The Archetype and The Tarot: The Starborn and King of Pentacles
Through the Starborn and the King of Pentacles, this week we’re being called to shine bright. Can we let out the brilliance of our inner longing?
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The Starborn Archetype
This is the second time I’ve used Kim Krans’ archetype deck for these readings (the first time I drew The Thread), and I find them to be a little different from what we usually think of as archetypes. The Starborn is all about the idea that we are born under a certain arrangement of celestial bodies and that our destinies are woven into this template. It’s the universal pattern of knowing that we each chose our moments of birth because we have a certain purpose we want to fulfill (and that looking back at the alignment of the stars in that moment can help us remember this purpose).
In the light, the Starborn is in touch with their inner longing towards their unique purpose. This doesn’t mean that they are necessarily crystal clear on what their purpose is, but that they feel and trust their inner longing to get them there. They believe that they are here for a reason and that their lives matter. Kim Krans writes, “The Starborn naturally feels a sense of destination and purpose, aiming itself toward a future that is beyond the mundane.” This one knows which star guides them on their journey of life.
The Starborn in the shadow exists in a cloud of purposelessness. They have lost touch with their inner longing and might tend to have a “going through the motions” approach to life. We might be seeing through the shadow side of the Starborn in those times when we just feel misaligned with our lives; when we don’t feel a drive towards anything and there’s no particular sense of flow. The Starborn in the shadow might also show up when we’ve hitched ourselves to another’s star, pushing our dreams aside in favor of bolstering someone else’s.
When the Starborn comes up in a reading, I believe we’re being called to turn towards our own sense of purpose. Even if we have no idea what our purpose is, can we touch that soft place within ourselves that longs for something? Can we spend some time in that longing—getting to know it—to see what it might reveal to us about our purpose?
One of the suggestions Kim puts in the guidebook (and one that I absolutely love) is to see our lives from a mythic point of view. What if we wrote our life story in the form of a classical myth with ourselves as the hero/ine fulfilling a quest? What if we named the obstacles we’ve faced as mythical creatures and told the tale of our daring as we overcame them (with the help of our divine allies of course)? I think this exercise is a great way to bring our inner Starborn from the shadow into the light and reacquaint ourselves with a sense of purpose.
Also, any conversation about following guiding stars requires a little Earth, Wind & Fire…
Some other questions to consider this week:
Do you believe in the idea that every life has a purpose?
How do you relate with your own astrological chart?
What do you think is the difference between fate and destiny?
Do you recognize the feeling of longing within yourself?
The King of Pentacles
Here we see a king seated on a throne adorned with bulls' heads. This king is dressed in luxurious robes featuring vine and grape embroidery, while they hold a golden scepter and pentacle. Surrounded by luxury and abundance, this one wears an expression of peace and relaxation. Even though they’re in charge of a whole kingdom, they’re not the least bit worried.
I see the Kings in the tarot as the Councils of Elders that have mastered their suit and are now in a position to provide it outwardly to their people. (See my easy peasy guide to the court cards here). The King of Pentacles has mastered the physical realm and can now provide abundance in all its forms. This king is rooted in plenty, having overcome all obstacles pertaining to scarcity. Now they function as a channel, providing this vast abundance to the entire realm.
When this card comes up, I believe we are being asked to look for ways we can be conduits of abundance, allowing it to flow through us to the world beyond.
How does this pair work together?
The image I see here is the King of Pentacles floating up into the night sky and becoming the brightest star, guiding others on their paths of destiny. I think this is our call this week: to let our inner light shine so bright that others find their way through our brilliance. We don’t have to do anything other than shine. It is already in our nature, we simply have to let it out.
This isn’t about showing off or peacocking (not sure that’s a word, but I love it) in order to feel superior to others. By no longer hiding what lights us up, may we each serve as an example to guide others to their own inner longing.
This feels like a fun week! How can we shine? Let me know your thoughts on inner longing and shining bright in the comments below or by replying to this email.
As I’ve come back to comment the first thing that comes to mind is avoiding how bright the light is. Not wanting to face up to our own brilliance because we’ve spent so long in the shadows. A gentle coaxing is required. The connection to the stars is strong right now and we have all the support we need to be the brightest star.
Let our inner light shine. I’m all in! And seriously, can we? We are, we humans, as afraid of our inner light as our inner dark.