The High Priestess and Two of Swords

fall_guy

Hello all,

I was wondering if anyone had any ideas about the similarity between the HP and 2 of Swords?

It occurred to me yesterday that the imagery is very similar between the two cards (seated women, crescent moon, water, number 2). Is the woman on the 2 of Swords the High Priestess? What could be meant by this?

It's made me wonder if some of the characters are repeated elsewhere in the deck...

Thanks.
 

BodhiSeed

Hi Fall_guy,
Thanks for bringing this up - I never made the connection before. Both the HP and the 2ofS represent duality to me. With the HP, it is conscious/unconscious, and with the 2ofS it is logical thinking/emotional thinking. However, they both represent stillness in some sense, and the blindfold on the 2ofS makes me think they both might be relying on intuition. Of course this is all just my opinion, not fact! :D

Bodhran
 

fall_guy

Interesting thoughts Bodhran. I like your ideas on the blindfold.

On the one hand, the HP is deliberately hiding the water with the veil, whereas the water is forcibly hidden from the 2ofS woman by the blindfold. The HP has a cross on her chest, and the 2ofS woman makes a cross using her arms. This is what makes me wonder if they're both the same woman...
 

BodhiSeed

The solar cross usually represents a union of opposites (masculine and feminine, etc.), which goes along with the duality aspect. I've never thought of the crossed arms as a cross, but it makes sense! But in the 2ofS case, its almost a duel (rather than a union) between the masculine (thinking with the head) and the feminine (thinking with the heart). Definitely something to think about Fall_guy!

Bodhran
 

Teheuti

Since the person in the 2 of Swords is blindfolded and the swords are crossed, yet she sits before a sea and the Moon (or an eclipsed moon) is in the sky, it's possible that the blindfold is a veil that keeps her from 'seeing' rationally (the swords), so that the only way out of her dilemma is to use her other senses to tell when the 'tide has turned' and it's time to act. I see this as a very High Priestess kind of state.

For the time being she can't see her way clear. Reason isn't helping or the currently known facts seem so evenly balanced that a decision can't yet be made.

Mary
 

fall_guy

Thanks Mary. There does seem to be feeling of 'using your other senses' in the 2ofS (as with the HP).

I'm afraid my knowledge of the RWS (and Pamela's symbolisms) is pretty limited, but it's really struck me how similar these two cards are. And I get the impression that there's a deeper significance here (beyond tarot reading interpretations) - as if Pamela's deliberately asking us to compare these two cards, or that they're part of some story.
That is what makes me think that the 2ofS woman is (or was, or will be) the High Priestess.

Or, of course, I'm seeing patterns that aren't really there...:D
 

Teheuti

fall_guy said:
as if Pamela's deliberately asking us to compare these two cards, or that they're part of some story.
That is what makes me think that the 2ofS woman is (or was, or will be) the High Priestess.
Or, of course, I'm seeing patterns that aren't really there...:D
Fall guy, when a feeling like this is so strong then it obviously means there's something important to you about it. I suggest you explore what that is. Perhaps right now the High Priestess wants to speak to you through the 2 of Swords woman.

I suggest sitting exactly like the woman in the 2 of Swords, try to take on every detail. Feel the weight and balance (or unbalance) of the swords. How do you feel about the blindfold? Create the whole scene in your mind's eye. Are you comfortable or not? Is there anything you need or want? Now: can the High Priestess speak to you? Or, are you the High Priestess and does someone else want something from you? Take it from there . . .

If you do this and would like to share what happens, I'm sure we'd all be interested.

Mary
 

caridwen

I see the blindfold as a deliberate action, she has put it on herself whereas the blindfold in the 8 of Swords has been put on by someone else. However, i don't know whether it's to listen to one's intuition or not, I suppose that's one possibility - Justice is usually blindfolded so she cannot be swayed by her vision and can remain objective. Maybe this woman is deliberately ignoring something or someone in order to remain objective while she makes up her mind. She crosses her arms over her heart so she cannot be swayed emotionally either so we are dealing with the rational here as well as the intuitive. The subconscious is calm in the background, if we look at the sea as the subconscious. Maybe this person is attempting to navigate the realms of the High Priestess and for that she needs to remain calm and closed off to outside stimuli. Yet the cube or box she sits on is only half exposed sometimes indicating only part awareness of what's going on. Therefore if we only listen to our intuition and nothing else, we cannot get the full picture.

When we look at the Two of Pentacles we see a storm brewing up in the background. We can read this in one of two ways; firstly as riding something out and being able to ride the waves. Secondly as juggling while a storm brews up. It gives a sense of time and we know we cannot juggle what we're doing for a long time. We have the same feeling here in the Two of Swords. There is no way she can hold this pose for too long and the tide will eventually come in.
 

lucifall

2 of Swords also has simmilarities with 9 of cups.
The woman and the man are sitting the same way
They fold their arms in the same way (right arm outside)
The feets also are showing into the same direction
The man of 9 of cups is sitting on a open wooden seat.
The Woman of 2 of Swords sits on a stone cub
We see the openess of the worldness of the man of C9 versus de closed, blindfolded woman of S2.

2 Swords- High Priestess.
-Both the number 2.
-The Females have the same appearance.
-Both are seated on a grey stone seat.
-Both are seated in front of the Sea.
-The Sea on II is veiled while behind the blindfolded woman the sea is clearly visible.
-On II lays the moon under the feet (unusual place)
-On SW2 the moon is on the the sky in an unusual way.
-The High Priestess is sitting between Boaz and Jahin; Female and Male;Yin - Yang; Dark-Light; The woman on SW2 bears those 2 dualities on her shoulders while trying to find the balance.
-When you put the card of SW2 on the Highpriestess than the swords cuts through Binah and Chockmah (2 + 3e Sefiroth) on the tree of life on the veil behind the Highpriestess and through Boaz and Jahin.
-Where the Highpriestess has the + on her chest, there has the woman her arms crossed. (So Together they form the Wheel of life)
-The woman on SW has crossed her arms. She is in her own world and is trying to come to insight only through thinking. The way to her feelings she has cut off with her 2 arms and the 2 swords.
This in contradiction with the Highpriestess, who is listening to her inner voice and intuition and has trust in life.
The rocks behind the woman of S2 are holding the water. The water can not flow freely there. Feelings cannot flow freely because the thoughts are withholding this. The Highpriestess knows everything concerning the flow, because she has the wisdom of the TORA.

And then:
P2: a "heavy" Sea
W2: The man is looking over the Sea
C2:No water shown on the cups ................
 

mollymawk

In 2 Swords, the islands (or rocks, if you will) represent the supernal triad--look at the arrangement.

High Priestess is the Moon trump, and 2 Swords is Moon in Libra. The balance point, if you will, and related to the woman in Justice (Libra), perhaps?

The other Moon pips, just to see if this goes in a story, are:

7 Swords (Moon in Aquarius) - and there is a moon hidden in one of the tent flaps in this card!
6 Disks (Moon in Taurus, exhalted)
4 Cups (Moon in Cancer, rulership)
9 Wands (Moon in Sagittarius)