As soon as I saw The Star from the Housewives Tarot I thought of the line Mark Walberg utters as Dirk Diggler at the end of Boogie Nights “I’m a star, I’m a star. I’m a star. I am a big bright shining star.” The just seems to express the emotions on the woman’s face as she holds up her prize-winning pie. She is surrounded by ribbons – this is obviously her field of expertise, and she has once again been recognized for her skills and talents. On the Ferret Tarot we see a ferret standing beneath a star dappled night sky looking up towards the heavens. But the ferret seems unaware that a star is decorating her own fur.

Traditionally The Star can refer to themes of spiritual healing, the light at the end of the tunnel, the balance between heaven and earth or the spiritual and the mundane, purity and spiritual guidance.

What I find interesting about the Housewives’ Star card is that the woman’s eyes are closed, as though she can’t see the success around her. She only focuses on the present. She is surrounded by visible proof of her accomplishments but she is centered on this most recent one. Her whole world is narrowed to this moment, this triumph. On the positive side one could certainly argue that an award-winning pie combines the best things under heaven and earth. Baking a pie combines the will and desire to create something wonderful combined with tasty ingredients that mix to create a champion pie. This love of cooking the combines the spiritual and mundane is best exemplified in the book and movie “Like Water for Chocolate”. The main character channels her love and passion into her cooking having unexpected effects on those who eat her cooking.

On The Ferret Tarot Star what struck me is that the ferret doesn’t seem to realize she has a star stuck on her fur. She is so busy looking to the heavens that she doesn’t realize her own shining light. She is mesmerized by what is above her head and unaware of what is around her.

For some reason this is what I focused on in these two cards – that sense of being so focused on the heavens or on a long-term goal, that we don’t see the smaller successes we achieve everyday. We don’t celebrate the minor milestones. This seems especially appropriate in my life right now on two levels. I need to lose weight. There are a number of reasons for this (better fitting clothes and health considerations being primary) but I always set a challenging goal for myself. One night my husband suggested setting a smaller goal – 20 pounds in 6 months. That way I set a realistic goal that I can achieve and the success keeps me motivated to continue losing weight. At work I’m in a similar situation – I’m so focused on the big picture that sometimes the smaller details get lost.

I think The Star is trying to remind me not to lose sight of my smaller moments to shine as well as the big ones. I think it’s also a nudge that I need to find the way to craft a career (whether it is here or someplace else) that fulfills my spiritual and mundane needs. Otherwise I’ll never be truly satisfied.