Atu II - The High Priestess

 II - The Priestess.

The counterpart to the Magician, she is inward where he is outward. The energy she channels is intuitive, and she transmits her intuitive knowing through non-physical means.  She remains behind the manifested world, offering guidance from "behind the veil".  She is the unknowing knower for what she knows is as yet unknown, and she guards her secrets well.


From the original website:
"Quiet wisdom. Alone with God. For me, when this card comes up in a relationship spread, it often means they have known this person in a past life. Possibly secrets. Most importantly, this card suggests listening to your inner voice."
Kaira

"She is Isis, immortal and queenly as she sits upon her eternal throne. One is quite fortunate to know such a powerful woman who weaves the web of life and creativity. As previously noted, she is enveloped in magic and fantasy and gracefully commands respect, but she is not to be feared. The Priestess can give us a hand when we are spiritually fatigued."
bryno

"II. The High Priestess Hebrew Letter: â (Gimel)=Camel (White sacred animal)
General: As Gimel represents the number 3, as Binah The Great Mother is the third Sephiroth on the Tree of Life, The High Priestess represents the Mother. She is the virgin, pure, untainted, and unsullied (Isis, the eternal virgin and the immaculate conception). She is the epitome of the Dark/sterile Womanhood. She is not sterile in the classic sense yet to touch her or see her face would mean certain death. The notion of sterility comes from the representation of the Mother. One would never seek to be sexual with one's Mother. This is taboo in almost every culture. She is therefore the perfect Woman that we must not touch or aspire to touch though she represents total fertility. Where the Fool is innocent so the Priestess is Purity. Crowley states that she is light and the body of light (note the light surrounding her). This Light hides us from the truth though she is truth. Again, to know her is destruction. Beneath her are whorls, crystals, seeds, and pods. These are nascent forms symbolizing the beginnings of life. She represents a place where we can come to learn. She represents intuition and those things that cannot always be gleaned from reason or logic. She is a path for Kether to reach Tiphareth and she is veiled. We will not see this path however we may follow it. She is unfathomable.
Here is everything that resides within the unconscious. Dreams are found here and secret desires. All of these things elude thought though she can give us staggering insights. Here we are told to focus our attentions on intuition and unconscious thought. Pay heed to your dreams. It is also a time to wait. Make your journey when the time is right. A big change may be coming.
In business this card indicates that we are healers or therapists or it can also mean that we receive our work with open heart. We are willing to accept that which is presented to us, but we will not decide the path based on external influence.
In relationships this card represents a deep-rooted love, respect, understanding, and closeness and the knowledge that there are those things between us and our partners that are unknown.intangible qualities that bind us in love. If we are without a partner then this card signifies our bond to the inner-self.
Shadow: Seduction (taboo), injury, false ideas, tainting purity, mistaking tainted for pure, moodiness, doubt, dread, superficiality.
Keywords: Unknowable, unconscious, purity, spirituality, fluctuation (due to uncertainty).
Goal: To accept the unconscious and trust our intuition."
Dean

"This is the long walk across the wilderness with only a jug of water, this is the flight of expiremental aircraft, a sudden surprising opening and the journey inside.It is the beggining, where even the goal is a little unclear, and the stakes are high-either the highest glory or the longest freefall. She is the blinding light of reality as seen filtered through our human senses and restrictions also."
dustud

"I choose this card for myself, for one who is still learning but the truth is often hidden and must be sought.
The care also displays great mystic ability and bows before Isis."
Brnwyn

"Ability to adapt by tuning inward. Sometimes not choosing to examine a situation for whatever reason and by means such as over indulgence, addictions to activities or substances, or choosing to be oblivious to not have to deal with the real. Also can mean something unseen or hidden, it's relation would pertain to it's surrounding cards. Or a occultist unfolding".
Brigitte

"The Priestess-II is the femenine side of God, is Shekkina of Jewish tradition, also represent Love of God, spirituality sustenance the material."
Marina Garcia Ardon

"I am partial to The High Priestess, because it is my lifetime/soul card in Tarot Numerology. (Thanks to Mary Greer) my teacher, who provided me with the formuala to know this.
When ever I get this card, I instantly remember that I forgot to TRUST IN MYSELF. The power is not outside of us, but inside, and The High Priestess always reminds us of this. If we can quiet the mind long enough to listen to her(our inner voice) magical things will start to happen in our lives."
Lisa Lovejoy

"The hidden woman in a man's life."
Lydia Alvarido

"Having learned of the thesis and antithesis of the Emperor and the Empress, respectively, initiates continue their journey to the synthesis: The Priestess. Standing in perfect balance between the Pillars of Severity and Mercy, the Priestess learns when to spare the rod and spoil the child, as well as when to spare the carrot and smack the horse. Truly fulfilling the desire to unite with Universe, or Great Spirit, the Priestess learns the nature of both: possibilities. Seeing that many multiple realities can turn up, and more importantly that the reality that turns up depends on her actions now, the initiate ultimately moves to the parenthesis stage of Discordian thought, that of the Magus."
- The Fool

"The Priestess is the virgin before the wedding and as such is related to the card Lust XI, where the Empress III ties into the Lovers VI. She is mystery and mysticism and for a man represents the ideal woman and to a woman is the ideal self. She veils all the knowledge that our concious mind can't understand. She can represent someone in our life or a concept of a person. Working with her can open our understanding of the intangible and of ourselves."
wilhelm picaco

"Ultimate feminine intuition, mysteriuos, highly aware spiritually, psychic and well connected to spirit!"
amber tamiazzo

"Goddess is she who is the negative expression of the positive idea.
In the Aeon of Isis, we walked in our serpent paths, twisting round and rount the earth and the campfire. We weaved our fate in our rugs. The positive expression of the negative idea was the Aeon of Osiris.
That is the compilation of the Aeon of Horus. But Horus is a twofold god of set and his counterpart Ra Harahkte.
He is the sun and the moon, the night and the day. Emanations of the Priestess to be whispered in your ear from the Night/Nuit from behind the veil."
Sor. Hoor Amentii

"The Priestess is eternal knowlege. We all draw from this nurturing wisdom, and can tap into her for answers and guidence. The Priestess represents what we call psychic powers. These powers are at the acess of everyone and everyone uses them weither they acknowlege it or not. The Priestess is our gift. Our companion."
Stephen Jacob Martin

"Healing; Wisdom & experience; Help, advice, tuition, possibly given by a woman; TRUTH; Psychic ability; Hidden forces with new solutions; Feminine balance and occult learning; Awareness of planes of existence; Nurturing and caring for others & the ability to reach your core. TAKING PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY & ULTIMATELY LISTENING TO WHAT YOUR BODY IS TRYING TO TELL YOU."              
Linda

"She is the moon or the qualities of the moon. The black eye of horus, the echo of the sun. She is the mirror of wich the center looks upon. The spiritual veil of self, the refection of one that seems like its 2. But the only light from the moon is the from the sun, from the center. The hiden, the amen in amen-ra. She is maat .. The first link in the chain of infinity, the first spin on the wheel."
R.Kain

"Life is eternal; you can see it now, and it is absolutely clear; our moon reflects our closest star, the sun; the arrow is always already shot, is flying, hearing the target's call and hitting it in the ever-moving/ever-still-standing center simultaneously."
hilmar

"The High Priestess represents the Unconscious Mind which is most active while we sleep, and for this reason we see her attribution to the moon. Ironically, the unconscious mind is awake ALWAYS, it never rests, it is only overshadowed by the greedy conscious mind. She is in constant communication with the Higher Conscious, which (unless the alchemical wedding has taken place) the conscious mind is incapable of understanding. In those rare moments when the conscious is receptive to unconscious imput (usually during depression, fear, or helplessness) the unconscious mind at times dictates the uplifting words of encouragement She receives from the Higher Conscious. The Unconscious mind, trully is a High Priestess: for it is through her influence that we will one day look into the eyes of The Beloved."
Gerald del Campo

"The High Priestess encompasses our intuition. She has psychic abilities and lives in a dream state. She has the ability to balance equally strength and softness. This card can also represent the beginning of a creative streak. It is also a time for self introspection, to get in touch with one's self to create mental harmony."
Alison

"She is the archetypal Grail, the Gnosis distilled. She represents esoteric kn owledge, inspiration, the touch of Wisdom. She is those moments when inspirat ion wells up within, shedding light upon issues. She is spiritual and the per fect receptor of Divine Light."
Eitta