The High Priestess

The High Priestess, The Radiant Wise Spirit tarot, Arthur Edward Waite, imagery adapted by Pamela Coleman Smith

Upright Meaning

When upright, The High Priestess represents:

Intuition & Inner Knowing: Trust your gut. The answers lie within, not in the external world.

Mystery & Secrets: Not everything is meant to be revealed yet. Allow time and reflection.

Spiritual Awareness: You are connecting to deeper realms—dreams, symbols, or spiritual insights may be important now.

Silence & Stillness: Step back, observe, and reflect. Let things unfold naturally.

Reversed Meaning

When reversed, The High Priestess can signify:

Blocked Intuition: You're ignoring your inner voice or struggling to understand what your instincts are telling you.

Secrets Revealed: Hidden truths may come to light—or you may be hiding something yourself.

Emotional Repression: You might be keeping feelings buried or avoiding emotional truths.

Disconnected from Spiritual Self: A need to slow down and re-center.

Symbolism in the Card

In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, The High Priestess is filled with profound symbolism:

Crescent Moon at her feet: Intuition, feminine energy, and the subconscious.

Scroll in her lap (marked “TORA”): Hidden or divine knowledge, secrets of the universe (some see it as the Torah).

Pillars marked “B” and “J”: Boaz (severity) and Jachin (mercy)—from Solomon’s Temple—represent duality, balance, and mystery.

Veil behind her: Separates the conscious from the subconscious, the seen from the unseen. It features pomegranates, symbols of fertility and hidden wisdom.

Blue Robes and Water Imagery: Fluidity, intuition, emotional depth.

In a Love Reading:

Upright: A deep, soul-level connection; mystery and emotional depth in a relationship. You or the other person may be more introspective or hard to "read."

Reversed: Secrets, emotional unavailability, or uncertainty in a relationship. A warning to trust your instincts.

In a Career Reading:

Upright: You may benefit from trusting your inner wisdom or doing behind-the-scenes work. A time for observation over action.

Reversed: Office politics, unclear motives, or internal conflicts. You may be out of alignment with your purpose

In a Spiritual Reading:

Upright: Heightened intuition, spiritual awakening, a call to explore mysticism, dreams, or esoteric knowledge.

Reversed: Disconnection from your inner truth. Time to return to spiritual practices like meditation, journaling, or dreamwork.