2: The High Priestess

The third card in the Major Arcana is The High Priestess. This card is so auspicious, in my personal opinion, as she really represents the Goddess manifest, in Her priestess. Naturally, this card is rife with symbolism, so let’s take a look.



 

The High Priestess comes after the magician, and if you believe the major arcana is a succession of events or processes in a journey to wholeness. Just as in the card before, The Magician manifests using the elements, or manipulates the elements to manifest his desires, The High Priestess has earned the privilege of guarding the spiritual secrets that are only accessible to a select few. Dressed in blue robes, not unlike the ones Mother Mary is frequently dressed in, she sits between two pillars, one black, one white. These black and white pillars with the letters B and J on them for Boaz and Jachin they are the pillars to King Solomon’s temple, and they represent the Masonic spiritual ideals of complementary energies of the universe.  Upon her head she wears a headdress that resembles the Egyptian Goddess Hathor’s crown, mainly cow horns with a solar disk between them. Behind The High Priestess is a tapestry, hiding the way behind her, covered with pomegranates and date palms. Pomegranates symbolize a connection to the liminal space between worlds, similar to the journey Persephone took every year to the underworld, whereby she wouldn’t be part of the living for 6 months of the year, but would stay in darkness. The High Priestess is here to teach you to not only acknowledge your shadow or dark side, but to integrate it! With the guidance of our intuition we can make our journey through our own underworld the best journey of our life. She is here to test your commitment to your spiritual purpose in this life and guide your intuition.

Receiving this card in a reading of course depends on what it’s next to etc., however it is traditionally read as a strong urge to follow your intuition. For those on a deeper spiritual path, she often comes up as an awareness that you’re about to hop up to a new level of spiritual progress or understanding. I always suggest relaxing your gaze on the card to see if any of the symbols stick out more than any of the others to you and if they do then do some research in to the symbology/symbolism behind it and see what connects for you. I’m always excited to see her pop up in a reading(or even more so when she flies out of the deck) because for me, I know I’m about to jump up and I love that. 

Regardless, however this babe shows up for you, know you are on the right track and the intuitive guidance you’re receiving is on point! Who knows? Maybe she’ll even imbue you with some of her powers, IF she deems you worthy!

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