posted March 08, 2004 01:46 PM         

Here are some preliminary thoughts on the High Priestess.

2 – The High Priestess
Astrological Correspondence: The Moon

Here we leave the world of light as pictured in the previous cards to enter the realm of night and the subconscious mind. The High Priestess sits before the veil that separates the waking world from the “hidden” kingdom of the Higher Self. She is the guardian of the Mysteries and the keeper of secrets. Where The Magician is a representation of the concious mind with its associated powers, The High Priestess is the subconscious mind and all of its associated powers. Here is a symbol of the psychic realm, most often perceived in sleep or dream states when we begin our journey along the path of return to God.

The blue robed Priestess sits enthroned between two columns of stone, one black and the other white. Draped between these two supports is a veil of deeper blue, lined with purple, behind which we catch a glimpse of an immense body of water. The Priestess holds a scroll in her lap, while she rests her feet upon a cresent moon. We again see the cresent moon adorning her hat, and on her breast we see an equal armed cross.

The color blue has long been associated with the spirit, contemplation and heaven. As the predominant color in this card, the blue garment of The High Priestess suggests that the subconscius mind is the doorway to the spiritual realm. The bracelet we see encircling her left wrist implies that the subconscious mind is responsive to suggestions from the conscious mind, as pictured in The Magician card. The solar cross upon her breast is symbolic of the blending of masculine and feminine energies, neither one superior; different but equal. The veil, supported by the black and white pillars represents the union of opposing forces, reinforcing again the white cross at her breast. Her scroll can be said to represent the Akashic record, the compilation of experiences of all souls and all times, also called the race memory by various authorities.

It is interesting to pay special attention to the two pillars pictured in this card, as they tell us a good deal about the way that memory functions. Humans remember or recall ideas or things that are like each other. We also easily recall things that sharply contrast with each other, see one is black and the other white. Additionally we tend to remember ideas or things that are near each other in time and space. All of these keys to memory are to be found within the pillars of the temple, before which The Priestess sits.

Astrologically this card relates to the moon, she who has no light of her own, yet always reflects the light of the sun. Here we see another representation of the fact that the subconcious mind is always amenable to the suggestions of the conscious mind. We can learn to use our minds to tap into the hidden potentials of the subconscious and thus develop our intuition or psychic ability as some have called it.

The number two in numerology is symbolic of the female energy, as the number one is the emblem of the masculine. It is all that is passive, receptive and introverted. But, this does not mean inferior or submissive! Two is the peacemaker, the go-between or the diplomat, who helps to create unity by fostering a meeting of the minds. Isn’t this what good partnerships are all about? Never mistake the caution of the number two for weakness, they hear their own drummer and are creating as well as the number one, just not in as outward or aggressive a fashion.

In a reading The High Priestess talks about situations that seem veiled; not all of the information is in yet. The answer lies in bringing together the outer self with the Inner or Higher Self, aligning yourself with your inner knowing. Is there a deliberate cover-up going on? Are you being honest in the situation? This card can also indicate the beginning of a spiritual path or the development of latent psychic abilities. Card readers have long associated this card with the “ideal woman” in a man’s reading, much as they use The Magican for the same purpose in a woman’s reading.

When The High Priestess is reversed in a reading we may be sure that information will be forthcoming. That which was hidden will be brought to light. The High Priestess reversed can indicate shallowness, or possibly the misuse of psychic abilities. When she is reversed health matters may be directly related to neuroses, psychoses, fears and depression caused by an emotional nature gone awry.

And what are your thoughts?

In the Light...
A

posted March 09, 2004 03:21 PM         

thanks, aselzion, for your insights. i don't have a whole lot to add, except a couple of questions.

the high priestess is always the first card i look at in a deck, and this above is one of my favorite (though it contains very little of the traditional imagery). her self-containment and strength, the wildness of her hair - this card connects me to the older goddesses, fierce and full unto themselves, a reminder to watch the deeper patterns and the knowledge of how to manage in this world of illusion. when i get this card in a reading it tells me to heed my intuitions.

I always found it sort of odd that the Fool's journey starts out so heavy and gradually gets more worldly and less esoteric, whereas in the "real" world the opposite is usually the case. any thoughts on this?

as the second person he meets along the way, the High Priestess no doubt is a bit of the sphinx to the Fool - how much he misses evidenced by the closed book, the draping, the hidden scene behind her back. i guess what she does is plant the seed for accessing this part of himself, the feminine aspect of looking beyond the surface to deeper meanings.

the two temple columns are labeled "Boaz" and "Jachin" - i think the artist took this from the Waite deck? - these are the names of the two pillars of Solomon's Temple. i guess they're also used in freemasonry to symbolize initiation (i got that here: http://www.queenofpentacles.com/articles/boaz_jachin.php)

Boaz was placed to the north and Jachin to the south, which in this card means that the priestess faces west, with the east behind her. i'll have to think more on this. i also read somewhere that in qabalah the names boaz and jachin mean mercy and severity, so placing the priestess in between these two dualities, where she can see a bigger picture, allows for a greater kind of justice. dualities allow mutation, change, growth. it is why we come here to learn.

i love the peacock in this version, a feisty bird whose plumage resemble dozens of eyes staring back at us. to me the bracelets on hands and ankles also look a bit like chains - perhaps a note to the prisons we can form around us by getting pulled too deeply into sub conscious waters.

and is the "moon under her feet" in reference to Revelations, do you think?

can't wait to read others' thoughts on this card...

posted March 11, 2004 11:58 AM         

Xelena... I'm not sure about becoming a slave to the subconcscious... I'm sure that in an emotional nature gone awry that is a possibility.

However, it is my understanding that the appropriate method is for the Conscious Mind (The Magician) to direct the attentions (Mercury) through a focused effort to the Subconscious Mind (The High Priestess) who is "amenable to suggestion". We will see more of that when we look at the next card: The Empress.

In terms of the picture in Revelation:

12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

I believe that this refers to our next Tarot Higher Arcana, The Empress.

Now, it has been said that The High Priestess is the Archetypal Virgin. In ancient times the priestesss or oracles at Delphi were also virgins, as it was thought that their virginity (read purity) conferred their ability to see.

I think in some way this card also relates to nuns and nurses... as witness the period in time when nuns were the nurses. Of course at other peiods in time the nurses were the women of ill repute, but that is another story!

I think you raise some interesting points, and will have to think on them more... but I believe this is a good start.

In the Light...
A

posted March 11, 2004 02:44 PM         

sacred circle high priestess:

posted March 12, 2004 06:36 AM         

------------------
Peace and Love
L.V.X. Annie

Tesla is back!!
Check out their new CD!!
March 9, 2004
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www.teslatheband.com/Sound/Sound.aspx?friend=4235

posted March 13, 2004 02:36 PM         

Thank you for posting that picture Annie.

Looking at it again inspired me to spiral on the Jachin and Boaz question above that I had not yet addressed.

The Hebrew Letter Yod (transliterated often as I, J or Y) is carved into the white pillar, Jachin. Yod is associated with the Sign Virgo in the Zodiac and The Hermit card in the Higher Arcana.

The Hebrew letter Beth (transliterated as B) is carved into the black pillar, Boaz. Beth is associated with the planet Mercury and the Magician card in the Higher Arcana.

Now, there is an obvious connection here as Mercury currently rules Virgo. So we are given a clue that the pillars may correspond to various aspect of Mind. Mercury as we have seen in relation to The Magician governs the conscious Mind, and the ability to focus the attention.. or simply: concentration.

Virgo shows the discriminating and analyzing capabilities of that conscious Mind.

The High Priestess, symbol of the Subconscious Mind, sits between the pillars of Mercury... again suggesting that the Subconsious mind is amenable to suggestion by the Conscious Mind.

Memory is a combined function of both the conscious and subconsious aspects of the mind. We make a conscious effort to learn something by the concentration of attention. We then store what we have learned in an area of the Mind governed by the Moon... that which is receptive. So that later, by conscious command (The Magician) we are able to access what we have stored, calling it forth from the depths of the subconscious.

The lesson here being that by conscious command we may also call forth from the subconscious that which is stored in the Akashic record, the Race Memory, or if you prefer the Jungian term, the collective unconscious.

I hope this makes sense, but if not, please ask for clarification.. I know what I mean, but this spiralling came upon me of a sudden!

Blessed Be...
A

posted March 14, 2004 11:13 AM         

The High Priestess is the "universal substance" or "mind-stuff" of existence, symbolized by her blue robe and the water it turns into. The curtain hanging between the two pillars symbolizes virginity - and fruitfulness - it depicts palms (male) and pomegranates (female), and conceals a view of Eden. The curtain connects pillars of light and dark, and all other pairs of opposites, symbolizing the associative powers of the subconscious. She sits on a stone cube. Some say the cube is made of salt, which crystallizes in cubes, and represents the salty waters of the ocean/womb/mother.

The High Priestess represents the essential division in creation, with her concealing veil, and the spiritual quest that arises from awareness of that concealment from Eden, and the brushes with Holiness we are gifted with.

The pillars, from Solomon's Temple, also express this division, and choices we confront. These are also the Qaballistic pillars of Mercy and Severity mapped on the Tree of Life.

The square cross on her breast shows a balancing of the two forces, the black and white pillars. It also hints at her powers of manifestation, and the cross of completion

While the Fool and the Magus represent only the potential, the will, to create, the High Priestess has the latent power to manifest. She is the link between the seen and the unseen.

On the Tree of Life (Qaballah), the High Priestess path connects Tipharet and Keter, creating the longest of the paths. This is the mystical, archetypal Bridge - spanning the mysteries, balanced between Chesed and Gevurah, Mercy and Severity. It is manifested by the High Priestess combined with the power of the bridge builder, the Hierophant.

"All the world is a narrow bridge - but the point is to be fearless." Hasidic proverb

Druids believe in an Otherworld, Avalon, where life is perfect, and united with the Spiritual. The High Priestess brings down a mist and manifests a passage to Avalon, but this mystical land cannot be found by ordinary folk. The two realms are interwoven with one another, with joined destinies, and are called the "Nexus." The idea is that the worlds overlap in certain places and times, which are sacred. This seeping through occurs at the sea shore, where land meets sea, dusk and dawn, where night meets day, the Equinoxes, where summer meets winter, and other places. Such a place is called a "Plexus," and is an opportunity to commune with the otherworld.

So the High Priestess is the Plexus within the Tarot that encourages us to meld the spiritual and unconscious with the physical and conscious.

posted March 14, 2004 01:03 PM         

Thank you for your excellent commentary FishKitten...

You raise some interesting points, particularly about Nexus and Plexus.. I have not been exposed to these teachings as of yet. Could you tell me where you came across this information?

It would seem as though you have more than a passing acquaintance with Qabalah, and perhaps from a different tradition than the one with which I am familiar.

Your last paragraph, I believe, brings us to the next card in the series, when the virginal High Priestess is transformed into the fertile Empress.

Very interesting!

In L.V.X. Eternal...

A

posted March 15, 2004 07:03 AM         

I have goose bumps!!

Thanks Fishkitten, I also would love to explore the Plexus,

My favorite place in the World is ANY BEACH!!!

I also like the idea that the curtain conceals Eden.

Please go on......

posted March 15, 2004 01:35 PM         

I am intrigued by the Nexus and Plexus as well. It is all about the veil, what is beyond it, what it means to us, how it relates to the conscious world, and how we can access this information / place. I thought Marion Zimmer Bradley expressed the Druidic concepts fairly well in her fictional work "The Mists of Avalon", though since it was fiction, it did deviate in some spots. I've encountered related information in a several places. I'll get a short list together for you.

posted March 15, 2004 02:47 PM         

Well, yes I have heard of deliberate misinformation, particularly from Aleister Crowley. The feeling seemed to be that the information wasn't to be shared with the "uninitiated".

He channeled a being he called Aiwass (sp?) and was informed that Tzaddi was not the Star but in fact the Emperor. In my way of thinking this is a nonsense.

In terms of the elemental distribution of the suits of the Tarot, I have heard both Wands as Air and Swords as Fire, and the reverse.

In my practice, I follow Paul Foster Case in attributing the Wands as Fire and the Swords as Air, this is simply what makes sense for me, and I have borne it out in practice as well.

I'd be interested in hearing more of your thoughts on these matters, and look forward to further enlightening conversations.

In the Light...
A

posted March 15, 2004 05:03 PM         

I spent quite a bit of time learning the ancient Hebrew alphabet, its connection to the Qabala and the Tarot, the Names of God, and so much more. I think my brain connects it all when I'm not looking.

The last paragraph in my first post does connect the virginal High Priestess to the fertile Empress. They are flip sides of the same coin, as are the conscious and subconscious, the spiritual and physical. I love how it all fits together in each of us.

Paul Foster Case...right...he is the one who sees the cube as a cube of salt that represents the salty waters of creation...that's where I read that.

posted March 16, 2004 12:35 AM         

FishKitten...

Ok, gotcha. I remember now reading in Case that the cubic stone upon which the Priestess sits is, "a symbol of salt, which crystalizes in perfect cubes" and I took your sentence above to mean that she was sitting on a cube OF salt. You then go on to say that others have claimed it WAS salt, symbolic of the salty waters of the sea.

Now I get it!

Silly Aselzion, Trix are for kids!

Sorry, I'm a wee bit headachy and ready to take to my bed. I just started a 4 night class in psychic development, and I think the energy in the room was a bit funky, and being empathic, now I'm a wee bit funky...

Off to cleanse the aura and reinforce the shields.

Looking forward to more discussions...

In the Light...
A

posted March 16, 2004 06:32 AM         

I LOVE "The Mists of Avalon"!!
I have read it a couple of times.
I felt like I was there......
My friends and I passed it around a few times.
We felt like we were all connected by it.
I LOVE CAMELOT!
I LOVE EXCALIBUR!
I used to think I was the lady in the boat with her veils, waiting for Lancelot.

posted March 16, 2004 11:35 AM         

Thanks Annie... I can use all the help I can get.

I can see you in the boat with all the veils... if you are drawn to it, there is a reason for it!

Send some whilte light energy for a job I'm applying for, it would be as a circulating nurse in an OR outside of Boston, and I think it would be a great niche for me to get into. It's a 6 month training program/preceptorship and then will be a 40 hour evening position. It's a great opportunity, things like this don't come around too often.

Thanks again...
A

posted March 16, 2004 01:28 PM         

As for Case and the cube of salt...I thought he meant it was a cube of salt. Shows what I know. Still, I think everything in the Tarot can be taken symbolically. A cube, like a sphere, can carry many different connotations depending on the subject being considered and the surrounding cards.

posted March 16, 2004 03:05 PM         

Sending more light A!!

I have found my Lancelot, but I think he is more like Authur.

I'm outa the boat!!

I have always loved Merlin. I feel a brotherly connection to him when I say that name.
Maybe I was more like Morgana. I don't want the responsibility of all that power though.
Hard enough keeping me and the family goin down the right path. Power would sure screw that up!
I believe it was the loss of Lancelot that hurt him more than Guenivere. He had plenty of women to love, but a true friend is hard to find.
If I could I would travel back there for just a day, go to Avalon....
I still can see it in my mind.....

posted March 16, 2004 05:47 PM         

Annie...

Never be afraid of Power, with it comes great responsibility for sure, but God never gives us more than we can handle... as long as we don't try to handle it all with our little ego.

In terms of Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot... Marion Zimmer Bradley seemed to imply that there was perhaps a little more bed hopping going on than meets the eye... and that really rings the bell of Truth for me. I actually think that Arthur and Lancelot were probably lovers as well... but the world may never know.

Thank you for the job blessings.. I have a pretty good feeling about it, but we shall see.

FishKitten...

In terms of Archaeology... I actually had never considered it, I don't know that anything in my history would prepare me for that type of work. Well, except for my interest in certain ancient cultures and civilizations... but my background is really mostly banking and nursing.

Perhaps you would consider doing a stint out this way.. it would be great fun to meet you and exchange stories. We could take a walk along the shores and perhaps you could put out a call to your friendly dolphins and they could join us for a spell.

In the Light...
A