Pearls of Wisdom - High Priestess

Rede Seeker

Whoa....so much swirling energy. It's almost manic to my mind.

The High Priestess looks more like a bride than the virgin priestess of other decks. Her hair is blowing freely in golden tendrils. She wears a golden headress with five stars with a white veil attached. Six pearls dangle from each end of the headress. They are blowing in the wind, or caught in the movement of her dance, it's hard to tell which. Her jewelry includes a golden choker with five inset pearls and a golden bracelet inset with stars. Her girdle/belt is slung low on her hips like a belly dancer's. It looks to be made of gold beads. A censor is tied to her right wrist; there are vapor lines eminating from it. Her gown is long and in flowing blue colors. She wears blue shoes to match the gown. She seems to be standing in water; her gown matches the color at her feet. There is a waxing cresent above her right foot. Her gown looks to be an empire-style with low cut bodice and a single star in the space below and between her breasts.

The High Priestess waves to us with her right hand. There is a sworl mark in the palm, perhaps indicating the palm chakra. Her left hand has an eye tatoo; her gesture is one of receiving. The eye tatoo also appears on her forehead in the 'third eye chakra' position. Her cheeks and chin are marked with sworling lines. Her eyes are green. What is she wearing? A serpent - green with golden diamond-shapes along it's back. It twines around a pedestal to her left then under her left arm and over her shoulders. The serpent's head is on the High Priestess' right shoulder, at the same height as the Priestess' The serpent's tongue is out; a single pearl rests on the fork.

The pedestal on the High Priestess' right holds a glowing white crystal similar in style to the pearl-like moon above her head, but the colors are red-yellow-white. The moon above the High Priestess's head is white-yellow- light and medium blue-pink. The sworl pattern is the same. The moon is also glowing. Beside the moon are three shining stars. To the left of the moon is a tall sworl pattern - a spirit taking form? It looks like this sworl has sent out an arm to pat the moon.

The pedestal on the High Priestess' right holds a book open to a page with writing on it. There is a pen poised above the book ready to write more.

On the upper corners of this card are tropical-looking flowers, open and in full bloom. On the right and left columns are golden brackets, each holding three lit candles. The candles are the same size and shape (female torso). The candles on the left-hand side do not burn as brightly as the candles on the left-hand side.

There is a golden cauldron on the lower left-hand corner. It is marked with the elemental signs for Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. There is an infinity symbol above them. The cauldron has two handles and three legs. The contents seem to be seething - there are vapor lines eminating from it. In those vapor lines we see suspended a paint brush drooling paint, a ready-to-eat apple, and a single lit candle in a golden holder.

There is an owl perched in the lower right-hand corner. It looks straight at us.

An odd thing about the pedestals and candles on the wall sconces beside them. The candles on the right-hand side burn brightly, but the pedestal is dark (purple); the candles on the left-hand side burn less brightly but the pedestal is a lighter color (lavender). The book resting on the lavender pedestal is well lit - we can see the writing there. The sphere resting on the purple pedestal is glowing, but that glow and the light from the candles do not brighten the pedestal.

There are no Runes scribed on the sides.

I rede vibrant life and joy. I would say that this High Priestess can '...ride with the Gods...dance with the days and the seasons...' (ref. 'A Runic Inspiration' by Maddy Hutter and Stephen A. McNallen.) She is not a cloistered virgin sitting on a high seat in a temple. She is out under the moon and stars, feet in the waters of Life, air catching her tresses, veil and incense. Fire lights her way and renders the Mysteries into a useable form (the seething cauldron).

Any thoughts on the big sworl pattern on the left-hand side of the card - it reaches towards the full moon?

The waxing cresent is at her feet; the full moon is overhead - where is the waning light? Any thoughts on that? Our High Priestess is connected with the tides of life as they expand, where is her connection to the darker side of Life, the receeding tide?
 

Marli

Additional Thoughts...

RS, yet another wonderful description, I had looked at this card sooo many times and did not know where to begin for the description/interpretation..

One of the things that I noticed and had a slightly different perception of was the High Priestess' right hand and it's connection to the pen. It looked to me as though she was infact controlling the pen through some sort of energy, as a matter of fact if you look at her righthand, there seems to be energy coming all the way up her hand and culminating in her palm, and by extension the pen. Wondering if that same energy is what the big sworl maybe eminating from and the snake on her shoulder is watching it's journey on her behalf?!

The other thing that I noticed was the paintbrush beneath the apple in front of the column to the right of the High Priestess, it seems to be ebbing some sort of liquid.... the only thing that comes to mind is creativity flowing all around her?

As for the cresent moon, the only thought that comes to mind is balance, for in order for her to be truly wise (as symbolised by the apple) she must know both the good and the bad.
 

Rede Seeker

Cauldron to candle to moon?

Marli, thanks for pointing out the connection between the moving pen and the High Priestess' right hand.

I took a closer look and now I can see the vapors rising from the cauldron in the lower left-hand corner swirling up and over the paint bursh and apple; around the candle and up behind the High Priestess' right hand. It does look like something she is 'cooking up' in the cauldron is blending with other energies around her.

There is so much positive, expanding energy here. It's interesting to me that the owl is grounded (lower right-hand corner) - is there too much competition in the air for him while the High Priestess does her work? The owl looks like it is standing watch over her workspace.