Manga Tarot: The Priest

Like most of you, I also see The Priest as The Heirophant rather than The High Priestess. Yet, I do see small fragments of the High Priestess here too. The switch does lend a bit of thought towards how this might affect The Fool's journey and the transition between the cards' message though...

LWB Key: Spirituality; The spirit is a garden to be cultivated with love.

Color: I think it is stated as green, though yellow is the color surrounding the glyph. There's also blue, prominent on the older figure's robes which I thought was symbolic in showing the difference between the two men in this card. Overall, I think the lack of red speaks loudest. It isn't a message of fire, but rather one that is much more subtle. It comes from within and less of the external.

Glyph: Fall. I find it interesting that it is Fall that depicts this card. I think it gives a new perspective and spin to the message. It makes me think of the inevitable and necessary cycle in life... the passing of one generation to the next and the death of ideas but a rebirth of those very same ideas into something new. It's constantly evolving.

Imagery: Here, we see an older male placing a head piece of some sort on the younger male who is kneeling before him. It is obviously an important moment we're witnessing. For me, the aura of this scene speaks of respect, reverence, humility, and trust.

The trust I see here is vastly different from the trust I saw in The Fool. In The Sorceress, the wielding of power and will is external. Here, it has turned inwards, passive if you will. He has learned that strength and knowledge is not all about being forceful and having the ability to manipulate the elements. Instead, it comes from within and the spirit. It is trust that comes from wisdom rather than blind faith. There is weight here and a kind of inner acceptance and peace.

I also get a sense of duty and responsibility here, the kind that reminds me of a lifelong path of attaining wisdom. A never-ending journey of learning but also one of guidance. A teacher and a student, yet both is a teacher and a student. Even as one who has reached an important milestone as depicted in the receiving of head piece from the older figure, the journey is still long and in many ways only just starting. It may have already taken shape, but now it has taken meaning as well.

Ocean Light said:

Imagery: Here, we see an older male placing a head piece of some sort on the younger male who is kneeling before him. It is obviously an important moment we're witnessing. For me, the aura of this scene speaks of respect, reverence, humility, and trust.

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In an earlier post, Riccardo suggested that the scene in this card is a coronation, a spiritual authority empowering a secular one. Humility comes through strongly here, with the presumably wealthy and powerful prince kneeling barefoot before the poor, but spiritually rich, old priest. Is this young man the same one depicted, some time after the coronation, in the very next card, The Emperor? If so, the ordering makes a certain sense. Before he can be an effective ruler, the young man has to learn how to rule wisely, with respect and reverence for tradition and an understanding that his power and authority ultimately derive from a spiritual source.

Alan

Alan Ross said:

Is this young man the same one depicted, some time after the coronation, in the very next card, The Emperor? If so, the ordering makes a certain sense. Before he can be an effective ruler, the young man has to learn how to rule wisely, with respect and reverence for tradition and an understanding that his power and authority ultimately derive from a spiritual source.

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Wow, when I read this, I felt as though you took the words out of my head. When I was studying The Priest, the exact same thoughts crossed my mind but I didn't post about it since I figured I'd save that for when I got to The Emperor. Putting it all in this context, as you've also said, really makes sense in terms of the ordering.

“Spirituality. Non-materialistic vision, advice, guidance, teaching. Order, inner discipline. The spirit is a garden to cultivated with love.”

Glyph: Fall. Same as in card V The Priestess. Yellow outline with the glyph written in green.

Unlike most II or V cards, there are two figures in depicted in The Priest. An old man dressed in blue robes with yellow trim and a young man dressed in green robes with yellow trim. The elder wears sandals while the younger is barefooted. The young man kneels before the old man as the old man places a hat/headpiece/crown on his head. Both are bald, though the old man has a white/gray beard.

It is possible that the young man is a ruler seeking guidance or having a coronation ceremony, but upon first glancing at the card I immediately felt that both men were priests. Together these two men represent a duality of humanity different from the usual masculine-feminine duality highlighted in the cards. Here we have young and old side by side with young kneeling before the experience of the old, while the old acknowledges the youth’s accomplishments by crowning him and accepting him as an equal. They represent the endless cycle of human knowledge, the necessary mix of old and new ideas moving forward in a healthy and positive manner.

Main color of the background seems to be green, like the younger man’s clothing. The yellow accents on both of their robes seem to pop out of the page.

On Green:

Green occupies more space in the spectrum visible to the human eye and is second only to blue as a favorite color. Green is the pervasive color in the natural world and so we are used to seeing it everywhere. The natural greens, from forest to lime, are seen as tranquil and refreshing, with a natural balance of cool and warm (blue and yellow) undertones. Green is considered the color of peace and ecology. However, there is an "institutional" side to green, associated with illness or Government-issued things that conjure up negative emotions.

Green is the color of the Heart Chakra, also known as Anahata. The Heart Chakra bridges the gap between the physical and spiritual worlds. Opening the Heart Chakra allows a person to love more, empathize, and feel compassion.

How the color green affects us physically and mentally
* Soothing
* Relaxing mentally as well as physically
* Helps alleviate depression, nervousness and anxiety
* Offers a sense of renewal, self-control and harmony

On Yellow:

Yellow shines with optimism, enlightenment, and happiness. Shades of golden yellow carry the promise of a positive future. Yellow will advance from surrounding colors and instill optimism and energy, as well as spark creative thoughts.

Yellow is the color of the Solar Plexus Chakra, also known as Manipura (located in the stomach area). The Solar Plexus Chakra is representative of vitality and will. When this chakra is open, it acts to empower a person and help them find their personal strength. It will help turn dreams and goals into reality.

How the color yellow affects us mentally and physically:
* Mentally stimulating
* Stimulates the nervous system
* Activates memory
* Encourages communication

On Blue:

Blue is seen as trustworthy, dependable and committed. The color of sky and the ocean, blue is perceived as a constant in our lives. As the collective color of the spirit, it invokes rest and can cause the body to produce chemicals that are calming; however not all blues are serene and sedate. Some shades or the overuse of blue may come across as cold or uncaring. Blue is the least "gender specific" color, having equal appeal to both men and women.

Blue is the color of the Throat Chakra, also known as Visuddha, which is connected with speech and hearing, and encourages spiritual communication.

How the color blue affects us physically and mentally:
* Calming and sedate
* Cooling
* Aids intuition
Analysis of Colors:

Based on this information, we can see that the sparing use of the color blue serves to highlight the old priest. He stands out and evokes the image of wisdom, calmness and spirituality. The yellow trim on the old priest’s robes saves him from being seen as trapped by the transition he represents. Yellow is the color of enlightenment, creativity and of positive futures. Yellow trim is also worn by the younger priest, which serves to highlight that though the priests have different ideas and attitudes, they are united by a shared investment in the future. Since yellow psychologically encourages communication, is also appropriate that yellow be the tie between the two priests. The old priest crowns the younger one with a crown/headpiece that is mostly yellow with tinges of green in it. The headpiece symbolizes the old empowering the young, encouraging optimism, energy and creativity. The crown is tempered only slightly by the calming presence of the green in the headpiece.

Though the younger priest is trimmed in yellow, he is wearing green robes, the color of peace, empathy and compassion. Green offers a sense of renewal, self-control and harmony, all of which are appropriate associations for a young priest. The young priest is idealistic and hopeful, and he is meant to revitalize the religion/spirituality/institution. The revitalization is necessary and welcomed by the existing order, as signified by the crowning.

Green is the main color of this card. The green clams the viewer of this card and reassures them, even as the yellow highlights in the card encourage excitement and possibilities. The green here is meant to bridge the gap between physical and spiritual worlds. This is a further sign of the unity that is central to this card.

Glyph:

Fall is an interesting glyph choice for this card. Autumn usually has a dual association of joy and of melancholy. On the one hand, the fall is a time of harvest, of reaping the benefits of past efforts. On the other hand, the fall is also associated with waning vitality, the coming of winter.

With regard to this card, the glyph seems to express both of these meanings. The joy that comes from the old priests past accomplishments and the initiation of the new priest exists side by side with melancholy of knowing the old priest is reaching his end. The card does not mourn this, but rather seems to accept this cycle with the calm serenity that this simply card exudes.

Other Details:

There aren’t the typical pillars found in most II and V cards, but there is an open doorway behind the figures. Perhaps the two screens bookmarking the doorway mirror the two pillars and their representation of the four elements of the minor arcane. The two screens may also be a reminder of the number of the card, II, and reflect the balance and opposition of co-dependent elements. This further highlights the balance between old and new as exemplified by the two priests.

The tree growing in the garden just barely visible behind the two priests may represent either the tree of life or simply knowledge. The tree may also serve as further reinforcement of the message of the two priests. The roots of the tree reach deep into the ground, just as the old priest’s knowledge reaches for back through the ages. But the tree roots are a part of an organism and their job is to feed life giving water to the tree’s beautiful green leaves. The tree’s leaves are bright and green and they shine in the sunlight. These leaves symbolize the young priest and the progressive attitudes and new ideas that the young often support. The leaves would die without the nourishment of the roots, but the rest of the plant would die if the leaves did not soak up the nutrients of the sun, thus: the leaves and roots of the tree work together to create a healthy organism. And so this card, II The Priest tells us that we as individuals must strive to achieve a similar internal balance in our lives, just as institutions should seek a healthy equilibrium between old and new, tradition and progress.

Despite the connections that can be drawn between this card and the typical High Priestess, it is important to remember that though the card emphasizes the duality of the number two, it does not seem to portray the usual emphasis on intuition, independence, choice or unexplored potentials. This card has no secrets. Everything is out in the open, including the passing of knowledge and power from one generation to the next.

Sources: http://www.squidoo.com/colorexpert (just followed the links from there)