The High Priestess in the Thoth Deck
In a Tarot reading, the High Priestess popping up means there is a secret, a mystery behind the query and/or a karmic situation that you cannot understand yet. It can mean that something clandestine is about to emerge. Of course there are way more esoteric interps for the High Priestess. I am tres simple with my Tarot readings. But it’s always bliss to see her. It may also be a sign to be comfortable not knowing the meaning or outcome of a scenario but trusting that there is a cosmic intent behind it.
If you see The Empress as the sensual aspect of the Feminine Divine, then the High Priestess is her more mystical aspect. A.k.a La Papesse, the Lady Pope…this links her to the fascinating myth (?) of Pope Joan. In the classic Waite pic of her, below, there are pomegranates which link her to Persephone & the headgear a la the Egyptian Isis.

There is a statue of her in a Welsh village called Portmeirion

And even though he’s apparently gone bust, Christian Lacroix managed to send a homage to her down the runway the other day; Nice as, actually, he is a Taurus & this is the astro correspondence most oft linked with the High Priestess.

Tags: astrology 2009, astrology blog, astrology fashion, astrology July 2009, astrology occult, Christian Lacroix, Christian Lacroix astrology, feminine divine, Goddess, goddess astrology, Isis, Pagan, Persephone, Pope Joan, Portmeirion, Tarot astrology, Tarot blog, Tarot readings, Taurean, Taurus, The Empress Waite Tarot, The High Priestess, Thoth Deck. Tarot, Wicca
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I never noticed the camel before in the Thoth version until now & love how they resonate with my inner Bedouin. I have camel dreaming, its such a THING for me. Bliss, yes Mystic, bliss.
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my great grandmother was a bedouin..
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Greetings, davidl. How are you, chook? From your previous posts about where you have lived and worked, I must assume that your bedouin great grandmama has passed on her wandering gene to you. I have always loved that word “bedouin” – so exotic.
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Feeling a bit better now tormented Ram? Things looking up?
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Dear UV, yes, I am feeling more hopeful now. I can feel that this eclipse is going to be awesomely powerful. I think I need to be ready for a pace more hectic than what I have now – but I am feeling this will be in a good way. My dreaming last night was terrifying but I know my current cycle is ending and a new one beckons. Are you well, pumpkin?
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I’m good. I think my Aries moon gives me a kind of turbo charge even when I’m a bit Virgoed out. Sounds like your inconquerable Ariesness is on the way back! All hail the fired up Ramette!
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I knew her quite well, lived with her when I was young. She was magical and mysterious, married at 14, her family grew pistachio near Baghdad and travelled each year to Cairo by camel train to sell them. They all got thrown out of their homes and came to Australia..lived in Maroubra, can you imagine how odd that would have been for her?
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The High Priestess is easily my favourite card, and I love the Persephone myth: the woman who spends half of the year fearlessly appeasing the dark forces of Pluto in the underworld, and whose return to the daylight world augurs the warmth and blossoming of spring. A woman for all seasons, depth and light.
I just love being a woman!
And I strangely WANT that Lacroix gown. OMG, what a work of art, very Spanish Madonna icon. Please Goddess Lacroix continues to create.
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and what a damn fine woman you are Über.
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Thanks robotsweetie! I’d love to wear that gown to the next eclipse. Woohoo.
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Absolutely Uber! I so understand your joy in womanhood, for all its travails and sorrows, it does hold amazing delights.
And like you I have embraced Persephone aside from the obvious commonalities, but also as an approach to the dualistic aspects of life, i.e. she loves both, rather than just one vs the other. It is in fact very much how women approach life wholistically.
Whereas I tend to think the nature of men is to seek perfection in one or several things. I’m sure La Lacroix will still create, who could stop him, no?
And yes, you are a damn fine woman!
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Gosh, thanks!
The male gods are so brutish and one dimensional in comparison to Persephone.
Hades/Pluto doesn’t do tenderness. He kidnapped Persephone because he couldn’t charm her with any kind of good grace, but he needed her to lighten his darkened world, to give him the tenderness he lacked. For her, it annihilated her innocence but gave her depth and understanding of the dark, an appreciation she was able to take to the world of light and that gives her a mature wholeness that becomes her mystical power.
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OMG the gown be astounding, he’s genius!!
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Boaz and Joachim – polarity
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The pomegranites and palm trees also represent polarity.
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The B and J represent Boaz and Jachin….meaning kingly an priestly which = stabitity….or more simply…….strength + establishment = stability..supposedly these two pillars stood in the porchway of King Solomn’s Temple…..one light, one dark
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……and described as having pomegranates at the base and lilies at the top
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OOOHHHH I love all the things to be learned here !!!!
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This is weird. I saw the Lacroix gone bust article with several images on line the other day and I remember thinking of the third pic above, I’m sure that will feature on one of Mystic’s posts!
I know nothing about Tarot, and will have to get reading as many of you here are so knowledgable and it seems to be of the same language as astro. I note the book Uber mentions co-authored by Liz Greene, thanks Uber, anyone recommend any others??
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The Tarot Workbook by Juliet Sharman Burke, goes beyond just interpretating each card and helps to build a more holistic relationship with them. By studying each card you build conscious and subconscious associations with them.
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Or you could just get a big A4 notebook and dedicate 2-4 pages per card. Start with the Major Arcana – look at image, note down first impressions and intuitions that come up. Stick it under your pillow and ask for a dream about the essence of the card then write it down in your notebook. Draw any imagery or key words you associate with the card.
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WhoaH! Thanks prowln, i’m glad i asked, you do love your tarot indeed.
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And since I’m in the mood and LUV my tarot ….
Major Arcana – symbolises all the major archetypal human experiences. Major Arcana turning up in a spread are significant as they point to big picture processes at work and give an overall impression of where the person you are reading for is at.
Minor Arcana – colours in the info of any Major Arcana present. So if a major change process is underway, the Minors will show where via the suit and card number.
Suit Elements
Wands: drive/passion/life force/creative expression
Cups: emotions/inner processes/relationships
Pentacles: wealth, security, the physical world
Swords: communication, truth (or delusion), conflict, the higher mindCard Numbers
1 – a new process or cycle beginning in the form of an idea, inspiration, opportunity or event
2 – 4 early development phase 2 sharing, 3 combining 4 stabilising
5 – first major crossroad in the process often turns up as a conflict, hiccup or roadblock that strengthens resolve
6 – reaching out/joining forces
7 – opposition/delusions/regrouping
8 – stagnation/giving up/confusion/ego denial
9 – fruits of labour/result/period of rest and satisfaction
10 – process is coming to completion/tying up loose ends/plateauThe suit numbers tie into numerology and describe growth and evolution of the self through the conflict, trials and tribulations that everyone experiences at some point. A predominance of a particular number reinforces that a life process at work is especially strong.
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prowlers love yr work – how do I get me a reading with you? LOVING yr knowledge share!!
my intro to astrology, yonks ago, was genius guru whose clients were visual learners…..her reading room floor laid out HUGE natal chart. she read & taught her clients at the same time.
you remind me of her xox
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Funny, the Liz Greene one was cowritten with J Sharman Burke.
Prowln, you are the tarot priestess! I like your methodology.
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I just adore Tarot Uber! Been reading since I was 15 and always find it interesting how people are drawn to certain esoteric tools. For me it’s tarot and astrology. Always has been. Crystals and runes et al leave me cold – not that there’s anything wrong with them, I just don’t have any connection with them you know? …. always wondered why that is.
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Court Cards
Symbolises people involved or playing a part in the persons life, or can symbolise how the person is reacting to a given situation in certain positions depending on the spread. A court card can also show up which “signifies” the reader – they are generally always of this type either by appearance or temprement – personally I go for temprement over appearance but sometimes the cards just want to go for hair colour.
They also have an alternate interpretation where they signify an idea (eg. Knights often symbolise movement, restlessness, change) or human institutions (lots of Queens might be a woman’s group, workplace if there are lots of women present that influence the person)
Court Cards are linked to the suits they represent and have astrological connections. (eg. Queen Pentacles is earthy, sensual, grounded, serene, knows how to enjoy life on the material plain, linked to an earth sign Virgo, Taurus, Capricorn)
Kings – leadership, control, direction, significant adult male such as husband or father
Queens – nurturing, mother, female boss, significant adult female such as wife, best friend, mother
Knights – movement, change, restlessness, significant young people or teenagers
Page – a herald, message, information, communication, a significant child-
prowln, what are Angel cards, are they like the Tarot? Over 12 months ago I had a reading done while at a health retreat and drew 6 cards (which I have a photocopy of). The consultant(?) woman wouldn’t interpret one of them, she brushed over it and I’ve always wondered what that one meant.
The cards were Sulis (bodies of water), Nurture (Archangel Gabriel), Ixchel (Medicine Woman), *Beloved One (Archangel Chamuel), Career Transition (Archangel Chamuel), and Mother Mary (Expect a Miracle)
The Beloved One – Archangel Chamuel: “I am helping you with your spiritual soulmate relationship” is the one she ignored.
Any ideas? Or are the Angel cards heresy to Tarot?
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ummm … my experience is tainted due to my crazy aunty who reads them. Put me right off. Doesn’t mean they don’t have merit though, however I have never studied them.
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Just googled angel card interps and that put me off! Think i’ll stick to astro and read the two tarot books suggested.
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FF – was the reading from straight Angel Cards, or the Archangel deck? I have both, and my parental also has the Goddess deck. From who you drew, sounds more like the archangel cards. I’m at work now, but when i get home, I will look at both my decks and read up on Archangel Chamuel. There is an interpretation book that comes with the cards, so will bring it in and if noone has answered your query I will post it.
I love the Angel Cards in a way I’ve never loved Tarot. I like prowln’s comment above about people finding the ‘tools’ that most suit them. For me Angel cards are eerily accurate, plus by naming the angels, I have been able to start calling on them in tough situations, or when i need a bit more support in my life. Not sure I’d call on 7 Pentagles in a tough situation….
There are similarities between tarot & angel cards, you can do readings, you can look at past/future/present situations, or just pull a card for inspiration, or in response to a specific question.
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Thanks postmodscorp! Yeah I think as draw included medicine woman, sulis and mother mary (who were not depicted as angels) must be angel as opposed to archangel pack.
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Hi FF – I haven’t forgotten to get this for you, but home life imploded, and so am managing that, and my own V dark moon emotions, and doing some major grieving over shite end to happy household due to one bats woman. Am still committed to getting interpretation to you!
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Additional Message: Love is in and around you right now. You don’t need to search for it. Rather, by holding loving thoughts and conducting loving actions, you attract and manifest love in all aspects of your life. Call upon me to guide your thoughts and actions, to bring romance into your life. Converse with me regularly about your love life. I can help you fall in love with your life, and heal and manifest wonderful relationships.
Working with Archangel Chamuel: Chamuel’s aura is pale green, like a springtime leaf in the morning sunlight. You can feel close to Chamuel’s loving energy by wearing or carrying a green fluorite chrystal.FF – I got it to you….. finally!
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Of all the decks available, i prefer ‘MotherPeace’ Tarot for it’s all encompassing info.
Have an aversion to the Crowley pack but beautiful illustrations, i admit.
The Motherpeace are round instead of square so you have various degrees
of the energy shown.
If i want the truth that i understand with no doubts or ambiguities it’s The
Animal Medicine deck i turn to & The Pathway placement of 7 cards.
Strange how hey mix a Medicine Woman with the Archangels, FF. No heresy as no dogma.
There was a rumour that it is better for someone to gift them to you, if that’s not poss,
then really take time choosing your deck.
Personally i love my quartz crystal egg & wand. I place them on a book i want to absorb,
then carry the crystal around in my hand to transmit the info to me.
Over 12 months ago i read a FengShui advice of wrapping a crystal in red paper, pop it into your
money purse or wallet for abundance.
Have not been short of cash since. Funny it looks like a tampon in there..lol but hey, it certainly has
legs so to speak. -
This is my card. I have always associated myself with this card even before I was really into witchcraft and other practices. My current deck is the Golden Tarot which is beautiful. I started having visions about Jaguars and seeing one around me and with me and in my dreams and then I noticed that the priestess card in my new deck has a jaguar on it.
To find out your major arcana tarot number you add your year of birth to your month and day and keep reducing until you get to the number.
so for me 1971 + 6 + 23 = 2000
2 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 2There’s a trick when it comes to the fool card. Major Arcana numbers are from 0 to 21 but no addition will give you zero so you move the fool to the other end and make it 22. so the valid major arcana numbers are 1 to 22.
So if somebody had a birthdate of 12/11/1970 that would be
12 + 11 + 1970 = 1993
1 + 9 + 9 + 3=22
this person would have their tarot number corresponding with the fool.I knew my card was the high priestess way before I found this number association.
It’s interesting thinking about the polarity… i’ve had a tarot reader and a psychic tell me recently that I live in two worlds, I stand in both. I haven’t quite worked out what that means for me consciously yet but it resonates with the High Priestess symbology
I have also been to hell and back in my life so can very much relate to the Persephone myth. -
MotherPeace High Priestess: = ‘Paying Attention’.
Polarity is ‘two in one’: = She represents the Egyptian Black Isis & Sophia Goddess of Wisdom.
Inner balance & waiting for the knowledge she knows is within.
Represents Water & the Moon & is the archetypal feminine receptive mode of consciousness, the
inner knowing of the heart.
The Guardian of the Gate & the Highest Teacher.
In my deck she is shown as a Black African Isis & the pillars are tribal drums, she sits on a red
mat with an exotic head dress similar to the Egyptian one but more feathers & beads & geometric designs
on her face. Sitting down with legs spread wide & knees up, hands palm up at her side open to receive
cosmic energies (footnote: or wisdom).
Meaning says: A wisdom is activated in you that is older & deeper than your ordinary mode of thinking.
Stay open to your body & emotions in order to come in contact with what you already know.Myst, thanks for reminding me/us/all x0x.
This is how Medicine Woman got in the mix with the Angelic realms or vice versa.
Wholistic QED’ed.
Ha Ha….believe EVERYTHING:) -
3 times a Cancer Babe,
That’s cool with the numerology.As i mentioned what’s there is there, just about accessing it.
In numerology, everything around I & I is 5.
FIVE…..says travel & change, halfway between the physical & spiritual, always changing the Status Quo,
asking peeps to make exeptions for me, changing the rules for individual circumstances, change change change. Even change clothes 4 times a day. Just when i think i know myself…i change.
………….and a 3 planets in Saggo persona as well.
NB; High Priestess came up as i was peri -menses. Just read all the notes on that page. hahah.There was a deck many moons ago called ‘Western Star Tarot’ & came with a map to place cards.
Another simple & lovely deck is ‘The Aquarian Tarot’ for beginners.
All instructions are included, Feline. And yes, one card a day or week…et voila, they will be good friends
& companions. The you call call on the energy at will by placing card of your choice on your ‘alter’.EveryGirl needs an alter or sacred/special place she turns to with your magical items.
How to know if anything is Sacred?
Just say ‘This is Sacred’ & you deem it so & ps: don’t go to Tarot Readers, DIY. You CAN be objective.
Word has it that you don’t really get to understand the
Sacred Secrets until you reach 40, as the brain it is said is not mature enough to comprehend such esoterica.
True in my case. Once one had to search & send for knowledge, now it jumps out at you!
It’s raining, we love rain in this parched state of oz, alas no frogs to herald it here.
Alchemist could have much to add if she was around……..calling Angel & Alchemist, add YOUR piece.
x-
interesting about the sacred secrets when you turn 40. I have two years to go….
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OOOOps, Pegs really really had her peace to add..lol.
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Something i was told once was that with tarot specifically there is a ‘price’ that must be paid for the information, some type of payment is extracted from the enquirer. Not knowing much about tarot I would like to know if this info is correct.
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i think i read something along those lines somewhere. I’ve dabbled in all things esoteric but never felt comfortable with tarot. I bought a pack when i was 14 but never used them much. Ended up throwing them out during a de-cluttering phase a few years ago.
I’m not a fan of mediums who use tarot either, especially when the interpretation is so literal. Saw two brilliant mediums recently who did the readings without any props.I like my Runes though.
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I have a set of cards called The Secret Dakini Oracle, they are based on Tantric teachings, I love them, readings are done by placing cards in the positions of the key chakra points. I have enjoyed the runes also but never had my own set. I agree with you regards the Tarot, just a little suss about them, though I do love some of the cards and their meanings.
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There is a myth I heard that the cards are inherited – they adopt you not you them if you know what I mean. Don’t know if that’s true but I do have some gypsy blood in there somewhere and they are renowned card readers. Have not heard about any strict payment rules David, though it is always customary to make a “contribution” to the reader … you know as a way of saying thanks.
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I found reading Dion Fortune’s fiction – in particular Moon Magic and the Sea Priestess were invaluable in assimilating the themes / energies of the high priestess / Isis. She also wrote non-fiction books on western / hermetic occult and the fiction then worked the theories into a story and voila Moon Magic and Sea Priestess were born.
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I’ve had a wonderful psychic read the cards (and her crystal ball….she sees symbols) for me since in my twenties. Haven’t seen her in the past 4 years though. Had already scheduled a session in ‘05 when I broke it off with the Pisces a few days prior. Due to seeing her, she helped me hold my resolve when I might have weakened.
In the early 90’s I got the H.P. card and she said the goddess could lead me to the door but not push me through. Many of the attributes of the card that Mystic outlines were very true for me in that there was more to the picture of what was going on at the time. It took five years to unravel and meanwhile can’t tell you how many times I’d wish I’d understood what was going on.
I’ve never heard of that David. Maybe someone else?
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I love consulting The Oracle of Madame Marie. I was walking up Oxford St one night & had that “direction” into a 2nd hand store & found this book in bubble wrap with 2 dice enclosed. Bought it. Loved it! At the 1st page it says “this belongs to … ” and in the introduction it says that the oracle comes to those that seek it & if you don’t write your name it moves on to the next person…etc etc etc. It lists 100 questions, you look up the question you want to ask, throw the dice, it directs you to a certain page, to a certain answer. it’s uncannily direct. Anyway….every time I have shared The Oracle with a friend, they invariably want one. It’s out of print. CANNOT find it in ANY bookstore blah blah blah. So I have put it out there THREE times & The Oracle has come to me each time. It took a few months to get it the last time, but it came. I worked across the road from Adyar Bookstore & they have a 2nd hand section there, I would totally forget about it & wham! Step out of the office & just know I had to go in & it was somehow there. It was the BEST feeling giving The Oracle to a friend who was so excited to recieve it. God I’d forgotten all about this…..it was such a blast actually having requests “received”. ok I am being such a rambler tonight…eep
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I just love the High Priestess card in the Thoth deck but I just think the artwork on the whole deck is out of this world, it’s fanastic. I’ve worked with the Thoth Tarot since I got drawn into the Tarot journey. The Rider-Waite Tarot left me cold, I’ve tried other Tarots (love Ruth Pollack’s The Shining Tribe’s deck for myself) but the Thoth deck sings for me. I’ve not been taught formally, I just work with the cards psychically and it works for me. It never ceases to amaze me what images emerge from each card in each reading which are as fresh as when I started doing Tarot readings. I’m teaching a couple of friends Tarot at present, we work intuitively and they’re brilliant, but for them it’s the Rider-Waite deck. I think it’s what resonates for you that works, there’s no right or wrong for anyone, just what sings to your heart and soul. The one card that always appears for me, though, is The Magician, guaranteed to pop up, so it’s my favourite.
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