Mary El Tarot - The High Priestess

BrightEye

The issue of pregnancy came up early in the thread. In some old decks the Female Pope looks pregnant. Maybe it's a play on that too?
 

Eyebright

Wow what a card!

I like how she is rooted (for want of a better word) in the water a common symbol for the subconscious, intuitive side. She is definitely tapped into her intuition!
Being pregnant could show how she is full of knowledge, that has been fed and nurtured by the water.
I like also how her face is dark and obscured...we can never truly know her, she will always have her secrets. We are not ready to know them.

Being part tree seems apt to me for the HP, absorbing all this knowledge and wisdom, and using it grow and evolve.

I think the symbol on her belly is the Tree of Life glyph...again with the tree symbolism...

Her card is dark, especially compared to her counterpart the Magician, he is light and yang, she is dark and yin.

I want to draw a comparison between her card and the Heirophant for some reason. Don't you think you would be better nourished by her milk than the Heirpophant's? I feel like that's a metaphor for something that I can't quite articulate properly right now. Being nourished by your intuition and an older wisdom as opposed to doctrine?? It's right there but I can't get it out lol!!!!

I will come back to this card, I'm pretty tired and I know there's more waiting in this card for me...
 

Requiella

Wow what a card!
I want to draw a comparison between her card and the Heirophant for some reason. Don't you think you would be better nourished by her milk than the Heirpophant's? I feel like that's a metaphor for something that I can't quite articulate properly right now. Being nourished by your intuition and an older wisdom as opposed to doctrine?? It's right there but I can't get it out lol!!!!

Most definitely--great connection! The HP appears very healthily rooted in her wild, murky swamp, drawing nourishment in the form of intuitive wisdom from the subconscious; this is a striking contrast to the sickly, poison-filled Hierophant. (I already wrote a rather scathing post about organized religion on the Hierophant thread, so I'll leave it at that!)
 

vee

In the book, Marie says that the markings on her belly are a tree of life glyph that symbolize her knowledge & ancestral memory (akin to the book she's usually seem with).

I have to say, I didn't really like this card until I read her description of it. She describes it as the "dark and internal aspect of the primordial universe", as opposed to the Magician, which is "the light and brilliant aspect."

The Druidcraft is one of my favorite High Priestesses because of the raw and somewhat frightening power she seems to possess. Marie definitely seemed to be chasing that in this card. She references that the realm of the High Priestess is the subconscious, a "bottomless abyss" that can be very scary." Another quote I liked a lot: "The High Priestess is a Kraken, a sea monster with her collective head in the abysmal ocean and her tentacles extending beyond."

Also this reminded me Re: the fertility discussion of earlier: "The High Priestess is the feminine nothing...the womb wherein fertility can take place, the empty space where God is not."
 

Eyebright

I have thus far resisted reading the book, I want to see what I come up with myself, but it certainly sounds like it will be an interesting read.

I especially liked this quote of yours from the book, "dark and internal aspect of the primordial universe", as opposed to the Magician, which is "the light and brilliant aspect."
This really helps to show how the two cards are related to each other, The Magician is the white pillar/tower and the HP is the black, how they are opposites but linked and complement each other.

It's also interesting to compare her with the Empress as both these cards in this deck are depicted as mother archetypes, but vastly different in approach. The HP is more aloof and cold, compared to the much more maternal mother in the Empress
 

Bat Chicken

I don't have the deck yet, so no book either. It is forcing me to really look at the cards. But as the threads continue to get longer, it's good to have the whole picture!

The HP is a little scary and detached and should be, I think. The Magician is the Architect, the HP is FORM. I like to think of them as the Architect and the Oracle from the Matrix... :laugh:
 

vee

Would you guys prefer me to wait before posting any more tidbits from the book? I just got excited because I think the book is fabulous . I don't want to spoil your virginal adventure into the deck! I think it's a great idea. :)
 

vee

It's also interesting to compare her with the Empress as both these cards in this deck are depicted as mother archetypes, but vastly different in approach. The HP is more aloof and cold, compared to the much more maternal mother in the Empress

This is pretty much word for word what Marie says in the book. :) And I love it! I love the High Priestess as a mother archetype. I mean, she's not exactly the mom I wanna be. :laugh: but it's quite fascinating.
 

Bat Chicken

Would you guys prefer me to wait before posting any more tidbits from the book? I just got excited because I think the book is fabulous . I don't want to spoil your virginal adventure into the deck! I think it's a great idea. :)

Hi Vee - Please share whatever you think you find relevant. I am opening the threads blind, but hopefully not for much longer... :) I am just happy so many people are enjoying this deck, my experience is enhanced by yours!