At A Glance
Positive: femininity, balance of the conscious and unconscious mind, intuition, wisdom
Negative: secrets, keeping things inside, disconnected or split between conscious and unconscious minds
Description
The High Priestess is numbered 2 in the Major Arcana. In numerology, the number 2 relates to femininity and duality.
The High Priestess is seated in the middle with 2 pillars beside her, one black with the letter B and one white with the letter J. Interestingly enough, this is with reference to Solomon’s Temple, where in the Bible, Boaz (or B) and Jachin (or J) were two pillars which stood on the porch of the first Temple in Jerusalem. This duality of colours (black and white) also represents the duality of yin and yang, of masculinity and femininity, of the conscious and the unconscious.
The High Priestess is wearing a crown on her head, indicating wisdom and intuition. She has a cross on her chest, which denotes a connection with the higher consciousness or God. She is also holding/ hiding a scroll where the letters TORA can be seen. Likely the scroll is the Torah, linking to the first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible. Torah here can mean “Law” or “Teachings”. The scroll being partially hidden indicates that when the time is right, all will be revealed. This shows that The HIgh Priestess is associated with spirituality, knowledge, wisdom, and maybe even religion.
At the bottom of the High Priestess is a crescent moon, which is associated with femininity, emotions, intuition, and the unconscious mind. The cloth behind her is covered with pomegranates. The cloth hints that there is something more behind, but only when you are ready to understand, will the answer be revealed. The pomegranates have an association with righteousness (in the Jewish Bible), and also with prosperity and fertility.
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