured to the gods, so I wonder in the Star if there's a bit of an element of paying the Gods their due.

[Wyrdkiss]

On 6/18/2022 at 10:49 PM, Raggydoll said:

There is repeated symbolism in those cards, yes. The RWS Star is watering both sea and land, and Temperance has one foot in the water and the other on land. I think it’s pointing to spiritual synthesis and balance. If you look at how Temperance is pouring, you see that the process is almost defying the laws of nature. One occult aspect of temperance and her pouring is ‘reversibility’. (Once one of the cups is full, she’ll presumably reverse the order and pour the liquid in the other cup. Or as Waite says in his Pictorial key “It is held to be pouring the essences of life from chalice to chalice.”). It’s based on alchemy, ‘reversibility of processes’. So she’s seen as representing a stage in the process of making gold (spiritual enlightenment).
 

By the way, I just noticed something. In another thread we have been discussing an old marseille deck that has keywords written on the cards of the major arcana. And for temperance we have the following :

 

(Reversibility. The text on the left refers to Kabbalistic correspondences)

 

 

And for Star we have Immortality

(here she seem to have one foot in water and one on land but both jugs are pouring into the sea).  It’s worth noting that temperance has a blue and a red cup while star has two red cups. Compare that with the RWS deck. 
 

As Waite says about the Star “She pours Water of Life” (very similar to what’s said of Temperance and pouring the Essence of life) and “The figure expresses eternal youth and beauty”. So there you have the immortality aspect; the holy grail etc. 

 

So well stated @Raggydoll. Thank you for that synopsis. 

[Raggydoll]

2 hours ago, Wyrdkiss said:

So well stated @Raggydoll. Thank you for that synopsis. 

Thank you, I am glad it made sense! (And your nice comment brightened my morning! 😘 )

[Wyrdkiss]

My pleasure @Raggydoll. I want to contribute to this thread with some observations from the Thoth, but I haven't had that amount of necessary energy today. Image enclosed, however to begin the process.

[Wyrdkiss]

Adding additional perspectives to @Raggydoll's post above, ATU  XVII The Star (the Daughter of the Firmament) in the Thoth tarot:

 

You'll note she is pouring the liquid onto her own head, which in this case represents, "... ethereal water, which is also milk and oil and blood... indicating the eternal renewal of the categories, the inexhaustible possibilities of existence."  A literal, symbolic, metaphorical and alchemical ritual.

 

The left hand cup is also said to hold the immortal liquid of life (think ambrosia of the Greeks,  the Blood of the Grail, etc.). As she imbibes one essence of life, she deliberately releases the other. There is personal symbolism within this act, related to uniquely by each observer, and also reflects the Alchemical process mentioned above by Raggydoll. This alchemy is also specifically addressed in the ART card (ATU XIV) in the Thoth. Depicted is the alchemical transmutation of suffering into consciousness (lead into gold).

 

This is a hopeful card in the Thoth, and also often indicates in my readings and for my clients the necessary creation of a sacred space, be it internal or tangible.

 

I hope more reply to this thread, it is a stimulating one.

 

 

 

[Wyrdkiss]

On 6/18/2022 at 7:13 AM, DanielJUK said:

In Waite's writings about The Star, the relevant part about them is....

 

 

This is the full text about it from the Pictorial Guide here

 

so he calls them ewers, from an online dictionary.... "A Ewer is a pitcher, especially a decorative one with a base, an oval body, and a flaring spout". So they are more open spouted pottery jugs in description.

 

The Temperance angel pours the liquid between two chalices. So it's not an exact fit but there is a symbolic link.

 

On our old forum, Thirteen did a nice comparison of the "pouring" between the two cards, I think that is the link with the vessels.

 

https://www.tarotforum.net/showpost.php?p=990126&postcount=3

Thank you for the link to the Tarotforum.net DanielJ.  The differences between Temperance and The Star were intriguing, and I especially appreciated this portion:

The one thing they have in common is that they are "pouring" and that there is an aspect of hope in that pouring. They both want something to happen, and they're both willing to act to make it happen. Both look to the future, both have faith in their actions.