Cards from the Good Tarot. Photo by author
The High Priestess and the Hierophant are a fascinating, yet tricky pair to interpret in a tarot reading. At first glance, they appear to offer a similar but awkwardly opposite message. I’d like to delve into their joint meaning when they turn up in a reading together. I’ll say right up front, the combination represents a powerful energy with a deep impact on the seeker’s life.
Note: Originally posted by the author at Exemplore.
Firstly, let’s take a quick look at each card in turn.
The High Priestess II
She is often depicted as a veiled woman sitting between two pillars, one black; one white. They represent the duality of life and the need to find a balance between opposing forces.
Behind her hangs an embroidered curtain displaying lush vegetation, including pomegranate halves. They are a symbol of fertility, abundance, and mystery. Pomegranates are connected to the myth of Persephone’s annual vacation in the underworld.
If you look carefully between the pillars and the curtain, you’ll notice that there is a large body of water behind the High Priestess. Water is a symbol of emotions, dreams, and hidden knowledge.
She wears blue and white robes and a crown in the form of three phases of the moon. On the floor before her is a representation of a crescent moon. The moon is associated with the unconscious mind, intuition, and the cycles of life, and in particular, women’s fluctuating states of being.
She holds a scroll, with the title ‘Tora’ or possibly ‘Torah’ or ‘Torat’. There is a lot of debate around this title. Some think it is an anagram of ‘tarot, others believe it represents the Torah, the central text of Judaism. The Torah consists of the first five books of the Old Testament. As the High Priestess is not aligned with any particular religion, this remains a point of contention. As someone with no dog in the fight, I prefer to think of it as ‘knowledge’.
In a tarot reading, the High Priestess tells the seeker that there is more to life and much more inner wisdom available to them if they care to delve deep. It could be saying that instinct and intuition are better guides than listening to other people or those in authority. The card might also indicate a need to remain discreet and secretive in their current situation.
The High Priestess from the Universal Waite Tarot. Photo by author.
As a ‘two’ card, the High Priestess is connected to harmony and balance.
The Hierophant V
It’s a strange name, isn’t it? It comes from ancient Greek. “Hierophantes” refers to “one who reveals sacred things.” The name was given to the priest or priestess who oversaw religious ceremonies and acted as an intermediary between the gods and the people. Later it was used by Freemasons to refer to someone (a man) who passed on secret information to new members.
The Hierophant is illustrated in the Rider-Wate deck as an authoritative seated figure. He holds a raised scepter in his left hand and his right hand is lifted in a blessing or benediction. His robes are red over blue. He wears an elaborate crown. Before him kneel two tonsured initiates. There is a lot of symbolism, such as the two pillars behind him and two crossed keys on the carpet between the Hierophant and his initiates.
One significant thing to note is the chequered pattern on the carpet. This is a prominent Freemason symbol that represents the balance of opposing forces; light and dark, good and evil. It is also connected to moral responsibility and acts as a reminder to members to strive for and maintain integrity.
When the Hierophant appears in a reading, he may be encouraging the seeker to seek spiritual guidance from an external source such as a teacher or member of the clergy. Or it could represent the energy of tradition, boundaries, authority, or even an institution. Some readers feel the card has negative, restrictive connotations from which the seeker needs to break free. As with all cards, the question, situation, and surrounding cards help to provide context.
The Hierophant from the Universal Waite Tarot. Photo by author.
As a ‘five’ card, the Hierophant may be disruptive and challenging.
The Hierophant and High Priestess Combination
When this pair appear in the same reading, a powerful energy is indicated. It is usually connected to spiritual development or even a spiritual crisis, but sometimes a real-world situation is causing a horrible push-pull effect on the seeker.
There is a dynamic interplay between these two archetypes; the tension between external factors and inner wisdom.
The seeker might be facing a real-life dilemma, trying to decide between two (or more) courses of action. They may be getting advice from different sources and feeling confused, especially if their intuition is piping up with yet another alternative. The answer is to examine all options and take the best from each, allowing their instinct to be the judge and decision maker.
An example is a young person trying to decide on their future. They may be under pressure from their elders who want them to take a traditional path, such as university (the Hierophant), whereas, the young person might prefer to take a less structured approach (the High Priestess) because they are not ready to commit to any one career at this point in their life.
Personal Relationships
In a relationship reading, the interpretation suggests a conflict between male and female energy. The advice from the cards is to tread the necessary balance. To acknowledge that each partner has their own strengths and weaknesses and that negotiation is necessary if an agreement is to be reached. The partners also need to understand that ebb and flow is the normal way of power cycles in most relationships.
On yet another level, the two cards might be inviting the seeker to contemplate a relationship commitment. The Hierophant represents a marriage ceremony (or other form of partnership) while the High Priestess indicates the need to think carefully and deeply about whether it is what they truly want.
High Priestess & Hierophant (this side) from the Vice Versa Tarot. Photo by author.
Spiritual Transformation
The Hierophant and High Priestess may point to a profound spiritual transformation.
Take note of which one comes first in the reading. If the High Priestess appears first, then the shift could mean the seeker is (or should be) moving from introspection toward outer guidance. Similarly, if they appear the other way around with the Hierophant first, then the advice would be to go in the other direction and pay attention to inner guidance. As always, finding a balance is often key.
Overall, these two cards can help the seeker to access deeper guidance and insight by balancing their conscious knowledge and experience with their intuition, emotions, and feelings.
Your interpretation must take into account any assigned positions, the question, the situation, and other cards in the spread.
The High Priestess and Hierophant Tarot Spread
I’ve designed a spread based on the energies of these two cards which may be helpful to anyone experiencing a conflict between internal (self) and external (others) influences.
Extract the High Priestess and Hierophant from the deck and place them in front of you. Shuffle the deck thoroughly. Five other cards will be laid below, from left to right, in these positions:
- What is your inner guidance trying to tell you?
- What are your external guides telling you?
- This card shows you how to reach a balance between 1 and 2.
- Challenges and/or obstacles to be faced.
- The outcome.
If you have trouble interpreting any of the cards, try ‘asking’ how the archetypes would view them. For instance, say an awkward card like the Five of Wands turned up in position 1. Look at it through the lens of first the High Priestess—she might indicate your feelings are all over the place and often contradict each other. So you might need to relax, meditate and untangle how you are feeling.
If a troublesome card like the Tower turns up in position 5, interpret it as though you were the Hierophant. He’d tell you that perhaps you will have to turn to an established organization or structure for help or relief in a time of need. And that help will be there.
High Priestess & Hierophant (that side) from the Vice Versa Tarot. Photo by author.
Conclusion
By embracing both the external authority of the Hierophant and the internal guidance and intuition of the High Priestess, the seeker can access deeper levels of understanding and personal growth. I hope you have found this examination of the two cards helpful.
Please feel free to suggest any other Major Arcana combination that you’d like me to take a look at.
Decks used in this article:
The Good Tarot by Colette Baron Reid
The Universal Waite by Mary Hanson-Roberts
The Vice Versa Tarot by Massimiliano Filadoro and Lunaea Weatherstone