2. The High Priestess

THE HIGH PRIESTESS

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.

The High Priestess represents withdrawing from involvement, allowing events to proceed without intervention, being receptive to influence, becoming calm, being passive, and waiting patiently.  The High Priestess also represents accessing the unconscious, using your intuition, seeking guidance from within, trusting your inner voice, opening to dreams and the imagination, being aware of a larger reality. The High Priestess represents seeing the potential, understanding the possibilities, opening to what could be seeing your hidden talents, allowing development, letting what is there flower. The High Priestess represents sensing the mystery, looking beyond the obvious, approaching a closed off area, opening to the unknown, remembering something important, sensing the secret and hidden seeking what is concealed, acknowledging the Shadow.   The High Priestess is the guardian of the unconscious. She sits in front of the thin veil of unawareness which is all that separates us from our inner landscape. She contains within herself the secrets of these realms and offers us the silent invitation, “Be still and know that I am God.”

The High Priestess is the feminine principle that balances the masculine force of the Magician. The feminine archetype in the tarot is split between the High Priestess and the Empress. The High Priestess is the mysterious unknown that women often represent, especially in cultures that focus on the tangible and known. The Empress represents woman’s role as the crucible of life.

In readings, the High Priestess poses a challenge to you to go deeper – to look beyond the obvious, surface situation to what is hidden and obscure. She also asks you to recall the vastness of your potential and to remember the unlimited possibilities you hold within yourself. The High Priestess can represent a time of waiting and allowing. It is not always necessary to act to achieve your goals. Sometimes they can be realized through a stillness that gives desire a chance to flower within the fullness of time.

On setting out, the Fool immediately encounters the Magician (1) and the High Priestess (2) – the great balancing forces that make up the perceived world. It is a feature of the material universe that as soon as we name some aspect of experience, we automatically evoke its opposite. The Magician is the positive side. He represents the active, masculine power of creative impulse. He is also our conscious awareness. The Magician is the force that allows us to impact the world through a concentration of individual will and power. The High Priestess is the negative side. She is the mysterious unconscious. She provides the fertile ground in which creative events occur. The High Priestess is our unrealized potential waiting for an active principle to bring it to expression. The termspositive and negative do not imply “good” and “bad.” These are human distinctions that do not apply in the tarot. The Magician and the High Priestess are absolutely equal in value and importance. Each is necessary for balance. We may view the negative as our Shadow, but without shadows, we cannot see the light, and without a ground of potential, we cannot create.

OPPOSING CARDS

• Magician      – acting consciously, thinking, the known and obvious
• Two  of Wands – acting boldly
• Seven of Wands – being aggressive
• Eight of Wands – putting plans into action

REINFORCING CARDS

• Hermit - looking inward, withdrawing, seeking guidance
• Hanged  Man – suspending activity, waiting
• Four of Swords – resting quietly, contemplating

Tree Number: 13

Ruled By: The Moon

Hebrew Letter: Gimel