by Omega Agee
Brandy, an Aquarius born on February 11, has embodied the star card from the early days of her fame to her cemented place as an R&B legend.
The tarot is a deck of playing cards created in the late 14th century, most likely in Italy. Originally used to play the bridge-like card game of tarrochi, tarot cards evolved for use in divination in the 18th century. Unlike astrology, which predicts human behavior and what happens on Earth based on the position of the planets, tarot offers a highly personalized reading from a spiritual guide. According to clairvoyant healer Molly Burkett, “[tarot] cards reflect your highest potential, your deepest insecurities, and your greatest strengths, and show you the pathway to balance." In traditional tarot, when the star card is pulled upright it represents hope for the future, inspiration, optimism and creativity, much like Aquarians themselves.
The star card signifies inspiration and the ability to have an effect on someone’s feelings, character, behavior or development. Rolling Stone describes her ascent as “meteoric,” with her self-titled debut album selling over six million copies worldwide and spawning three top 10 singles with “I Wanna Be Down,” “Baby” and “Brokenhearted.” Fans clamored to support the artist, whose success was aided by her youthful presence and technical skill as an artist.
“As sappy as some of it was, there was maturity to it too, as if tokens of wisdom fell into a batch of diary entries,” wrote Clover Hope in a Billboard retrospective for the album’s 20th anniversary. Brandy had a unique aptitude for sharing general experiences, but imbuing them with such feeling that they feel personalized for each listener.
Brandy has been a staple in Black girls’ childhoods, whether we were sitting cross legged while watching her star in the 90s show Moesha or singing our hearts out to her music. Yet even before the release of her debut album and show, Norwood’s role as Danesha Turrell on the short-lived ABC sitcom Thea made it evident that she was a star. In 1993, television critic Greg Dawson described Brandy’s role on the show as the “sweet, cerebral sister” who contributed to a “terrific, talented cast” filled with heart and soul. Brandy’s early career catapulted her into lifelong stardom, and set the tone for a future that would continuously build upon her talents.
Creatively, Brandy has experimented with the intent to push R&B into new territory. She has been lovingly coined “The Vocal Bible” due to her stacking of harmonies that served as backgrounds, her effortless vocal runs and her tone. Moreover, she has proven capable of innovating within music while remaining true to her own style by utilizing her unique approach to crafting harmonies. On her fourth album, Afrodisiac, Brandy worked with Timbaland to create a body of work whose sound was unique and distant from other R&B music.
“Afrodisiac is that rare album in which a pop star kicks her brand to the curb. Instead of default ballad after default ballad, Timbaland and Milsap provided a series of stuttering, burping productions in which Brandy's vocals swerved and bounced like velvet superballs,” said Noah Berlatsky of The Atlantic.
Today, the Vocal Bible’s innate ability to deliver her signature vocal arrangements over any beat and within any genre remains intact. Look no further than her most recent album, B7, and her prominent use of falsetto on personal favorite songs “Rather Be” and “Say Something,” for support of her long-standing reign of success. It is this kind of creativity that is emblematic of what the star card represents, and its connections to the innate innovativeness of Aquarians.
Source: Amazon (Tarot Card Notebooks)
On top of the star card’s many meanings, there is a part of that card that offers up an obvious means for interpretation: its design. The image on the star card displays a woman pouring water out of two jugs into a pond as the star shines on her—the same symbol that represents the sign of Aquarius. If we know the star card to reflect, as Burkett said, your highest potential and your greatest strengths, then we can imagine the water on the card to represent Brandy influence, and her ability to pour into and inspire others. Artists like Jazmine Sullivan, India.Arie and Kehlani have been candid about Brandy’s influence on their own careers. Brandy’s multi-generational impact is on target for the star card, leading the way with her talents.
Traditional tarot offers insight that enables people to recognize their greatness, and through the star card we are able to learn about our hopes for the future, what inspires us, what encourages our optimism and what sparks our creativity. In the case of Brandy, the star card is not only strongly connected to Brandy’s albums, movie debuts, and even tv shows, but also her ability to connect with the masses is what sets her apart.