While The Magician represents mastery of the physical world, The High Priestess rules all things spiritual. She is the embodiment of the divine feminine. A powerful force of psychic energy, this card also represents the ideal woman.
The High Priestess doesn’t just reflect a connection to heaven, she is a goddess. She sits with an air of tranquility and yet, she holds within her the power of the sun and the moon. The High Priestess acts as the keeper of divine law and the deeper meanings of the universe.
This card might be a representation of your own power. It encourages you to trust your intuition and may bring messages of your psychic ability. While it’s not traditionally a card of fertility, there are definite undertones of new beginnings and all the power of creation that women hold.
In today’s post, we’ll talk about the imagery of The High Priestess as depicted in the Rider-Waite deck. You’ll learn about the card’s symbolism, how other decks portray The High Priestess, and what it means in a reading.
Want to skip ahead? Jump down to the “What does The High Priestess mean in a reading?” section to find the upright and reversed meanings of the card. And, if you’re looking for brief definitions for all the cards, check out our Tarot Card Meanings Resource Page.
The High Priestess Imagery
The High Priestess sits regally in the center of the card. She wears a flowing gown and matching veil of light blue that extends out onto the floor before her. In her hands she holds a scroll. The light blue color of her robes and cross upon her chest are reminiscent of depictions of the Virgin Mary.
On her head, she wears a distinctive crown. Some would describe it as a horned diadem with a disk in the center that represents the sun, or moon, or globe. Others believe the crown represents the waxing and waning moons on either side of the full moon: the universal symbol for the Triple Goddess: mother, maiden, and crone.
Still others point to the crown for a connection to an Egyptian goddess: some say Isis, while others state that it is Hathor. If you study Isis or Hathor, you’ll notice these goddesses are powerful and correspond to the divine feminine picture of love, beauty, sexuality, and motherhood.
In other words, no matter which explanation for the crown you subscribe to, they all point to divine feminine power.
There is a crescent moon at her feet, and she sits between two pillars, one dark with a letter “B”, the other light with the letter “J”. Behind her hangs a tapestry of brightly colored pomegranates.
The High Priestess Symbolism Explained
To understand the card, let’s dive into the symbolism. Here are some things to note:
- TORA. Written on the scroll she holds, the word “Tora” means divine law. This represents the knowledge and memory she holds of all things, seen and unseen.
- Crescent Moon. The crescent moon is often read as a reference to things unknown or mysteries. But the cross on her neck represents the sun, so there is duality here. The symbol can relate to creativity and empathy, as well.
- Pillars. The pillars are light and dark, again showing duality. The letters stand for Jachin and Boaz, the pillars before the Temple of Solomon. The temple represents a holy site for all religions. In tarot it likely represents the metaphysical world – The High Priestess sits at the doorway of heaven.
- Blue Robes. The color is representative of spirituality and connection with the divine. It is also no accident that the robes and figure resemble the Virgin Mary.
- Cross. Some sources refer to the cross on her chest as the solar cross, again showing the duality between the sun and moon represented in the image. It can also be seen as a symbol to reinforce her divine knowledge.
- Crown. You might interpret the diadem as a representation of the Triple Goddess, the globe, the sun, or one of the Egyptian goddesses.
- Tapestry. Pomegranates and palm leaves decorate the tapestry behind her, representing fertility and duality (palm leaves = male, pomegranates = female). It also represents the circle of life.
- Body of Water. You can glimpse blue in the background behind the pillars and tapestry. If you look closely, you’ll notice a horizon line and lines to indicate a body of water. Water in tarot often represents emotions and may equate to intuition and psychic ability.
The High Priestess in Other Tarot Decks
The Rider-Waite deck reimagined this card as a High Priestess. Originally, she was The Popess or La Popessa. In this depiction, she alludes to Pope Joan, a woman who passed as a man and became the Pope. Her disguise was found out when she gave birth.
This depiction colors the card with an interpretation that persists in current decks – mystery and things that are hidden. In other tarot decks, this card is often represented as a powerful sorceress or divine figure, such as a goddess.
What Does The High Priestess Mean in a Reading?
The High Priestess Upright:
The High Priestess is often thought to be one of the most powerful in the deck. It represents psychic ability and intuition. Highly prized by tarot readers, psychics, and those who seek to develop their metaphysical skills, the card can be a good omen in new endeavors and is especially cherished by women.
Depending on where the card is in a spread, it may be telling you to listen more to your own inner voice or offer confirmation that your feelings about a situation are true. This card tells you that all the wisdom you need already resides within you.
As a person, The High Priestess represents the ideal woman in all things. This might be a love interest or a woman of great beauty and substance. Or it might be an indication that the querent has these goddess-like traits.
She is often sensitive and spiritual and may exhibit wisdom beyond her years. That’s because she has access to knowledge beyond this world, whether she fully realizes it or not.
The High Priestess also represents fertility, though The Empress is a better indication of pregnancy/starting a family. Duality is also clearly showcased in the card, and it can be a good indication that you have a firm understanding of the world around you but prefer to rely on mystical knowledge.
If you’re an avid follower of astrology, this card is most closely related to Pisces. Characteristics of ethereal wisdom, a love of water, and high emotional IQ are often attributed to this card. It can also be an indication that your situation is a fated part of your spiritual journey.
You may take this card as a sign of, and encouragement in, your personal power.
The High Priestess Reversed:
When The High Priestess reversed pops up in your reading, it can be a big, blaring warning that you’re not listening to your intuition.
Often when this card comes up, my advice is to see how you can turn it upright. Because usually it does mean that you have psychic ability or good intuition, but you’re not accessing it for some reason. Either you’re doubting your own gut, or you’re tuning it out.
In the reversed position, The High Priestess can also be a warning that you don’t have all the information. More specifically, that someone is purposely keeping secrets from you.
In rare cases, it can mean something very negative:
- A warning that someone is directing negative energy toward you. This might be simple gossip or malicious intent, often due to jealousy. In worst case scenarios, this might be an actual hex.
- A warning that you are misusing your own psychic ability. This might be by directing negative energy at another person or using your own gifts in a way that is unethical.
As a small note on misusing your own abilities: set aside the Wiccan Rede or any rules about karmic retribution for a moment. Not everyone believes the same thing and it’s not for me to judge anyone else’s practice. When the card indicates a warning for this reason, it’s because you’re harming yourself in some way. Possibly because you’re fixating too much on another person which is damaging to your own happiness.
Ready to Learn More About Working with Tarot?
With 78 cards and loads of resources, learning tarot can take some time. But it’s well worth the investment of hours. If you’re looking for more resources to get to know your cards, check out our posts on bonding with your tarot and the tarot accessories you need to get started.
If you’re interested in more posts like this one, stop by our blogs on The Fool and The Magician.