Journal Entries-For beginners - The High Priestess

raeanne

Inana,
There was a part of the Jewish Temple called the Holy of Holies. This area was where the spirit of G-d resided. Only the High Priest was allowed to go there. The Ark of the Covenant was also kept there. There was a veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the scared area. If you notice on the High Priestess card there is a veil behind her. We can see a bit of what is behind the veil. Having access to “behind the veil” means communing with G-d, touching your higher self, being one with the universe, becoming enlightened, or whatever other name you want to call it – the spiritual goal of mankind. In the New Testament, when Jesus was crucified, the veil of the Temple was ripped in two. This symbolized the opening of access to G-d by everyone, not just the high priest.
 

LadyMedusa

The High Priestess= Russian Tarot of St Petersburg

First Impression
The style of the card is more of a church figure rather than the priestess image usually associated with the card name.


Imagery/Insights
Woman on a throne wearing not a crown but the bishops hat. Representing religious or spiritual importance.The throne sits between 2 carved pillars=balance. A red scarf is draped over the back of the throne and around the pillars hiding a good part of it. Representing the curtain hiding the holy of holies.Hiding that which is not meant to be seen. Dressed well but simple in a gold color gown. A bright light green veil covers hair and shoulders. The color of spring =Earth or nature. The only jewelry is a ring and a russian cross on a chain around her neck. This says practicallity. Not concerned with worldly riches. She has a scroll in her lap. Is she reading it, or reading from it? =Knowledge She holds her arm raised in a gesture. Her hand making the gesture of the horns. A reference to Isis perhaps. A lion carved on the base of the throne=Strength.

Keywords
Femine, Mysteries, Secrecy, Knowledge, Spiritual, Things that remain unseen or unknown. Femine strength, practicality, sensible, in control of herself.

Add'l info
The woman in this card is thought to be Princess Olga. She was one of the first if not the first ruler of russia to embrace christianity. She was a strong sensible respected leader. Not without her "Moments" when the man who murdered her husband later proposed marriage, her way of refusing was to have one messanger buried alive, and another boiled in a bath.
 

Inana

raeanne said:
Inana,
There was a part of the Jewish Temple called the Holy of Holies. This area was where the spirit of G-d resided. Only the High Priest was allowed to go there. The Ark of the Covenant was also kept there. There was a veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the scared area. If you notice on the High Priestess card there is a veil behind her. We can see a bit of what is behind the veil. Having access to “behind the veil” means communing with G-d, touching your higher self, being one with the universe, becoming enlightened, or whatever other name you want to call it – the spiritual goal of mankind. In the New Testament, when Jesus was crucified, the veil of the Temple was ripped in two. This symbolized the opening of access to G-d by everyone, not just the high priest.

Raeanne, thanks a lot for this info. :)
This story is very interesting and gives more profundity and insight to the Priestess card, makes it to take still a more spiritual sense. And now i know why the veil is there.

In the card the veil is still complete and she is guarding it. We can see a bit of whats behind, but still can not go there. So... will the priestess allow ourselves to go through it? Will she guide us to get there? Or just the veil will open when its the time? Maybe all three. Just thinking about it...
 

LittleWing

The high priestess

pleased to meet everyone - i have finally caught up!!! so can participate properly

DECK - COSMIC TAROT

FIRST IMPRESSION - she is a strong woman - with brains and beauty. she is emotionally quite cold, perhaps sexually frustrated, proberbly lonley. she studies books - she studies occult.

IMAGERY & INSIGHT - her image is kind of hidden in the sea and the sky - mystery. the colours in the cards - pale blues and lilacs make me think of phycic ability. she has an open book - she can read the future. the yin yang symbol on her 3rd eye shows she is mentally balanced. the moon shows femaninity. she wears a thin veil - she can be secretive.


KEYWORDS - wisdom, knowledge, secrets, hidden knowledge, mystery

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i often get the high priestess when reading for others - who i interpret as myself - does anyone else??? i have heard that she often represents the tarot reader.
 

closerwalking

the High Priestess, Feng Shui deck

this card for me represents Intuition from other decks I have worked with. On this one, there is image of a regal woman sitting securely. she is wearing ornate hat, and has two large ornate vases on either side of her. her tiny feet are supported by two white stones. on her lap is a red ornate pot with vapors swirling out of it. behind her is is plain white wall, topped with blue colored stones and green fronds of some palm tree or plant are visible behind it. Her gaze is mysterious, somewhat intimidating. She seems very powerful and secure. Strong in a different way than the magician. Her strength comes from her being grounded securely and the swirling vapors coming from the ornate pot on her lap, close to her abdomen, womb. her chest is covered with beautiful ornate red, green vest, and the edges of her pristine white robe are trimmed in similar pattern on her torso. I feel the white wall behind her, her white robe, the plain colored floor beneath her, represent a calm mind, a quiet mind. the two huge vases represent the vast nourishment she stores for us. our Intuition hold for us. The pot on her lap intrigues me. It is mysterious, I feel it beckoning me, that she is beckoning me, my intuition is beckoning me, and it comes to me rather like a vapor. and somehow grounded in my womb, in my feminine creativity. It saddens me to read of all the negative perspectives of this image that other people have posted. There is so much misogyny in so many schools of thought and in so much of the images. This is one reason I stay away from the traditional decks. reversed this card for me would represent those misogynic beliefs, the ones that vilify intuitive knowing. the feminine way to knowledge that comes through our intuition. it would represent possibly relying on intellect, mistrusting intuition. Relying on patriarchal values and methods. self hatred of the feminine. self hatred of feminine values, self hatred of strong women, that comes from their womb. that comes from the seat of our creativity. both men and women have this.