Do you sometimes feel too busy with your daily life problems? Do you try to focus on resolving those issues but start to feel like something is missing? Well, that’s your inner voice—your subconscious—talking to you. You see, while the problems from the external world certainly require our attention, we also need to shift our focus to our spiritual world.
The High Priestess is the Major Arcana card that represents our inner self. As such, it can help us reach a higher spiritual wisdom. If this appeals to you, this article can guide you on your tarot journey and help you explore your subconscious and conscious mind—so keep reading!
The High Priestess Keywords
Upright card (keywords)
Hidden talents, Intuition, Mystery, Spiritual insight, Things yet to be revealed
Reversed card (keywords)
Information withheld, Lack of personal harmony, Secrets
The High Priestess Tarot Card Description
As usual, we will focus on the Rider-Waite tarot deck, as it’s our favorite deck to use in our readings. In this deck, the High Priestess is a feminine figure wearing a white dress and a blue robe. She is sitting and holding a scroll in her left hand with “TORA” written on it, which means divine law. On her head, she wears a horned diadem with a globe in the middle, and a crescent moon is lying by her feet.
Behind her, there are several clumps of pomegranate seed. On each side of the High Priestess are pillars—one black and one white or gray (although in some versions, both pillars are white). The black pillar has the letter “B,” and the white pillar has the letter “J.” These letters stand for Jachin and Boaz, two bronze pillars from Solomon’s temple. In other tarot decks, the priestess wears a solar cross, symbolizing unity between the spiritual and material worlds.
One interesting fact about this card is its history. At first, it was called La Papesse (The Popess). In this version, the female figure on the card wore several papal symbols, such as the papal tiara and the keys to the kingdom. It was a reference to Pope Joan, the nefarious mythical female pope.
Later on, the details on this card changed to their current description. Interestingly enough, one of the creators of the Rider-Waite deck, A. E. Waite, insisted that the High Priestess was never intended to represent Pope Joan and that it actually represented the goddess Astarte/Ishtar. In either case, the story behind this card is very interesting, just like the card itself.
The High Priestess Upright Meaning
The Upright High Priestess meaning is connected to inner knowing, the power of intuition, and divine feminine energy. It is a mysterious card that symbolizes psychic abilities and serves as an entrance to a sacred space of learning and reaching new spiritual levels (just like the Solomon temple’s pillars).
Love Meaning
If you are interested in the tarot reading for your love life, this is generally a positive card. You are in touch with your feminine energy, and sooner or later, you will find someone who will be a worthy match. If you are already in a relationship or married, you and your partner might be interested in adding new members to your little family—are you feeling baby fever?
Additionally, seeing this card in a love reading can mean you have finally found your soulmate. Your relationship is healthy, honest, and stable, and a deep and spiritual connection exists between you and your partner. You two are like one soul split in half—meant to be together.
Career Meaning
You may be currently focusing on your career and looking for answers and reassurance in the tarot cards. If so, the High Priestess is one of the best cards you can get. It is a card that tells you to trust your gut instincts to lead you to new paths, so getting in touch with your intuition will help you make the right decisions and reach new levels of success.
The High Priestess is also the card of higher learning, and you might be interested in some academic pursuits that will further your career. You are on the road to learning so many new things, and in doing so, you will also learn a lot about yourself. Studying isn’t just about passing exams; it’s also about shaping your mind and allowing it to grow in all directions.
Finances Meaning
When it comes to your finances, they will always depend on two things: how much you earn and how much you spend. If you make smart decisions regarding your career and spending, you will always be financially comfortable. The High Priestess card symbolizes well-thought-out and informed decisions, so if you get this card in your tarot reading, it’s your reminder to deal with your finances wisely.
Of course, that’s not always so easy, especially in today’s age when many people are working for very low salaries. Spending less than you earn when you earn so little is hard, but that should be your wake-up call to use your wisdom and talents to turn your bleak financial situation into a life of abundance. You are full of hidden resources and secret talents; you just need to use them to your advantage.
The High Priestess Reversed Card Meaning
If you’ve reflected on the upright meanings of the High Priestess card, you will have seen a glimpse of the potential meanings of its reversed position. While the upright version of this card represents your hidden knowledge and inner voice, the reversed position shows your disconnection.
Somehow, you have disconnected from your intuition and inner voice, making your life harder than it should be. Also, you might be unaware of some important information or secrets being hidden from you. Not everything is the way you see it, but you are ignoring the gut feeling that is telling you so.
Love Meaning
There is a sexual tension between you and another person, but you seem completely oblivious to it. It’s like you’ve completely shut off one part of yourself and are living out of touch with that part. You may also become the subject of unwanted attention; stand your ground and show your disinterest while still remaining polite and respectful.
For those in relationships, this card shows that there is trouble in paradise. You and your partner are struggling to keep the fire alive—and not just in the bedroom. Resentment is building up on both sides, but you are trying to push it under the rug. Instead of talking honestly about your hidden feelings, both of you have uncontrolled outbursts about seemingly unrelated things. On reflection, you will likely find every outburst is a misplaced attempt to discuss your real problems.
There may also be some fertility issues in front of you. If you are trying to conceive, listen to your instincts and ask for professional help. In many cases, the issues you are experiencing can be resolved, but you mustn’t ignore them.
Career Meaning
Career-wise, a reversed High Priestess card is not a good sign. Something is blocking you from advancing further in your career. That “something” could actually be “someone,” such as an individual at a higher career level than you. That person is feeling intimidated by you and your skills and will try to sabotage your advancement to avoid you becoming more successful than they are.
Finances Meaning
Your financial situation isn’t great, but it could be worse. An unexpected expense could strain your finances, but don’t despair—with patience and hard work, you will soon be back on your feet.
Other Cards With The High Priestess Card
As you already know, the meaning of one card in tarot spreads also depends on the other cards in those spreads, and that’s why it’s so important to understand the interactions between the cards. Below are some of the most important combinations of the High Priestess and other cards.
The High Priestess and The Hierophant
Both these cards are the cards of inner wisdom, but they have opposite, complementary approaches to the concept. While the High Priestess is more about intuition, mystery, subconsciousness, and psychic powers, the Hierophant is more about formal education, tradition, and societal norms. With the Hierophant, you walk on an established path, but with the High Priestess, you make your own way.
This doesn’t mean that one approach is better than the other or that you must choose between them—on the contrary, the combination of these two cards reminds you to do both. Sometimes, it would be better for you to follow the tradition, while in other cases, you should definitely make some unorthodox decisions. Pick your battles—you don’t always have to rebel against societal norms, but you shouldn’t be too scared to break them when needed.
The High Priestess and The Wheel of Fortune
The High Priestess symbolizes deep knowledge and wisdom, but do you know how to acquire these? The answer might surprise you: through change and transformation. Everything in this universe goes through changes, and nothing stays the same. Trying to resist the change will cause you to stagnate, and you will never be able to grow and reach your full potential.
Basically, when you get the High Priestess and the Wheel of Fortune together, it’s your reminder that you can only become wise if you allow yourself to change. You will need to go through many ups and downs. Sometimes, you will feel like you are running in circles, but life is cyclic and will continue to bring you to the same places until you learn your lessons.
The High Priestess and The Hanged Man
Sometimes, to fully understand some things, you need to look at them from a different perspective. That’s exactly the meaning behind the High Priestess & Hanged Man duo. When you see these two cards in the same tarot spread, it’s a message that you need to shift your perspective. Remember to surrender your biases and assumptions to get a clear picture of the situation.
The High Priestess and The Fool
What a combination: a card representing knowledge and wisdom and a card literally named “the Fool.” But do you recall what we learned in the previous section regarding a different perspective? The Fool is the first card in the tarot deck, and that’s not a coincidence. This card is a card of innocence and naïveté, as well as a card of new beginnings and adventure.
This card combination reminds us that there is a hidden wisdom in innocence and naïveté, even when it seems contradictory. If we all tried to go back to that state of childlike innocence, the world would be a much better place. Sometimes, we mistake someone’s simplicity for foolishness, but it can actually be a sign of a much deeper wisdom.
The High Priestess Card and Its Astrological Sign
This card is connected to the Moon, our mysterious yet captivating celestial friend. Both the High Priestess card and the Moon represent your feminine side, your intuition, and your spiritual insight. They are reminders that our minds hide so much and that there is so much we don’t know, even about ourselves.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article has helped you understand the meaning of the High Priestess card and how to use it for your personal growth. It’s always important to use any newly acquired knowledge to grow as a spiritual being; otherwise, you are accumulating knowledge without any higher purpose.
Also, remember that while all tarot cards have their traditional meanings, how you interpret them and how they will affect you and your life is up to you. So, the next time you want to read tarot cards, don’t forget that your destiny is in your hands. You decide which road you will take—tarot cards are simply your road signs.
Finally, let us be your tarot readers. Try our free tarot readings or chat online with a psychic!
