Tarot Secret
The High Priestess in Tarot – Meaning, Symbolism & Spiritual Message
Reversed: Suppressed intuition · secrets · superficial knowledge
There are moments when you know something before you know why you know it.
A hunch. A quiet signal.
Something stirring deep beneath the surface.
Maybe you’ve felt it before.
Video: The High Priestess – meaning explained
Clicking loads the video from YouTube (youtube-nocookie.com). Data is transferred to Google when you do – see the privacy policy.
The High Priestess – Historical Background
The High Priestess sits between two pillars — B and J, Boaz and Jachin, the pillars of Solomon’s Temple. Behind her hangs a veil of pomegranates. Waite saw her as the guardian of hidden knowledge, of intuition, and of the feminine principle. In early tarot decks this figure was often depicted as the Popess — a radical image of feminine spiritual authority.
Symbolism of the Card – What the Image Tells
| Symbol | Possible Meaning |
|---|---|
| Two pillars B and J | Boaz and Jachin — opposites in balance: dark and light, passive and active |
| Veil with pomegranates | The hidden — what lies behind the visible world. Pomegranates: fertility and deep knowledge |
| Book on her lap (Torah) | Sacred knowledge — but half concealed. Not all knowledge is meant to be spoken aloud |
| Crescent moon at her feet | Connection to the moon, to cycles, to feminine intuition |
| Cross on her chest | Balance of opposites — four directions united in one point |
| Blue robe | Water, intuition, depth — the flowing nature of inner knowledge |
| Water behind the veil | The subconscious — infinite, cool, clear when you become still |
The High Priestess as Archetype
This card embodies several universal archetypes:
- The Guardian — knowledge not spoken aloud
- Inner knowing — truth that lies beyond words
- Stillness — the space between thoughts
- The moon goddess — cyclical, intuitive, dark and luminous at once
- The unconscious — everything waiting beneath the surface
The High Priestess Upright – Meaning & Message
The High Priestess sits between two pillars — Boaz and Jachin, black and white, contrast and balance. She guards the curtain to the Holy of Holies, to the realm beyond what can be understood. On her lap lies a scroll she half conceals: not all knowledge is meant for everyone, and not all knowledge can be put into words. Some truths only reveal themselves to those ready to receive rather than to grasp.
This card represents deep intuition, the knowing that lies beneath the surface of the rational. Where the Magician acts, the High Priestess waits. Where he speaks, she stays silent. Where he uses tools, she trusts what shows itself on its own when you’re still enough to perceive it. She’s the guardian of the unconscious — both personal and collective.
When the High Priestess appears, it’s time to pause and listen to your inner voice instead of outer advice. Not everything can be solved through analysis. Sometimes the wisest answer is to wait — not out of passivity, but out of trust that the right knowledge will show itself at the right time, if you create the space for it.
The High Priestess Reversed – Shadow Side & Warning
Reversed, the High Priestess shows what happens when the inner voice goes silent or gets suppressed. Hidden motives come to the surface — secrets held for too long, intuitions ignored until they erupt into crises. The reversed High Priestess can point to a phase where you’ve drifted from your own inner truth: too much focus outward, too little contact with what you actually feel and know.
She can also point to withholding information — consciously or unconsciously. Sometimes she shows a person using their knowledge as a form of power, or someone living so deep in secrets that authenticity is lost. What was once protection is no longer that — it’s isolation.
The invitation of the reversed High Priestess is toward honesty with yourself: What do you already know that you don’t want to admit? Which inner voice have you ignored for too long? Sometimes the High Priestess’s silence is no longer a sign of wisdom — but a signal that it’s time to speak.
The High Priestess in Different Areas of Life
The High Priestess in Love
Upright: Trust your intuition in love. What you feel is more real than what you think. Sometimes quiet knowing runs deeper than any conversation.
Reversed: Suppressed feelings or secrets in the relationship. What’s not being said? What’s being overlooked because no one wants to look?
The High Priestess in Career
Upright: Your inner knowing guides you better than outside advice. Trust the expertise you’ve built over time.
Reversed: Superficial knowledge, or ignoring important information. Look more closely before deciding.
The High Priestess in Finances
Upright: Intuition can matter more here than analysis. Something doesn’t feel right — then it probably isn’t.
Reversed: Hidden information or secrets in financial matters. Ask more questions and check more carefully.
The High Priestess in Health
Upright: Listen to subtle body signals. What your body whispers is often more important than what numbers say.
Reversed: Suppressing symptoms or ignoring inner warning signs. Take what’s showing up seriously.
The High Priestess – Yes or No?
Upright: Wait — the time isn’t right yet. Trust your inner knowing. Reversed: Not now — important information is still missing.
An Example from Practice
One user was facing a decision that almost everyone around her had a strong opinion about. She drew this card and, at first, felt frustrated: she had been hoping for a clear answer, not more silence. Looking more closely, she realized that was exactly the point — not to gather more outside opinions, but to listen to her own quiet voice, which had been completely drowned out by all the external advice. She gave herself a few more days without deciding, and the answer became clear on its own.
Next to The Moon, it emphasizes that the answer comes more from the subconscious than from clear thinking. Next to The Hermit, it reinforces the invitation to conscious withdrawal. Appearing next to The Magician, it is worth asking whether this moment calls for action or for listening.
It matters to distinguish real intuition from simply postponing an uncomfortable decision. Does the silence feel like a quiet knowing that still needs to ripen — or like an excuse to avoid deciding? In the first case, patience is worth it. In the second, an honest stock-taking helps more than waiting longer.
The High Priestess – Facts & Correspondences
| Number | II |
| Element | Water |
| Planet / Celestial body | Moon |
| Astrology | Moon — intuition, the subconscious, cycles |
| Numerology | 2 = duality, balance, inner knowing, patience |
| Hebrew letter | Gimel — the camel’s journey through the silence of the desert |
| Timing | Times of stillness and inner reflection, full moon phases |
| Personality | Intuitive, calm person with deep inner knowing; someone who knows more than they say |
| Opposing card | The Magician (I) — outer action instead of inner knowing |
| Complementary cards | The Moon (XVIII) — the subconscious; The Hermit (IX) — inner stillness |
The High Priestess in Everyday Life
Where in my life do I know something I haven’t spoken yet?
What would I hear if I truly became still?
And: which part of me is waiting to finally be heard?
And one last question:
What do I already know that I haven’t fully admitted to myself?
💭 What is your inner knowing whispering to you today — and what have you recently overheard?
Frequently Asked Questions about The High Priestess
What does the High Priestess mean?
She represents inner knowing, intuition, and the power of stillness. She’s a reminder that not everything must be said or acted on out loud — some truths only show themselves when you become still.
Is the High Priestess a good card?
Yes — she’s a deep and powerful card. She can also mean that patience is needed, or that important information is still missing.
What does the High Priestess mean in love?
She points to a deep intuitive connection, or to suppressed feelings. Trust your intuition more than your mind when it comes to matters of the heart.
What does the High Priestess mean as a daily card?
Today is a day for stillness and inner reflection. Speak less, feel more. Don’t make important decisions yet — wait until clarity comes.
Which cards complement the High Priestess?
The Moon (deep unconscious), The Hermit (stillness and withdrawal), The World (complete knowledge). Challenging: The Magician (too much drive to act without an inner foundation).
Reflection Questions for The High Priestess
Let these questions simply be there. You don’t have to answer them.
- Where in my life do I know something I haven’t spoken yet?
- What would I hear if I truly became still?
- And: which part of me is waiting to finally be heard?
- What do I already know that I haven’t fully admitted to myself?
The Journey Through the Major Arcana
The 22 cards tell a story — from card 0 to 21 and back. A spiral, not a line.
After the Magician’s action comes the High Priestess’s stillness. She teaches what lies beyond words. But after the stillness, life calls: The Empress (III) — abundance, creation, the earth itself.
Stay here a moment longer.
The High Priestess doesn’t say much.
But what she says comes from a depth that needs no explanation.
The High Priestess caught your attention? Talk it through with Claire and see what it’s really telling you.