The High Priestess, numbered II in the Major Arcana, represents inner wisdom, divine feminine energy, and the subconscious mind. She connects to intuitive knowledge beyond the rational.
The High Priestess sits silently between two pillars marked B and J, symbolizing duality and the polarity between conscious and unconscious. She holds a scroll of esoteric knowledge in her lap, and wears a crescent moon crown, representing feminine spirituality. Her white robe signifies purity, and the water behind her connotes the flowing unconscious. The pomegranates on her robe symbolize fertility of spirit.
Upright, the High Priestess trusts her profound intuitive gifts to guide her toward truth. She represents the divine feminine, honoring the sacred within oneself.
When reversed, the High Priestess loses connection with her intimate wisdom and spiritual powers. Reversed, she may ignore gut instincts, repress emotions, or become withdrawn and isolated.
When upright, the High Priestess signals it’s time to retreat inward to draw on your intuition and inner wisdom for guidance on your path ahead. Listen to your dreams and quiet inner voice. Explore your depths through meditation and reflection before acting. Withdraw from the hustle of daily life to reconnect to your higher self.
Reversed, beware ignoring your hunches and inner voice – they are trying to reveal something important. Or, examine ways you may be becoming too withdrawn, avoidant or secretive rather than nurturing intimacy.
Upright, the High Priestess calls you to immerse yourself in mysticism and explore esoteric spiritual traditions to deepen your connection to the divine feminine. Seek altered and transcendent states to unlock your metaphysical gifts. Develop your relationship with your subconscious through symbolism and synchronicity.
Reversed, your connection to your intuitive spiritual powers has weakened. Replenish your bond to sacred forces through practices like meditation, dream work and ritual.
Professionally, the High Priestess illuminates the need to incorporate intuition, creativity and lateral thinking to arrive at solutions. Logical analysis alone is incomplete – trust your hunches. Financially, irrational decisions should be avoided – weigh options thoroughly and listen to intuition.
Reversed, your career insights and judgment are being clouded by conscious mental chatter – try to quiet the noise. Check gut reactions before significant financial moves.
Upright, the High Priestess fosters deeper authentic intimacy by unveiling that which is often hidden – listen and share fears, hopes and wounds to bond. But beware using emotional withdrawal or secrecy as control.
Reversed, you may be suppressing issues rather than expressing needs. Or avoiding vulnerability out of fear. Examine unconscious blocks before connections can unfold.
Reflect on these questions inspired by the High Priestess:
The High Priestess arrives to help awaken you to the profound wisdom within. Journey inward.
When reversed, the High Priestess has disconnected from her inner light and mystical intuition. This card cautions against ignoring your hunches, repressing emotions, becoming withdrawn or isolated, or hiding behind secrets and silence rather than expressing needs. Upright, the High Priestess honors the divine feminine through courageous vulnerability and mystic communion. But reversed, she shrinks away from intimacy out of fear and mistrust.
Similarly, the reversed High Priestess may indicate you have become overly reliant on rationality while denying your intuitive gifts and metaphorical thinking. Or you are immersed only in the mundane without nourishing your bond to the numinous. This card calls to rediscover your relationship with your subconscious, emotions, dreams, and soul. Through practices like meditation, reflection and journeying, reawaken your potent inner magic. Thereby, you return the High Priestess to her sacred reverence for all that lies beneath the surface, joyfully swimming again in her wellspring of profound intuition and wisdom.