A star holds wonder: you just stare up into a clear night’s sky to experience the realization of inner peace and absolute insignificance at the same time. Stars are majestic and untouchable and an inspiring sight for humanity.
Stars are basically enormous balls of gas held together with nothing but the power of their own gravity. In a way, they are the ultimate representation of self-reliance and resourcefulness.
Our fascination with the heavens combined with mathematics & mythology has made the star a very popular symbol. Stars have been symbolic of divine guidance and protection. The star of Bethlehem representing the guidance of God whilst the star of David is a powerful protection symbol. A 5-pointed star is a divine symbol of oneness, the top representing human spirit whilst the other 4 signify the elements. It represents the connection bonding human spirit to Mother Nature. Wicca use it often inside a circle. A 6-pointed star is the Star of David, the symbol of the Jewish faith and of divine protection. A 7-pointed star is associated with the archangel Anael, it is also a symbol of shining bright. An 8-pointed star is the star of Lakshmi which in Hindu tradition represents eight kinds of wealth: victory, patience, health, knowledge, nourishment, prosperity, mobility and riches. A nine-pointed star can represent the nine Greek muses. It can also symbolise the Fruits of the Spirit in the Bible: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. A ten-pointed star can be associated with the Kabbalistic tree of life or the 10 disciples’ loyal to Jesus.
Ancient philosophers said that the world was made from the four elements – air, fire, water, and earth. They also believed that when these elements were in harmony a fifth element appeared. These early theorists used a geometric five-point star as an image to symbolize this. To these philosophers the peak represented Quintessence, which literally means “fifth essence” and the other 4 points denoted the elements. Quintessence stood for total perfection, the absolute purest something could be, to surpass all limitations of earth.
Stars have come to represent excellence in many different ways, some examples are 5* dining & hotels, medals, the police and we even give our children stars as a reward for high achievement.
Me being a fan of jewellery makes the meaning of stars in jewel pieces interesting to me: it can mean protection (warding off evil and dispelling negativity), a spiritual compass (guiding you along a divine path), motivation or encouragement (a reminder for someone to ‘reach for the stars’), a wish or a religious symbol (a representation of faith).
If there is one image that is bursting with symbolism it is the Star. Motivation, protection, wishes and spirituality, the star represents them all. The symbol has so many different meanings it would be impossible to incorporate them all. For as long as we have been gazing up into the night skies we have been using the stars for navigation, whether that is spiritually or directional, they have been a constant reminder that there is something bigger than us.
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