Tarot on a Tangent: Behind the Veil of the High Priestess Meditation Podcast by Psychic Azure

The High Priestess is a woman of mystery. Her image varies from deck to deck but she is generally depicted as shrouded in a cloak suggesting some profound mystical wisdom is hidden beneath its folds. She may also be surrounded by ancient texts or cryptic symbols and may also be bathed in moonlight all suggestive of powerful mysteries that she and only she can decode and from all practical appearances she isn’t sharing! Or….is she?

The High Priestess Tarot Card Meaning

When we see the High Priestess Card show up in a reading, the guidance is to look to our own intuition to gain insight into an issue. But wait….isn’t that the point of a tarot reading? Think about how many times you’ve consulted the cards and the reading confirms some truth you had suspected or knew in some way without knowing how you knew, or you doubted your own intuition and wanted a second opinion before deciding on a course of action. Yes, she is a woman of mystery but these mysteries belong to us, the questioners, and we have the keys to unlock them. But how do we do this?  At the end of this article we’ll have the opportunity for a short meditation to connect us with the energy of our own inner High Priestess and the wisdom that lies within us.  For now lets look at some of the common themes that tend to show up when we draw the High Priestess in a tarot reading.

The Moon in the High Priestess Card - Yes or No?

In this case it isn’t quite so simple. Like the High Priestess herself, there are clues in the imagery on the card itself. Most High Priestess depictions have some kind of moonlight shining down on our girl. The moon itself represents things unseen. This can indicate deception or simply something that hasn’t yet made itself apparent. But the moon is a light in the darkness. The light of the moon would most likely guide us to the same place as the bright light of the sun but we’d have to feel around in the dark a bit on the journey, walk more slowly, and perhaps take note of what our other senses are telling us. When we do arrive at the answer it would most likely feel far more robust than it the answer was simply handed to us.

The Robes of the High Priestess Tarot Card - Hidden Truths

In virtually all decks the High Priestess is shrouded in a cloak. What is she hiding in there? The robes have a look and feel to them of something shrouded in mystery. These are reasons we might consult the tarot cards in the first place so what are we to make of this? Again we are pointed to look to our own intuition or gut feelings to uncover what is hidden. Sometimes with the High Priestess simply knowing something has not been revealed yet will answer the question.

Think about a time when you knew the truth but weren’t wanting to face it. How often have you asked the cards the same question multiple times because the answer coming through is undesirable. The High Priestess may show up to guide you back to your inner knowing. Or perhaps you are trying to decide whether to move forward with a new venture but something doesn’t feel quite right. The High Priestess could show up to tell you to trust your intuition and may not speak to the specific issue because in this example, it may not be relevant to the matter at hand.

The High Priestess in Love

When the High Priestess is drawn in a love reading it can be especially tricky as this is a situation where we are likely very invested in a certain outcome. There are cards we do want to see and there are cards we don’t want to see. The High Priestess can indicate we aren’t being honest with ourselves about a love situation that we want to see go in a certain direction. But it can also give us clues to hidden nuances of our partnerships that might improve our chances of a good outcome or maybe just see our partnerships in a new light.

For example, let’s say a relationship is in trouble and the questioner wants to know how their partner feels about them, and this card shows up. If we were to look at the cards around it say we drew Nine of Pentacles, indicating self-reliance, Knight of Swords indicating rapid and somewhat impulsive forward motion, and the Eight of Swords indicating fear of moving forward. The High Priestess in this case could indicate hidden feelings of fear around a relationship moving too quickly. Much like the rising moon, the High Priestess shines light on the problem in a slow and gradual way asking us to sense into what all is around the question rather than rushing to a quick answer.

The High Priestess in Career/Finance

Should I or shouldn’t I accept a job, go for a promotion, or start a new business venture? You’ve got this one! Issues of the sort tend to be heavily concentrated in logic, strategy, and resources as they should be. But the High Priestess is never to be ignored as she brings us wisdom that can’t be found in a contract or a bank account. What is not being said? What is unseen? Our own intuition can sometimes fail us if we don’t know how to apply it in an area of life that can seem very black and white.

For example the questioner wants to apply for a promotion but has no idea if they’d land the job or not and they also want to know if it could cause problems with their current role if it doesn’t work out. Let's also say we drew the Priestess. First we’d try to decide if this was merely normal anxiety or if the questioner was sensing something amiss with this situation.  As always the cards around it will provide an assist. Let’s say the Nine of Swords, indicating anxiety and sleepless nights is also drawn. In that case the High Priestess could indicate a lack of self confidence that is unwarranted - the questioner is actually qualified for this job and should go for it and show off their knowledge in the interview as they may not be aware of how much they know and that means others probably wouldn’t be either. Lets say the Seven of Swords indicating possible deception is drawn as well.

Hmmmm…. maybe this is the questioner’s intiuition indicating something may not be quite right here. The questioner might not in this case be the one hiding truths within their robes.

Now that we’ve gone over the basics, let’s do a short meditation (see above) to unlock the High Priestess archetype within ourselves. As with any meditation, find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed, lower the volume on your phone, and create a space for yourself where you will be completely comfortable for the duration of the experience. Start by taking some deep inhales and exhales while you prepare, and when you are ready you may go ahead and press play and begin the journey.