Tag Archives: tarot

The High Priestess Tarot Card Meaning: Trusting the Voice Within

Posted on October 3, 2026 | Leave a comment

The High Priestess sits between black and white pillars, wearing a blue robe and crown, with a crescent moon at her feet and a scroll in her hands. — The High Priestess, symbolizing intuition, mystery, and hidden wisdom.

The High Priestess, card 2 of the Major Arcana. Intuition, inner wisdom, and the quiet knowing that lives beneath the surface.

This post continues our journey through the Major Arcana, one card at a time. If you have not read the Major Arcana overview yet, that is a good place to start before diving into individual cards. We began with The Fool, who steps into the unknown with nothing but trust, and then met The Magician, who realizes he already holds every tool he needs. Now we arrive at card two, The High Priestess, and a very different kind of power. Where The Magician acts, The High Priestess listens. As always, everything here follows the Rider-Waite tarot.

The Card at a Glance

Number: 2
Keywords: Intuition, inner wisdom, mystery, the subconscious, stillness, sacred knowledge
Element: Water
Reversed Keywords: Ignored intuition, secrets, disconnection, confusion, surface-level thinking
Yes or No: Maybe, or not yet

What You See in the Card

The High Priestess sits calmly on a stone seat between two tall pillars, one black and one white. She wears a flowing blue robe, a white crown shaped like a full moon held between two crescents, and a solar cross on her chest. In her lap, partly hidden by her robe, she holds a scroll marked with the letters TORA. A crescent moon rests at her feet. Behind her hangs a veil decorated with palm leaves and pomegranates, and if you look closely, you can just glimpse water beyond it.

Where The Magician stands with his arm raised, busy and bold, The High Priestess is completely still. She is not doing anything. She is simply knowing. At first glance, the card can feel distant or hard to read. Look a little longer, and you start to realize that is exactly the point. She keeps her secrets until you are ready to understand them.

The Symbolism, Piece by Piece

The black and white pillars. These pillars are marked B and J, for Boaz and Jachin, the two pillars that stood at the entrance of Solomon’s Temple. The black pillar is often read as the passive, receptive side of life, and the white pillar as the active, expressive side. The High Priestess sits between them, holding the balance. She reminds us that truth is rarely found at one extreme. It lives in the space between.

The veil. The veil behind her separates the everyday world from the deeper mysteries. It does not block the way completely, though. You can see the water behind it. The High Priestess guards the threshold to hidden knowledge, but she does not lock the door. The way through is open to anyone willing to go quiet and look within.

The pomegranates. The pomegranates on the veil are symbols of fertility, abundance, and the feminine. They also connect to the myth of Persephone, who ate pomegranate seeds in the underworld and was bound to return there each year. Pomegranates remind us that some wisdom can only be found by going beneath the surface.

The scroll. The scroll in her lap reads TORA, which can be read as Torah (divine law) or as a play on the word “tarot” itself. It is only partly visible, tucked into her robe. Sacred knowledge is not handed out freely. It is revealed a little at a time, as we become ready for it.

The crescent moon. The moon at her feet ties The High Priestess to intuition, cycles, dreams, and the subconscious. In Part 8 of my Tarot Symbolism Series on celestial symbols, the moon speaks to reflection and the hidden side of things. The Magician is lit by the bright light of day. The High Priestess belongs to the moonlight.

The blue robe. In the language of tarot colors, blue speaks to calm, truth, and the deep waters of emotion and intuition. Her robe seems to flow down into the water at the bottom of the card, as if she and the water are one. This is why she is so strongly linked to the element of Water.

The triple crown. Her crown shows the moon in its waxing, full, and waning phases. It is a reminder that intuition, like the moon, moves in cycles. Some seasons of life are for growing, some for fullness, and some for letting go.

The solar cross. The equal-armed cross on her chest represents balance between the four elements and between the spiritual and physical worlds. Even in her quiet, she is centered and whole.

Why Two Matters: The Numerology of The High Priestess

In Part 1 of my Tarot Symbolism Series on numerology, the number two carries the energy of balance, duality, partnership, and receptivity. Where One is the single spark of will, Two is the moment we become aware that there is something other than ourselves. It is the number of choices, reflection, and relationship.

The High Priestess embodies this beautifully. She sits between two pillars, one light and one dark, and she does not choose one over the other. She holds them both. In the Minor Arcana, the Twos often speak of decisions, partnerships, and finding balance. The High Priestess brings that energy to a spiritual level. She asks us to pause between opposites and listen before we act.

This also completes a lovely pairing with The Magician. The Magician is One: outward, active, and expressive. The High Priestess is Two: inward, receptive, and reflective. Together they show the two ways of working with power. One makes things happen. The other lets things be revealed.

The High Priestess Upright

When The High Priestess appears upright in a reading, she is asking you to trust your intuition. You may already know the answer to your question, even if you cannot explain how you know it. This card encourages you to slow down, get quiet, and pay attention to your dreams, your gut feelings, and the small signs around you.

The High Priestess is not a card of action. She is a card of listening. If you have been searching outside yourself for answers, looking to other people, to research, or to endless advice, she gently turns you back inward. Not everything needs to be figured out right now. Sometimes the wisest move is to wait and let more be revealed.

She can also point to hidden information. Something about your situation may not be fully visible yet. That is not always a warning. Often it simply means the full picture will come in its own time.

The High Priestess Reversed

Reversed, The High Priestess’s energy tends to show up in one of two ways, and your intuition (fittingly) along with the surrounding cards will help you sense which one applies. If you are still getting comfortable with reversals, my post on reading both sides of the card is a good companion to this section.

The first is disconnection from your intuition. This is when your inner voice is speaking, but you are too busy, too anxious, or too distracted to hear it. It can also mean second-guessing yourself or letting other people’s opinions drown out your own knowing. The reversed High Priestess often asks, “When did you stop trusting yourself?”

The second is secrets and hidden agendas. Something may be kept from you, or you may be keeping something from yourself. This can point to gossip, withheld information, or a situation where things are not what they seem. It is a reminder to look beneath the surface before making decisions.

The High Priestess in Love, Career, and Finances

Love

For someone single, The High Priestess can point to a mysterious attraction or someone who is hard to read. It may also suggest that this is a time to reconnect with yourself before looking outward for love. In an existing relationship, she invites deeper emotional and spiritual connection, and she asks you to trust what your intuition tells you about your partner. Reversed, she can point to secrets in a relationship, emotional distance, or ignoring red flags you already sensed.

Career

In career readings, The High Priestess advises patience and discretion. It may not be the right time to make a big move, but it is a good time to gather information, observe, and trust your instincts about people and situations at work. She can also point to careers involving counseling, healing, research, teaching, or spiritual work. Reversed, she may warn of office politics, hidden information, or ignoring your gut about a job or coworker.

Finances

Financially, The High Priestess asks you to trust your instincts but also to look for what is not being said. Before signing anything or investing, make sure you have the full picture. She favors quiet planning over bold moves. Reversed, she can caution against financial decisions made without all the facts, or warn that something hidden could affect your money.

Is The High Priestess a Yes or No Card?

Upright, The High Priestess is usually read as a maybe, or more accurately, not yet. She suggests the answer is not fully revealed. If you already feel a strong inner yes or no, she is telling you to trust it. If you do not, she asks you to wait and let the situation unfold.

Reversed, The High Priestess leans toward no. Something may be hidden, unclear, or out of alignment, and it is wise to look more closely before moving forward.

When The High Priestess Shows Up in Your Reading

Because The High Priestess is a Major Arcana card, her appearance signals that your intuition and inner life are playing an important role in your situation. Pay attention to where she lands in a spread. In a past position, she may point to a time when you trusted (or ignored) your instincts. In a present position, the answer you are looking for may already be within you. In a future or outcome position, more will be revealed, and patience will serve you well.

Here are a few questions to sit with when The High Priestess comes up for you:

What is my intuition trying to tell me right now?
Where am I looking outside myself for answers I already have?
What might still be hidden in this situation?
How can I create more quiet space in my life to listen?

Final Thoughts

The High Priestess reminds us that not all wisdom comes from doing. Some of it comes from stillness, from dreams, and from the quiet voice inside that knows more than we give it credit for. After The Magician shows us our tools, The High Priestess shows us where to find the wisdom to use them well. When she appears, she invites you to slow down, sit between the pillars, and trust what you already know.

Listening for Your Own Inner Voice?

If you are standing at a crossroads and want help sorting through what your intuition is telling you, I would love to read for you. You can order a tarot card reading by email anytime.

Coming Up Next

Next time, we’ll meet The Empress, card three, and explore what it means to nurture, create, and let abundance grow.

Has The High Priestess ever shown up when you needed to trust your gut? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

Kim’s Esoteric Tarot Journals

Tarot readings are intended for adults age 18 and older and are provided for entertainment and personal reflection. Tarot should not replace professional medical, legal, mental health, or financial advice.

The Magician Tarot Card Meaning: Manifesting What You Already Have

Posted on September 28, 2026 | Leave a comment

This post continues our journey through the Major Arcana, one card at a time. If you have not read the Major Arcana overview yet, that is a good place to start before diving into individual cards. We began this walk through the deck with The Fool, who steps into the unknown with nothing but trust. Now we arrive at card one, The Magician, and what it means to realize you already hold every tool you need.

The Magician tarot card from the Rider-Waite deck, showing a figure standing before a table with a wand, cup, sword, and pentacle, one hand raised toward the sky and the other pointing toward the earth. — The Magician symbolizes manifestation, personal power, and turning intention into reality.

The Imagery and Symbolism

The Magician stands at a table in a walled garden; one hand raised toward the sky and one hand pointing down toward the earth. This gesture gives the card its oldest teaching: as above, so below. What exists in the realm of thought and possibility can be brought down into physical form. The Magician bridges the two.

Above his head floats the lemniscate, the sideways figure eight that represents infinity. It tells us that the power he is demonstrating is not a limited resource. Inspiration, skill, and creative force are not used up when they are spent. They renew themselves endlessly, available again the moment they are called on.

Around his waist is a serpent devouring its own tail, the ouroboros. Like the lemniscate above him, this is another symbol of an endless cycle, here specifically tied to life force and the eternal return of energy that has been used and returned to a form ready to be used again.

His robe is white beneath a red outer garment, the same pairing of purity and passion, of thought and will, that we will see again throughout the Major Arcana. On the table before him are the four suit symbols of the Minor Arcana: a wand, a cup, a sword, and a pentacle. He has fire, water, air, and earth all within reach. Nothing is missing. Every tool a person could need to create something real is already on the table.

Behind him, the garden is full of red roses and white lilies, the same flowers that mark passion and purity elsewhere in the deck. If you have read Part 6 of the Tarot Symbolism Series on plants and flowers, you already know these blooms are never decoration. They are telling you that The Magician’s power is rooted in both desire and clarity of intention at once.

What The Magician Means Upright

Upright, The Magician is one of the most energizing cards in the deck. He represents resourcefulness, skill, and the ability to manifest an idea into something tangible. When he appears, the message is usually direct. You have what you need. The tools, the timing, and the ability are all present. What is being asked of you now is focused action.

This is a card of willpower applied with clarity. Not scattered effort, not wishing, but a deliberate act of will that takes raw potential and shapes it into something real. The Magician doesn’t wait for permission or perfect conditions. He works with what is already on the table.

What The Magician Means Reversed

As we covered in the Upright and Reversed post, a reversed card can point to an opposite meaning, to blocked or delayed energy, or to something happening beneath the surface rather than out in the open. All three show up with The Magician, depending on the reading.

Read as an opposite meaning, The Magician reversed can point to manipulation, trickery, or someone using their skill and charisma for less-than-honest purposes. The same gifts that build can also deceive.

Read as blocked or delayed energy, this reversal often shows up as untapped potential. The tools are still on the table, but they are not being picked up. Self-doubt, distraction, or a simple lack of follow-through is keeping real ability from becoming real results.

Read as something hidden, The Magician reversed can point to a skill or a resource the person has not yet recognized in themselves. The power is there. It has just not been named or claimed yet.

Yes or No: The Magician

As a general yes or no card, The Magician leans strongly toward yes. He is a card of active capability, and his presence in a reading usually confirms that the resources and skill needed for a favorable outcome are already available.

The Magician in Love

In matters of the heart, The Magician often points to intentional, active pursuit of a connection rather than passive waiting. For someone single, this can nudge them to put real effort into meeting people rather than hoping a connection arrives on its own. For someone already in a relationship, The Magician asks what you can actively build or create together right now, using the tools, time, and goodwill already present.

Reversed, this can point to charm being used manipulatively, or to a relationship where one person’s real feelings aren’t being expressed honestly.

The Magician in Career and Finances

Career readings with The Magician usually signal that the skills, resources, or opportunity needed for success are already in place. This is an excellent card for launching a new project, pitching an idea, or stepping into a role that calls for initiative. Financially, The Magician suggests that resourcefulness, not luck, will move things forward. The tools for building wealth or stability are already available; the task now is to use them deliberately.

Reversed, this often points to wasted potential, a good idea not being acted on, or poorly managed resources.

The Magician and Feelings

When a reading is asking how someone feels, The Magician usually points to confidence and clear intention. The person in question likely knows what they want and is not confused about it, even if they have not said it aloud yet.

When The Magician Shows Up in Your Reading

A few questions worth sitting with when this card appears:

What tools, skills, or resources do I already have that I have not fully used yet?
Where am I waiting for permission or perfect conditions instead of simply beginning?
Is my will focused on one clear intention, or is my energy scattered across too many directions?
Am I using my abilities honestly, or am I cutting corners to get a result I want?

The Magician reminds us that manifestation is rarely about receiving something new from outside ourselves. More often, it is about recognizing what is already within reach and choosing to act.

Final Thoughts

The Magician reminds us that we are rarely as unprepared as we feel. The tools, the timing, and the will are so often already present, waiting only to be picked up and used. Where The Fool teaches us to leap without needing certainty, The Magician teaches us what to do once we land: look at what is already on the table and begin.

Ready to Manifest Your Next Step?

If you are standing in front of an opportunity and want clarity on how to move forward, I would love to read for you. You can order a tarot card reading by email anytime. Coming Up Next

Next time, The Magician steps aside for a very different kind of power. We’ll explore The High Priestess, card two, and the quieter wisdom of intuition, stillness, and what is known without being spoken.

Have you ever pulled The Magician at a moment when you needed to trust your own resourcefulness? I would love to hear about it in the comments.

Kim’s Esoteric Tarot Journals

The Fool Tarot Card Meaning: The Leap Into New Beginnings

Posted on September 24, 2026 | Leave a comment

Use:

The Fool tarot card from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, showing a traveler standing near a cliff with a small white dog, holding a white rose and carrying a bundle over one shoulder.* — The Fool, card 0 of the Major Arcana. New beginnings, faith in the unknown, and the courage to take the first step.

In my Major Arcana Overview, I promised that each of the twenty-two cards would get its own dedicated conversation. So it only makes sense to begin where the story itself begins, with card zero, The Fool. Every journey through the Major Arcana starts here, and so does every reader’s relationship with the deck. If you understand The Fool, you understand the spirit in which the whole Fool’s Journey is meant to be walked. As always, everything here follows the Rider-Waite tarot.

The Card at a Glance

Number: 0
Keywords: New beginnings, innocence, spontaneity, faith, freedom, potential
Element: Air
Reversed Keywords: Recklessness, naivety, hesitation, fear of the unknown
Yes or No: Yes

What You See in the Card

The Fool is one of the most recognizable images in the entire deck. A young traveler stands at the very edge of a cliff, face turned upward toward the sky, seemingly unaware (or perhaps unconcerned) that his next step could carry him over the edge. He is dressed in a bright, patterned tunic, carries a small bundle tied to a staff over his shoulder, and holds a single white rose in his other hand. A little white dog leaps at his heels. Behind him, a bright sun shines in a golden yellow sky, and in the distance, cold white mountain peaks rise up.

At first glance, it looks like a card about carelessness. Look a little longer, and you start to see it is really a card about trust.

The Symbolism, Piece by Piece

The cliff’s edge. This is the threshold. The Fool is standing at the exact moment before something begins, when everything is still possible and nothing has been decided. The edge represents risk, but also invitation. You cannot begin anything new without stepping into the unknown.

The upward gaze. The Fool is not looking down at the drop. He is looking up, toward the sky and the sun. This is faith in its purest form: a belief that life will support him, even without a map.

The small bundle. Everything he owns fits in one little pack. The Fool travels light. He carries only what he needs, and some readers see the bundle as holding the memories and lessons he has yet to gather. He is not weighed down by past experience, which is exactly what allows him to move so freely.

The white rose. In the language of tarot colors, white is purity and innocence. The rose represents an open heart and pure intentions. The Fool is not setting out to deceive or conquer anyone. He is simply setting out.

The white dog. The dog is loyalty, instinct, and protection. Some see it as trying to warn The Fool of the edge, others as cheering him on. I like to read it as both. It is that small, loyal voice of instinct that travels with us, the part of us that notices things our excitement might miss.

The sun and yellow sky. The bright sun behind him signals optimism, vitality, and divine support. Yellow in tarot often speaks to the mind, energy, and enthusiasm. The whole card is bathed in warmth and possibility.

The mountains. Those distant, icy peaks represent the challenges and lessons waiting further down the road. The Fool doesn’t know about them yet. He will. That is what the rest of the Major Arcana is for.

Why Zero Matters: The Numerology of The Fool

In Part 1 of my Tarot Symbolism Series on numerology, zero sits at the very top of the chart, and its core energy is potential: freedom, possibility, and stepping into the unknown. There is no card that embodies that energy more completely than The Fool.

Zero is not “nothing.” It is the empty circle that holds every possibility before any of them has taken form. In the Minor Arcana, the numbers begin at one with the Aces, the first spark of something new. The Fool comes before even that. He is the moment before the moment, the breath you take before you speak. Where One is the beginning, Zero is the pure potential that makes a beginning possible at all.

This is also why The Fool is seen as both the start of the Major Arcana and the traveler who moves through every card that follows. The Magician, The Empress, The Tower, The Star: these are all places The Fool visits and lessons he learns. When he reaches The World at card twenty-one, the circle of zero closes into completion, and the journey can begin again at a new level.

The Fool Upright

When The Fool appears upright in a reading, something new is opening up in your life. It might be a new job, a move, a relationship, a creative project, or simply a fresh way of seeing yourself. This card encourages you to say yes, to trust your timing, and to take the leap even if you don’t have every answer yet.

I often tell my clients that The Fool is permission to be a beginner. It allows you not to know, and to follow curiosity rather than a five-year plan. If you have been waiting until you feel completely ready, The Fool gently reminds you that readiness often arrives after the first step, not before it.

The Fool Reversed

Reversed, The Fool’s energy can tip in one of two directions, and your intuition (along with the surrounding cards) will help you sense which one applies. If you are still getting comfortable with reversals, my post on reading both sides of the card is a good companion to this section.

The first direction is recklessness. This is the Fool who jumps without looking at all, ignoring the dog’s warning and every sensible sign around him. It can point to poor judgment, rushing into commitments, or taking risks that aren’t grounded in reality.

The second is the opposite: hesitation. This is the Fool who stands at the edge and never moves. Fear of the unknown, fear of looking foolish, or fear of failure keeps a new beginning from ever starting. Sometimes the reversed Fool simply asks, “What are you so afraid of?”

The Fool in Love, Career, and Finances

Love

For someone single, The Fool often signals a fresh romantic chapter, a new person, or simply a renewed openness to love. It can arrive unexpectedly and feel light, fun, and exciting. In an existing relationship, The Fool invites adventure and a fresh start together, whether that is a move, a trip, or rediscovering playfulness. Reversed, it can point to someone who isn’t ready to commit, or to rushing into something before you really know the other person.

Career

In career readings, The Fool is a classic sign of a new job, a career change, a new business, or a leap into unfamiliar territory. It favors taking the opportunity, even if you feel underqualified or unsure. Reversed, it may warn against quitting on impulse without a plan, or it may reveal that fear is keeping you in a role you have already outgrown.

Finances

Financially, The Fool can point to a new venture, a fresh approach to money, or a willingness to take a calculated risk. Because the card is so spontaneous, it also asks you to keep one eye on the edge of the cliff. Reversed, it often cautions against impulsive spending, gambles, or financial decisions made on excitement alone.

Is The Fool a Yes or No Card?

Upright, The Fool is a yes. It is one of the most encouraging cards in the deck when you are asking whether to begin something, take a chance, or follow a new path. Just remember the dog at his heels: it is a yes that still asks you to look where you’re stepping.

Reversed, The Fool leans toward no, or more accurately, not yet. It suggests either slowing down and planning more carefully, or examining the fear that is holding you back before you move forward.

When The Fool Shows Up in Your Reading

Because The Fool is a Major Arcana card, its appearance signals that something meaningful is starting, not just a passing whim. Pay attention to where it lands in a spread. In a past position, it may point to the beginning of the situation you are now asking about. In a present position, you are standing at the edge right now. In a future or outcome position, a fresh start is on its way.

Here are a few questions to sit with when The Fool comes up for you:

What new beginning is calling to me right now?
Where am I holding back because I don’t feel “ready”?
What would I do if I trusted that life would support me?
Is my excitement being balanced by my instincts, or overriding them?

Final Thoughts

The Fool reminds us that every great story starts with someone willing to take a first step without knowing how it ends. There is wisdom in that kind of innocence. We move through the Fool’s Journey many times across our lives, and each time we return to zero, we get to begin again with open hands and an open heart.

Standing at Your Own Cliff’s Edge?

If you are facing a new beginning and want some clarity before you take the leap, I would love to read for you. You can order a tarot card reading by email anytime.

Coming Up Next

Next time, The Fool meets his first teacher. We’ll explore The Magician, card one, and what it means to realize you already hold every tool you need.

Have you ever had The Fool show up at a turning point in your life? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

Kim’s Esoteric Tarot Journals

M	T	W	T	F	S	S
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30	31