Tarot Cards: The High Priestess
We continue our journey through the major arcana with the High Priestess.
Decks shown: The Crow Tarot, Dee-Barker Tarot, Tarot of the Divine, Linestrider Tarot, The Spacious Tarot
The High Priestess’s Insight
With the Magician we learn to understand and express our personal gifts. The High Priestess teaches us to listen to the whispers of our inner voice. She’s self-contained in that she only looks to two sources for guidance: herself and Spirit. Not a mentor, or a parent, or a spouse, or a friend. Not a manager or a teacher, or any other authority figure. She looks within herself to validate her experience, her timing, her wisdom, and her gifts.
The Moon rules the High Priestess, and we often find Moon symbolism on this card. The Magician parted the veil, but we need the Moon to shed light on what we see. Not the overly bright light of the Sun, but the nuanced perception granted by the Moon. In your natal chart, look to the Moon, the house ruled by her (Cancer), and the planets aspecting her to get a better idea of where you should remember to trust your intuition and be wary of seeking excessive external validation.
This is card 2 in the deck. It’s the blending of what’s within ourselves and the guidance of Spirit: our intuition. There are so many mysteries in the world. Are we open to the ones inside ourselves?
Keywords: Intuition, dreams, inner knowing, insight, balancing the self with the divine, connection, self-validation.
The High Priestess Upright
Trust the little voice whispering to you when the High Priestess appears upright. You know what’s right. You know what you need. And if you don’t? This is the perfect time to find a quiet place that feels sacred or special to you and go ask. Walk in the woods. Sit somewhere comfortable under the moon. Go to your favorite coffee shop. But find time without distractions to sit with yourself and ask your guides to help.
What signs, dreams, or intuitive nudges have been occurring recently? Spirit may not always speak directly, but the message is there. Sometimes it looks like coincidence or accident. It might be something that keeps happening, like a recurring dream, an image you keep coming across, or an animal you don’t usually see but keeps crossing your path. Listen to any flashes of insight you get now. Keep your own counsel until you’ve confirmed your decision.
If the High Priestess appears in the Shadow position (at the bottom of the deck), look to the rest of the cards to understand how you might be undermining yourself by looking for approval or permission from others.
Listen to yourself and seek confirmation in your own knowing. What do you know is right, deep down, if you pause to pay attention? How do you validate yourself?
The High Priestess Reversed
When the High Priestess is reversed, you might be giving your power away. What external sources are you seeking validation or approval from? Are you waiting for someone to give you permission, to acknowledge you, to praise you and lift you up? Do that for yourself.
You might also be too busy grinding and hustling right now—when was the last time you stopped to listen to your heart and soul? Take some time to check in with yourself and your guides. Remember why you’re doing all this. Is it for the right reasons? Are you still following your path, or has it shifted somewhere you don’t like deep down because you’ve been chasing external approval?
It’s time to reconnect with Spirit, and yourself. Yeah, bills gotta get paid and people need to be kept happy…but are you being true to yourself? Is there another way trying to make itself known in your heart?
High Priestess Spread
When you’ve reached a point where you need to check in and reconnect, try this High Priestess spread.
Card 1: What message do I need to heed right now?
Card 2: How are others influencing my thoughts or actions on this topic?
Card 3: How can I reconnect with myself to form my own insights on this topic?
