The High Priestess Tarot Card Meaning

On the third Major Arcana of the tarot, the High Priestess sits at the entrance to the temple, as if guarding it. The entrance itself is veiled - one can't peek through, only speculate about the mysteries hiding behind it. The High Priestess holds a scroll of knowledge and laws, and at her feet lies the crescent moon as a symbol of mystery and the cyclicity of life. The Priestess is draped in flowing robes, and on her head is a crown, symbolizing power and the unity of the physical and spiritual realms.

The pillars on the card, on either side of the High Priestess, reminiscent of a portal to another dimension, symbolize the struggle and unity of opposites: life and death, day and night, male and female. Access to the temple doors is the understanding of the Priestess's arcane essence.

The upright High Priestess tarot card signifies that there is some mystery present in your life, and to decipher it, you need to listen and trust your intuition, not ignoring signs and hints received from above. You must guide your life not only by logic and common sense but also by the voice of your heart!

This tarot Major Arcana is a warning that there are hidden factors in your life or a specific situation that interfere with an objective assessment of what is happening. People around you may not be who they seem to be! There may be unknown characters in your affairs, playing behind the scenes. The situation is only partially known to you, the other part is veiled in mystery, and it is impossible to control it blindly.

However, the appearance of the High Priestess card in the spread indicates that despite a large number of unknowns, you have chosen the right path. It's important to maintain calm, listen to the voice of your subconscious, and not ignore the advice of the people around you - the answer to a long-standing question may be hidden within their words.

Key Meanings of the Upright High Priestess Card

• Spiritual development, insight, understanding the essence of things.
• Strong intuition, the gift of foresight, far-sightedness.
• Enlightenment, sound judgment, receptiveness to knowledge.
• Secret signs, things left unsaid, private space, the future veiled in mystery.
• The presence of a woman showing interest in you.

The meaning of the reversed High Priestess card serves as a warning. Perhaps the best course of action for you right now is to do nothing rather than succumb to intense emotions, force events, and make mistakes. Negative emotions are currently a destructive factor and the cause of problems in your life. At the same time, complete indifference and excessive inertia are no less harmful than aimless activity. Due to delay, you might miss your lucky chance, a gift from destiny.

Wisdom, patience, and inner harmony will help neutralize the prophecy of this reversed tarot card! The High Priestess arcana encourages you to trust your intuition rather than deceptive feelings and desires. Calmly observe the situation until you hear the inner voice — it will guide you to the right place at the right time, suggesting the right words and actions in a difficult situation.

Key meanings of the reversed High Priestess card

• Self-deception, superficial knowledge, passivity, ignorance.
• Blocked intuition, unrealized possibilities.
• Impulsiveness, extremes, actions driven by emotions.
• Compliance, weakness, wavering, lack of understanding, false judgments.

The upright High Priestess card in a love spread represents the terra incognita of relationships, something subtle and hidden in the shadows, existing on a level of intuition and guesswork. All attempts to unravel this mystery and gain understanding prove fruitless.

This could represent insincerity on the part of your partner or simply some news about your loved one that you will soon learn. Once the veil of mystery lifts, understanding will arise about where to move next. However, you'll have to accept that some relationships are very intimate and incomprehensible to the end - but that's where their extraordinary charm and depth lie.

The High Priestess can also represent a secret admirer - someone who is deeply sensitive, restrained, wise, but does not dare to show their affection.

In the reversed position, the meaning of the card changes - it points to suppressed emotions, fears, and insecurities that prevent the building of harmonious relationships.

When reading for an admirer or lover

In a reading for an admirer or partner, the upright card suggests that your chosen one in love does not rush to advertise their feelings, preferring to hide much. Pay attention not to what they say, but to what they remain silent about.

The reversed card indicates that your lover is full of contradictory feelings and emotions, most of which are driven by their thoughts. They themselves are having a hard time understanding their feelings.

In business readings, the High Priestess card promises success in work, especially in creative, scientific, and educational endeavors. It's a suitable time to pursue additional education, enhance your skills, or even change your field altogether.

Significant financial gains are not expected, so try not to spend money frivolously. And be cautious when planning major changes — the High Priestess indicates a high probability of hidden factors and unexpected events. Trust your intuition — it's sharper than ever right now.

In the reversed position, the card warns of a complex situation full of hidden motives and circumstances that cannot be objectively assessed.

When interpreting this card in a reading for an individual, the upright position signifies a person with a bright mind and incredibly developed intuition, capable of sensitively sensing everything happening around them.

In the reversed position, it represents an individual with a delicate emotional nature, highly emotional, and at times (under the influence of the moment) prone to impulsive actions.

In the upright position, the card advises you to trust the voice of intuition and learn to keep secrets—both your own and others'.

When appearing in the reversed position in a spread, the card advises you to rely on strict logic and facts rather than emotions, intuition, or feelings when it comes to important matters. Be cautious about jumping to conclusions!

If the card appears in the upright position, the forecast for your situation is highly favorable. As a result, thanks to your insight and intuition, you will penetrate the essence of events and achieve what you desire.

In the reversed position, the forecast for your situation is ambiguous. Impulsive actions driven by emotions may hinder you. Be cautious about jumping to conclusions!

With the 0 Fool card — To speak out, become confused, invent something that doesn't exist.

With the 1 Magician card — Not to publicize a romantic relationship, to know more than others, to rely on intuition.

In combination with the 3 Empress card — Rivaling girls, an excellent spouse, a successful marriage.

With the 4 Emperor card — A productive alliance, a lover, to meet one's better half.

With the 5 Hierophant card — Religious parents, meeting a spiritual mentor, a civil marriage.

With the 6 Lovers card — A secret affair, choosing a spiritual path, an intuitive decision.

With the 7 Chariot card — Hidden plan, change of job or residence, automatism.

With the 8 Strength card — A rival, a sense of betrayal, a beneficial encounter.

With the 9 Hermit card — A solitary girl, reclusion, renouncing amusements.

With the 10 Wheel of Fortune card — A cunning scheme, calculativeness, sacred knowledge.

With the 11 Justice card — Imperceptible manipulation, lulling vigilance, a complex plan.

With the 12 Hanged Man card — Female betrayal, a passive approach to life, monotonous relationships.

With the 13 Death card — Change of worldview, love divination, the end of a relationship.

With the 14 Temperance card — Adaptation, female friendship, improvement of health.

With the 15 Devil card — Deception, a deal with one's conscience, selfishness or dark thoughts.

With the 16 Tower card — To leave the comfort zone, impulsiveness, dangerous intentions.

With the 17 Star card — Foresight, occult sciences, heightened intuition.

With the 18 Moon card — Neuroses, complexes, painful jealousy.

With the 19 Sun card — Secrets coming to light, the ability to lead, wise advice.

With the 20 Judgment card — Experience from the past, reconciliation with relatives, reevaluation.

With the 21 World card — The next stage of development, a complete picture of what is happening, a discovery or birth.

With the Ace of Wands - Wise decision, prudence, one's own path in life.

With the Two of Wands - Clear plan of action, hidden opportunity, pride in oneself.

In combination with the Three of Wands - Successful beginning, secrecy, self-interest.

With the Four of Wands - Dark family history, debt to relatives, caution.

With the Five of Wands - Intelligent conversationalists, healthy competition, acceptance of the new.

With the Six of Wands - Missing knowledge, a good teacher, applying innovation in practice.

With the Seven of Wands - Compromising evidence, behind-the-scenes struggle, slander or nasty gossip.

With the Eight of Wands - Cunning scheme, a team of ill-wishers, unfortunate circumstances.

With the Nine of Wands - Retreat into oneself, wait for the right time, focus on personal life.

With the Ten of Wands - Lose an argument, feel guilt, overestimate one's strength and reconsider.

With the Page of Wands - Engage in a promising business or partner, take a closer look at a potential husband.

With the Knight of Wands - Gift of keeping calm, concealing emotions, clever maneuver.

With the Queen of Wands - Resourcefulness, quick thinking, advantageous position.

With the King of Wands - Success in endeavors, knowing when to leave, energy and foresight.

With the Ace of Swords - Outsmarting competitors, quietly making deals, eavesdropping.

With the Two of Swords - Passivity, theory without practice, delays.

In combination with the Three of Swords - Uncomfortable truth, blow to one's pride, unpleasant criticism from loved ones.

With the Four of Swords - Deep contemplation, psychological trauma, reclusiveness.

With the Five of Swords - Hopeless endeavor, self-sacrifice, responsibility.

With the Six of Swords - Valuable secret, investment for the future, willingness to wait.

With the Seven of Swords - Cunning plan, ingenious scheme, anticipation of substantial profit.

With the Eight of Swords - Inaction, fear, inability to move forward.

With the Nine of Swords - Guarding an old secret, insomnia, nightmares and haunting thoughts.

With the Ten of Swords - Finding a way out of depression, realization of mistakes, acceptance of defeat.

With the Page of Swords - Strategic maneuver, cunning bait, the art of flirtation.

With the Knight of Swords - Leap to success, bold statement, sharp criticism.

With the Queen of Swords - Assertive rival, unbeatable competitor, family discord.

With the King of Swords - Investigation, wiretapping and surveillance, justifiable claims.

With the Ace of Cups - Concealing emotions, shy infatuation, outward coldness.

With the Two of Cups - Secret engagement, ideological union, perfect compatibility of personalities.

In combination with the Three of Cups - Support group, underground activities, illegal parties.

With the Four of Cups - Denying the obvious, playing both sides, being swayed by someone.

With the Five of Cups - Unpleasant news, realization of a problem, self-reflection.

With the Six of Cups - Thoughts of the past, platonic relationships, genuine generosity.

With the Seven of Cups - Indecisiveness, delay in finding a solution, the perils of overthinking.

With the Eight of Cups - Tactical retreat, returning to one's roots, humility.

With the Nine of Cups - Wholeness of character, recipe for happiness, unwavering optimist.

With the Ten of Cups - Family unity, successful marriage, prosperity.

With the Page of Cups - Good news, joyful celebration, soulful companionship.

With the Knight of Cups - Secret game or mission, cunning, covert activities or romance.

With the Queen of Cups - Wearing a mask, selectivity in relationships, a practiced smile.

With the King of Cups - Hypnosis, therapy sessions, subconscious issues.

With the Ace of Pentacles - Additional income, hidden finances, the ability to earn.

With the Two of Pentacles - Underground spending and manipulations, petty swindler, playboy.

In combination with the Three of Pentacles - Secret enterprise, corruption, a gang.

With the Four of Pentacles - Stash, attempt to preserve wealth, financial investment.

With the Five of Pentacles - Showmanship, hiding poverty, stalling by making promises.

With the Six of Pentacles - Secret gift, covert acquisition of property, lending money.

With the Seven of Pentacles - Investing resources, informant, securities transactions.

With the Eight of Pentacles - Key to success, additional profession, side job.

With the Nine of Pentacles - Excellent specialist, ability to manage property, meticulous planning.

With the Ten of Pentacles - Public announcement of inheritance, family quarrels over money, division of inheritance.

With the Page of Pentacles - Financial proposition, luck in gambling, calculated marriage.

With the Knight of Pentacles - Fade into the shadows, conceive a new venture, semi-legal position.

With the Queen of Pentacles - Undisclosed resource, unexpected opportunity, aligning with someone knowledgeable.

With the King of Pentacles - Prosperity through resourcefulness, affluence, social influence.