The High Priestess

The High Priestess: inner wisdom, vision, and serenity
Key Words: Knowing, Psychic, Oracle, Secretive, Influential

Much like the Magician, The High Priestess is unquestioning of her knowledge and power. There is no question of source or validity – her knowledge simply “is.” She is aware of the motions of nature, the movement of spiritual matters, and she has acute awareness of the stirrings of the mind. She is vitally tapped into the flow of ancient knowledge. She instinctively understands the inner workings and connections between nature, philosophy, science and religion. When we pull the

High Priestess card is a recommendation to spend some time in silence and solitude. Pay attention to your dreams. They have answers you seek. Trust your intuition. It will lead you to the right place. Pay attention to events that synchronize together. This synchronicity is the Universe working with you. The answers you seek are with you. Completely. 

Practice spending time in meditation. The Priestess is somewhat of a mystery herself, she requires all those who come to her to be worthy of her meaning, and earn the honor of understanding her. Trust that when you pull the High Priestess card there are undercurrents working within you that will blossom into intense and beautiful experiences. All that is requested of you to experience this blossoming is an awareness of and respect for the higher forces at work in the universe and within you.

Key Symbols:

Cross: The ancient Greeks created this symbol with all legs of equal length and size. One of the simplest symbols, and used since ancient times, it represents several things to different cultures. In ancient Greece it is an emblem of the four elements. In the ancient Middle East, the symbol represents the four directions (north, south, east, west) and the four winds. Even the ancient Aztecs used this symbol to represent the meeting place of god (at the cross-section). The High Priestess bares this symbol at her heart – meaning that at the heart of her very being she is intimate with the ways of nature, knowledge, and God. The unfolding mystery of life is the core of her knowledge.

Crown: represents a relationship with the divine and the intersection between conscious thought and spiritual communion.

Bench: represents the ability to pause and reflect on a situation. It is the sitting still in contemplation that allows you to see things more clearly.

Moon: The moon lays at her feet – her foundation is the fluctuating night emblem that symbolizes motion, illumination, fertility, and even lunacy. Many decks even depict the moon illustrated upon the Priestess forehead. At her head and at her feet are the attributes of the moon – her thoughts are illuminated by the secret power of the moon, and her her path is guided by the pull of the moon. The moon is all about intuition, psychic force, unseen energy. When we have hunches, ideas, or impressions that “come from nowhere” this is “moon power” at work. The moon lives in the darkest of places so she must be triple clear in her messages through the night. The moon brings of clarity of mind, heart and spirit – but there is a price if we are not careful. Being too swayed by the power of the moon can lead to erratic behavior or even psychotic episodes. This is why the High Priestess is such a strong figure – because she not only heeds the message of the moon – she also harnesses its power.

Scroll: Everybody wants to know what is written in the scroll the High Priestess cradles closely to her womb, but only she knows, and it’s not likely that she’ll give up the information. The fact is the scroll contains information that she protects. It contains knowledge of esoteric, occult, philosophical revelations that if placed in the hands of one who has no understanding or respect for what he/she is holding – tremendous damage would be done. This is why she holds it so close to her – she knows that knowledge is both a killer and a savior. There are some theories that the scroll is the Akashic records which contain the records of all-that-has-ever-been for every soul in existence. Whatever the actual contents, be sure that the Priestess is forever on guard – keeping the secrets in tact until our minds are ripe for the opportunity to receive the knowledge she commands.

Two columns at either side of the High Priestess. On her right is a black column with the letter “B” imprinted on it. On her left a white column with the letter “J” imprinted. These represent the pillars that stand at entrance of Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem. The words are Hebrew: Boaz means “in strength” and Jachin means “he establishes.” These pillars are symbolic of the balance and reverence of higher power the High Priestess represents.

Veil: is symbolic of hidden things. It represents illusion and virginity, A symbol of initiation into a world of secrets and mysteries.

Key Questions:
When the High Priestess comes up:

Am I listening to my inner voice?
What secrets are being kept from me?
Am I connected with my higher power?
What secrets am I keeping from others, and why?
How can I more clearly understand my life and purpose?

The High Priestess:
Major Arcana
Chakra: Third Eye Chakra, Crown Chakra
I Ching: Kun
Runes: Isa, Laguz, Othala
Number 2
Element: Water
Planet: Moon
Rules: Cancer
Colors: Blue, White, Black
Crystal: Kyanite, Aquamarine, Moonstone, Emerald, Labradorite

Characteristics: Dreamy, intuitive, wise, feeling, sensitive, changeable. Knowledge, purity, intuitiveness, impatient, wisdom, learning and teaching. The High Priestess has the number of the female. She has many references to the Goddess or Virgin. She holds the book or scroll of holding the wisdom and secrets of the Universe. The second item is her crown, layered in threes and thirdly there is a veil, strung between two columns (representing the Tree of Life – Boaz (female), Jachin (male) and columns of the temple of Solomon.) Often represented on this card is the <a href=”dream_dictionary7.htm#Moon”>moon or triple moon</a> (three parts) often associated with female energy and the Goddess or Virgin. The High Priestess represents an attitude of mystery.

Take a good look at the High Priestess card and you will receive a great deal of messages she conveys. Foremost, she conveys a message of understanding. Even her posture indicates she is established in a position of knowledge. Her scroll holds esoteric knowledge. She determines the manner in which the knowledge should be expressed, and only she decides to whom, and how much knowledge is extolled.