The Moon at Her Feet

O_O

Could someone please explain the meaning of the moon at the left foot of the High Priestess? (how it relates to the meaning of the card)

And, is it her robe that's partially draped over it, or is that water?


Thanks
 

Rosanne

Golden Dawn associated this card with the Moon, and she has the headress of Isis (the moon and the Sun). So with RWS there is a correlation between the Pagan Isis and Mary the Mother of Jesus. All statues of the Immaculate Conception(Mary) have her standing on the Moon and a snake with her left foot. It comes from the Apocalypse or Revelations chapter twelve...
And a great sign appeared in the heaven- a woman clothed with the sun and the Moon under her feet and upon her head the twelve stars.......
This is Mary who was to bear the savior Jesus - Pregnacy and Birth were considered great mysteries and depicted Intuition because of that. Catholics believe that Mary is the mediatrix of all graces and is sort of co- redeemer with Christ. The Christian image is taken (I believe) almost completly from the pagan Isis worship. The foot indicates her elevation and the fact she crushes the great Dragon with her heel, overcoming her mortality by being taken up to heaven bodily without the corruption or decay of death. (which I do not believe)~Rosanne
 

O_O

Rosanne said:
Golden Dawn associated this card with the Moon, and she has the headress of Isis (the moon and the Sun). So with RWS there is a correlation between the Pagan Isis and Mary the Mother of Jesus. All statues of the Immaculate Conception(Mary) have her standing on the Moon and a snake with her left foot. It comes from the Apocalypse or Revelations chapter twelve...
And a great sign appeared in the heaven- a woman clothed with the sun and the Moon under her feet and upon her head the twelve stars.......
This is Mary who was to bear the savior Jesus - Pregnacy and Birth were considered great mysteries and depicted Intuition because of that. Catholics believe that Mary is the mediatrix of all graces and is sort of co- redeemer with Christ. The Christian image is taken (I believe) almost completly from the pagan Isis worship. The foot indicates her elevation and the fact she crushes the great Dragon with her heel, overcoming her mortality by being taken up to heaven bodily without the corruption or decay of death. (which I do not believe)~Rosanne


I'm familiar with the Egyptian myths surrounding Auset (Isis) and the fact that the attributes of Mary were gleaned from her worship, but I wasn't aware of the other Christian symbolism you mention.

Very Informative!!

Thank You :)


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roppo

and the imagery of the Immaculate Conception is taken from the Song of Songs; its visual presentation reminds one of those of Tarot (imo!). See an example of early 16th century printed horae.

http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~elfindog/v1frnt.jpg.

Incidentally, I recently read in Didron that iconographically a scroll symbolizes imperfect knowledge, while a square book, a perfect one. This might explain the reason that II of RWS holds a TORA scroll while evangelical four beasts of X read square books.
 

MikeTheAltarboy

The Marian imagery also applies to the Empress - the Crown of Twelve Stars. The two cards cross on the tree of life, and seem to me to be two facets of Mary as the manifestation of the Supernals.
 

Penelope

first printed in 1889

Le Tarot de Oswald Wirth, here shown as it was reprinted
by the Artist in 1927, may well have been one of the "big"
influences on some of the stylistic choices made by Smith.

II La Papesse & III l'Imperatrice may be seen by following:

www.chez.com/alkast/

1. Allow the opening page to automatically switch to Index.
2. Scroll down to:

Galeries d'Images et de peintures:
Les 22 Arcanes du tarot des Bohémiens d'après O.Wirth,
une réédition américaine du jeu, et des dessins symboliques d'O.Wirth

3. Click on "22 Arcanes"
4. Have :) Fun!
 

Abrac

The moon has a long history of association with the feminine, creative principle. Its meaning here seems pretty clear, but what's interesting to me is the fact that it's at her feet. This says to me she's on a higher plane than it is.

The High Priestess is the source, the seed of life. The theme of female fruition can be seen in the Date Palms and Pomegranates on the veil behind her. The words of the Tora she holds in her lap are the seeds that lead to immortality. She is robed in the essence of life, which flows from her and turns to water as it reaches the material plane, by way of the moon. You can see the water flowing through many of the other cards in the major arcana. She is Nature in the abstract sense, the invisible, yet ever-present, Universal Mother. The Empress is her daughter.

fools fool
 

squeakmo9

High Priestess

The High Priestess appears to be melting with the water, emotions that are typified with the moon. Just like the Queen of Cups whose feet appear to be dissolving into the water, she is highly emotional. For the Priestess, there is a challenge to maintain balance between the emotions and the intellect. The two pillars she sits between as well as the cross on her chest, denotes balance issues.
 

Umbrae

I could be wrong – but I always thought that the HP’s headdress was that of the Egyptian goddess Hathor, the sundisk, and the two horns…
 

Rosanne

Umbrae-Yes you are right-you are not wrong! The quote from the bible was about the Queen of Heaven standing on the moon from the Revalations. :* ~Rosanne