Queen of the Borrowed Light: The Moon sheds Light in darkness, but only by reflecting the Light of the Sun.
Ecce Domini Ministra--Behold the handmaid of the Lord; the Ark of the Covenant--the receptacle of sacred wisdom/law/Word
[T]he Grail...contained the holy blood of Christ; before she gave birth to him, Mary had contained Christ himself within her womb; therefore, QED, the Grail was--and always had been--a symbol for Mary. According to this logic, Mary Theotokos, the 'God Bearer', was the sacred vessel who had contained the Spirit made flesh...And as early as the fourth century Saint Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan, had preached a sermon in which he had argued that the Ark had been a prophetic allegory for Mary: just as it had contained the Old Law in the form of the Ten Commandments, so she had contained the New Law in the form of the body of Christ. -- Graham Hancock, The Sign and the Seal
ALTERNATE NAMES: Junon, Papess, Prophetess, Guardian of the portal of the Holy of Holies, Princess of the Silver Star, Keeper of the records, Keeper of knowledge, Guardian of the Great Library of All Knowledge and Wisdom, Uniting Intelligence, Mysterious Unknown, Mystery
The card number II stands for duality, which is as much of a trap as the veil of light. The High Priestess is associated mythologically with Moon goddesses. She represents, in one aspect, soul development; also, feminine/receptive powers of creation not yet brought to fruition by male/active powers to progress to the (III) fertility stage. Of the first six cards, the HP is the only one without some type of wand or staff.
FIRST THING THAT STRUCK ME: The Moon, but that's always a magnet for my eyes.
TIME: late
fall (equinox to Samhain), i.e. October; also the time for a woman
from loss of virginity to motherhood.
TRADITIONAL MEANINGS UPRIGHT: Secrets,
mystery, the future as yet unrevealed; the woman who interests the
Querent, if male; the Querent herself, if female; silence, tenacity;
wisdom, science.
Intuition, perception, insight,
instinct, the subconscious, Inner Voice, dreams and imagination,
foresight, psychic or mediumistic ability. Mystery, unknown and/or
secret and/or hidden things, esoteric knowledge, draw of the
occult/esoteric, access to Akashic records, looking for deeper
meaning, what is behind things.
ALSO: Reflection, neutrality, non-intervention, receptivity, calm,
passiveness, patience, potential, possibilities, hidden or budding
talents.
TRADITIONAL MEANINGS REVERSED: Passion,
moral or physical ardour, conceit, surface knowledge.
Ignorance, poor judgment, ego, presumption, superficiality,
excessively passive, out of balance. Not in touch with inner feelings
and/or intuition. Ignorance, shortsightedness.
ALSO: Blocking of memories, hiding (veiling) one's feelings,
emotionally drained, ignoring abilities.
BIBLICAL: Mary;
(also Solomon's Temple and Torah), And
he made the pillars, and two rows round about upon the one network,
to cover the chapiters that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and
so did he for the other chapiter. And the chapiters that were upon
the top of the pillars were of lily work in the porch, four cubits.
And the chapiters upon the two pillars had pomegranates also above,
over against the belly which was by the network: and the pomegranates
were two hundred in rows round about upon the other chapiter. And he
set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the
right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the
left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz. And upon the top of
the pillars was lily work: so was the work of the pillars
finished.--I Kings 7:18-22
MYTHOLOGICAL: JUNO(N)
HISTORICAL: Pope Joan
ASTROLOGICAL: (1)
Taurus--maintainer; (2) Moon--the
Light IS the Veil; (GD) Moon
ANIMAL/INSECT: dove, unicorn; moth,
bookworm
PLANTS: cactus, nut trees
CRYSTALS: moonstone, pearl
SCENT: jasmine
MUSIC: Sacred
Spirit. That Enigma song from the
Delta commercial, with the dolphins jumping in formation, and the
planes flying in formation. WADA-WADA-DOO-WA-AA or something like
that.
POEM: Lady of Shalott -- she was stuck in the middle of a river too, there
with her web and her reflective mirror, til she 'jumped' in the
water, so-to-speak, for love, thus dying to the Empress.
BOOK: Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mists of
Avalon
PUBLIC PEOPLE: Moina Mathers
OCCUPATIONS: nun, Tarotist,
librarian, curator
PERSONAL THOUGHTS: Seek and ye shall find, ask and it shall be given you. But seek the Law that's written in your heart.
If the Magician is concentration of Will, the High Priestess must be receptive Intuition. Who was it that said the study of the Tarot is really a method of honing your intuition? What's that say on her scroll there? Hmm... She's west to his east, side by side, masters of outer and inner world. She's the He to his Yod, Sister and Brother. (I think.)
QUOTES FROM OTHER SOURCES: The truth is a young maiden as modest as she is beautiful, and therefore she is always seen cloaked.
OTHER: West, cups, water, sister; oyster--cast not thy pearls (of wisdom) before swine
 |
|
 |
|
|
Tarot |
|
This page is excerpted from my original contributions to an online
Tarot course discussion of this card graciously sponsored by
Pandora's Bookstore.
http://www.moonchild.ch/Tarot/major/HP/02IMHO.html
