High Priestess: Boaz, Jachin, Torah etc

Parzival

High Priestess

What about her crown, that of the goddess Hathor, sometimes the mother of Horus, sometimes the goddess of the milky way? It's possibly significant that the cradle moon is at the bottom, amidst the flowing down-and-away waters, while the palms and pomegranates (both tropical plants needing strong sunlight, as well as male with female), and the Hathor crown --solar plants and stellar crown --are towards the Above, up-reaching, so that the whole image is solar-lunar above and below, and yin/yang by the dark and light pillars left and right (to us). The High Priestess with her tora is in the exact center in this way, where the Grail is said to be, where the Philosopher's Stone is said to be. (Actually, we have the solar cross in Solomon's temple.) Why this play of solar light above and lunar light below, and dark and light pillars either side?
 

beanu

This is all superb stuff. Not sure I can add much, but


B and J are also two pillars on the Lurianic Tree of Life - modern kabalah.
So to pass between those pillars would be to enter the tree itself - to enter into mystical wisdom.

Sexually, it is the mans role to posture for the female, and the female's role to choose who will be kept out, and who will be allowed to enter.

The High Priestess guards the entrance to the secret that lies behind her, the pillars, the veil, and presumable to the secret behind the laws.
The laws are the fundamental truths made plain for foolish mortal humans. If we understood the TRUTH that they were derived from, then we would not need the written version.


Here is an image from Manly P. Hall (a mason?) - Secret Teachings of all Ages.
of Isis.
High%20Priestess_html_m2b7520f.jpg



the associated text is :
"“I am Isis, mistress of the whole land: I was instructed by Hermes, and with Hermes I invented the writings of the nations, in order that not all should write with the same letters. I gave mankind their laws, and ordained what no man can alter. I am the eldest daughter of Kronos. I am the wife and sister of the king Osiris. I am she who rises in the dog star. I am she who is called the goddess of women. * * * I am she who separated the heaven from the earth. I have pointed out their paths to the starts. I have invented seamanship. * * * I have brought together men and women * * * I have ordained that the elders shall be beloved by the children. With my brother Osiris I made an end to cannibalism. I have instructed mankind in the mysteries. I have taught reverence of the divine statues. I have established the temple precincts. I have overthrown the dominion of tyrants. I have caused men to love woman. I have made justice more powerful than silver and gold. I have caused truth to be considered beautiful.” (See Erman’s Handbook of Egyptian Religion.)
Diodorus writes of a famous inscription carved on a column at Nysa, in Arabia, wherein Isis described herself as follows: “I am Isis, Queen of this country. I was instructed by Mercury. No one can destroy the laws which I have established. I am the eldest daughter of Saturn, most ancient of the gods. I am the wife and sister of Osiris the King. I first made known to mortals the use of wheat. I am the mother of Orus the King. In my honour was the city of Bubaste built. (see Morals and Dogma, by Albert Pike).
The face and form of Isis were covered with a veil of scarlet cloth, symbolic of ignorance and emotionalism which forever stand between man and Truth. Isis lifts her veil and discovers herself to the true and wise investigator who unselfishly, humbly, and earnestly seeks to understand the mysteries which surround him in the universe. Those to whom she reveals herself are warned to remain silent concerning the mysteries which they have seen. The great admonition to the Wise Men was: “If you know, be silent.” To the vulgar and profane, the infidel and disinterested one, she does not uncover her face, for they could not understand the secret processes of the invisible worlds."


I re-iterate :The face and form of Isis were covered with a veil of scarlet cloth, symbolic of ignorance and emotionalism which forever stand between man and Truth."
and:
"I have instructed mankind in the mysteries."

Isis is the goddess, and stands behind the veil. The High Priestess is her priestess, and guards the entrance through the veil to the goddess herself.
 

beanu

I believe the crown is the crown of Isis,

and the pomegranite relates to fertility because it has so many seeds.

The lunar cycle I think refers only to the female cycle - just another sign that this is female territory - men keep out.
Didn't ancient Egyptians have priestesses, (cf. Priests)

Wait would have been happy to mix eqyptian and christian metaphors.
His main ainm is to provide memory triggers for the initated, and to denigrate enyone who doesn't get the message ;)
 

beanu

I think that the Greek equivalent of Isis is Hera - Wife of Zeus

This gives is another pomegranate reference:-

The peacock (the symbol of pride; her wagon was pulled by peacocks) and the cow (she was also known as Bopis, meaning "cow-eyed", which was later translated as "with big eyes") are her sacred animals. The crow and the pomegranate (symbol of marriage) are also dedicated to her. Other attributes include a diadem and a veil. Hera is portrayed as a majestic, solemn woman.
 

kwaw

As the moon is considered 'bride' in relation to the sun, the number 2 as 'bride' in relation to 1, as nuns, Mary, the church all share the epiteth of 'Bride of God' - so the torah too is called the 'bride' of God - thus we may read into the a conflation of 'bride of God' symbolism...

In Song of Songs the cheeks of the Bride behind her veil are compared to the
two halfs of a pomegranate..."Pomegranate seeds are said to number 613—one for each of the Bible's 613 commandments... The pomegranate was revered for the beauty of its shrub, flowers, and fruit—symbolising sanctity, fertility, and abundance... They decorated the pillars of King Solomon's temple and the robes and regalia of Jewish kings and priests." Raman, the hebrew word for a pomegranate, means 'to rise up'.

In Christian symobolism the pomegranate, with its 'many seeds unified in one fruit', symbolizes the church. A bursting pomegrnatate, the resurrection (rebirth - as we are reborn through Christ).

Some biblical references to the pomegranate:
http://www.crystalinks.com/pomegranate.html

Pomegranates feature as an emblem on the textiles of some the early painted court cards.
 

Parzival

High Priestess

And there is Christ's "palm Sunday" for the palms, to complement the pomegranate symbol so important to Solomon's Temple. This Image of The High Priestess goes into manifold (and unified) symbolic directions, combining ancient temple and solar being. The bursting pomegranate is an amazing image/symbol.
 

venicebard

beanu said:
Sexually, it is the mans role to posture for the female, and the female's role to choose who will be kept out, and who will be allowed to enter.
I think of the male role as being the 'backbone' (intact pillar), the female the gateway into manifestation. So yeah, she guards the entrance.
beanu said:
I think that the Greek equivalent of Isis is Hera - Wife of Zeus
If, as Lewis Spence and others believe, the Eleusinian Mysteries were those of Isis and Osiris transplanted, then her Greek equivalent would actually be Demeter.
 

shaveling

Liz C said:
2) According to religous belief Solomon's Temple held the Ten Commandments (God's word/law). The Torah has 613 commandments (God's word/law). **Why is the High Priestess holding these religious laws on her lap, and sitting outside the temple containing these religious laws?**

5) I've read some associations of the porch/entrance of the temple and pillars with the *birth canal* ie rebirth into the world of Spirit? Does anyone have anymore thoughts, info on this?

What do you think of the Virgin standing in front of and guarding this entrance? (woman's sexual organs) Is she inviting us, or is she guarding the entrance?Liz.

Things are weirder than may appear at first sight. As Umbrae has pointed out elsewhere, the door of the temple was at the east end, and Boaz was on the north, and Jachin on the south. That means that as the picture appears on the card, the HP has her back to the outside and is facing deeper into the temple, and blocking, not the entrance, but the exit (as it were). What one may make of this, I know not. Perhaps that the HP is focused on the Divine with her back to the world, while the Hierophant is engaged with the outside world, and is sought out by other people. I have no idea how to connect it with the idea of the temple door as birth canal. Or maybe it's a mistake that somehow got through all the proofreading. Who knows?
 

Peredur

Solomon's Temple in Freemasonry

The three degrees of craft or Blue Lodge Freemasonry (Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason) are centered around the building of Solomon's Temple. The temple is symbolic of the place each man strives to build, suitable for the spirit of God to inhabit. The lessons of social and moral virtues taught in Freemasonry use the tools of the ancient stone mason guilds to exemplify the building of character in men.
 

Widow's Son

historical documents indicate that the Templars used the Tarot as a means of communication.

the Heirophant is the Pope (whom they did not like)

From the days of the Templars to present there has been a schism between the Vatican and Freemasonry.

With Waite being a Freemason, he too would be well aware of the schism. Therefore, in no Freemason derived Tarot deck would the Heirophant carry authority with King Soloman's Temple or the Sanctum Sanctorum (the inner chamber where the Ark was kept)

Templarism, Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry etc have some belief in the divine feminine. Call it Lilith, Feminine aspect to the Creator, Magdelene as bride of Christ, whatever.

So a High Priestess having access to the Sanctum Sanctorum is important. Not literal mind you, but merely reflective of recognition of the divine feminine.