In every country in the world there is some sort of spiritual belief that is practiced, it does not have to be formal religion, it can be as simple as a superstition. In some way or another there are many, many people who acknowledge the unseen world and this is the place where we find the High Priestess energy.

She sits in front of the veil that conceals the spiritual world, she has the word Torah imprinted on her sleeve. The Torah is the book of the Law for the Jewish faith. The Jewish faith also has within its teachings the basis of some of the most wonderful esoteric knowledge such as the Kabbalah. The tarot is often read with the knowledge of the Kabbalah and the combined knowledge of these systems is embodied by the High Priestess card.

The pomegranates on the veil are a sign of union with the divine as well as the feminine in all her juiciness. Pomegranates are also the sign of abundance, whether this is physical abundance or the abundance of the fruits of love, spirit, or knowledge, if one thinks of the numerous seeds of the pomegranate there is such great potential in each and every seed. Each seed carries the potential of that which is embedded in the original fruit.

In the Mythic Tarot Juliet Sharman-Burke and Liz Greene ¹ tell us that the Pomegranate is both the fruit of the dead and the fruit of conjugal love. But the meaning of the 'fruit of the dead' actually means that the fruit is within the unconscious.
The High Priestess is the link between the inner worlds of the unconscious where the hidden potential of the self is often accessed through dream, which is full of potential as well as the darker and more primitive facets of the personality.
When the High Priestess is active in our life, we may notice strange co-incidences which enliven our experience as well as random happenings that appear to point the way to a deeper fulfilment of our destiny. Think of those fated meetings, which compel us to follow the calling of the soul, which not surprisingly changes our lives. These apparently illusive experiences sometimes defy intellectual understanding. Only with time will we understand the true meaning of the revelation or experience, as they seem to act on an apparently subliminal level.

The High Priestess in your life

The appearance of the High Priestess in your life will call you to act on your intuition, she will also require you to be emotionally honest and act with emotional and spiritual integrity. She calls for us to become more conscious and to work with our unconscious drives if possible; this is a good time for in depth therapy or analysis. Should you have the opportunity to meet some-one who embodies the High Priestess then hear what she has to say, there is deep wisdom in the esoteric, and you can be truly guided.

The Pillars depicted in the High Priestess card are the pillar of the temple of Isis and the ancient Hebrew temple in Jerusalem, which is thought of to be the dwelling place of God on earth, the home of the Shekinah. The veil in front of this indicates that we may not enter the holy of holies. The B and J letters on the temple stand for Boaz and Jakin, dark Boaz for the unconscious and light Jakin for consciousness. When the High Priestess arrives in your life, embrace her, deeply as this could be a turning point in your life that is to reveal your true purpose on the path of this lifetime.

PLEASE NOTE: Bernie Rowen will be presenting a talk on Divination and the Tarot at the Edinburgh Body and Soul Fair in room 1 at 4.00pm on Saturday the 9th October 2010.

Bernie Rowen relocated to Scotland from South Africa, where she ran a counselling practiced based on Jungian principles and shamanic work. She has published 2 books, Massage, published by New Holland Publishing and Natural Solutions an A-Z of natural healing published by Metz press. She holds many qualifications in Natural Medicine and counselling from Reiki to clinical hypnotherapy and holds a diploma in Adult Education from the University of Cape Town she is registered with Independent Professional Therapists International as well as Tarot Professionals. She is currently reading for a Masters Degree in Cosmology, Cultural Astronomy, and Astrology.

She lives in Livingston and runs a practice using both tarot and astrology as tools for spiritual and personal development, as well psychological counselling based on Jungian principles. To make an appointment contact her: or ph: 01506-433638

Suggested reading:

Seventy eight degrees of Wisdom: A book of Tarot by Rachel Pollack.