The High Priestess [Intuition]

Keywords: The unknown, intuition, spiritual knowledge, inner voice, the subconscious mind.

The High Priestess represents the innate knowing and wisdom, the intuitive and the subconscious mind.

She connects to Water and the Moon, symbols historically associated with women. The three phases of the Moon, waxing – full – waning, correspond with three stages of womanhood , maiden – mother – crone, each unique and equally important.

This card reminds you, that the answers to more complex questions can always be find within. The High Priestess encourages you to trust your inner voice and instincts, especially when facing difficult decisions. Take time for reflection, as there may be more beneath the surface than what is immediately apparent. The High Priestess reminds you to be patient, and allow things to unfold naturally.

A word of caution: diving deeper into your subconscious mind, may reveal that your most inner feelings, thoughts and motives may not be completely in sync with your day-to-day beliefs and actions. Be prepared for new revelations about who you truly are.

That being said, Marie Sklodowska Curie once explained her standing on new, terrifying explorations very eloquently: “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.”

Planet: Moon (and Cancer by default)
Element: Water

Reversed meaning

Blocked Intuition: You’re struggling whether or not to trust your inner voice, leaving you confused or uncertain on what path to take. The reason for this is, you’re only seeing the trees, not the forest you found yourself in. Take two steps back and try to see the big picture. Don’t focus on just one thing, look at the context. Now your intuition will make more sense, and you’ll see the path out more clearly.

Lack of Inner Wisdom: You’re purposefully disconnecting from your deeper self or ignoring the signs and messages from your subconscious. Stop and ask yourself, why? Why are you avoiding this? Be honest (at least with yourself), before taking further action.

Secrets and Deception: There is something you just don’t want to accept or admit, even to yourself. Your actions are based on a lie or a false pretence. Keeping secrets from others or being dishonest (to others or yourself) is causing you all these problems. Is it really worth it? Think about it.

Emotional Repression: Everything is not fine. You know it, because you can feel it, deep down in your gut. All the emotions you’re trying so hard to suppress, all this effort to avoid introspection, is leaving you perplexed or in without clarity.

Overly Passive: You’re letting things to unfold without any control. Be warned, being too passive or complacent may not leave you with the results you were hoping for.

Corresponding Female from History

The goddess, priestess, queen, civil administrator, scholar, lover, a mother. The last pharaoh of independent Egypt.

Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator was the last active ruler of Macedonian Ptolemaic dynasty, which ruled Egypt between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE and end of Egypt’s independence in 30 BCE.

Known for her intelligence, political acumen, and multilingualism (she reportedly spoke Greek and Latin, Ethiopian, Hebrew, Arabic, Serian, Median, Parthian and was said to be the only one of her dynasty to speak the native Egyptian) she sought to restore Egypt’s former glory.

Cleopatra masterfully intertwined cultural heritage, religious symbolism, political skill with her survival pragmatism to form powerful alliances, among them most notably one with Julius Caesar (she borne his son named Ptolemy Caesar) and Mark Antony (borne his twins, Alexander Helios – the Sun and Cleopatra Selene – the Moon). Despite her brilliance and all her efforts, the odds were against her and she could not sustain her dream of a powerful, sovereign Egypt. Like in life, so in death, Cleopatra wrote her own histories.

She ended her reign with a suicide, a death fit for Gods. She denied the conqueror Octavian (later Augustus) his ultimate prize of this infamous, witch-like queen becoming a part of his war plunder, decorating his Roman Triumph. With her death, Egypt lost its independence and went on to become yet another Roman province.