On the qabalistic diagram of the tree of life the path associated with the High Priestess is the third and final path leading down from the highest sphere of Kether; it is also the only path connecting this exalted sephira with one of the spheres ‘below the abyss’, namely Tipareth. Thus it is this path which connects the common experience of humanity is connected with the highest spiritual reality. No other path traverses such a large section of the tree. The qabalistic association of the letter Gimel, meaning camel, clearly shows the role of the Priestess in bearing one across the arid dessert of the abyss.

            The Priestess also represents the highest aspect of the astrological moon, and of the divine feminine. As such, and according to its placement on the tree of life, this card is the key to the final stage on the path of the serpent (also known as the way of return), which marks its completion. By this path the human soul is finally reunited with its divine nature.

            As the entrance to the final and most ineffable of mysteries the nature of this card is inevitably shrouded in mystery itself. Indeed, it would not be far off the mark if one was to consider the nature of this card to be that of the shroud itself; or perhaps more appropriately the virgin’s veil. In fact the nature of the pure spirit of Kether from the perspective of this card is most accurately by the paradoxical figure of the virgin mother (e.g. Mary in Christian mythology), these two roles being the highest aspects of the divine feminine. The most common image of this the High Priestess shows her seated in front of a veil which hangs between the pillars of severity and mercy.

            In readings this association between the High Priestess and ineffable mystery is very prominent, and forms the basis for most of the meanings and interpretations of the card’s appearance. Thus it is often said that when the High Priestess appears in a reading it means that the questioner is not in possession of all the facts; whatever the apparent situation may be, the true nature of the situation remains hidden and mysterious. The card may also indicate mysterious occurrences, particularly of a spiritual nature. Sometimes the card refers to a wise woman, or one with psychic abilities.

            The High Priestess card also has strong associations with wisdom, learning and knowledge. In many versions of this card she is shown holding a scroll or book, often of sacred scripture. This is the other side of the mystery coin – the process of discovery or revelation. The wisdom of this card is essentially feminine in nature, and is based primarily on intuition and the higher functions of instinct, or on emotional intelligence rather than logical intelligence. Psychic abilities are the extension of such feminine aspects of wisdom.

            Following on from this attribution of learning and discovery we come to the other important aspect of the High Priestess; the state of being depicted in this card is essentially passive and receptive. And this is the true path of learning – to be open and receptive, and to see things as they are rather than as we assume them to be (borrowing a phrase from earlier in this passage, it is to realize that we are not in possession of all the facts). It is a near universal fact that the first stage of genius, the first step in any act of momentous discovery, is to recognize the false assumptions (often unconscious) which distort the perspective of others. Although this card, with its depictions of sacred texts, highlights the importance of study and learning, it also, through associating the book with the veil, highlights the fact that this learning can lead one only so far, at which point one must recognize that it does not reveal the spirit itself, but rather reveals the veil behind which the spirit can be found. In this manner the High Priestess depicts the ultimate rejection of dogma, be it religious, philosophical or scientific (we should remember that the one thing all scientific theories and doctrines have in common is that they are all superseded by something newer and better eventually, and in the process proved to have been mostly wrong, misguided or irrelevant) and the adoption of the state of purely passive receptivity in which the active will is silenced, and in which enlightenment is reached.

            In readings this card may indicate a revelation which comes unsought like a bolt out of the blue. This may be particularly powerful and influential upon the person involved if the High Priestess appears in conjunction with The Tower card. One should be wary of trying too hard, and if there is a problem to be overcome one should be sure not to over-analyze things; it is better to clear the mind as much as possible, be aware of things as they happen, and wait for the answer to reveal itself.