Spiral Tarot Study - High Priestess

[wizzle]

II The High Priestess

Like her predecessor in the RWS deck, the High Priestess in the Sprial deck is seated between two pillars with a tapestry embroidered with pomegranets. And she alwo has the scroll of the Torah in her lap. Water laps from her gown.

There however, the similarities end. This HP is a pale woman, much older than the virginal HP of RWS, and is seated on a throne. On one arm of the throne a face is clearly visible and there is a face on the other arm, but it is in deep shadow. Her gown is a shadowy deep blue (as opposed to white). In front are Cerberus, the three-headed dog, and a lamp/censor alight with flames and emitting smoke or incense.

Cerberus is associated with Psyche who was instructed by Venus to bring back some of Persephone's beauty. So perhaps this depiction of the 3-headed dog aludes to the HP as Psyche. Or, alternatively, he could be another variant of the guardian of mysteries, as is the HP herself.

Behind the HP is the tree of life, with her path from Kether to Tiphareth highlighted.

I really like the depth of color in this HP card. She seems so mysterious in her dark gown and her pale skin glows against amid the deep tones. She is an older, wiser HP to me, a powerful oracle and keeper of the gates. She can both read from the Torah, making her a scholar, and can scry the flames for intuitive knowledge.

 

[tarobones]

Familiar

This image is much more powerful for me than the traditional RWS. Many many years before I was a tarot person, she would visit me in a recurring dream! A little older than depicted in the Spiral version, but the same mystery, the same dress........shadowy, almost made of cobwebs in the dream, yet also full of stars. And foxes and wolves have always been special animals to me, almost totems. I need to keep company with this card for a while. It's like an old friend has returned. I don't remember exactly who told me, but somehow the HP is my card, based on my birthday. Don't remember anything else about this system, but it sure ties together spiritually for me. BB, Michael

 

[WhiteRaven]

This image is much more powerful for me than the traditional RWS. Many many years before I was a tarot person, she would visit me in a recurring dream! A little older than depicted in the Spiral version, but the same mystery, the same dress........shadowy, almost made of cobwebs in the dream, yet also full of stars. And foxes and wolves have always been special animals to me, almost totems. I need to keep company with this card for a while. It's like an old friend has returned. I don't remember exactly who told me, but somehow the HP is my card, based on my birthday. Don't remember anything else about this system, but it sure ties together spiritually for me. BB, Michael

If I'm correct Michael.....your soul is Judgement and your personality is the High Priestess...this may be what that person was talking about.

 

[tarobones]

Thanks

Thank you. How do I determine these cards? My birthday is July 15, 1951. Is there a website I can go to or something? This fascinates me. Thanks ahead of time for any info you can provide....BB, Michael

 

[Moonbow]

Hello Michael

There are some wonderful threads here on Aeclectic which explain personality/soul cards, and year cards:

Your Year Card changes on January 1

Year Card

Your Year Card

Feel free to add to any of the above threads if you have any questions.

Moonbow*

 

[WhiteRaven]

This thread was started by MoonGold

Finding Soul and Personality numbers with Shadow

and I got it twisted a bit.....the 20 is your Personality....2 is your soul.

Hope this helps


Edited to add: Oops....I guess someone beat me to the punch

 

[tarobones]

thanks

thanks again! BB, Michael

 

[Dreaming_One]

Lol, you guys just inadvertantly set me to the task of finding out my personality/soul (both are The Hermit), and shadow (The Moon) cards. *shakes head* Took me forever to make sense of those threads.

Alright, a question about the Spiral High Priestess: does anybody else think that Cerberus was a strange choice for this card? I understand the mythological connection, where Cerberus and the HP are both guardians of sorts, but the three heads always throw me off, since the high priestess is II. I wonder if there is a mix of meaning with the number three that was purposeful.

I would like to add that I find it interesting that the wind is blowing the lamp smoke in the direction of the area that is all in shadow...the smoke is drifting towards the 'unknown' zone of the card. It's like even while the lamp is giving illumination, it is also taunting us with what we don't know. A lot like the HP herself tends to do.

Such a strange card.