Greater Arcana Study Group—The High Priestess

[Richard]

What could be the meaning of the solar cross on her breast?

As Case indicates: primarily the union of opposites: positive and negative, active and passive, male and female. To me, this seem plausible since the HP immediately follows Temperance on the Middle Pillar. He gives a couple of other possibilities, which may be more of a stretch. Being a primitive form of the final Hebrew letter, Tau, it may suggest that the HP foreshadows the culmination of all the 22 Trumps. Also, it may refer to Hecate, the patroness of crossroads.

 

[kwaw]

"The light of all' is an epitaph of Christ.

The cross = Christ, solar because, like the sun, is represents Christ as the light of the world:

One sun enlightens the whole world; so does one Christ, and there needs no more. ..... In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The Gospel of St. John.


She is, in fine, the Queen of the borrowed light, but this is the light of all. Waite.

In relation to the figure of the Tree of Life in the background, I suppose it could be also said that in Malkuth is the light of all the sephiroth above it...

As a solar emblem it may be associatied with Tiphareth, the V of the Divine name, son in relation to the Mother of Shekinah above, Bridegroom in relation to the daughter/Bride of the Shekinah below. HVH

 

[Yelell]

As Case indicates: primarily the union of opposites: positive and negative, active and passive, male and female. To me, this seem plausible since the HP immediately follows Temperance on the Middle Pillar. He gives a couple of other possibilities, which may be more of a stretch. Being a primitive form of the final Hebrew letter, Tau, it may suggest that the HP foreshadows the culmination of all the 22 Trumps. Also, it may refer to Hecate, the patroness of crossroads.

I thought that the Case PDF I linked to a few days ago was the same as the one I already had, but there are a number of differences in the text. For example, my original copy has

"The cross on her breast is white to represent Light. It symbolizes the union of the four elements represented by the four implements upon the table of the magician."

which I don't think was in the second PDF I just downloaded, was it? And it's the second document that mentions Isis, which is why I couldn't find it when I looked at the first. I've got to go back and figure out which book is which.

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ETA - AHA- this matches the original one I had before http://www.enlataberna.com/libros/f...the-Wisdom-of-the-Ages-or-Wisdom-of-Tarot.pdf

And this is the 2nd one I found a few days ago http://www.pdfarchive.info/pdf/C/Ca/Case_Paul_Foster_-_The_Tarot_A_key_to_the_Wisdom_of_the_Ages.pdf

 

[Abrac]

kwaw, I'm thinking somewhat along the sames lines as you. The solar cross probably symbolizes the Christ. For Waite it might have something to do with the second marriage he mentions. For example, the solar cross in union with the lunar High Priestess. The same symbolism is on the Ace of Cups as the solar cross on the wafer, and the lunar chalice.

Your idea about Tiphareth is interesting. It makes this quote from Waite's Fellowship of the Rosy Cross Zelator ritual a little more clear:

GUIDE OF THE PATHS: In the mystical astronomy of the soul, the moon is like natural reason, a realm of reflected light, peopled by wandering thoughts and plastic images. But we seek, O Honourable Master, the direct illumination at another and eternal source. I am the Reconciler between them, standing in the Middle Path, looking towards the Glorious Sun of Tiphereth, as a purified Moon of Mind, and testifying to the Bond of Union.​

In the FRC, the Guide of the Paths symbolizes the He Final and guides the initiate through the Portal grade between Netzach and Tiphareth but no higher.

If the union of High Priestess and the Christ is Tiphareth represents something having to do with the Restoration, that would make the High Priestess a very important card indeed, as Waite mentions.

 

[Richard]

Abrac, you've been insisting that Waite associates the Son with Daath, not Tiphareth, so I have hesitated bringing Sephirah 6 into the discussion. Perhaps we should keep in mind that The Holy Kabbaah was published many years after PKT. Normally the Tetragrammaton's Vav is placed at Tiphareth.

 

[Zephyros]

I agree. Waite would eventually greatly evolve his Kabbalistic ideas and the separation from the Golden Dawn would become more pronounced. The book, though, seems to have been written in a transitional stage where his own ideas were maturing but not enough to completely give up on the system he already knew.

 

[Richard]

I agree. Waite would eventually greatly evolve his Kabbalistic ideas and the separation from the Golden Dawn would become more pronounced. The book, though, seems to have been written in a transitional stage where his own ideas were maturing but not enough to completely give up on the system he already knew.

That is also Mary's view as well as mine.

 

[Abrac]

I thought I'd post a picture of a solar cross for anyone who might not be familiar with it. It's a Greek cross with the sun in the center and the signs of the zodiac occupying the four arms.

Solar Cross

 

[Richard]

I thought I'd post a picture of a solar cross for anyone who might not be familiar with it. It's a Greek cross with the sun in the center and the signs of the zodiac occupying the four arms.

Solar Cross

Normally, it is a simple equal armed cross, usually (but not necessarily) enclosed in a circle.

 

[kwaw]

The placement of the Cross, in relation to the background figure of the ToL formed by the pomegranates, also suggests its association with Tiphareth and thus 'the Prince'.

Mathers wrote (flying roll X, 1893 lecture) :

"The first ideal form of the Man is in Adam Kadmon—behind the Kether form and, as it were, the prototype of the Tiphereth form. This Tiphereth answers to the letter Vau of the Holy Name, as representing the Prince. The letter Vau also represents the number Six and Adam was created on the Sixth Day, for Tiphereth is the symbol of the Creation."