Embrace the soothing energy of hope, spiritual rejuvenation, and the vibrant bohemian allure of early 20th-century divination with this magnificent vintage esoteric art poster. Originally illustrated in 1909 by the visionary British-American artist Pamela Colman Smith under the direction of occultist Arthur Edward Waite, this iconic print depicts Major Arcana Card XVII: The Star<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Showcasing an extraordinary allegorical composition, the illustration features a naked maiden kneeling at the edge of a sacred pool, representing pure vulnerability and truth. With one foot resting on the water’s surface and the other on the fertile soil, she pours refreshing waters from two terracotta urns, simultaneously nourishing both the earth and the subconscious depths of the pool. Above her shines a brilliant, monumental eight-pointed yellow star, flanked by seven smaller white celestial beacons. Rendered in an authentic, high-contrast historical palette of tranquil sky blue, radiant sun yellow, rich emerald green, and deep terracotta accents, this meticulously restored print infuses modern spaces with a sophisticated, peaceful, and wonderfully eclectic graphic statement.<\/p>\n
First published in London in December 1909 by William Rider & Son, this artwork represents a monumental milestone in Western mysticism, Hermetic philosophy, and tarot culture. The Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) deck completely revolutionized modern tarot by replacing the traditionally sparse, abstract cards with rich, fully illustrated allegorical scenes for the entire deck. The artistic genius behind this historic transformation was Pamela Colman Smith (1878\u20131951), affectionately nicknamed “Pixie.” An avant-garde theater costume and set designer, folklorist, and illustrator, Smith channeled the complex, secret teachings of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn into accessible, universally resonant visual metaphors. Coming directly after the chaos and destruction of The Tower<\/i> card, The Star<\/i> captures the eternal principles of hope, healing, divine guidance, and cosmic peace. Although Smith’s immense contribution went largely uncredited during her lifetime and she tragically died in financial obscurity, her distinctive illustrative style has since become the absolute global gold standard of tarot iconography.<\/p>\nThe Aesthetic:<\/h3>\n
A masterclass in Art Nouveau linework, ancient symbolism, and flat-color graphic design, this composition beautifully balances occult geometry with folk-art accessibility. The maiden’s posture perfectly visualizes the bridge between the conscious mind (the land) and the subconscious mind (the water), keeping her forces in perfect equilibrium. In the background, a tiny, sacred ibis bird\u2014symbolic of Thoth, the Egyptian god of wisdom and writing\u2014perches on a distant tree, adding a subtle narrative layer to the landscape. The top of the composition is dominated by the geometric harmony of the cascading eight-pointed stars, which draw the eye across the brilliant, open sky. Complete with the original Roman numeral “XVII” at the top border and the classical serif typography banner “THE STAR.” along the bottom margin, this print seamlessly transforms historical mystical ephemera into a bold, high-contrast display piece.<\/p>\n
Tarot readers, astrologers, modern mystics, spiritual practitioners<\/b>, healers, and collectors of rare Art Nouveau illustration, antique occult prints, and vintage British design.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Main bedrooms, dedicated meditation rooms, cozy reading nooks<\/b>, personal workspaces, eclectic living rooms, or as a serene, character-rich focal point centered on a maximalist feature wall.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Bohemian, dark academia, eclectic maximalist, modern cottagecore<\/b>, or transitional interior design styles that value narrative artwork, calming celestial symbols, and historical folklore.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Artist:<\/b> Pamela Colman Smith (Rider-Waite Esoteric Archive)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Title:<\/b> Major Arcana XVII: The Star Tarot Card<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Subject:<\/b> Antique Divination, Western Occultism, and Celestial Symbolism<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Original Year:<\/b> 1909 (First Edition December 1909)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Style:<\/b> Art Nouveau \/ Early 20th-Century Symbolism \/ Esoteric Line Art<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Our vintage posters are made to order using premium Gicl\u00e9e printing techniques. Every piece is printed on thick, heavyweight fine art paper (200gsm) with a smooth, completely matte finish.<\/p>\n We specifically source an acid-free, natural-toned paper that perfectly recreates the warmth and authentic character of original mid-century lithographs. Unlike standard glossy posters, our premium matte finish ensures there is zero glare when your artwork is framed behind glass, resulting in a rich, museum-quality display. Combined with long-lasting, UV-resistant pigment inks, your print is designed to remain vibrant for generations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Embrace the soothing energy of hope, spiritual rejuvenation, and the vibrant bohemian allure of early 20th-century divination with this magnificent vintage esoteric art poster. Originally illustrated in 1909 by the visionary British-American artist Pamela Colman Smith under the direction of occultist Arthur Edward Waite, this iconic print depicts Major Arcana Card XVII: The Star<\/i>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":2014,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[87,113,124],"product_tag":[],"class_list":["post-2009","product","type-product","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","product_cat-all-posters","product_cat-esoteric","product_cat-vertical-posters","first","instock","taxable","shipping-taxable","purchasable","product-type-variable"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bevanprintworks.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/product\/2009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bevanprintworks.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bevanprintworks.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bevanprintworks.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2009"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bevanprintworks.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bevanprintworks.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bevanprintworks.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fproduct_brand&post=2009"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bevanprintworks.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fproduct_cat&post=2009"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bevanprintworks.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fproduct_tag&post=2009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Product Details<\/h3>\n
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Museum-Quality Vintage Prints<\/h3>\n