The High Priestess is the Divine Feminine archetype who points us in the direction of our Spirit and the universe. She represents the subconscious, intuition, psychic receptivity, sacred knowledge, the moon and the divine feminine aspects of creation. She sits at the gateway to the infinite mind ready to teach us the deeper mysteries of life.
We will be focusing on the Waite-Smith version of the High Priestess. This picture is full of deep, subtle imagery. For example, a waxing crescent moon resides at her left foot symbolising that the subconscious serves her and her energy expresses increasing growth and creativity. Ingeniously, in the image of the High Priestess contains the 7 laws of the universe from Hermeticism.
The 7 laws of the universe form the foundation of Hermeticism which is an ancient spiritual and magical philosophy founded by a famed wizard and sage known as Hermes Trismegistus (ancient Greece) or Thoth (ancient Egypt). These laws are all deeply interconnected with one another and describe the nature of our reality that spans across space and time. The laws form the basics of who you are in the reality in which you exist and they can be applied to your life to enhance your level of consciousness.
“The principles of truth are seven; He who knows these, understandingly, possesses the magic key before whose touch all the doors of the temple fly open.” – The Kybalion
1. Law of Mentalism
‘All is mind. The Universe is mental.’ – The Kybalion
The universe exists within the infinite mind. Everything is Spirit which is a pure, intelligent and conscious field of awareness and energy that does not have any limits, bounds or restrictions. You have spirit within you and so anything is possible as there is no limit to creation. The law of mentalism refers to your mental processes affecting your everyday experiences because everything is governed by the power of your mind.
In the High Priestess imagery, her outer blue robe flows down like a waterfall beyond the border of the card. This represents an important concept in Tarot known as the ‘Stream of Consciousness’ which flows through whole the deck. She is the original source of all the water in all other cards and her robe symbolises this prima materia/root of all matter. She teaches us that Spirit is in everything and everything is Spirit.
How to apply this law:
- Learn to observe and be more conscious of your thoughts. Thoughts are extremely powerful and manifest your reality every single day. You can get better at being aware of your thoughts through meditation and spending more time in solitude.
- Regularly use your will and mental power to connect to your Spirit, manifest, imagine, visualise and reach other planes of existence. This will expand your level of consciousness by connecting you with the infinite mind.
- Learn to feel your energy beyond the physical, feel and experience the Spirit/infinite mind moving through you.
- Practise creating a ball of energy between your hands. Relax your breathing, loosen up your nervous system so more energy is able to flow through you and feel the heat/pressure/magnetism between your hands. This energy is pure magic and Spirit and you can learn to channel it out of your own finger tips! You can then send your thoughts of intention into the ball of energy for healing/ protection/ clarity/ manifestation/ anything that you want. The infinite mind is magic and so are you!
2. Law of Correspondence
“As above, so below; as below, so above.”- The Kybalion
Everything mirrors everything else. Everything is connected on all planes of existence. The macrocosm is found in the microcosm and vice versa. Our outer world is a reflection of our inner world. An example of the manifestation of this law would be the weather and mood. Also, foods from the Earth that look similar to the body parts they benefit. Carrots and eyes, walnuts and the brain, avocados and the womb etc.
In the High Priestess, an equal arm cross can be seen on her chest. This symbolises the balance of the above spiritual plane and below physical planes being in correspondence to one another. The equal arm cross represents stability, the sum total of all there is, and it’s a universal symbol of serenity. She is the keeper of secrets and mysteries and the cross is over her heart which suggests that she herself divinely embodies and protects these laws. The hearts electromagnetism powers the Torus field suggesting she uses these laws for great power to expand her own energy which is magic and pure Spirit.
How to apply this law:
- Combine with the law of mentalism as these two laws both apply to the manifestation of your internal world which gets projected outwards into your external reality.
- Shift/rewrite your mind set and attitude. Whenever a negative thought occurs from limiting beliefs know that this is part of an ego script that you can choose to rewrite. Belief plays a huge part in your reality. Believe that you can connect to Spirit in yourself and the infinite mind. Your connection with Spirit is determined by your will power. Positive thoughts and actions attract positive experiences and negative thoughts and actions attract negative actions.
- Practice gratitude and positivity. Be appreciative for life and the things you want to manifest as through the law of correspondence will bring to you more of what you are appreciative of. The infinite mind is in a constant state of abundance and love so when you can embody this frequency within you can create the life that you want to live full of abundance.
- Be conscious of your actions and interactions with others as this law dictates that the energy you put out into the world gets returned back to you.
3. Law of Vibration
“Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates.”- The Kybalion
The law of vibration is the third law of Hermeticism. Everything in existence is in a constant state of motion and vibrates at a certain frequency, including ourselves. Each individual has their own specific vibrational frequency which they can choose to adjust. The vibration of Spirit is at such an infinite rate of intensity and rapidity that it is practically at rest- just as a fast moving car wheel seems to be motionless.
In the High Priestess, this law is symbolised by the flowing waves of her robes. They almost appear to be vibrating, reflecting her own vibrating energy field. She is showing us that everything is alive and in motion.
How to apply this law:
- Do things that you know will raise your vibration every day. See my article 8 Powerful Ways to Raise your Vibration.
- Observe other people and things that show up in your life. By this law, you will come into contact with those that are at a similar vibration to you. This will help you to learn more about yourself on a deeper level. For example, something you dislike in someone is really just a vibrational match to something within yourself that you dislike and reject.
- By applying the first two laws to help you, you now know you have the power to control your vibration which will affect the rest of your reality. You become a magician when you can shift the vibration of your reality with your consciousness.
4. Law of Polarity
“Everything is Dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites; like and unlike are the same; opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree; extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled.”- The Kybalion.
The law of Polarity states that everything has an opposite, one cannot exist without the other because they are really the same thing just differing in degree. Hot and cold, light and dark, left and right, up and down, black and white etc. All are two sides of the same coin. The law of polarity can be seen manifested in the building blocks of all matter which have within them positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons.
In the imagery of the High Priestess, the law of polarity is signified by the two pillars, one white and one black. The letters ‘B’ and ‘J’ stands for Boaz and Jachin which are the names of the two pillars that stood at the entrance to Solomon’s Temple. In Kabbalah, Solomon’s Temple symbolises the metaphysical world and the descending light of the creator through the Sephiroth of the Tree of Life. On the Tree of Life are three pillars, the Middle Pillar and on either side are the polar/opposite pillars; the Pillar of Severity and the Pillar of Mercy. The High Priestess is the Middle pillar on the Tree of Life. She shows us the constant flow of polar energies in our lives, teaches us neutrality and how to master the law of polarity by becoming the pillar between the pillars of polarity.
How to apply this law:
- Regularly practice Shadow Work to integrate both the dark and the light aspects of yourself. This is inner alchemy. See my article How to do Shadow work for more guidance on this.
- Be more conscious of your choices and perspectives. Your focus and attention will determine which side of the spectrum you will experience, positive or negative.
- Learn to see more each side of the polarity in every situation. Know that there is even polarity within each side of polarity too!
5. Law of Rhythm
“Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall; the pendulum-swing manifests in everything; the measure of the swing to the right is the measure of the swing to the left; rhythm compensates.”- The Kybalion
The Law of Rhythm states that the energy in the universe is like a pendulum. Everything in existence partakes in a dance, flowing and swinging back and forth. This law can be seen in nature where every living organism goes through cycles, including the Earth herself.
The High Priestess shows us this law with her crown which depicts the phases of the moon. The Moon goes through its own rhythm of waxing, waning and being full or new. The crown is from the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis who was the original High Priestess. Isis was known to teach women how to harness the cycles of nature. The lunar symbolism in the crown is also a special sign of the Triple Goddess (Maiden, Mother, Crone) in Paganism. This reflects the Divine Feminine energy that flows through her from her crown (Kether).
In the imagery of the card the pomegranates on the veil are arranged in the Tree of Life pattern. The horns of the waxing and waning moons of her crown are touching the two pomegranates of the top supernal triad on the tree. This show us that by sovereignly embodying the law of rhythm, the High Priestess is connected to the celestial realms.
How to embody this law:
1. Spend time observing nature. Learn to attune yourself to the natural rhythms of Gaia. This will help you to connect more with her as well as your own internal rhythms. Wake up at sunrise, wind down for the day at sunset, for example.
2. Learn to embrace the ebb and flow of life. Know that there will always be ups and downs, trials and wins. Know that you need rest just as much as you need to get things done.
6. Law of Cause and Effect
“Every Cause has its Effect; every Effect has its Cause; everything happens according to Law; Chance is but a name for Law not recognized; there are many planes of causation, but nothing escapes the Law.”- The Kybalion
The sixth principle of Hermeticism is the law of cause and effect. This law teaches us that nothing happens by chance, that everything has its cause. You reap what you sow. If you throw an object upwards it will fall back to the Earth because of gravity.
The law of cause and effect is symbolised by the scroll held in the lap of the High Priestess. The scroll is a record of all the things in your soul blueprint, every thought, emotion, word and action and how these effect the course of your life. At the top of the scroll is written ‘TORA’ which means divine law and relates to the laws that operate our universe in the physical and spiritual planes. The letters in ‘TORA’ can be rearranged to make a sentence that states the divine purpose of Tarot; ‘ROTA TARO ORAT TORA ATOR’– the wheel of Tarot speaks the laws of nature.
How to apply this law to your life:
1. Be more conscious of everything you do, your thoughts, emotions, words and actions as these all create ripple effects in your reality according to the law of cause and effect.
2. Do things to increase your level of consciousness so that you become a causer instead of an effect. There are many energies at play in this game of life that want to carry you along, be obedient to their wills and desires to gain power over you and move you around like pawns. When you can rise above these energies you become a mover and help to play the game of life by taking back your mind and being in charge of your life, emotions, powers and the environment around you.
7. Law of Gender
“Gender is in everything; everything has its Masculine and Feminine Principles; Gender manifests on all planes.”
The law of gender states that there is masculine and feminine energy in everything in existence and creation is not possible without this law. Masculine energy involves action, logic, decisiveness, reasoning, goals, achievements, electricity, understanding, wisdom and growth. Feminine energy is related to beauty, intuition, empathy, magnetism, emotion, feeling, healing, nurturing, creativity and receptivity.
What causes manifestation of all matter is the thoughts of the infinite mind. In Tarot, while the Magician represents the conscious, divine masculine part of this universal mind, the High Priestess embodies the subconscious, divine feminine part of this mind. Tarot teaches us that the Magician uses his active will and concentration to plant seeds of intention for manifestation and the High Priestess is receptive to these and gives birth to the seeds that he plants in her.
The High Priestess shows us the law of gender through the symbolism of the pomegranates which represent feminine sexuality and palm leaves which represent masculine sexuality. By law both masculine and feminine energies are necessary for creation itself. She teaches us to balance these energies within ourselves to become the middle pillar and create the life that we desire.
How to embody this law:
- Learn to balance the masculine and feminine energies within the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual planes. Are your activities and practices balanced according to this law?
- Feel into, strengthen and meditate on your own divine masculine and feminine qualities.
- Be careful what you feed your subconscious mind. You want to impregnate your subconscious mind with the power of positivity from your conscious mind to create a more positive and happy life for yourself.
The 7 laws are deeply intertwined and built on one another. It can take some time to really grasp them fully as well as embodying them into your life. Work with the archetype of the High Priestess to get yourself attuned to and connected to these laws. Each time you visit a law you will innerstand it more and how it applies to your reality on a deeper level. (If you want to learn more about these 7 laws then check out the book, ‘The Kybalion’ by Hermes Trismegistus as this describes them profoundly in deep detail. Here is a link to the audiobook.)
Through meditation, tune into the High Priestess and feel into these mysteries that she teaches and embodies. She shows you to connect to your Spirit and go deep within to bring awareness to your unconscious, awaken your intuition, inner knowing and innerstand what you really want manifest for yourself in this reality.
You are the creator of your reality and so you must take responsibility for yourself, your path, your life and not blame others. These laws will help you to master your mind and your power so that external factors cannot influence you. As you start applying these universal laws and gain a birds eye view of your life experience, you consciously unlock limitless potential and infinite possibilities by aligning to the infinite mind.
