The High Priestess (II)

The High Priestess represents someone, male or female, who is very knowledgeable. They are a person of great intuition and with a vast store of secret esoteric knowledge. Behind her there is a forest of close-grown trees. They block out any view beyond, signifying that there is much we don't yet know but perhaps with the help of the High Priestess, we may be inspired by her intuition to look further into meanings and answers that are, as yet, unknown to us...... solutions we could not see clearly until now.

Behind the High Priestess we can see a Unicorn, a magical beast of legend. Just as the lion stands for the strength and courage of men, the Unicorn is a symbol of goodness and honour in women. When we encounter someone like the High Priestess we can be sure that this person can be trusted and will help us to look into our inner heart and mind to reach the solutions we need.

There are also two pairs of white doves. White doves are symbolic of peace. They are birds that mate for life and work together in the building of their nest and the rearing of their young, therefore they can be seen to represent dedication, honour and loyalty.

Hares, two of which we see beside the High Priestess, are associated with Lunar Goddesses such as Ostara and Diana. In this card, they are there to act as messengers for the High Priestess, carrying messages between the spiritual and earthly realm. They are also symbolize fertility.

The High Priestess is gently stroking a female deer. The doe represents compassion, caring and gentleness. It asks us to find the gentleness of spirit to accept people for what they are and not to try and change them, to find the deep love that it takes to heal all emotional wounds.

The black cat at the feet of the High Priestess is, again, a strong representation of esoteric knowledge. The cat is stoic, silent and mysterious and a master secret keeper. It is a symbol of protection and guardianship and, like the hares, it is there to aid the High Priestess in her work.

The little grey squirrel next to the cat is a symbol of trust. It is amongst the few animals trusting enough to feed from human hands. Just as the other creatures are at ease in the company of the High Priestess, the squirrel lets us know that we can put our full trust in the message/s that this card is sending us.

The card of the High Priestess is all about secret, hidden knowledge. When we become frustrated and discouraged because we feel overwhelmed by our situation, meditate on the butterflies in the card. Try to imitate their example. They sit for a while on a flower and then flit away, returning time and time again and always with grace. We musn't become totally discouraged if we do not find our answers immediately.

The plant at the bottom right-hand side of the card is the herb, Valerian. Made into a tea, it calms the nerves. It is only when we slow down and remain calm that we are able to find the answers that we need. The Valerian is symbolic of reaching that meditative state when solutions appear effortlessly to us.

To the right of the card we can see a snake/serpent. Because of biblical connotations the snake has attained the undeserved reputation as being evil. This is not so. Here, it is sending us the message to leave behind old ways and habits and nurture our more spiritual self.... just as the snake sheds its skin as if it is being born again. And, like the hare, it also is a symbol of fertility.

Right down at the bottom of the card, in the left-hand corner, is a spider's web. As the spider weaves her web, she is telling us that we are responsible for 'weaving' our own lives. We must think about the choices and decisions we make. We must ask ourselves if we are making the most of our lives and how our choices and decisions affect others. The spider's web is a beautiful and intricate construction and, like the spider, we are fully capable of constructing our lives so that we are living it to the full.

Whereas the card of the Magician was one of actively seeking answers by magical means, the card of the High Priestess is one of calmness and looking within. She is serene and loving, as can be seen by the trust shown by the creatures that surround her. The overall message that the High Priestess gives us is..... although we may feel as though we cannot see beyond that dark forest, there is a fast flowing stream of life that leads us through and beyond. Like her animals, we must place our trust in the High Priestess that the answers we are desperately seeking will, without a doubt, be shown to us.

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