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High Priestess Tarot Card
The Tower tarot card

Card reading

The High Priestess

 
 
 

High Priestess Tarot Card Meaning

The high priestess is the ultimate symbol of balance and manifestation. She is the card of secrets and affairs. If you receive the High Priestess in your reading then the time has come for you to understand the balance necessary to get what you want out of life. She is the mystery of the mother, of the moon and of life. The High Priestess is a guiding card, telling you that right now you are on a path of enlightenment. It can represent multiple aspects of your life showing a true understanding of your own wants and needs. Now is the time to follow on your instincts and trust that internal feeling. You know you better than anyone else and that means that you also know what is best for you. It is okay to seek counsel or advice from others but make sure that their wants for you are not overshadowing what your own heart tells you.

In my tarot card above, her blond hair cascades like a waterfall of gold, She looks like an ancient goddess so bold. Long eyelashes flutter in the night air. Like, Isis,the greek goddess of magic and rebirth she keeps secrets in the cycles the moon above her head. Her beauty is so captivating, her words intricate and wise, she is an enigma. My queen of the night sky, my vision that will never fade, my unattainable dream, she tells me to wait. So I do.
 

The deeper meaning of the High Priestess card is strong as sits in between two stone stone pillars symbolic of the negative life force) and symbolic of positive life force -- and this balances the two. On her lap which is not visible on my tarot card is the Torah which means ‘Divine Law,’ something that isn’t meant for all to see. When you receive the High Priestess, you can expect the question to be shrouded in a great mystery that can be attainable if you allow yourself to practice listening to your intuition. The High Priestess can be a great ally in discovery for she is connected with the moon (evidenced by the Moon Crown on her head) which is often shrouded in illusion and mystery making it difficult for us to see straight. Often times this card will come up when one is trying to understand a situation that is convoluted. You can ask the High Priestess for help and then practice listening for her advice.

Listening for spiritually intuitive advice allows for communication with your consciousness and the world of pure experience. One must find time to quiet the mind and have patience as well as trust that the process will help you and then the truth will come over you like a sun rising over the horizon. This may take some time to perfect, as it is a practice like anything else, but the High Priestess is the manifestation of the desires of the Magician. She is the connecting force between the heavens and the Earth. Depend on her to bless your Will. Here is a tarot poem I have written about my card above, take in the words in order to understand the meaning.

The High Priestess in Love

The pomegranates behind the High Priestess are symbolic of feminine energy and the palm leaves are symbolic of masculine energy, thus also making her the ‘go to’ energy to acquire assistance in understanding the energies in all of us that are masculine as well as feminine. This helps a lot when it comes to relationships. The High Priestess shows up in a similar light to that of the Moon card when it comes to Love and Relationships. Love is a mystery. Each person experiences it differently. When the High Priestess shows up in relation to a reading on love one must accept the possibility that not all is being seen appropriately in the relationship or the pursuit of acquiring one. She helps solve issues where there is a disagreement between partners, she assists by providing intuition that enables partners to communicate and get to the center of the issue. The key always with the High Priestess is to know that she has something to tell you which is very important, that you will not understand without her assistance and then make sure to listen. In matters of the heart this is doubly important. To find out more about the high priestess in love readings click here

Warning: She Is The Affair Card

A note of warning with the High Priestess is that she can also be guiding you to seek out the truth in a relationship. If you have concern in your relationship it is exceptionally important to follow your instincts, but to do so in a way that is not a detriment to you or the relationship. Just because you have a feeling of insecurity does not mean that your partner is cheating on you. Often we are sensitive to specific issues but the situation is not as dire as it seems. Take advice from surrounding cards to get a clear idea of what is going on in love before acting or jumping to conclusions.

Depending on the love reading, I sometimes call this card “the Inappropriate affair warning” card. To me, this card represents a passionate relationship but sometimes morally “wrong” relationship. Think of: your best friend's husband, that married guy next door, or the old Manager you worked with. 

Maybe the inadequacy of this lover is simply more about wanting someone to be more than they can be, emotional-availability wise. When we are afraid of intimacy, we may choose Mr. or Ms. emotionally unavailable. If the focus of our affection is an emotional wall, we can fling ourselves against that wall in blissful passion and desire that we have never felt before, without ever having to face the prospect that a boring relationship is on the cards. 

The High Priestess As Feelings

Despite being an elegant lady, she holds all her cards close to her chest. When asking about feelings, this card has this energy. The feelings can get lost in the dark with her, secret passages, not replying to texts and locked diaries. When things go wrong for her, she asks "who's fault is this?". Her true feelings are hidden from you. When you ask the tarot cards "what he feels about you", he stays silent. In his mind, he likely feels that he wants to "tilt" the balance in some way, and that he knows what you are thinking from his inner knowing and psychic understanding. 

In many ways this card represents the feelings of a platonic relationship but also that the potential lover is willing to explore that beyond the friendship realms. The high priestess is in charge, but her feelings fluctuate, as if in a cycle. Like the moon phases, or seasons. A reversed high priestess for feelings is linked to Isis (the Virgin) and can show that self-sacrifice is coming.

The High Priestess As Love Reconciliation

It is common, very common to worry about if someone feels the same way about us -- for a human being to feel this way, we often find ourselves re-visiting this state frequently. The High Priestess, on my tarot card is surrounded by blond hair wearing a moon crown, which is the symbol of insight and knowledge. Almost every smart person will know that we cannot force someone to do something we want. It can feel like your insides are being ripped out when our lover leaves. In drawing her, keep in mind that she is the teacher of both spiritual and physical mysteries. This image above is a representation of the journey of life and love experienced by people in tarot readings. It indicates that there is more to your life than meets the eye - it's time to dig deeper. This figure symbolizes the wisdom of knowing when to keep your feelings close while still maintaining a connection between two people. It's a reminder that sharing your innermost thoughts and emotions with someone can sometimes be hard, but that's part of what makes a relationship strong. She also stresses the importance of tolerance, comprehension, and receptivity - all of which are crucial aspects if you want to shack up with this person again.  Maybe --- just maybe you will get back together with someone after a separation or break up. The reason I mention this is because the high priestess knows about secrets --- and hardships when it comes to love but chooses to hide emotions. So thank your lucky stars she has appeared, because there is still a possibility that this love will return unexpectedly.

The High Priestess in Health

The High Priestess appears when it is necessary to focus on matters such as reproductive health. Due to her balancing abilities, she can be an excellent patron helper for birth control, or producing the proper reproductive hormones, balancing estrogen and testosterone. If there is confusion within this section of the body, ask the High Priestess for help to remove the shadows that darken that area so that the trouble can be brought to light.

The High Priestess in Work, Money, Business, Career, and Wealth

The High Priestess helps in matters of business and wealth in the sense that if you are about to get into a business with someone else, or are going through legal issues; she will help you to shed light on all that you are not aware of. This could mean paperwork that you need to sign that you weren’t aware of will come up, or the proper assistance to get your business up and running will just show up. Expect clarity and certainty in matters of business. The High Priestess clears out the sullied waters so that they shine with the vision of your future.

The High Priestess As An Action

There are times in our lives when we feel lost and uncertain, a tarot reading can help in these difficult times. As an action meaning, the High Priestess tarot card focuses on keeping secrets, pulling back, pausing, and observing. In some cases, being clueless can give us a fresh perspective and new insight into the unknown. By allowing harmony between our inner and outer worlds (our spiritual world), she allows us to turn inward and understand ourselves better. The High Priestess suggests you should take charge and listen to your inner voice. If you are feeling lost, don't hesitate to ask your “inner guide” assistance. You can always count on yourself to guide you back on track. Intuition, self-reflection, and awareness are all aspects of the meaning of the wonderful High Priestess Tarot card.

The High Priestess As A Person

In a tarot reading, the High Priestess represents someone who is highly intuitive and in touch with their spiritual side. If I am reading for a client I feel she is very wise and can provide guidance to others. As they keep their own counsel, they can also be very mysterious -- often not willing to share her emotions. To me, the High Priestess can represent someone who withholds information or who is secretive in reversed tarot readings. In my experience, the High Priestess tarot card can be interpreted in a few different ways, but most tarot readers agree that she is a knowledgeable, wisdom-filled individual. Despite living in her own little world, she doesn't need anyone's approval. Feelings of calm and peace can be represented by the High Priestess. There is often a transition or transformation happening in the life of the client when this card appears in a reading. We are reminded to trust our intuition and go with the flow when we meet the High Priestess. 

There are times in our lives when we feel lost and uncertain. As an action meaning, the High Priestess tarot card focuses on keeping secrets, pulling back, pausing, and observing. In some cases, being clueless can give us a fresh perspective and new insight into the unknown. By allowing harmony between our inner and outer worlds (our spiritual world), she allows us to turn inward and understand ourselves better. The High Priestess suggests you should take charge and listen to your inner voice. If you are feeling lost, don't hesitate to ask your “inner guide” assistance. You can always count on yourself to guide you back on track. Intuition, self-reflection, and awareness are all aspects of the meaning of the wonderful High Priestess Tarot card.

The High Priestess As A Yes Or No

I feel that the High Priestess represents a “Yes” answer upright. Whenever I need a straight answer, I've always trusted this card when it has appeared in my reading. Like the character in the shining, I picture her as a blank canvas, guiding me with a gentle whisper. I have always relied on the high priestess as a “No” indicator when reversed. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to fully explain why I trust her in these matters, but I do. I find myself expecting her to appear for advice on anything from small decisions to big ones, somehow transferring energy from her blank canvas to mine. Whenever I need guidance...or at least someone to lean on when I feel uncertain, she has become a kind of omniscient character in my tarot readings and shines through. To find out more about the high priestess in love readings click here

The High Priestess In The Past Position

The High Priestess that appears in the past position of a tarot reading carries a long-held, popular belief that anything hidden was revealed by looking deeply enough. In order to better guide ourselves into the future, we should look back and reflect on our actions and intentions from the past. In order for us to create a more positive landscape for the future, she invites us to observe how far we have come and what elements from the past need to be changed or released. We can gain timeless wisdom through digging into her message, as well as understand how powerful this figure can be in inspiring strength and courage within all of us.

The High Priestess In The Present Position

A stunning blonde haired High Priestess appears on my tarot card with a slow and tranquil nature. She invites us to embrace the nervousness we might feel when contemplating the unknown; to be comfortable enough in our own skin to look deeply at ourselves and trust the insights we uncover. Trusting our intuition and following it without fear will lead us down a path of transformation and renewal. We are encouraged by the High Priestess' appearing in the present position during a tarot reading --- to take the time to understand everyone's feelings and follow life with patience and love.

The High Priestess In The Future Position

In a tarot reading, the high priestess in the future position indicates deep inner wisdom, reflection, and a connection to the celestial world. This card often represents the Egyptian goddess Isis - known as the mother of creation - and suggests that despite our inability to control our fate, we can move forward with confidence through contemplation and acceptance. It could be said that the High Priestess represents energy that moves slowly but surely in its own time. As with Isis, in the future, the card is telling you to trust your power and journey and you will move into your own destiny - you will be guided by deep inner wisdom when you draw her in the future or outcome position.

The High Priestess In The Family or Friendship Position

Drawing the high priestess in a friendship or family position is associated with relationships. It indicates that you need balance and harmony, according to the High Priestess tarot card. Her message may encourage family members to nurture their existing connections and listen to one another without judgment. Also, this card suggests encouraging communication and compromise among loved ones in order to avoid disharmony caused by disagreements or misunderstandings. I often see this card appear when there has been some conflict in the past. Our lives can be balanced and stabilized when we invest in meaningful relationships, as represented by the High Priestess tarot card. By investing time together or showing appreciation for one another, it may serve as a reminder in this spread position to nurture our friendships and not take them for granted.

 

The High Priestess Reversed

The High Priestess In Reversed Position

When you receive the High Priestess in the reversed position, this is symbolic that you are completely detached from your intuition. Messages are being sent to you, but you are experiencing a block due to a lack of desire and momentum. The best advice that the High Priestess in Reverse has to offer is that it is time to open up your chakras and allow the spirit to move through you. Meditate, meditate, meditate!

Love and Romance - The High Priestess Reversed

Attraction is set to a high heat, but like flying too close to the sun, this lust comes with its own complications. Are the actions of your partner or a love interest hard to understand? It can seem that the motivations of others are unclear to you, like you’re seeing everything through a veil – leaving you feeling frustrated. You must practice extra consideration in such a moment as this, and don’t let any increased romantic attention distract you from thinking things through. If you meditate on the situation before, it is like planning your route before and adventure, everything goes more smoothly and makes the journey more enjoyable. It also means taking the time to forgive people where necessary - it is always better to forgive and forget than let yourself become bitter with resentment. All in all, the reversed priestess tells you to tread carefully in the romance department; don’t let impulses make big decisions for you. 

Family and Home - The High Priestess Reversed

Every family and home can swerve off-kilter at times, even the best holiday location must weather the occasional storm. When the High Priestess reversed appears in this type of reading it can highlight an undercurrent of discontentment within the family home. It may be that you, or someone else in the family, hasn’t been themselves recently. You should be wary of outside influences impacting the family dynamic – what’s haunting your family? Perhaps bickering and minor disagreements are making the home feel like a hostile place. You can try and placate the situation by taking time out to think things over and putting in place new boundaries that avoid conflict and make everybody feel comfortable; when you’re all ease, harmony will naturally restore like calm after the storm.

Work and Finances - The High Priestess Reversed

While you fix your eyes on the horizon, scheming and secrecy unravels behind your back. Could there be a double agent or a trickster in your midst? Be extra vigilant with your finances and be sure that no one is being deceitful in your place of work. If you are currently considering making a big financial commitment, such as buying a home or going on holiday, make sure you have full clarity and disclosure before proceeding. Verifiable information is the best way to avoid any suspicious activity that might be going on behind your back at present. If you are, yourself, acting in a shady manner at work - you should watch your step. Someone may be savvy to your secrets. The best route forward for you now is honesty and transparency, the priestess reminds you that honesty is truly the best policy.

Health and Wellness - The High Priestess Reversed

The picture is in front of you, but shapes are obscured – like looking at the sky without a telescope, you’re lacking detail and clarity in the picture of your health. Now may be the time to book in a check-up and look for signs of anything that feels different or unusual. If you have already had a medical check-up recently you should seek a second opinion, this reversed card suspects everything isn’t as it seems. Do not panic, but remember that sometimes even small things are best addressed early. 

Don’t forget wellness extends to your mental state too - if you’ve been dealing with repressed emotions now may be the time to seek out a therapist to work through these feelings, like changing your bedsheets, it will make you feel better. Working through your old problems will make you feel better and help you move forward with your life. And, don’t forget, you should always supplement any medical and mental attention you receive with a healthy lifestyle to maximize its positive impact – like taking vitamins to enhance your diet. 

The High Priestess Reversed - Personal Spirituality

I always find that when the card comes out for our own personal growth or spirituality then something is blocked. This is likely unintentional, perhaps you have become wrapped up in daily life and have been missing the signals? This card, is urging you to pay extra attention to messages from your subconscious, they may come in the form of dreams or stray thoughts - your angels are probably trying to tell you something, you simply need to listen. 

The High Priestess Upright Meanings in Keywords

  • Spiritual protection
  • Passive
  • Calmness
  • Being open
  • Mystery
  • No action
  • Sexual overtones

The High Priestess Reversed Meanings in Keywords

  • Secrets 
  • Blockage Spiritually
  • Passive
  • Aggressive
  • Lack of peace

The Tower

 
 
 

The Tower Tarot Card Meaning

When the Tower shows itself in your reading, consider it as a blessing in disguise. Change, albeit forceful change is being thrust upon you now and though it may feel like it is happening against your will you need to remember that this is for your own good. Often this card comes up when change has been in the works for some time and you have resisted or ignored it. There have been small problems that are increasing and situations are getting out of control. The Tower card represents the Universe telling you that you require this change to happen for your own spiritual growth.

The Tower card is actually a gift, even if it doesn’t feel like it at first. You see, up until this point, you have built your tower on a spotty foundation. The beams are rickety and termite ridden, the stone is old and falling down the mountain. You don’t want to keep living in a condemned building do you? Wouldn’t you rather move into the new mansion that is being built just for you? The metaphor that is the Tower card is clear: You are the rickety tower and it is time for you to rebuild. The Universe lobs fireballs at you and your original tower is destroyed so that you can begin to build again. The routines that you have created, the solace or stability that you think that you possess right now does not exist and it is time to create something more stable for you based on what you know now.

In our lives, we build towers constantly: The Tower of Love, the Tower of Friendship, the Towers of Right and Wrong. We build each tower with the information that we have at our disposal at the time, which is perfectly acceptable. But, as we grow up and we gather more information by bouncing ourselves around this planet, we find that sometimes old information is no longer applicable and new information must be applied. Sometimes the new can comingle with the old, but often times the old needs to be put to rest so that it may be recycled back into the Earth.

The image of the Tower in most decks is frightening. There is lightening knocking the crown off a building, bodies flinging themselves out to fall down into oblivion. It is not an easy image to feel relaxed about. But the image on this card expresses less the final result of the Tower and more the way that we feel when we are confronted with abrupt change. If you lose your home, if you lose your job, if your relationship ends suddenly or your partner dies; these kinds of circumstances can cause you to feel like your entire existence has been shaken like a snow globe. Your world is upside down and though you grasp, there is nothing at your disposal to save you. This is the way that we process change. It is cataclysmic and terrifying. But that is the process that we must go through in order to see the end result benefits of starting anew.

Sometimes, you are forced to start again, and recreate who you are now with the loss that you have experienced. If you can step up to the challenge, even if it is heart wrenching, the reward that is offered to you is eternal. For you will have developed personal strength of character, the knowledge of how to move forward even in the worst of situations and you will become more resilient than ever because you know that you can get through anything. This knowledge of personal strength that is bestowed upon you by the Tower will push you through many different scary situations in your life. You will fear less, and you will find joy more. With the Tower, your entire structure is rebuilt and you get to become brand new again. Trust what this card has to tell you. Consider what Towers you have built that are broken, and then ask yourself what causes you to hesitate about accepting that something is wrong and then begin to clear the slate. When you have identified why you do what you do, perhaps you will be able to allow yourself to heal from the broken and move onto the new.

The Tower in Love

When the Tower card appears in a love or relationship reading, then you must understand that the shape of relationship is no longer going to be able to keep the same shape as it always has. This means that one or both of you are going to go through something that is going to cause you to change every aspect of the relationship. This could be very positive in the sense that you may have been just dating and you are now moving onto a more monogamous feel in your relationship so everything will feel different. Or it could be that the time that you have spent together is no longer serving one or both of you. The Tower is not saying to break up, but it does instruct us to be aware of which part of the relationship is fantasy and which parts are based in reality. Make doubly sure at this time that you do not have a fantasy connection with your partner or potential partner, because fantasy blocks only build fantasy buildings and sometimes we are more attached to our fantasy buildings then we are real ones, but fantasies always bring the tower down when reality comes to light. Be honest with yourself; be honest with your partner. If you are not with someone and are looking, then you must consider the timing to be perfect to reconstruct who you think you are presenting yourself as while searching for your mate. Are you being honest with yourself on the type of person you desire to attract?

The Tower in Health

When the Tower presents itself in a reading dedicated to Health then you will find that bones that are broken are going to be on the mend. This is going to apply to any and all parts of the body that need assistance in reconstruction. Therefore if you are recovering from surgery or are wondering if the recovery for surgery is going to go well, the Tower card tells you that it is. Because the Tower clears out all of the possibilities for you to heal wrong, leaving only the possibility that the final outcome is that you will be well. Perhaps there is a possibility that you might have to confront the reality of your health situation first, but once you have done that reconstruction is always possible.

The Tower in Work and Wealth

Many of us live our whole lives striving to work in one place that will give us security into our old age. The economy is different in these modern times and does not always provide us the same security that we would like that emulates businesses of the past. Now we must be multi-taskers in order to function at the base level in business. The Tower tells you that you must make your entire life about your work, because if you build the Tower of ONE JOB FOR LIFE then you will have to go through the breaking down process should that job ever end. The Tower is telling you that it is time to focus on avenues of life that are not "money making" in nature.

Tower In Future or Outcome

The tower in the future position means what you have built will come crashing down, this could be a job or love. It is not necessarily bad, it is what you thought you were building has come crashing down and now you have a clear view and picture of some aspect of your career or love life. This is a “wake up call” and a false view was getting in the way. It's like a singer, who wants to be famous and quitting their job at the mall then wondering why things don't work out and they don't get that break. The tower can indicate that they are failing at auditions because they were under an illusion. Relationship wise, the tower in the future position could indicate that despite everything the relationship is not working and it is made or break time.

Tower As Action - Upright And Reversed

In the upright position, the tower can indicate that deep change is on its way and you need to go with the flow. There is something that needs to be determined internally and you may be going through a break-up or problems in a relationship. The tower upright can also suggest that out of a negative situation will be a positive outcome.

We all need “shaking up” at some point in life - and that is exactly what the tower gives you in the future position. This card in the future, can also mean that you will "want to feel" free going forward rather than stuck in rut and communicate something with someone that is worrying you that is constantly on your mind. The other element is that there is sexual tension when the tower appears. 

The tower reversed as action can mean that you should not give in and just start again. There is a temptation to just end something and begin something else. The reversal is a reflection of one's struggle internally and its best not to act with impulse. The tower as an action card can show the light (due to the lightening hitting the tower card). The other element of this card is understanding how you can avoid loss. 

If the situation has suddenly stopped or not been good the best advice is to not be quick to make any decisions. Wait! The advice of the reversal of the tower is to be patient. The tower reversed is also a card of over-reacting in a situation and you need to just keep with reality. It is also saying that you need to create the change. The reversal is in the results and that you can influence what happens from now on!

Reversed Tower

Reversed Tower in a reading

When the Tower is reversed, the process has already begun. Likely you are receiving a reading or looking for guidance because you can already feel that there is an aspect of your life, if not the concept of your entire life falling apart all around you. If you receive the reversal of this card, the most that you can do is cover your head and lay low until the building has come all the way down. The more that you fight it; the more hurt you are going to get. Therefore take this time as an opportunity to rest, and to ponder what you are going to create now that this tower has fallen.

Remember: The Tower fell so that you could start over with a new structure, do not attempt to rebuild the same tower. If you continue to move forth from this experience making the same choices and the same mistakes you will only end up back in this situation again and again until you learn your lesson. Take this opportunity to build something you have never built before. Seek out new experiences or push boundaries. What you are comfortable within your life may no longer fit. In love readings, the tower can mean that you have avoided a nasty relationship with someone who could show violence or unkindness.