Seekers on Unique Paths

2 – THE HIGH PRIESTESS

The High Priestess is perhaps the most difficult card in Tarot to fathom. Embracing a power veiled in mystery, the card bears a broad scope of interpretations in readings. She communicates directly from the subconscious plane through intuition, as an expression of the, intrinsic mysterious nature of human existence. She balances power brandished by The Magician. Her powers are as divine and mystical as those wielded by that card of external influence; but the nucleus of her energy is different. While The Magician directs power outward, The Priestess suggests using internal force to achieve a meaningful effect on the psyche. Her transformations are not as dramatic as those that The Magician employs but they are usually more powerful. The Magician introduced red and white, the main colors of Tarot; however, this card symbolically predicts other hues in the deck. Offering unlimited potential of Yin, she provides symmetry necessary for The Magician to serve as Yang of creation. This essential balance of Yin and Yang controls the entire universe.

Grasping the equilibrium between potential and creation offers a thread to unravel the secrecy veiled within the card. The High Priestess not only offers equality of force, she is the scale. Her delicate symmetry yields true power. This card parts the veil into occult understanding and the key to grasping these secrets is already deep within your subconscious. The High Priestess shows that dreams may now become very significant. Spiritually profound, the card signifies a potent force as subtle as the moon slipping behind a cloud. Missing influence of this card is easy, unless you open your mind and heart. The High Priestess heralds the emergence of psychic ability when it appears with The Moon in a spread. The card shares astrological power with the Moon, which ties closely into dreams, motherhood and other feminine influences.

This card offers several striking symbols. First, the lunar image of the subconscious sits at her feet, like a pet. The symbolism here is apparent. Less obvious are the cryptic characters “B” and “J” which mark the two pillars flanking The Priestess. Most Tarot researchers agree that this is a Biblical reference to the two pillars honoring Jachin and Boaz in the Temple of King Solomon. Named for his ancestors, they were also black and white. Jachin translates into “He establishes” and Boaz means, “In Him there is strength.” Pillars depicted on the card show a veil strung between them. Behind this veil lurk realms of the subconscious. She sits before this partition as the moderator to universal wisdom. Indications of duality are highly visible, but a trilogy also emerges since her image sits between two columns. Her skirts flow into headwaters of a subtle river running through the Major Arcana. Skirt colors suggest the feminine Yemaya, a mystical Santeria deity honored by the white and blue of her realm the sea. If The High Priestess appears in a spread, it suggests an unseen negative side of the personality emerging. Negative does not necessarily imply evil; it simply represents the opposite of positive. Many remain unaware of this less expressive more feminine side of the psyche. If you can accept this shadow within, subconscious powers will emerge. Since this is the more passive side of your make-up, this card may indicate a need to be passive in a situation. Inaction is often as effective as action in achieving goals.

The High Priestess portrays the ideal woman – a mistress of the inner voice. Like the Lady of the Lake in the legends of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, she surfaces with a mystical gift and may signal intuition is sending you a message. The subconscious offers messages veiled in symbolism and to hear the inner whispers we must remain alert. If an important decision is at hand when this card appears, it is likely signaling that your subconscious may reveal a path in upcoming days. By patiently waiting and remaining receptive to messages from within, you soon hear subtle whispers of the mind. Open your heart, as the awesome power of this card enriches and transforms you on an internal level. She teaches that all knowledge exists beyond the conscious veil, at a deeper level of the psyche. Her message emerges from two words by Linnaeus, a scientist and philosopher, who said, “Know thyself.”

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