"When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which
they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over
where the young child was." Matthew 2:9 (KJB)
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| Patterns for crafting a natal star symbol for your Jesse tree. |
The Star of Bethlehem, or Christmas Star, appears only in the nativity story of the Gospel of Matthew, where "wise men from the East" (Magi) are inspired by the star to travel to Jerusalem.There they meet King Herod of Judea, and ask where the king of the Jews had been born. Herod, following a verse from the Book of Micah interpreted as a prophecy, directs them to Bethlehem,
to the south of Jerusalem. The star leads them to Jesus' home in the
town, where they worship him and give him gifts. The wise men are then
given a divine warning not to return to Herod so they return home by a
different route.
Many Christians believe the star was a miraculous sign to mark the birth of the Christ (or Messiah). Some theologians claimed that the star fulfilled a prophecy, known as the Star Prophecy.
Astronomers have made several attempts to link the star to unusual
astronomical events, such as a conjunction of Jupiter and Venus, a comet or a supernova.
The subject is a favorite at planetarium shows during the Christmas season, although the Biblical account describes Jesus with a broader Greek word, which can mean either "infant" or "child" (paidon), rather than the more specific word for infant (brephos), possibly implying that some time has passed since the birth. The visit is traditionally celebrated on Epiphany (January 6) in Western Christianity.
Natal stars, whether they have four points or eight are generally used to reference the star that directed the wise men to see baby Jesus. There are three reasons behind this selection.
- The first being that the shorter arms of the horizontal points and the longer arm of the lowest point configure a cross shape. This shape serves as a reminder of Christ's death on a cross.
- The second reason being the association with the wise men or three kings to astrology. They used the star of Bethlehem to guide them to the baby's location. Astrology charts, compasses and other items used by those who study the stars often depict natal stars.
- And the third reason, the term natal means something relating to the place or time of a person's birth.
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| A color suggestion for painting the natal star symbol. |
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| A sample of the natal star made with baker's clay. |
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