Comparative Study - The High Priestess

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 21 Sep 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Dark_angel	21 Sep 2003
I'm going to use the Gothic Tarot by Vargo, which is one of my newer decks. The High Priestess is almost feline in appearance ; she emerges from a doorway engraved with Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, and it is impossible to penetrate the darkness behind her. She superficially resembles a standard Egyptian High Priestess, with the crescent moon of Hathor, the ankh symbolising life and fertility (in this card, more to do with the mind and spirit rather than the body), and the gods Ra and Anubis engraved on the columns to either side of her. However, there is a predatory aspect to her which is quite rare among Priestesses, at least in my experience. It is as though, rather than waiting for knowledge to come to her, she hunts it down. She has the wisdom and spirituality of the cosmos within her, and gains strength and grace from this. Not for her is the blind fumbling of the human race; she has power, far more primal than that of the Magician. His comes from balance, hers from accepting and embracing the chaos of the universe.

WolfyJames	24 Sep 2003
How beautiful is the Gothic Tarot, it's on my wish list and I envy you for having it. The Enchanted Tarot (Zerner-Farber) - II The High Priestess In rich gold embroidery, the High Priestess stands; it's at night, and she is between two trees, in front of her sacred cave. The sky is filled with shining stars, revealing the immensity of her kingdom. She wears a red dress with a blue veil, hiding her secrets within her. The water at her feet and her veil reveal the women's mysterious energies, fluid. The moon crescent she wears as a crown reveal women's natural cycles, following nature's cycles. A griffin at her feet seems happy, and is the projection of the High Priestess's desires. At the top there is a owl in a moon crescent, surrounded by five triangular emeralds. The owl represents Athena, godess of this kingdom. http://www.geocities.com/wolfyjames13/nada/enchantedhighpriestess.jpg If this one doesn't work, try this one: http://www.geocities.com/wolfyjames13/nada/

Mimers	25 Sep 2003
The High Priestess from the Blue Rose Tarot is beautiful. The card is primarily hues of gold, fiery orange and black which all lend to her mistique.The Priestess is in a room where the entryway has no door. Anyone can enter, if you can find the door. Outside the door we see a dark barron forest cloaked in the night. Who would think to venture through this forest to find her? In the room the High priestess emerges from the wall, indicating that she is obscure, not obvious. If you walk into the room you will not see her, you must trust she is there. As she emerges, her eyes are fixated upon a cup that sits on a table in the center of the room. The cup is filled with black fluid and the moon is reflected in it. This is where we must look to find our intuition, our inner feminity. Deep inside the cup. Directly above the cup, the ceiling of the room has an opening. Through this opening we see the dark night sky with the stars and the moon shining. The ceiling seems to be made of earth with grass growing on it indicating we must go benieth the layers to get in touch with this part of ourselves. The High Priestess is naked from the waist up. Her legs and lower torso are still a part of the wall. She works primarily from the higher chakras. From her heart for love, her throat for communicating to our conciousness, her inner eye, because she sees things we don't and her crown chackra where she is connected to the Divine. You will notice that as you go further up her body, her color changes from a deep, fiery orange to a bright, illuminating gold. She literally lights up the room. From the table grow 2 white flowers. They look like Poppys, the source of opium. To me, this indicates that a deep meditative state enables us to reach her and hear her better. I found a picture of her at this link! check her out. http://www.tarotpassages.com/pgtar1.htm

Mimers	02 Oct 2003
The Drogi deck is beautiful with is simple and contrasting color. There was much feeling put into each brushstroke when creating this deck. All the cards have a black backround with the objects in the card primarily in gold and white (almost silver). She looks happy and content as she looks up to the moon in the sky. She wears a gold flowing gown one strap falling off her sholder. This giving me the feeling that she is so at ease. There is a strap around her head that covers her third eye and an amulet around her neck in the shape of a 4 leaf clover, or a cross with round digits as apposed to a pointy cross. From her hands shoot bursts of gold light. Her right hand directs this energy to the ground and her left directs this energy to the universe. This means so much to me. She is shining her spirit in the world and to the universe. We are all a part of this spirit and we all shine our lite both here on earth and as a part of the one Great Spirit. She tells me to let my lite shine! Be free to let it go. When you do, you will know freedom, you will share your beauty. Let your spirit free. Standing at her feet is a dog howling at the moon. Normally this would remind us of the Moon card, but here there is only one dog, so forget the implications of the dogs in the moon card. Here the dog is letting his instincts toward the moon guide him. The message is to let your spirit be your guide. Follow it and do not be afraid of it. Once you do, your light will shine here on earth as it does in the heavens. I will be purchasing a scanner soon (next paycheck) and will come back and post this card. It is very beautiful and helps us to see the High Priestess no longer as the somber virgin, but as the free and happy spirit. Mimers

WolfyJames	02 Oct 2003
I would be more than glad to see it. I enjoy these comparative studies and I like comparing and viewing the different ways the cards are reinterpreted by the artists. It makes me see elements in my own tarot I haven't seen before. I'm planning to get a scanner too, eventualy.

Dark_angel	02 Oct 2003
I really like them, too; I was so pleased when Yaboot001 thought them up, that I said I'd continue them in his absence. A new one will be on its way as soon as I finish my latest attachment - tarot cards and hospitals don't seem to mix, for some reason. xxx

Sulis	03 Oct 2003
The face of a beautiful woman gazes at the reader over a moonlit sea. A thin, gossamer viel covers the top half of her face, it gives her an air of eastern mystery: She could just as easily be a member of a hareem as a priestess. She has 'Come to bed eyes', she looks deeply sexual, a quality which often frightens as well as excites. On her brow, over her 3rd eye chakra she wars the yin-yang, a symbol of the universe, male and female, light and dark, each half containing a seed of the other. Before her, a crescent moon lies on an open book on which are written the first and last letters of the greek alphabet Alpha and Omega - all knowledge is contained within. There is lots of water in this card; her hair looks like water, the ocean behind her representing the unconcious, the hidden, the unknown, the feminine. the Moon is the ruling planet of this card, associated with femininity it governs the bodily cycles of women, it also controls the tides - there is a cyclical element to this card. Her gaze is almost challenging - she dares us to come closer, to discover the knowledge she has to offer. I'm really enjoying this thread too. Love and light Sulis xx

Macavity	05 Oct 2003
Clive Barrett's Egyptian Tarot shows the "Priestess of the Silver Star" as a seated Isis wearing the Crown of Hathor (Cow horns either side of the Solar disk) perhaps adding a little "maternal worldliness" to the traditional maidenly aspect? Much of the symbolism here is taken (cleverly!) from the Crowley-Thoth, with occasional nods to the RWS. The priestess, as ever, occupies the "central pillar" of the tree of life, as Isis was often associated with Egyptian trees of life in Ancient iconography! The Ra solar disk is (perhaps) coincident with Kether with her heart (as Malkuth) protected by a blood-red Ankh, as the archetypal Egyptian symbol of eternal life. The floor tile pattern appears vaguely "masonic", but the CT's (or GD) "mulier" lunar arm gesture, becomes an explicit crescent moon at her feet, along with a retained(!) "Toy Camel" of Hebrew's Gimel. Barrett adds a Dove of peace and a Morning Star (Venus) above the Priestess's right shoulder. With arms freed, his version holds the Tora, yet alludes back to the Thoth's "Bow of Artemis", in the presence of a single arrow (floor lower right). On the floor are strewn the ubiquitious(?) pomegranates! ;) In Isis, we see a Magician of at least of the calibre of Thoth (Barret uses Thoth as the Magus and depicts him on the pillars here) In an interview Barrett said that the real life model for this Priestess was GD high-priestess Leila Waddell. An Aussie violinist, L.W. is often described as one of "Crowley's Women", yet is also cited as co-author (With A.C.) in at least one GD work? Hmmm... Maybe HE was really one of "Leila's Guys"? And, in this (rather stunning) instance, who could blame him! :D Macavity

mercenary30	06 Oct 2003
She sits between two pillars facing you. The pillars look the same, with sea shells and a leering face carved in them. The one on her right is dark gray, on her left, white. Behind her, through a gossamer veil can be seen the spires of a grand building. At her feet lies a globe. A small dragon or serpent is wrapped around it. A crescent is near her left leg, although it does appear like it could be horns on the dragons head. In her lap is an open book. She hold up another between her right leg and her right arm. Her clothes are fairly simple, purple robes, and a green cape. She has golden hair with a green laurel crown on her head. As she is looking at you, her left hand is pointing to a reference in the book on her lap. She does not need to read the book. She knows it very well, and she is making sure you at least understand this particular point. If you still are not convinced, she can further reference it with the other book, which she has already made available. She is not condescending, demeaning, or judgmental. She is just factual.

Mimers	18 Nov 2003
The High Priestess in this deck is called The Veil. This alone connotates that perhaps our High Priestess is not our deep sub concious but the doorway to it. In the Tarot de Paris, The High Priestess card is is shades of violet. This makes me think of our 6th chakra Ajna, witch is our third eye. The energy of our third eye, our intuition. When we listen and view the world with this eye, we see without judgement. This eye can guide us through life if we would but trust it and let it. The woman in this card appears to be lifting a viel from the top of her head. She stands between two pillars one darker than the other. A third pillar of light comes from above and down through her crown chakra. She is illuminated by this light. What we see through our third eye is divinly inspired. She stands between two pools of water. Just as for us she stands between two planes. Our concious and our subconcious. Somewhere between the two is the veil. A lamb stand alongside her. It trusts her to guide it to safety. The cresent moon is in the lower right hand corner.

Tarot Sparrow	19 Nov 2003
The High Priestess in the Hudes Tarot sits on a window ledge between two wooden pillars, her back to the lake and mountains outside. Her face is very serious, yet gentle, and she has a very mysterious air about her. Even her hair colour is hard to figure out, it's blonde and red and brown all at the same time. Her clothes add to the mystery: the fabric is covered in ancient text of some kind, it looks a lot like Symbol (quoted on the web "antique/medieval manuscript"). Oddly enough, now that I look closer....on the sleeves of her shirt the text is smaller but written in English...but I can't make a lot of it out. Some of the words I can make out are: "Of a bleak....long...green...the end of the.....of a pleasant.....and purple...the flowers...ripe...the roots...another kinde...the other". Strange, indeed! She is holding an open book, though looking away from it--and the pages are blank. She is definitely a woman of mystery, but extreme knowledge. She knows a LOT of secrets and is very spiritual. Certainly a very wise woman.

TemperanceAngel	20 Nov 2003
The herb, Peony, represents the High Priestess in this deck and is written at the top of the card above the two pillars, The left one greay and the other white, which seemed to be joined or has a textile-type roof. Actually I would call them more poles than pillars. The woman/High Priestess sits about half way back in the card and her veil covers her eyes and the side of it flows to the ground. An ankh sits between her breasts, attached to her dress, which is blue, as is her veil. On her head sits, what appears to me, to be the symbol of the Egyptian Goddess, Hathor. she holds in her left hand an orb, maybe a crystal ball or the full moon. At her left foot, which pokes out of the front of her dress, is a yellow crescent moon. The scene takes place outside, green grass, Blue seas(?) and clouds. The peony plant grows at the front of the card with a beautiful, large pink flower and bud. It covers part of her dress and right pillar. I don't know how that sounds, I have never done this before! Tried to scan the image for you, but alas not successful. The herb Peony, "is the herb of intuition. An antispasmodic and emmenagogue, peony is commonly used in gynecology. The root promotes internal circulation and relieves spasms." Its planet is the Moon. XTAX

Mimers	25 Nov 2003
Here is a link where you can view all the cards in this deck: http://www.merrydaytarot.com/ The second Major Arcana card in this deck is called Oracle and it's key word is Intuitive. So much symbolism in this card. Some symbols I am not familiar with and when I look at a card I tend to focus on the things I am not sure about. The floor in this card is made up of black and white tiles. When I see this I think of order which is not a typical trait of this card. It could also be to emphasize the balance of opposites of which she sits in the middle of. Something else very interesting. She holds a scroll to her heart with one hand and a key hangs around that wrist. She holds the knowledge that is key to your heart. Or perhaps, listening to your heart is the key to... what she points to with her left hand? It looks to be a couldren she points to with the symbol of ying/yang on it. OK, the key to mixing everything up and finding balance. A white smoke seems to come from the couldren drifting up around her throne. OK, the throne is made of two cresent moons. One black one white. Balance again. Duality. Hanging from the tips in back of the Oracle is the viel of pomegranates and trees. I am not positive, but I believe pomegranates stands for seeds for new birth. The throne is supported by snakey looking creatures with anteni or feelers. This is very interesting. Snakes I believe symbolize new birth (the sheding of skin) and the feelers on them is like she is trying to tell us to feel our way through life. The oracle wears the crown of a scrying ball or what could be the moon with cresent moons on either side. There is a small 5 pointed star underneith the moon or crystal ball on her crown. Another interesting point I would like to make on this card is how the backround looks like a swirling black hole. In the center is the 'mystery' that the viel covers. Mimi

Jewel-ry	26 Nov 2003
The Lady of the Lake - Arthurian, Hallowquest Tarot Here is a link but it doesnt really do it justice. www.angelfire.com/art2/ltt/card/major02/hallowquest.jpg This is one of my favourite high priestess cards (alongside the ones from the Morgan Greer and the Sacred Circle). She is beautiful. She sits on a throne of reeds which has been intricately woven at the edges. She wears a white gown and blue elaborately decorated cloak. Her hair is braided and she wears a headband with some sort of stone covering her third eye. The third eye represents wisdom, perception, knowledge and intuition. Her outfit hangs in deep folds which again enhances her meaning. She holds a sword which points downwards and has a large book open in her lap. It contains hidden secrets and truths. She looks at you as if she is about to read from it. She sits between two trees. One of them is in darkness and the other is reflecting the moon which is obviously off to the top left hand side of the card, but just out of sight (hidden). The trees grow upward, their branches are bare but they interweave above her. There are bullrushes and an empty woven basket by her side (dont get the basket really!!) There are three cranes, two in flight and one just behind her. Three a magic number (imo could represent the three crones in this deck). Cranes also signify wisdom, vigilance, peace and purity, but can also represent the otherworld. The sky is very bright and blue towards the top but the card does have a darker shadow as well. The still lake behind her signifies the unconsciousness. All is still and peaceful. The colours in this card are beautiful an array of blues,whites, greys, a very mysterious card. J. (I still love this thread!)

Moonbow*	26 Nov 2003
Difficult to choose a favourite for this card as most High Priestesses are just beautiful but I like the Ancestral Path one mainly for the serene look on her face. The card is also packed with all the relevant symbols. What a lovely card. Here's the link: http://www.moonchild.ch/Tarot/major/HP/02images/02ap.JPG Moonbow*

Belladonna	08 Dec 2003
I love this deck for its hands-on feel. These archetypes are not otherworldly or restricted to the realm of make-believe and fantasy. This High Priestess is portrayed as an elderly grandmother holding a newborn baby swathed in blankets and smoking a pipe (the grandmother, that is, not the baby!) This lady has earned her wisdom the hard way- through experience. Her face is leathery, her hair is grey and you can tell her voice is like gravel. She was young and innocent and playful. She was in love. She married and stuck it out. She gave birth. She helped others give birth. She raised children. She did things by hand and from scratch. She's seen sickness and death. She's seen storms, droughts, fires and ruin. And she's started over. She's seen friendship and loyalty, betrayal and all manner of human emotion and deed. She learned how to heal. She's seen the cycles of the years, moons, seasons, and the cycles of her life go by. And she faces one more journey still to come- death. But she is unafraid.

Mimers	09 Dec 2003
I had originally posted this in a thread specifically about this deck, and thought it would be useful here as well. If you would like to check out the thread on this deck you can find it here: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20057 Let's see, Wisewoman is at the bottom of my deck. A beautiful elderly woman whose expression tells me she still has youth in her heart. She is not bitter or 'old'. She has an understanding of life that frees her from her physical age. The butterfly in the corner flying away as she looks means she understands that life never really ends. That each ending is a new begining. This is what frees her. She looks so loving too. There is a crow in the foreground and the only story I know about crows is how they had a love/hate relationship with the Native Americans. The Native Americans believed that the crow brought them the first cornal of corn for which they are forever grateful. They also try to steal the corn from them. Delemas! You can respect someone, even if you don't agree with some of the things they do. Knowing how to truely love without judgement. The shells come from the ocean, water, the deeply feminine. Then I would go to the book, if you have it and see what, if anything else, it offers for clarity. Perhaps it will say something of the sea shells and the bell. Ooohhh, it starts the chapter on the Wisewomen with this quote, "Shells and bells and cones and stones, I feel it in my blood and bones." I am paraphrasing from Louisa Poole's book here: The woman does look like she is remembering something wonderful, doesn't she?

jmd	10 Dec 2003
In numerous versions of the Marseilles deck, the card is named the 'Papesse' (Popess), and has many features which seem to recall depictions of the Annunciation. In the Dodal version, the card is named La Pances, which seems to suggest the 'belly' - appropriate if there happens to be an iconographic connection with the Annunciation. The Papess is usually seated facing our left, with an open book, and three crosses upon the ribbons crossing her heart. She wears either triple, though more usually double, crown, and at her feet is what may be a spindle... The 'veil' behind her head is quite interesting, as it clearly indicates cloth-like material, yet seems also static... an aspect of the card I hope to pick up later in further discussions on the card's Iconography in that section of the Forums...

firemaiden	10 Dec 2003
The High Priestess Card from the Tarot of the Imagination can be viewed in this Tarot Passages Review by Lee Bursten. Seated on a throne of books, she wears a sort of phosphoresent medieval nun's garb, dematerializing from the bottom up. Or -- the reverse - -- materializing from the top down. [beam me up, scottie] Her exposed breasts recall the sexuality theme latent in the II, [hp as cocktail waitress] A teeny-tiny naked man emerging from her book, looks at her provocatively, demanding attention, but she is too absorbed in her book, I think, to notice.

Seed Crystal	08 Oct 2004
Under a cresent moon a sky clad woman holds up her cape, forming multiple cresents. Her shadow twists on the path before her, and the shadow of her head shows a cresent not apparent in her own image. Two tall pillar trees must be passed to enter this glade, which shows flame colored folliage within a circle of stones. An owl watches from one of the trees. Flower bloom from the cleft of the right tree, near the roots. I like that she is not trapped within robes and Temple, as traditionally imaged in the R-W-S cards. She is free and wild and not necessarily to be found where you look for her, or where others before you have found her. Holy ground is where she is. She IS the Mysteries, not a librarian or figurehead title holder in some man-made stone building. She is powerful, and active, like the World Spirit magician; I find this dynamism in many if not all of this deck's cards (and love that aspect of them). I see a cauldron shape in her veil, and maybe in the standing stones her live presence dwarfs. I see Bridget's Cross in her shadow (and she is standing in the sun as well as in moonlight). She is the High Priestess, she is Diana, Hecate, Athena, Bridget,... She is the Virgin, a woman who answers to no man (and is not ignorant or afraid of sexuality). The dark and the light, she knows them, and they know her. She invites you into the woods - what you have learned by reading, what you have been told by others, is not the knowledge she has for you; it must be experienced directly.

The Comparative Study - The High Priestess thread was originally posted on 21 Sep 2003 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.