Victorian Romantic The High Priestess

What about the Hight Priestess here? She's beautiful with a lot of feminine energy around here. She looks quite secretive and in touch with the other world. About her bare chest, I feel that she is very bold and strong willed and is not scared of anything. She's quite confident of herself and her body. What do you think of all the mist around her?

Well I did a very interesting reading for myself the other day regarding a spirit presence around me and got this card as advice. I took the mist as the spirit being near me and protecting me. It was quite positive and nice.

One more thought, could this card also suggest water scrying?

I have not had this card come up in any of the readings I have done, so this is the first time I am really focusing on her. She seems to have that "oracle" quality. Not as in an oracle deck, but people in myths referred to as oracles. She is between the veils. Here and other. Very etheral. Her right hand seems to be drawing in energy from the earth itself into her, while the steam from the cauldron connects with her unconcious. I very much see the mystical side of her, with knowledge from the here and now as well as absorbing knowledge from the otherworld. The substance in the cauldron looks like it could be blood. The life force. She is definetly comfortable in this role of being between two-worlds. She looks as if she is dancing, gently swaying to the vibrations.

The card definetly has a purely female feel to it, and the bared breasts emphasize that. I am not quite sure what all to make of the exposed upper body, but thinking of blood as life source, one could also see the breasts as a source of nurishment (breast feeding babies and passing on anti-bodies to strengthen their immune system), as well as of connection of mother in child which goes back to her connection to the here and now and otherworld. I am not sure if any of that made sense *LOL*.

In sum I see her as the total communion between this life and everything on the other side of the veil. The hidden knowledge as well as a connection to life force.

Does anyone else see the dragon head in the incense smoke over her shoulder? I've been trying to figure out why its there....but its definitely a connective link in my subconscious to other realms of thought and intuition, and even fantasy.

As for her losing the top half of her clothes, I wonder if the feeling you get when you're feverish, either from an illness or from passion of some kind where clothes, be they satin or rough homespun fabrics, just feel suffocating and irritating to the skin, could be reated in any way.

Does the HP lose herself in all that knowledge? Does she have to channel it somehow to bring it to light? If shes just a conduit, how does she keep everything contained?

From what I see in this card, its a ritual, a dance that she does to keep her conscious and subconscious seperate and controlled. And I dont mean that she is controlling, probably more the opposite. That whatever knowledge she has, whatever guidance she has to give, its controlling of her. She looks wary and cautious, listening and breathing deeply....almost like she knows that she will at some point lose control of herself in this dance, and that she doesnt want to but that its necessary.

*Sigh* sorry, sometimes I get caught up in what I see, and it bears no resemblance to what the card "should" represent what with its "traditional" meaning and all.....

Pook said:

*Sigh* sorry, sometimes I get caught up in what I see, and it bears no resemblance to what the card "should" represent what with its "traditional" meaning and all.....

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Good.

You go your way, Pook! That's what makes you 'you', and me 'me'.

As for the Dragon, I cannot see that.

LB

The High Priestess is often hard for me to get into. And this one, just as difficult. She really says very little. I feel a bit shut out by her femininity, even though I have a strong feminine side, myself.

She is not welcoming. She says 'look but do not touch'.

Whatever she is brewing, I am affraid, it is a secret, she will not tell me. So I have to just breath in that incense and try to feel it for myself. And I think it is all about feeling, not thinking. She doesn't want to tell me. She wants me to figure it all out for myself. She is like raised eyebrows - something indicated without words.

LB

LittleBuddha said:

As for the Dragon, I cannot see that.

LB

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It's just a little one, and only the head, with the eyes about even with the bend of her wrist. Asian style with the last, top wisps of smoke at the back of the head.

Which way do you see it as facing?

away from her and down her arm

Kind of, but not specifically. I can see the eye, but that is about it. And also the swirly bits that come off of eastern dragons.

LB

It could just be me...really! I looooove the dragons. Have a fabulous ceramic and pewter collection and 5 tattoos of dragons....soooo...it really could just be me. LOL