Tree of Life: Keter into Tiferet – Path 13
Planet: The moon
Number: 2
Hebrew Letter: “Gimel” meaning camel
Light: wisdom, understanding, intuition, subconscious, mystery, occult knowledge
Shadow: secrets, hidden agendas, need for personal reflection, repressed feelings
Key Themes of The Priestess Thoth Card
The Priestess, associated with the number 2, symbolizes the universal subconscious, reflection, and the space between creation. She is the ocean of consciousness from which all life springs, uniting the archetypal world with the formative world. The Priestess is the silence between the notes, the space that allows distinctness and knowledge to exist.
The Fools Lesson
As The Fool meets The Priestess, his journey takes a deeper turn. She teaches him that the true power of his gifts from The Magus lies not in their mere possession, but in their combined use. She introduces him to the concept of duality, explaining that life is a dance of opposing forces, and the mastery of balancing these forces comes from trusting one’s intuition.
The Priestess also reveals the existence of an unseen force within The Fool – a limitless potential that remains untapped. She guides him to understand that this internal power can only be accessed through introspection and stillness. Just as life begins in the darkness of the womb or the soil, The Fool’s spiritual awakening begins in the quiet darkness of his own subconscious.
The Priestess’s final lesson is a profound paradox: in every patch of darkness, there is light. This lesson of duality teaches The Fool that even in the darkest times, there is an inherent potential for enlightenment and growth.
Joe’s Divine Guidance: The Priestess in a Tarot Reading
Upright
In the upright position, this card represents our unconscious beliefs, fear or emotions, as well as a curiosity in mysticism, and the development of intuition and natural insight. This card asks you to explore your unconscious and the meaning of your dreams, as the two can often be in synergy.
Reversed
When this card appears reversed in a reading it’s suggesting there might be some internal struggles with mental illness or a ‘muddled’ mind. This card also suggests you could be suppressing or neglecting intuitive feelings.
Mystical Symbolism: Decoding The Priestess's Symbols
Crown of Isis: Sitting on her head is a crown that symbolizes the waxing, full, and waning phases of the moon and represents all cycles of life and going with the natural ebb and flow of these cycles.
Main Veil: This main veil represents the idea that in order to get to the true nature of anything we must first be able to go behind the veil, as what’s in front cannot be truly seen. In The Magus card he is seen in front of the veil, but after transforming into The Priestess she is depicted behind the veil as she has now become a master of unseen forces.
Bow of Artemis on her lap: This bow symbolizes willpower and in mystical definitions is the AUM sound to be meditated to and 7.83 hertz, otherwise known as the “natural frequency”, the one which our Earth vibrates at.
7 Moon crescents underneath the crown: This represents the number 7, the number of inner wisdom and silence. Number 7 also relates to Venus and her association with The Empress.
Infinity Sign Around Eyes: This infinity sign symbolizes her undying connection spirit, which is infinite and completely formless in its nature.
Path 13 on the Tree of Life: Kether-Tiferet
The High Priestess is associated with the path that connects Keter, the first sephira, to Tiferet, the sixth sephira.
Keter: Also known as “the Crown,” Keter represents the divine light of God, the source of all creation. It’s the highest point on the Tree of Life, symbolizing the purest form of consciousness or the divine will.
Tiferet: This sephira is also known as “Beauty” or “the Son.” It represents balance, harmony, and compassion. It’s the point of equilibrium in the soul where the divine spirit is most manifest. Tiferet is seen as a reflection of the divine source, embodying the highest aspect of humanity.
The High Priestess is the force that guides the divine will from Keter to its reflection in Tiferet. She is like a bridge between the divine and the human, helping us to access our higher self and spiritual awareness.
The Priestess Hebrew Letter - Gimel
The Priestess is associated with the Hebrew letter Gimel, which means Camel. Just as a camel helps travel across deserts, Gimel symbolizes the journey across the abyss of the subconscious. It represents memory and the subconscious knowledge we all share.
Astrology Insights: The Priestess's Associations
The Priestess’s primary astrological correspondence is the Moon, symbolizing development of emotions, feelings, intuition, and psychic awareness. The Moon, ruled by Cancer, is the ship of the sky, reflecting the Priestess’s role as the ship navigating the ocean of consciousness.