The High Priestess (Upright) | Tarot Card of the Day
“Trust your intuition and seek answers within.”
The High Priestess is the personification of wisdom and inner knowing.
If you’ve ever trusted your “gut instincts,” then you were trusting her. You know far more than you “think” you know. To access your instincts and inner wisdom, you need to push aside the veil of the endlessly chattering, “rational” mind. The High Priestess guards the realm of your deeper feelings. When you access the deepest core of your being, you will often find you already know the answer. You just might be too distracted (or too afraid) to trust it.
She embodies balance - between the conscious and the subconscious, knowledge and intuition, and the physical and spiritual. In times of uncertainty, she serves as a guide, reassuring you that answers often lie within, waiting to be unearthed.
Do you trust yourself and your instincts?
Is it hard to access your inner knowing because you are distracted by anxiety? Do you confuse “fear” with your “feelings,” causing you not to trust your instincts?
The High Priestess is the mistress of what lies beyond the veil. She is the keeper of your deepest wisdom. She challenges you to look past the thin shroud of your rationality and experience the deep sea of your inner knowing. She is crowned with the moon in its three phases: waxing, full, and waning. The High Priestess sees the big picture, and knows the beginning, the middle, and the end.
The High Priestess sits between two pillars: one black, and one white. This symbolizes that life’s answers are hardly ever “black or white,” but like the Priestess’ position, are found somewhere in between. The pillars are decorated with the letter “B” and “J.” These are the initials for Boaz and Jachin, which were the names of the two entrance pillars to the ancient temple of King Solomon. Like the High Priestess, King Solomon is an archetype of wisdom. The High Priestess sits before a veil decorated with pomegranates, the fruit of the Underworld. This symbolizes her answers are found beyond the anxious fears of death and change. Peeking from beyond her veil is the vast sea of the unconscious. All the answers to your questions can be found in those primordial waters.
The High Priestess appears today to guide you back to your instincts
Instead of throwing your hands in the air and yelling “I don’t know what to do!” The Priestess knows this is just a superficial exclamation of fears on the surface. She asks you to summon the courage, to pull back the veil blocking your vision, and access your deepest self for the answer. The answer is right there, beyond the veil of fears, and you already know what to do.
Trusting your instincts can be difficult. The “what-ifs” begin to emerge from your fears. “What if I’m wrong?” “What if this is just a big mistake?” What if I don’t really belong here?” What if I fail?” These fears are as thin and superficial as a skimpy veil attempting to block the vast sea. Your fears are not your instincts.
To know the difference between your fears and your instincts, check in with your body. Fears will make you feel tight and anxious. Instincts on the other hand, make you feel sharp, clear and empowered to act. Your instincts can be found in the place beyond the tightness, deeper within your core, deeper within your spirit. Your inner wisdom is an instinct that will guide you, like an infallible compass, whenever you feel lost.
Looking to learn more? Click on the card names below:
Discover The High Priestess (Reversed) meaning.
Learn what The High Priestess means in matters of love, as part of my ‘Tarot in Love’ series.