The High Priestess!

I have chosen a comparison between four cards which have the same title ‘the High Priestess’. Firstly from Ciro Marchetti’s Gilded Tarot, the High Priestess is a dreamlike sylph which floats by a sliver of a new moon. It tells us to “pay attention and recognise that there are different ways of knowing. While the star and planets of the night sky can be charted and understood rationally, the same sky inspires us in ways foreign to our sense of reason.”  The Chinese New Year 2020 falls on 25th January and it is a Metal Rat Year (every Chinese Zodiac sign depicts an animal). Take a look in the dark sky and watch out for the new moon. 

Next is High Priestess from Debra Givin’s Cat’s Eye Tarot. It’s keywords are: Non-action; unconscious; awareness; potential; mystery. The card shows a moonlit ocean which beckons this white cat to venture out into the night. She returns in her own time, never sharing the details of her secret life. Inviting and yet aloof, this inscrutable cat will not reveal what she knows. You will have to discover for yourself the unconscious awareness that she possesses. You are instructed to be still. Allow yourself to know what you need to know before you proceed. If it does not feel right, it is not right. Trust your intuition. Do not act just for the sake of doing something. Often it is only possible to learn a secret by waiting patiently for a mystery to reveal itself. Do not fret. Centre yourself. Quiet your mind. Purr!

From Liz Dean’s The Victorian Steampunk Tarot, The High Priestess is the card of the Moon and the keywords are: secrets; learning; psychic development. From the mid 1800s it was not unusual to partake of a spiritualist seance, where invited guests sat in a circle for spirit communion. One of the most celebrated mediums of this time was the Scot Daniel Dunglas Home who channelled spirits and seemed to disappear from the room and reappear in another. Like him, The High Priestess walks between the worlds – the Earth plane and the Spirit realm. Depicted in the card, the crystal ball tells us that this is a card of clairvoyance, while the sacred book denotes knowledge. The pomegranate fruit represents creativity, and the Moon symbolises the feminine principle., the psyche, dreams, and otherworldy wisdom, and echoes the Moon-Crown of Isis, Queen of Egyptian magic. The High Priestess’s face is enclosed in a locket, representing privacy and enclosure. She asks you to rely on your intuition rather than facts. You may discover secrets. She may also represent education, a good mentor, and spiritual development - you might soon connect with a spirit guide. Pay attention to your dreams and other messages from your sixth sense. Trust your knowing.

Lastly, from Tarot of the Goddesses by Maria Caratti, we see an enthroned High Priestess wearing the horned headdress with the full moon resting within them. Her hands are raised in worship to the starry heavens and the great pyramid is behind her. The information tells us that we are in the presence of Isis, queen of all Goddesses who says ‘Bow down before me. I am the guardian of occult knowledge and magic. I am mystery, intuition, and female consciousness’. I hope these four cards have given my readers a glimpse into the variety of cards, of their images and explanations. 

Reading by Wendy Stokes. https://Wendystokes.co.uk