Star

The stars in the sky that rotate around the North Star or the world axis have been seen as expressions of the cosmic, eternal order. Since "ancient times, some form of relation to a constellation has symbolized eternity" (Introduction to a Science of Mythology, p. 235). The individual star is a symbol of the Self, the human as an individual, her fate, the spark of life, and so on.

Starry sky and constellations

The starry sky can be interpreted as the archetypes of the collective unconscious; constellations are seen as gods; patterns that represent the secret content of the unconscious. The content of the unconscious is not only darkness but contains "sparks" of consciousness. (See Spark.)

"For this reason, the background of our consciousness is often symbolized in dreams and visions by a starry sky, a sea of light, countless eyes shining in the dark, and similar motifs" (Aurora Consurgens, p. 172).  

There are many recurring expressions for the collective unconscious, such as myths and fairy tales, but unlike these, the symbol of the starry sky and its constellations carries a temporal quality.

Individual star and falling star  

The individual star symbolizes the unique (and eternal) personality, expressing one's individuality (the Self). It can sometimes be seen as the "principle of individuation," connected to the soul and to fate. It expresses the mystical connection between macrocosm and microcosm – that which is outside is also within, and vice versa.  

The birth and death of a star are associated with the birth and death of great people, and thus with human destinies. According to myths, our soul comes from the stars and returns there after death. In folklore, each person had their own star in the sky, which would light up when the individual was born and extinguish when he or she died. A similar image is the common belief that a falling star is a soul falling to earth, i.e., once again someone is born.

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