The High Priestess

The High Priestess reminds us of the connection between our physical and spiritual lives. While her imagery often evokes hidden knowledge and ancient wisdom, she also challenges the dualistic view of body and soul that has been integral to much of Western thought since the ancient Greek Orphics, Pythagoreans, and Platonists. Instead of suggesting that the soul is entirely separate from the body, the High Priestess embodies the idea that consciousness, intuition, and spirituality arise from the physical reality of our existence.

Her symbolism reminds us that understanding life’s mysteries is not distant or unreachable, but woven into our lived experience. By understanding this, we can enhance our spiritual lives, personal journeys, and character development. Through the lens of Jewish tradition and the imagery of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, we can see how the High Priestess guides us toward a deeper understanding of the unity between body and soul.

Symbolism and Imagery

In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, the High Priestess sits serenely on a cubical stone, symbolizing the material world that grounds her spiritual wisdom. Behind her, a veil embroidered with pomegranates hangs between two pillars, suggesting a gateway between realms. Beyond the veil lies a body of water, an emblem of the unconscious mind, flowing toward the distant horizon.

The veil and pillars evoke the First Temple, referencing sacred mysteries and the duality of human nature: body and soul, conscious and unconscious, good and evil. The High Priestess, positioned between these dualities, acts as a mediator, embodying the central pillar of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. Her serene presence invites us to approach these mysteries not by rejecting the physical world, but by embracing its integral role in our spiritual development.

The Apparent Dualities of Human Nature

The celestial symbols on the High Priestess— a lunar crown representing the moon’s phases and a cross representing the sun’s cycles— remind us of the Jewish solar-lunar calendar and the cyclical nature of life. These symbols emphasize that human experience is deeply rooted in physicality. Our bodies are not obstacles to enlightenment but vessels through which intuition, emotion, and divine wisdom flow.

Jewish tradition underscores this unity. Deuteronomy 30:11–19 urges us to “choose life” and to recognize that divine wisdom is neither hidden nor distant:

“It is not in the heavens... nor is it beyond the sea... The word is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to do it.”

This teaching aligns with the High Priestess’s scroll, which reveals all but one letter of the Torah. Her flowing robes, which fall to the crescent moon at her feet, suggest that divine wisdom arises from within our physical nature. The High Priestess reminds us that holiness is not achieved by escaping the body but by embracing it and choosing life in all its fullness.

Connections to Jewish Tradition

In Jewish tradition, our two inclinations— the yetzer tov (good inclination) and yetzer hara (evil inclination)— are natural parts of our being. The High Priestess, seated between the black and white pillars, symbolizes the balance between these forces. She teaches that both are essential for survival and growth.

Her role contrasts with the Devil card, which depicts chains and entrapment. While the Devil represents our inclinations as burdens, the High Priestess shows us how to integrate them into a life of freedom and purpose. Freedom, she teaches, is not an absence of constraint but a harmonious relationship with the currents of life, much like a bird soaring on the wind or a canoe navigating a river.

The cubical seats of The Priestess and The Devil reflect the message of Deuteronomy with its images of two stones, freestanding pillars, one placed on Mount Gerizim and the other on Mount Ebal, representing life and death, good and evil, respectively. Just as the Israelites were instructed to choose life, so too does the High Priestess urge us to choose wisely from within the framework of our physical existence.

Personal Insight

While meditating on this card, I have often seen an empty canoe in the water behind the High Priestess— a personal symbol from my shamanic journeys. To me, this canoe represents the unguided spirit traveling through the waters of life, a poignant reminder of the connection between body and soul. It also serves as a metaphor for navigating life’s mysteries: our journey is guided by intuition, which arises from our physical nature.

Modern Perspectives

Modern tarot scholars offer rich insights into the High Priestess’s symbolism. Norma Cowie emphasizes the pillars as representing the contrasts within us— unconscious negativity and conscious striving for goodness. Laura Tempest Zakroff likens the High Priestess to the heart, pumping life through the body while symbolizing the hidden depths of consciousness.

Robin Wood’s depiction of the High Priestess places her outdoors, surrounded by nature. Her pentacle necklace underscores the harmony of body and spirit, while her open book suggests that wisdom is accessible to all who seek it. These interpretations align with Doreen Valiente’s Charge of the Star Goddess:

“If that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you shall never find it without.”

The High Priestess challenges us to trust our intuition and embrace the path that flows from within.

Conclusion

Spiritual growth comes not from denying our physical nature but from understanding and embracing it. The High Priestess reminds us that wisdom and guidance are not distant or hidden but arise from the union of body and soul, of heart and mind. Her invitation to “choose life” calls us to explore the depths of our nature and act with awareness, balance, and purpose.

By contemplating her symbolism, we learn that freedom and growth are not found in rejecting the physical world but in engaging with it and mastering ourselves. Through her, we see that the mysteries of life are already within us, waiting to be discovered.

The High Priestess invites us to choose life, not by ignoring the body but by recognizing that our consciousness and spirituality arise from it. She encourages us to explore the depths of our nature while embracing our physical life. We can balance the various aspects of our minds and choose a path of growth and wisdom. The High Priestess encourages us to seek spiritual maturity and the mastery of our physical life.

The Mary-El Tarot

Nine years ago, writing in a post called Tarophilia, I focused on two cards in the Mary-El Tarot that I had found particularly fascinating: The Hierophant and the Three of Swords. After all these years, I considered purchasing the deck today, only to discover that those two cards (as well as two others) have been changed!

The Hierophant of the first edition was intriguing because of its cleverly disturbing imagery. Perhaps because it was so unpopular, the artist, Marie White, replaced it with a new card. 

The imagery in the second edition Hierophant does not make you draw back in shock. It may even draw you in. Nice touches are the two tablets and bronze serpents. The single key is more prominent in this edition (which key is it?) and I wonder if that's a bee hive on top of it. Once again the figure is female and I wonder why. Those would be some of the questions to explore if I purchase the second edition.

The new card is more accessible and should allow for positive as well as negative interpretations. I can reluctantly accept the revised Hierophant since it would allow the reader to explore more than just the shadow side of religious tradition. This card could grow on me.

The new Three of Swords, however, is deeply disappointing. In the first edition, the card was an original piece of art showing a bird's flight hampered by the three swords (wounds) he clings to-- or perhaps showing a bird that has caught the swords before they could pierce him. 

None of the Minor Arcana cards in the first edition are RWS clones, but in the new edition, the Three of Swords has reverted to the usual, silly imagery of a heart pierced by three swords. Boring and cliché! (Tarot creators, please note: it only worked for Pamela Colman Smith.) Red roses have been thrown into the mix as well, with a rose bud growing from the left auricle.

Two other cards have been changed. They are Judgment and The High Priestess. Judgment is now a more fiery Phoenix. It may be an improvement, but not an essential one. On the other hand, the new High Priestess is amazing! She may even compensate for the desecration of the original Three of Swords. 

The original High Priestess was odd, its disparate bits of symbolism never really forming a single, coherent image. The first edition High Prietsess was too slender to be a Willendorf Venus as obviously intended, her fingers were like tree branches growing downward (but not from heaven), her headdress exploded into stars, the sefirot drawn in their original circular form on her broad, flat, naked belly made her look like a wheel of fortune, and there was all sorts of oddness just above the sea at her feet. (Maybe the guidebook would have helped me understand and bond with the card.)

 

Overall, the first edition High Priestess was jarring without adding depth to the meaning of the card. This card was one of the reasons that I did not purchase the deck.

The new High Priestess card is brilliant nod to the RWS, but takes the imagery in a more powerful direction. 

As in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, there are the two pillars of the Temple on either side of her, drawn in greater detail than in the RWS. A pomegranate curtain hangs between them behind her (screening a burning sun in a black sky). Her flowing robe, which begins as a veil over her head, merges into the reflective waters at her feet. 

What makes the image so much more powerful than the RWS, is that her hands caress and support Torah, the fire that burns within her. (Lo b'shamayim, it is not in the heavens.) The image connects the ancient tradition of Torah (black fire on white fire) with the more primal imagery of welcoming flames inside a sheltering cave.

This deck will remain on my wish list. Eventually, I may be extravagant and order a copy from the U.S. Before I decide, I'll have to review the images of the the Minor Arcana on her website and come to terms with the Aces and some of the courts. (Check out the sevens! And the decaying Queen of Pentacles!) 

I like that the Major Arcana cards seem to blend two concepts that have never been clear to me: "The Masculine" and "The Feminine."

*

Reading for Myself

These three cards address the first three categories covered in an online course called LifeBook.

The first three LifeBook sessions were thought provoking and inspiring, but I've had to ask for a refund because the video lessons (and even the audio only lessons) buffer so frequently that it made watching them absurdly time consuming.

In the meantime, I have my tarot cards to help me all twelve of the LifeBook categories, as well as anything else life delivers to my door.

What I need to know about health and fitness? 

The High Priestess indicates that I have been correct to listen to my my body's own wisdom about making changes more slowly than I had been. It will take discipline and self-mastery to become the priestess of my body, I must always remember that my body is sacred and should be treated gently. I must listen to my intuition and not sabotage myself.

What I need to know about my intellectual life?

The appearance of The Magician suggest that I have all the tools I need for an exciting intellectual life. He has the sword of intellect before him and also the other tools and gifts of life. If I develop a clear vision and  focus, I can achieve anything. I should allow my spiritual life to enrich my intellectual life.

How can I improve my emotional intelligence?

The World tells me to embrace Life, expect and be open to positive experiences, and rejoice in being alive. I should allow my experiences to inform my emotional intelligence. (At some point, I'll pull a few more cards for this topic.)

Update

I've been away from my blog for a year. I had surgeries in March, April, and November 2018. My long recovery continues.

The tayelet in May 2018 with Yakira and John

July 4th at WIZO with Arlan and the Anglim

Botanical Gardens in October with Arlan and Alessandra

November with Tan, Mocha, and Alessandra

Sigd 5780/2018:

Pesach 5781/2019 - visited Jessica and her family in Oregon for Pesach, was hospitalized briefly. Got to talk to Rabbi Berg several times. (Also visited the town of St. Paul.)

Early July 2019 - The Shamanic Global Summit; Daniel Foor was sensitive and intelligent. Laura Perin has had some interesting life experiences. Christine Stevens lead a journey and I asked to meet with the bird that sang for me on the Sigd hike.

Recently, while working on a representation of The High Priestess, I realized there is a canoe in the water behind the tarot figure. I recalled my journeys and pulled a card to ask why an empty canoe often appears.

The card was The Magician. It seemed an empowering card. My empty canoe is a magical tool that does not need a paddle. In the Robin Wood deck, the background is yellow, like the canoe in my representation of the HP, and it has a texture like a woven reed boat.

   

I've found a new drumming track for future journeys. I've been drawing and thinking and today, I re-read the posts about earlier journeys, discovering many things I hadn't recalled.

Two spreads for selecting a spiritual counselor

I just scheduled an hour-long spiritual counseling session with someone I've watched on YouTube a few times. Our appointment isn't for another sixteen days, which has given me time to second-guess my decision.

So I tried to create a spread to determine if working with this counselor would be beneficial. (I selected The High Priestess as the counselor's significator, because she's a guide and because she has very black hair.)

First reading

These were my questions: 

• As I approach, does she want to help me? 5 Swords
  Not a pretty card, it usually indicates a mean person, a "sore winner," who enjoys inflicting both defeat and humiliation. This doesn't look like the image of a spiritual counselor; maybe it's saying more about me as I approach her. Is there any indication that my situation would make me an "attractive" client to her?A positive spin would be that she wants to take negative thoughts (swords) from me.
• Does she have the resources to help me? Queen Swords
  Her rank indicates she has the experience to help, her sword indicates she has the knowledge and communication skills to help, and her open hand may suggest that she wants to help. But what might she do with the sword in her right hand if I reach for her left hand?
• Can she intuit what help I need? 6 Wands
  The card suggests that as long as I’m cooperating with her, she’ll be able to successfully intuit any needs that I am unaware of or unable to articulate.
• Will working with her put me on the right path? Tower
  This can be a terrible card, but could be interpreted positively, as enlightenment and recognition of what part of my foundation needs to be replaced.

I realized that, in the first reading, I'd committed the cardinal error of asking yes/no questions, so I did a second spread, which included a significator for myself, the Four of Wands, which appeared in a reading earlier today. I understood it to mean that my energy and creativity are restricted.

Second reading

These were my questions for the second reading: 

• What does the counselor want from me? 10 of Pentacles
  The cynical part of me answered: 'She wants my coins.' The more creative part of me thinks she's seeking wholeness, both for me and for herself.
• What do I want from her? 8 Strength
  Self-awareness, inner strength, a connection to my feelings, the integration of my conscious and unconscious.
• What can the counselor offer me? 7 Chariot
  Encouragement to get back on the horse and move forward, and an idea of what direction to go.
• What can I gain from working with her? 3 Empress
  Creativity, self-love, and a sense of self worth.
• What she cannot give me: 8 of Swords
  She cannot free me; I have to do that myself.
• Outcome of our work for me? 2 of Swords
  Usually a negative card, but here it might mean recognizing what my choices are, examining my feelings and intuition, and then balancing those with rational decision making, so I can get off the ruin and move to a better place.

The second reading seems fairly encouraging. And the outcome card (for each reading) could be positive, even though I most often assign "negative" meanings to The Tower and the Two of Swords.

EDIT: Oephebia had some additional ideas about both readings. In summary: Make sure the counselor is a compassionate person. Avoid being rigid; I must be willing to change and move forward without looking back.

Hidden One

Although I feel certain that I want to become a kohenet, I have trouble visualizing what that would mean.

My awareness of Shekhinah is still vague and hard to define. I feel ecstasy when the Torah is processed around the shul and, during the singing of Lecha Dodi, I see a glorious woman approaching. Shabbat and community have helped me sense the Divine Presence, but I do not yet really know Shekhinah, in the way that I know Hestia.

So I pulled some cards from The Fountain Tarot, asking how I can meet Shekhinah. I received the Nine of Cups and The High Priestess.

What was immediately notable in these two cards were the containers, cups and a crescent moon throne. In one, vessels have been overturned; when I first turned this card over, I momentarily saw the man's smiling face reflected in the water that had spilled from his nine cups. In the other card, a stern, emaciated woman perches awkwardly in a crescent throne; when I turned that card over I was repelled.

In The Fountain Tarot, the Nine of Cups is called Shared Happiness and The High Priestess is called Veiled Wisdom. Reversed, the Nine of Cups suggests giving up material things in favor of a spiritual quest. The High Priestess asks that we pause at the beginning of a spiritual quest to reflect on our paths.

The first card feels very feminine despite the central male figure. It’s as if his waters have broken—he’s birthed something new. The woman in the second card is rigid and controlled. She holds a scroll but does not invite us to look at it. Is she a guardian of the threshold? And if so, why is the full moon hidden behind the veil, inside the shrine?

It surprises me that my longing for Shekhinah would be represented by a bearded man giving birth. Nor would I expect Shekhinah, or her priestess, to be cold and unapproachable. (Or am I the rigid seeker—and Shekhinah the laughter that greets me in other people?)

Contemporary Goddess imagery is usually exuberant, showing abundance, compassion, strength, love, comfort. Even fearsome goddesses are appealing.

http://blog.onlineprasad.com

Surely Shekhinah has those same traits and yet, I found, many years ago, that my experiences in a goddess circle weren't replicated in Rosh Chodesh groups. It took years of journeying with Judaism before the idea of Shekhinah began to speak to me. As Judaism changed me and how I see the world, it also reshaped my relationship with the Divine Feminine—making her feel harder to find.

A friend pointed out that contemporary goddess followers are generally rejecting traditional religion, but that doesn't seem to be the case for Jewish women exploring the feminine divine. He's right. Shekhinah is woven into the fabric of Judaism and those who seek her aren't rejecting our culture, although we are looking to the more remote roots of our culture.

My experience of her is constrained—she is hidden in our texts, and that’s mostly where I’ve been searching. (The experience of being in nature... I can't give that a face or a name.) Contemporary goddess worshipers are free to choose from many goddesses—finding figures who resonate with their needs and interpreting those myths in light of their own experiences. But where can Jewish women find Shekhinah's stories?

Jews are commanded to care for the widow and orphan, but a solitary woman's place in Jewish society is precarious; she is invisible. Shekhinah has been invisible, a neglected widow, hungry, restricted by convention. She feels like a bound woman—a kind of spiritual agunah.

Because Shekhinah is not a goddess but a Presence, I seek her in our tradition and in my lived Jewish experience. Perhaps she is the reflection I glimpsed in the spilled water of the Nine of Cups. Perhaps she is the invitation behind the veil in The High Priestess card. Am I willing to reach toward her—and then wait, patiently, until she chooses to reveal a smiling face? Or some other face? Will I recognize, when I meet her gaze, that she has always been everything? Will I come to know her stories… or simply sense her as a presence in our Land?

Clarity of Vision and Purpose

Fountain Tarot

Today's card is The Magician. Rather than discuss the imagery of the card, I am going to explore its occult significance. I will be relying on attributions put forward by Donald Tyson. This topic is new to me so I'd appreciate comments.

Most often, The Magician is associated with the Hebrew letter bet. Bet, which also means house and begins the word for blessing, would seem to belong to The High Priestess, the temple keeper. Tyson links The Magician to the letter gimel.

Tyson's attribution immediately poses a problem. In the Zohar, the letter gimel is paired with the letter dalet. So you would conclude that The Magician (associated with gimel) and The Empress (associated with dalet) must also be a pair.

This connection is unexpected since The Magician, usually described in terms of the conscious mind, is often contrasted with the unconscious represented by The Priestess. The association of The Empress with dalet is more unexpected. Gimel is called a benefactor and dalet is called poverty. This seems counter intuitive because The Empress is the card of abundance and creativity; she is the one who nurtures all life.

When the Holy One desired to create the world, each of the letters came before Him and said, may it please You to create the world with me... The letters Dalet and Gimel entered [together]... He told them also be satisfied with being with each other, because there will always be poor men on Earth, and they should be given a benefactor. The letter Dalet is poor because it is called Dalet, from poverty (Heb. dalut), and the Gimel reciprocates as a benefactor (Heb. gomelet) to Dalet. Therefore do not leave each other, and it should suffice you that you sustain one another.

Universal Waite Tarot

(Gomelet, benefactor, is feminine here. We are used to the phrase gomel chasadim tovim-- who bestows kindly goodness-- being directed to a male divinity in the first blessing of the Amidah.)

So, the Empress has no wealth of her own and requires a benefactor. If The Magician is her benefactor, from where does he acquire the abundance that he shares with her?

Perhaps he receives it from The Priestess, the card immediately preceding him. That card's letter is bet, which means house or temple. The Empress's letter, dalet, means door. The Priestess tends the supernal temple, dwelling place of the Divine, and the Empress is the door of this world. The Magician stands between them, channeling blessings from the heavens to the Earth. The Supernal Mother, not Mother Earth, is the ultimate source "from whom all blessings flow."

The lesson of The Empress may be that we possess nothing, but what is the lesson of The Magician? Does he point to the the ultimate source of all abundance? Is he a reminder that to do our best work in the world, we must allow ourselves to be channels of a higher power?

Robin Wood Tarot

Those possibilities seem to be reflected in stance of figure in the Waite deck, his arms directing energy from the heavens to Earth. In the Fountain Tarot (top of post), the infinity symbol above the suit symbols could also be interpreted in those ways, but I am captivated by the eyes of that magician. They remind me of a recent parasha in which an older Joseph's clarity of vision helped him understand dreams, recognize his brothers, and act with the knowledge that god was guiding events.

It seems that contemplating the Kabbalistic associations to interpret the cards can be fruitful, too. My limited knowledge of Kabbalah, Hebrew, and astrology will prevent me from delving deeply into this side of tarot. So relying on the imagery of the cards to stimulate my intuition will probably remain my preferred method of reading the cards, but it is fun and interesting to pull some Judaism from the depths of my memory while playing with tarot cards. 

The High Priestess and The Hierophant

The High Priestess is one of the most recognizable and well-liked cards in the tarot deck. The attractive image of a mysterious woman, gazing at us compassionately is appealing.

The High Priestess asks us to pause and listen to our own souls before we proceed on our journey. She has found her right path and knows we can, too. She is silent and doesn't try to impose her answers on us, because her ego doesn't require that she be a respected authority. As a guide, she is receptive to our needs rather than being authoritative.

The Rider-Waite deck places her between two pillars symbolic of hierarchical, organized religion. In contrast, the Gaian Tarot frees her from man-made structures and places her in Nature. The somatic experience of being outdoors and feeling Nature's rhythms helps us connect to our intuition and our souls. The Priestess knows that we can become our own best guides.

Another religious figure in the tarot is The Hierophant, who is also seated between two pillars. The personality of this guide is very different than that of the High Priestess. In the Robin Wood Tarot, he is a tall, corpulent man gazing down sternly at two young children. He is an authority figure in a negative sense of the word. Maintaining the hierarchy has become his paramount concern and he is unwilling to engage, in a meaningful way, those who turn to him for guidance. His arrogance has stunted his own spiritual growth and he doesn't expect to be held to the same standards of behavior that he imposes on others.

In the Gaian Tarot, Joanna Powell Colbert changed the name of this card from "The Hierophant" to "The Teacher." Joanna's teacher sits on the ground, inviting us to join him. (Or is it her?) A teacher cannot teach without understanding his or her students, without trying to be at their "level." The Gaian Tarot's Teacher wants to help, but does not believe that she is superior to her students.

At his best, The Hierophant may indicate the wisdom of tradition, the experience of previous generations, or practices that will help us grow. How can we know which teachers to trust with the profound, spiritual moments of our lives? Too often, we hear of narcissistic, religious leaders behaving in self-serving and unethical ways.

Each card in the deck signifies a range of qualities from negative to positive. The Hierophant card can represent anything from reliable guidance to spiritual tyranny. The High Priestess card can indicate the search for spiritual truths or aimless superficiality.

We may turn to traditional teachings or communities to avoid the self-reflection and inner work that the High Priestess asks of us. However, The Hierophant also reminds us that self-discipline and effort are part of the spiritual journey. When we are attracted to the less rigid forms of spirituality that the High Priestess implies, we may also abandon clear thinking and hard work as we pursue passing attractions to superficial fads.

When either of these cards appears in a reading, you are facing a transformative spiritual lesson. Be sure you are following your own path and attending to it diligently.