The High Priestess Tarot Card: A woman adorned in a blue and white gown sits on a throne in front of a tapestry decorated with pomegranates. She wears a crown containing an orb and two crescents. A white cross is embroidered at her chest and a yellow crescent moon is at her feet. To her right is a black column with the letter B and to her left is a white column with the letter J. She holds a scroll in her hands with the Latin letters TORA.
The High Priestess is the feminine counterpart to The Hierophant and yet is ‘above’ him in the sense that she is more transcendent from the Earthly plane and The Hierophant is more deeply embedded in daily Earthy life and structure. The High Priestess, therefore, is the ultimate archetype of wisdom keeper and spiritual guide. Also similar but contrasting is The Empress, who is the nourishing Earth Mother. Not so is The High Priestess. She is detached and transcendent - almost inhuman in her connection to ultimate wisdom.
The High Priestess sits between the pillars of Boaz (B) and Jachin (J), which were erected in Solomon’s Holy Temple in Jerusalem 3,000 years ago. The left pillar, Boaz, translated from Hebrew means strength and power. The right pillar, Jachin, comes from the Hebrew root meaning direction, truth, intention, and rectification. Without the direction of truth, power would be destructive. Without power, the force of truth would be elusive and otherworldly - unable to manifest. These are the pillars of Severity and Mercy of the Tree of Life that each one of us will ultimately pass through to attain mastery (as The Magician), and then let go of it (as The Fool).
Beyond the pillars is The Garden of Pomegranates, which is a well-known title given in the Western Mystery Traditions to the Divine realms of holiness and wisdom. The tapestry is a stand-in to represent the ancient temple’s Holy of Hollies, where the Arc of the Covenant was kept. The high Priestess is disconnected and transcendent from the earthly plane but she is not, however, inside the Holy of Holies. From there, it would be impossible for her to speak or disseminate anything - it is a place beyond the mind. So The High Priestess must sit outside of it and before the pillars in order to teach us.
Sitting just in front of the pillars, The High Priestess reflects the light of the Holy of Holies to the Earth as the moon reflects the light of the sun. Her crown represents the three phases of the moon, and very openly, the crescent moon is at her feet. She wears blue and white to represent the wisdom and purity she has attained from reflecting the light of the Holy of Holies through herself into us. As such, she is the source of all healing, psychic seeing, and inner-world wisdom teachings.
The cross at the chest of The High Priestess also indicates the combination of purity, power, and focused intention. From the center of her chest and from between the two pillars she transmits the great teachings to the Earth plane. And what is it that she is transmitting? It is written on the scroll she holds: The TORA (also spelled Torah), which contains all the wisdom teachings of the ages, from the most mundane to the most Divine. These teachings are hers to divulge to those who come to her to receive and are open to understanding and transformation.
But the Teachings themselves are a reflection. They are not the ultimate truth. They are akin to the moon, in that they are only a reflection of the ultimate truth. A truth which can never be spoken, but only received, embodied, and hinted at through words and deeds. In the end, words and explanations will always fail. And when they fail, the ultimate walk of faith must be faced - letting go of all words and teachings and walking blindly in between the two pillars into The Garden of Pomegranates. The act of faith of walking between the pillars into the unknown is a repeating theme in the Tarot Trumps and is as true as it is at the beginning of the journey, as it is at its end.
Association with the moon: The High Priestess is associated with the moon and represents the reflection of pure wisdom from the sun to the earth. The High Priestess illuminates the night for each of us. When it is dark, all we have to do is turn inward to find her and catch her rays. When we are lost, The High Priestess points the way and miraculously illuminates the trail. All we have to do is have the faith to follow. Even as darkness may surround us and our imaginations run rampant with unconscious fears, we must follow her singular illuminating path, even when only the light of the newborn crescent can shine.
When to use The High Priestess card: When you are going through the dark night and desperately need a light to follow, call on The high Priestess. For even if you do not comprehend the light she shines, it will lead you safely to the garden of wisdom within yourself. In contrast, if you are fully ready to be the light that shines in the darkness, even if that darkness doesn’t fully appreciate you or understand you, find the transcendence of The High Priestess within you. Visualize yourself sitting in the temple between the two pillars and be the moon receiving and reflecting the light from the Holiest of places. See yourself teaching from the miraculous, unspeakable wisdom of the ripe and open pomegranate.
In addition, if you find yourself dwelling too much in a transcendent wordless place and feel moved to offer something of its sweetness to the world, The High Priestess can help you. It will remind you that to teach and use words to reach people, you must lower yourself back into your mind and Earthly body. You may feel some loss around doing that, but The Holy of Holies is always there and you will forever have the option of going back inside to feel its purity and love.
Altar Cloth / Tapestry details:
~ 100% microfiber Polyester
~ Hemmed edges for extra durability to ensure years of use
~ Advanced tapestry and altar cloth printing techniques guarantee crisp image detail
~ Multiple sizes (26x36 in, 50x60 in, 68x80 in, 88x104 in)
