The High Priestess: Tarot Card Meaning, Upright and Reversed

The High Priestess, Card II of the Major Arcana, symbolises intuition, inner wisdom, mystery, hidden knowledge, spiritual awareness, quiet, and the subconscious mind. She is the part of you that understands why before you know why.

If The Magician is about using your powers to act on the world, The High Priestess is about turning inward and listening before you act. She has no hurry. She does not tell all at one time. But she invites you to stop and look and pay attention to what lies underneath the evident surface.

The High Priestess is a card of knowing without needing to prove it right away. It can show up when there's more to a situation than meets the eye, when your intuition is attempting to catch your attention, or when the perfect answer will come via patience, not force.

The High Priestess at a Glance

The Power of Card

There is a calm power to the High Priestess. She does not have to prove herself, convince anyone, or take charge of a situation. Her power is in awareness.

But it has a dark side as well. Suspicion can become intuition. Silence may indicate avoidance. Mystery can become baffling. Sometimes we persuade ourselves that we are following our intuition, when it is fear that is actually making the decision.

So when The High Priestess shows up, the question is not just, "What do I know?"

It is also, "Am I willing to honestly listen to what I already know?"

The High Priestess is the second numbered card in the Major Arcana. Her position following The Magician is important. The Magician converts potential into action. The High Priestess is a reminder that sometimes action is not the solution. Sometimes the next step is to quiet down enough to know what is actually going on.

History of the Tarot Card of the High Priestess

Historically, the High Priestess is an interesting card, as her modern image is drawn from earlier Tarot depictions of female religious power, mystery, and holy knowledge.

In the early Italian Tarot, the card was called La Papessa, or "The Popess" or "Female Pope". The image was associated with the contentious mediaeval myth of Pope Joan, although whether that story is historically true is still debated.

The figure is, in early packs like the Visconti-Sforza Tarot, a woman in religious garb clutching a book. So the card has connotations of religion, learning, authority, and esoteric spiritual knowledge.

The figure fluctuated as time went on. In the Tarot de Marseille tradition, she was La Papesse: in her seated position and in with her book, she stayed a lady. Her image still implied learning and religious or occult understanding.

The deeper symbolic function of the card was attributed by later esoteric groups. The High Priestess was no longer just a religious female figure, but more and more became a symbol for intuition, secret knowledge, the subconscious, spiritual insight and the secrets that are not always accessible via common logic.

The Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot provided one of the most identifiable forms of the modern High Priestess. The deck was published in 1909 and was created by Arthur Edward Waite and illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith.

She stands between two pillars B and J, with a veil behind her and a scroll in her hands. There is a crescent moon at her feet and her veil is decorated with pomegranates.

The picture immediately gives the impression that something is being protected or concealed.

The High Priestess does not tell you all.

"Look below," she suggests.

High Priestess – Tarot Card Meaning & Symbolism

The Rider-Waite-Smith High Priestess is rich with symbolism of duality, secret knowledge, intuition, and the barrier between the seen and unseen realms.

Two Pillars

The High Priestess is flanked by two pillars, one black and one white. Traditionally designated B and J, they are widely identified with Boaz and Jachin, the two pillars of Solomon's ancient Temple.

The contrasting colours symbolise duality, light and dark, aware and unconscious, known and unknown, active and passive.

The High Priestess does not choose between these opposites, but sits between them.

This is a crucial aspect of her message. Often wisdom is the recognition that two apparently opposing things can both be true.

Something can be unsure, and nevertheless worth exploring.

Someone can love you and still act inconsistently.

You can be optimistic, but you can be practical.

The High Priestess instructs you to accept the complexity.

The Veil

Behind the High Priestess is a veil adorned with pomegranates and palm-like forms. The veil is the distance between what is seen and what is beyond.

It is a symbol of mystery, of the limitations of conventional vision.

You can see something beyond the curtain but you can't see everything properly.

That's how a lot of things in life work. We may know something is happening without knowing the entire rationale for it yet.

The High Priestess thinks maybe it's not such a good idea to pry the veil open. Some knowledge comes spontaneously when the timing is right.

The moon

The High Priestess has a crescent moon at her feet. The Moon is closely linked to intuition, cycles, emotions, dreams and the subconscious.

Moonlight is gentler and indirect, not like the direct light of the Sun. It permits you to see enough to go on, but not necessarily enough to take in the whole landscape.

That makes the Moon an appropriate symbol for The High Priestess.

She tells you to get comfortable with limited information.

You may not have all the answers yet.

You might just have a hunch.

And sometimes that feeling merits some attention.

The Scroll

The High Priestess is holding a scroll with the word "TORA" on it. Generally this is understood as holy teaching, divine law or hidden wisdom.

Part of the scroll is hidden beneath her robe. This is important since the knowledge is there but not fully available for the viewer.

The symbol agrees with one of the main principles of the card: information can be there without rapid disclosure.

Some answers you have to find, not have given to you.

The Blue Robe

The High Priestess is dressed in a flowing blue gown. Blue is commonly connected with profundity, spirituality, calmness, introspection, and emotional awareness.

Her clothes contrast with the more energetic look of The Magician.

Where The Magician is action and expression, The High Priestess is calm and reflection.

So her dress echoes the subtle inwardness of the card.

The Crown

The High Priestess wears a crown linked with lunar symbolism. It reinforces her connection to intuition, to cycles, to feminine wisdom, to the shifting character of experience.

The Moon can't stay in one shape all the time. It has its ups and downs.

The High Priestess tells us that our comprehension can likewise evolve in layers.

You don't have to know everything right now.

The Pomegranates

Pomegranates are on the veil behind the High Priestess. They are typically connected to fertility, abundance, life, death, rebirth and the mysteries of the feminine.

Their existence provides another layer to the symbolism of the card. Sometimes the surface is peaceful and still, but beneath something far richer is emerging.

The pomegranate is packed full of seeds inside its outer covering.

It is a suitable symbol for The High Priestess.

What is hidden may contain far more than what is visible.

The Water

The High Priestess is closely related with the water symbolism. Water is emotions, intuition, the subconscious and the elements of ourselves that are not always ruled by logic.

Water also reflects.

The High Priestess wants you to think instead of reacting right away, so that's significant.

High Priestess Upright Meaning

The High Priestess upright frequently means that you already have access to crucial knowledge even if you haven't consciously processed it yet.

It may indicate:

• A keen instinct
• Inner knowing
• Patience
• Spiritual consciousness
• Classified information
• Silent observation
• Dreams and messages from the subconscious
• Emotional intelligence
• Go with your gut
• Use your head when you choose

The High Priestess hardly speaks about hurrying. Tell her what to do next and she may tell you to do less, watch more. Look for patterns. Observe what people do not just what they say. Watch how you react emotionally. Allow yourself enough stillness to hear your own ideas.

It doesn't imply not considering facts. The High Priestess is not a call to renounce reasoning. Instead, she suggests combining what you can observe externally with what you feel within.

Sometimes the answer becomes visible when you stop demanding a quick answer.

Upright keywords

• Gut feeling
• Inward wisdom
• Uncertainty
• Spiritualism
• Stillness
• Patience
• Subconscious
• Secret knowledge
• Ideas
• Surveillance
• Openness
• Inner guidance

High Priestess Reversed Meaning

The High Priestess reversed can indicate that you are ignoring your intuition, or that it is being obstructed or confused.

Maybe you may already feel that something is wrong but you keep looking for outside validation.

Or you've been so swamped with worry and overthinking that it's difficult to distinguish between intuition and anxiety.

The reversal can also indicate secrecy, information being suppressed, emotional detachment or someone refusing to tell you what they actually believe.

That doesn't mean somebody is necessarily lying.

Rather it hints that there may be something that is not yet fully evident.

The High Priestess reversed might also come up when you are holding too much inside. Quiet can be helpful yet quiet completely can inhibit communication that is needed.

High Priestess Reversed Keywords

• Intuition blocked
• A mix-up
• Confidentiality
• Concealed data
• Over-analyzing
• Ignoring instinct
• Emotional detachment
• Withdrawal
• Fear
• Ambiguity
• Bottled up feelings
• Suspicion

The High Priestess in Love & Relationships

In a love reading, The High Priestess often suggests a relationship that has more going on behind the surface.

There may be significant attraction or emotional awareness that is not overtly acknowledged.

If you are single, The High Priestess can advise that when meeting anyone new you should trust your intuition. You can tell quickly if someone is comfortable, authentic, intriguing, or emotionally unavailable.

The card can also refer to a person who is secretive, private, emotional depth, intuitive or hard to read.

The High Priestess may urge you to pay more attention to what is left unsaid when you are in a relationship.

There may be a big conversation that hasn't happened.

Sometimes this card means that you already know how your spouse feels, but you've been waiting for them to say it.

High Priestess does not mean you have to face right now.

First, she asks for awareness.

See. Listen. Next, decide what you need to say.

High Priestess Reversed in Love

The High Priestess reversed might symbolise emotional remoteness, secrets, confusion, or communication being held back.

Someone can be disguising how they feel.

Another scenario is that somebody knows what they want but doesn't want to say it.

The card might also arise when insecurity is obscuring intuition. You can feel something is wrong but instead of calmly assessing the situation you might be filling in the gaps with assumptions.

If you're starting a relationship, take your time.

Look for consistency.

If words and actions do not match, do not overlook the difference.

Emotions as High Priestess

The High Priestess as emotions generally means feelings that are profound and unexpressed.

Perhaps someone does care about you, but they don't say anything about it.

They may be thinking about you, watching you, or sorting out their own feelings before they make their move.

This is not often a loud, dramatic emotional card.

It is silent.

You may be connected to someone who cannot quite articulate the relationship.

The card may also suggest emotional mystery. You might have an idea that someone has feelings but you can't yet tell how serious or strong those feelings are.

Reversed, The High Priestess might signify repressed feelings, emotional confusion, indecision or someone who is purposefully hiding their feelings.

High Priestess as Intentions

High Priestess as intentions usually means someone is not ready to tell their whole strategy.

They might be watching the thing.

They could be waiting for the proper moment.

They may want to know how they feel before deciding what to do.

It doesn't signify evil intentions necessarily. Your person may simply be a private or cautious person.

If you are questioning if someone is going to contact you or make a move, The High Priestess can indicate that the thought is there, but action may not come quickly.

Intent and expression are not the same thing.

The High Priestess inhabits that zone between both.

Reversed, it can signify concealed motives, avoidance or secrecy, or a person who is purposely suppressing essential information.

The High Priestess in Work & Career

The High Priestess is a strong career card when you need to watch, research, trust your gut feelings, keep quiet, or wait.

She might come while you are working through:

• Choosing wisely and doing your homework
• Listening silently
• Trusting your professional gut
• Workplace dynamics
• Not sharing the plan until ready
• Accumulating expert knowledge
• Negotiations where you listen closely
• Working in the background
• Waiting for more information

Consider a profession in psychology, research, teaching, spirituality, writing, counselling, analysis, or confidential information.

The High Priestess does not always say, "Act now."

Sometimes her advice is, "You don't know enough yet."

Ignore the obvious presentation when contemplating new jobs or business opportunities.

Read the information. Ask questions. See the lack.

There may be information that is still unknown.

Reversed High Priestess in Career

Reversed, the High Priestess can mean misunderstanding, poor communication, hidden job problems, or neglecting your professional intuition.

You may have a gut sense that something is not quite right about a career or company opportunity, but you may be ignoring that sensation because the prospect looks excellent on paper.

And it can be a sign of cloudiness.

Some important information might not be freely shared.

In certain readings, the reversed card can imply office gossip, secrets, knowledge not shared, or a question about who to trust.

The advice is simple: get more information before making a huge decision.

The High Priestess of Cash

In a financial reading, the High Priestess asks you to watch carefully and be patient.

She's not usually an impulsive financial actor.

Instead, she recommends looking under the hood before you put in your money.

This can include:

• Conducting investment research
• Reading the tiny print
• More info to come
• Protecting financial plans
• Trusting your gut
• How to stop emotional spending
• Learning before incurring financial risks
• Seeking information that is not yet disclosed

The High Priestess might also mean that financial circumstances are not quite obvious at this time. If it sounds too good to be true, check it out. She can also warn of hidden costs, bad knowledge, opacity, financial misunderstanding or decisions made without the full picture on the reverse.

The High Priestess: Yes or No?

The High Priestess is typically a "Not Yet" or "Wait and See" card in a yes/no reading.

She doesn't convey the direct certainty that some of the more active Major Arcana cards do.

And her message is that anything could still be hidden.

If your question is about waiting for details, knowing how someone feels, finding a secret, taking a big decision, starting to do things before you know enough, or understanding a complicated scenario, the High Priestess counsels patience.

It doesn't always mean "No."

That suggests the answer may not be ready to reveal itself.

If she looks reversed, the message could be stronger: beware, since misunderstanding, lack of information, or hidden influences could be manipulating the scenario.

The High Priestess as a Teacher

The High Priestess says, Be still a while to hear yourself out.

You may be looking everywhere and anywhere for an answer that is beginning to shape inside you.

Before you ask everyone else what they think, ask yourself what you think.

Observe the behaviour pattern before reacting to it.

Before you make a choice, create enough space for the real voice of intuition to be heard over the din of fear.

The High Priestess doesn't ask you to know the future.

She tells you to be more conscious of the present.

Not all answers have to be squeezed out.

Some things become clearer when you stop chasing them.

The High Priestess in Other Positions of the Tarot Spread

The Past: High Priestess

The High Priestess in the previous position may suggest a time when intuition, secrecy, mysticism or secret information played a part in what was happening.

Maybe you've been through something that taught you to trust your gut.

It can also tell you that something crucial was left out, or that you knew more about a situation than you consciously realised at the time.

The High Priestess At Present

The High Priestess in the current situation is advising you to take your time and observe.

Maybe you don't have all the information yet.

You can have a gut feeling about what is happening, but you need time to analyse it.

This is a card of listening and not pushing.

Look at the situation carefully.

The reality may be emerging underneath the surface.

The High Priestess in the Future

The High Priestess in the future position can mean that concealed information will become crucial.

You might discover you need to follow your gut, do some research, keep it to yourself, or wait till the picture gets clearer.

The future may not show you it all right now.

Patience might be one of your greatest strengths.

Challenge from The High Priestess

The High Priestess problem is knowing when to listen and when to do.

Perhaps you're waiting because you really need additional information.

Or you can be delaying because you're scared to make a choice.

They may look a great deal alike, externally.

So the card is asking you to look at your silence.

Are you waiting? Or are you dodging?

Another issue is to learn to trust your intuition but not let fear rule it.

Intuition should make you more alert, not more fearful.

The Result: The High Priestess

The High Priestess indicates that there may not be an immediate and evident answer to the situation as an outcome.

Clarity may come slowly instead.

What is buried can be unearthed at last.

You may know what someone really thinks.

You might learn something that changes your outlook.

Or you might be more comfortable with the fact that you can't know everything right away.

Usually the result is better understanding rather than dramatic exterior action.

The High Priestess and Her Astrological Connection

In many current schools of Tarot, the High Priestess is closely related to the Moon.

The Moon is related to intuition, emotion, cycles, dreams, imagination, the subconscious mind, and those things that function below the level of conscious knowledge.

These are innate traits of the High Priestess.

The moon doesn't shine on everything the same.

It provides enough light to see what is around you but leaves some of the landscape in shadow.

This is precisely the mood of The High Priestess.

She is wisdom before it is fully comprehended.

Astrological correlations might vary with other Tarot correspondences, depending on Tarot tradition and deck.

The Path From The Magician To The High Priestess

The journey from The Magician to The High Priestess is one of the most significant early moves in the Major Arcana.

The Magician says: I can do it.

The High Priestess asks: But do you understand?

The Magician glances outside at the tools at his disposal.

The High Priestess glances within.

The Magician is deliberately intentional.

The High Priestess delves into what lies under conscious thought.

They cancel each other out.

Unconscious action can be reckless.

Awareness without action might lead to stagnation.

The way from The Magician to The High Priestess tells us that knowledge means knowing when to act and when to listen.

The High Priestess Tarot Card Meaning

The High Priestess is, above all, inner knowing.

She reminds you that not all significant truths come in talking, evidence, or explanation.

Sometimes you see the pattern.

Sometimes you feel there is something else.

Sometimes you just know a certain road doesn't feel right.

That doesn't mean every sensation is immediately right.

The lesson is to get curious about your intuition, not obey it mindlessly.

Ask where this feeling comes from. Look at the facts. See what happens next.

The High Priestess is not a substitute for reason.

She brings another dimension of knowing.

Her larger message is that wisdom begins with listening.

The High Priestess as the Tarot Card Reading

When the High Priestess shows up in a Tarot reading, think about what you feel beneath the surface, what information you may be missing, whether that is your intuition speaking, whether you are allowing yourself enough time to get the picture, whether your silence is serving you to watch or to avoid something, and whether someone's behaviour is telling you something their words are not.

The surrounding cards may provide clues as to how the High Priestess is expressing herself.

Positive surrounding cards can boost themes of intuition, spiritual growth, emotional intelligence, knowledge, patience and discovery.

Harder cards might signify secrecy, perplexity, avoidance, suspicion, or information being purposely hidden.

The High Priestess is typically more relevant when you stop asking, "What is going to happen?" and begin asking, "What am I not seeing yet?"

The High Priestess and Other Major Arcana Cards

The High Priestess can have varied shades of meaning based on the Major Arcana cards around her.

• The Fool + The High Priestess might mean starting a new chapter with intuition.
• The Magician and the High Priestess can symbolise the harmony of active awareness and inner wisdom.
• The High Priestess and the Empress can signify feminine knowledge, creativity, fertility, intuition, and nurturing energy.
• The High Priestess and the Emperor could suggest the tension between intuition and structure or the importance of balancing feeling with authority.
• High Priestess + The Lovers may indicate an important emotional connection, although deeper sentiments or choices have not yet been fully articulated.
• The High Priestess and the Chariot may suggest utilising inner guidance and purposeful action.
• The High Priestess and the Hermit can be a strong focus on introspection, isolation, spiritual development, and finding answers inside.
• High Priestess + The Moon can accentuate themes of dreams, intuition, ambiguity, subconscious worries, and hidden knowledge.
• The High Priestess + The Sun can mean that something that was hidden before can come out in the open.
• The High Priestess + The Tower could mean an unexpected revelation that transforms what you thought you knew.

Conclusion

The High Priestess is the Tarot's reminder that not all answers need to be pursued. Some realities are more obvious when you're quiet enough to see them. She signifies intuition, mystery, hidden knowledge, patience, spirituality, and wisdom below the conscious mind. Watch before you react, listen before you talk, and understand before you act, she says.

But her message is more than "trust your gut". It is to establish a relationship with your inner voice. Learn to tell the difference between intuition and fear. Between stillness and dodging. Between mystery and muddle. Between patience and procrastination. The High Priestess knows certain things can't be forced clear. Occasionally you have to wait. Sometimes you just have to look a little more.

And sometimes, when all is still, you realise that somewhere within you, you knew the solution all along.