The High Priestess
Photography by Nicole Leoné Miller
Do you have a relationship with Tarot? I purchased my first deck from Yellow Springs, Ohio in 2011. The woman working at the metaphysical shop asked if I had ever worked with Tarot cards before. I told her that this was my first time and she gave me some witchy tips for how to care for them. She told me that in order to form a bond with the deck, I should sleep with it under my pillow for a full lunar cycle. I actually listened to her and remember sleeping on the hard box for a month. I still use that starter deck and since have accumulated a collection of other decks. If you are new to Tarot, it helps to know that the cards provide framework for life circumstances. In my experience, oracle cards don’t “read” me. I decide what is valuable, how to interpret the messages, and if I want to take action.
The High Priestess is the second Major Arcana card in the classic Tarot deck, and she is the guardian of human wisdom and intuition. She is represented by archetypal figures like Persephone, Artemis, and Isis. This particular card came into vision last year. I pulled the card multiple times and her representation was oddly showing up in so many facets of my life. I was not expecting to be with this card or her mysterious feminine principles as long as I have. She has been my guide since this past summer, and I have learned how to fine tune my intuition. I even tattooed her symbols on my finger during a ritual in Guatemala so I remember to call her in.
Lauren Oberlin, my friend, fellow yoga instructor, and Tarot enthusiast, offers her interpretation. She states, “The High Priestess sits on the threshold between the spirit and material worlds. While many only experience the ‘thinning of the veil’ during certain periods of time, the High Priestess accesses and protects this boundary between the seen and the unseen world. Pulling the High Priestess during a tarot reading signals a state of heightened awareness, a readiness to witness and commune beyond the world of the seen and known. Though she serves as a guardian of this ‘gate’ between worlds, the High Priestess is not a gatekeeper per say; rather, she is awaiting your arrival and readiness to cross the threshold into your own subconscious, your own intuition. Nothing is being kept from you that you are not keeping from yourself. What structures are you ready to let go of? What are you ready to open your awareness to? The wisdom of this card is all your own: a deep inner knowing, heightened intuition and insight, connection to the divine feminine that flows through all of us in some capacity. Can you choose manifestation and trust over rationale? The power of invisible forces just as much as tangible forces? Can you allow mystery to have meaning, beyond dismissing things as coincidence? Divine meaning will shine through the everyday humdrum when our channel is clear and open. Trust that you are ready to receive, trust that you will know what to do with the wisdom that whispers to you through the ether. You are power is unquantifiable and incomparably magical. It’s time to stop hiding that away.”
Notice how she is depicted below.
Her powerful seat is in front of the thin veil of unawareness which is all that separates us from our inner landscape. A crescent moon is at the High Priestess’s feet that stands for intuition. Astrologically, this card is governed by the moon sign and elementally by water. The Tora scroll in her lap signifies her as a keeper of esoteric knowledge. She advises us to lead by our spirit and adhere to our chosen spiritual practices. Tina Gong, the maker behind Labyrinthos says, “When you encounter her, you will see her sitting on a cubic stone between the two pillars at Solomon’s Temple, Jachin, and Boaz. Jachin (right) is generally referred to as the Pillar of Establishment and Boaz (left) is the Pillar of Strength. The pillars also depict the duality of nature; masculine and feminine, good and evil, negative and positive. The High Priestess's location between the two suggests that it is her responsibility to serve as a mediator between the depths of the reality. She is the third pillar - the path between. She believes that both pillars are equal and there is knowledge to be learned in both worlds. You will also notice that she wears the crown of Isis which can mean that she is a believer of magic. The high priestess wearing of the solar cross denotes that she is connected to the season of the earth and the earth itself. The crescent moon at her feet is seen also in many depictions of the Virgin Mary and means that she has a complete grasp over her emotion and the pomegranates refer to the ambition of the priestess.”
She is inner peace and strength. She tells you to be patient, passive, and to allow events to proceed without interaction. Let others overreact while you remain calm and sure of the outcome. She knows that the answers to all your questions are already inside you, so tap into your gut feelings.
The High Priestess signals a period of higher learning and new inspiration coming to work. The last six months have been pivotal in laying the foundation for creative expression in my career. Of course, when making life altering choices about future career or projects, she says to rely on your intuitive instincts.
When the High Priestess appears in a reading, it is the time to tap into the subconscious mind, and not prioritize intellect or the analytical conscious mind. This speaks loudly to me in the season of life that I am in. I have historically over analyzed my life and now I am trying to relax into a fierce softness. There is this subtle confidence expanding inside as I align with myself spiritually. I have felt that I am finally stepping into my higher power.
The Dark Days Tarot states, “The High Priestess reigns in the realm of the subconscious mind, higher powers, and mystery. She holds secret knowledge of past lives and ancestral, celestial worlds in her winding web of hair. She grows a glowing garden from her intuitive center. The High Priestess balances natural opposites delicately - heart and mind - and in this way, bestows compassion and illumination.”
As I become more familiar with the High Priestess as a guide, I have attempted to apply her values to my relationship with my partner which has seen its ups and downs over the past five years. Tina Gong explains what the High Priestess means for love; she says, “In a relationship, the High Priestess shows increasing intimacy and openness. In a love tarot reading, this card signals that honesty is essential to making your relationship as strong as it can be.”
The Stardust Tarot says, “This card presents an ideology grounded in the divine feminine. It symbolizes the mysticism of the maiden, the instinct of the mother, and the insight of the crone. Heed to the knowledge and power of women.”
Photography by Nicole Leoné Miller
I invite you to discover a card you relate to and find out how deep you can go with it. You don’t have to sleep with your Tarot deck under your pillow or get symbols tattooed on your body to learn from a card. Maybe you choose a card for the week and notice how you see your life differently. When I was starting out, I enjoyed a three card spread for the past, the present, and the future. A lot of the fun in learning Tarot is that you get to choose your adventure.
