The High Priestess - Proserpina

 I had a reassuring and pleasant dream about my late big brother Ralph last night, whom I miss very much. The welcome appearance of The High Priestess that I drew this morning was also reassuring, because I've been missing him and he's been in my thoughts so much lately. In our dreams, is often where we  find comfort from or the answers to our questions, if we pay close attention to them.

 Persephone who is embodied in the High Priestess, ruled by the Moon, and is the queen of the underworld or of the unconscious. She's also the daughter of the Earth Mother Demeter and she is the guardian of the secrets of the dead. Although Persephone would never reveal  or speak of these secrets, I think dreams can give us some sense and glimpse into this hidden world. Personally, I've had number of experiences involving the people I love, that have died, who've visited me in my dreams, which can sometimes be disturbing or comforting.

 The depth of the soul, the secret of our real purpose is revealed through our intuition and the wisdom of  patience. In particular, because I speak from the perspective as a woman, our inner Mother reveals to us our own identity through the creative womb of unconscious and it's a beautiful thing.

The Moon - The Feminine Principle

One of the most archaic figures in Greek mythology is Hecate the moon-goddess. She presides over childbirth, magic, death, the underworld, fate and the depth of the unconscious imagination. She has been called The Invincible Queen.

The High Priestess, the Wheel of Fortune and The Moon, all three Major Arcana cards are directly linked.

Hecate embodies the feminine principle of life itself and the three lunar phases reflect her power over heaven, earth and the underworld. It's a card that represents confusion, fluctuation and uncertainty, a trans-personal journey, where a sense of direction and ego are lost and individual boundaries are dissolved.

This scenario describes where I am at right now. at this stage in life as a crone. I'm being tossed along the ocean waves of the unconscious, in what feels like a rather precarious boat. I'm not privy to knowing anything other than I must trust my intuition, to have faith and hope that I'll come safely to shore.

I'm not worried about the destination and have decided to enjoy the journey, come what may.

Geshtinanna

The High Priestess- The Dark Night of the Soul

With every sunny day must come the dark clouds and the rain. The High Priestess, embodied in the Mythic figure of Persephone represents the many facets of this in our lives, such a loss, grief, tragedy, love, spirituality, peace, severity and transformation. Persephone symbolizes for me the dark night of the soul.

I remember sitting in the living room of an elder woman whom I admired greatly. My spiritual mentor and friend Joan was a very faithful and deeply spiritual person, who'd been through so much difficulty and suffering through her life. She reminds me of the High Priestess, in that she was in the state of grace and balance that comes from patience and intuition. My friend always had a joyful, kind, grateful and very compassionate heart.

As we sat talking over cups of tea, I asked her why it seemed that some folks went through so much tragedy and grief, yet others seemed unscathed and dodged all the hurtful bullets of life. She replied yes, this did seem to be true, but pointed out that those who do experience more than their share of heartache, come away with a deeper understanding of life, and are offered, if they accept, the gift of compassion toward others, because they know what it means to not only survive but thrive because of what has happened to them, not simply in spite of what has happened to them.

Within my heart I knew this to be true, but somehow when she verbalized this truth it became even more real to me. Perhaps because she inspired me with her grace, inner strength, courage, faith and gratitude.
When we share with another what we've been through we impart a strength to the other who had walked a similar road and who also come to understand what that dark night of the soul really means.

It's pointless to compare ourselves to others and ask ourselves why them and not me. What's more important is to identify with the feelings of another. Helping each other this way brings great rewards, instead of being resentful and envious of someone who has a seemingly perfect life. We never really know what another is going through and we can't assume or judge, but we can empathize, show compassion and open ourselves to transformation.

The High Priestess - My Higher Self

I'm happy to have those days when I am my higher self, and so it was a affirming card to draw today, The High Priestess. My higher-self doesn't just happen on it's own much of the time, I have to work at it, pray, meditate, and have a willingness, even a willingness to be willing, when I can't seem to get out of my own way. I am learning that, that inner goddess is there within me at all times, and I am learning to be kind toward myself.

 For me it takes resolve and some persistence to face and walk through the change of seasons from Fall to Winter.
This week I've finally had more time to myself and honestly have been trying to stave off thoughts of the Winter. And so I just made up my mind today to live in the present moment. I chose to do those things that help me to enjoy the Fall, enjoying the air, the sunsets and sunrises, making bread, and salsa with the tomatoes from my garden.

Today I got my hands into the good earth one more time, and dug up my crop of potatoes and earlier I pickled beets. These activities though they can feel physically taxing, nonetheless help me to feel connected with the elements, and spiritually I magnify these experiences, and am inspired by them. They give me an inner peace and strength.

I will say I miss my dog especially in the Fall, because we used to go for long walks into the woods. So now I walk alone, but not so much in the woods. Fortunately I have enough property to walk through the fields and down to the river, sit on a rock and listen to The High Priestess.

Salsa

Fall In Apple River

Blue Seamus My Coonhound

The Magician - The Tool Man

The Magician has a load of tools at his disposal, as we all do. It is up to each individual to decide to how and when to use them. It is a balancing act to maintain these tools in my life if I expect to live life in a harmonious way.

Prayer, trust, and persistence I would say are the three tools I have to use on a regular basis. These can all be problematic for me at different times, but I'd have to say the one I struggle with the most is persistence in particular areas of my life. Especially when it comes to physical exercise. I know it is what ties the mind and spirit together, much like the three legged stool, you can not have one without the other. This has caused me to really dig into the reasons why and how our physical selves is perhaps the most important leg of this stool for me.

Being an all or nothing type of person this can directly affect my sense of balance, when it comes to my level of physical fitness, and I know I am not alone in this struggle.

Within the last year I have been reading and re-reading now, my very own copy of a book that was given to me by my good friend, entitled The Heroine's Journey  written by Jungian Maureen Murdock. She has written about this very thing, regarding a woman's reclaiming the sacredness her body, and her instinctual body wisdom, that is such an important issue for so many women, and without understanding, it results in a lack of care and concern for the physical self, the body/spirit split, and the ignoring of her body, discrediting her intuition in favour of her mind.

I perceive the Mythic High Priestess as a counter part of the Magician, in that I see them both symbolizing the reunification of, and connection between, the masculine/feminine nature, and the earthly/spiritual realm. The Magician is about blending earthly passions, spiritual clarity, and is The Fool's guide. The High Priestess is also our spiritual guide, connects us to the mysterious inner world or the unconscious, through wisdom and discernment, revealing the secret to our real purpose and how to get there.

Summer Solstice - The Goddess

Rachel Brice

The Summer Solstice has long held a special meaning to me, but more so now, many years later. I was married on this day to my soul mate. It will also be Father's Day falling on the same date. Both of these men whom I so loved, and will always love very deeply, left this mortal coil, many years ago, but know I will always feel that bond with them spiritually.

This week I have had such a connection with the High Priestess, and is comforting and strengthening to me in a strange way, considering she is the Queen of the Underworld, which is a scarey place, but this connectedness I've been feeling doesn't come as a surprise to me, reflecting on my past week.

Tonight I came across this video of Rachel Brice, my all time favourite Tribal Belly Dancer. She embodies in her dance my idea of the goddess and The High Priestess. In celebration of The Summer Solstice I am sharing this.

Persephone - Proserpina Come Home To Mama

We have all felt lost, hurt, confused, bewildered, fearful, and even like we have been taken hostage, much the way Persephone felt when she was abducted by Hades, to whom she was bound forever, and taken to the Underworld.

Persephone The High Priestess, Queen of the inner hidden world, keeper of mysterious secrets, reveals herself to us in dreams, and in our unconscious.

Persephone's Earth Mother Demeter, searched desperately for her until finally she punished the earth casting a spell where everything was plunged into snow, cold and darkness, and nothing grew from the earth.

The past few weeks I felt myself glimpsing into that dark world, where Persephone resides three months out of the year. Through a message of the unconscious in a dream, the Ten of Swords and a synchronicity of events, my intuition was working overtime, trying to get the message across to me. As usual, I didn't fully understand until the whole thing was over, but I am feeling much better, and come back to myself with a deeper sense of trusting my intuition, wiser and stronger than ever.

Persephone reminds us that there is a constant coming and going in the depths of our souls, that allows and causes us to grow when we do the shadow work. The High Priestess urges us to pay attention to our feelings, intuition, and to the night-world of dreams, as this is where the natural law is revealed.

In Greek Myth Persephone and her Mother Demeter, are embodied in this mythic story. In Roman myth we find the same story with Proserpina and her Mother Hera.

I heard the beautiful song Proserpina this week, written by the late great Kate McGarrigle which was the last song she wrote before her death. It is only fitting that I post this, sung by her loving daughter, Martha Wainwright. It is both very beautiful, moving and poignant.

The High Priestess

Easter and the days leading up to it, in conjunction with Spring, have always been important to me, and it's the time of year I love the most. I have joyful sweet memories of going to yearly Easter Sunday service with my mother when I was little. I affectionately remember our usual special bonding ritual of searching for the right Easter bonnet , and then being all decked out in our outfits on Easter Sunday, where my mother would play the organ in Church.
Although my religious practices have changed and evolved, I still feel a very strong attachment, with great love for this time of year.

Drawing the High Priestess today reflects many of aspects of my spiritual beliefs today. I do not see these as being in contradiction to how I once celebrated Christian holidays. The liturgical seasons have simply been absorbed into part of my own spiritual journey.

There is something so beautiful to me about Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday, because it speaks of humility, and service to others. The symbolic ritual of the washing of one another's feet reminds us to love one another as we are loved by the Creator.

The High Priestess symbolizes this spirituality, our spiritual mother, where I find the womb of the unconscious, the inner workings of perception, the pattern, and the purpose of life. The High Priestess stands between two pillars, one black, one white representing the Tree of Life, and the Tree of Knowledge or Death.

She wears her gown of personal growth and the crown of truth. The Narcissus is symbolic of death and resurrection. The pomegranate she holds represents the fruit of the dead, undeveloped creative capacity, and immortality. Passing between the pillars heralds entering a new life, or another world.

I don't get an Easter bonnet any more, but if I did, it would be this one.

Why Imperfection Beats Perfection

The High Priestess (Persephone) visited once again today via my daily draw. She was exactly the confirmation, and affirmation I was hoping for, but not necessarily expecting, especially today. I hadn't exactly given up just feeling a little discouraged, but I had just let it go.

I think the message here for me, is to have faith, more faith than what I have, in those things seen, unseen and mysterious.

I have to say it is a good feeling to be at a place in your life where you feel things are finally starting to turn around. This is not without hard work, dedication and faith in myself, in others, and in the God of my own understanding.

Life certainly is never going to be perfect, but it is perfect in it's imperfection, and for that I am very grateful, and happy. The imperfection of life and of human beings is what makes the journey of life a deeply spiritual one, and I am always learning. The idea of perfection is so imperfect.

Where To Find The Goddess - Persephone (The High Priestess)

After drawing yesterday's card, The High Priestess ( Persephone), I felt compelled to learn more about this Greek Myth and it's meaning. I am heartened by the description of the despair, and grief that was shared between mother and daughter upon their separation, when Persephone had been abducted by Hades. In some interpretations of the Greek myth, Persephone was raped by Hades ( her uncle) and betrayed by her own father, who had set up the whole abduction, without Demeter's or Persephone's knowledge.


I found a really fascinating site that explores the connection between feminism and ancient Greece. There is a lot of discussion and reference to women helping women, and having as much heroism, and even more so in my opinion, as the male heroes in Greek Mythology.

In the development of my own spiritual journey I had been at first more or less comfortable with the idea of God as being male. Then years later my idea changed to seeing the Creator as being non-gendered. Presently, and increasingly, what is very prominent in my psyche, and what is beginning to define my interpretation and perception, is the belief in the Creator as Goddess. Some may feel dismissive of the concept of reclaiming the Goddess as being too 'New Age'. I am not one of these as it now feels very natural and comfortable to me.

I am always lead back to Dr. Clarissa Pinkola's book about myths and stories of the wild Woman Archetype. So I turned today to Women Who Run With The Wolves only to find out that Demeter, who is the Mother Earth Goddess, in her deep despair in searching for her beloved missing daughter Persephone, comes in contact with the dancing Baubo; The Belly Goddess, who makes Demeter smile just a little, which then turns into a big belly laugh. Baubo brought Demeter out of her depression, and helped to restore her energy, so she could continue searching for Persephone. Baubo is drawn from the Neolithic belly Goddesses. You know the ones, without heads, and sometimes no feet or arms? They are talisman of women-talk, the kind of talk that wouldn't happen in the company of men and they are much more than fertility goddesses, but symbols of Matriarchal culture.

Now as a group of united women, the old crone Hecate, the sun Helios, and Baubo all join Demeter in searching for Persephone, and they are ultimately successful in reuniting her with her mother.

" The World, the land, and the bellies of women thrived again " - Dr.Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Women Who Run With The Wolves

Baubo- The Belly Goddess - Catherine Meyers

Why Not All Tarot Cards Are Created Equal - The High Priestess

This question goes out to my fellow Tarot readers. Have you ever drawn a card from your daily draw, and thought to yourself, how ironic, taken a deep breath, after feeling overwhelmed by the realization that this is the exact card you need to connect with right now? It's a good feeling, because it gives me a sense of peace, focus and affirmation. When I drew this card, it caused me to slow down and think, with my head, and with my heart, to respond, instead of react, to wait, and see.

This is exactly what The High Priestess did for me today, after having a rather unpleasant experience, that took me completely off guard, leaving me anxious, and metaphorically, a little sick to my stomach.

 The High Priestess is the card I can always draw much strength from, because she reminds me to listen deeply to the mystical quietness, to listen to that still quiet voice within, and to remain in a state of balance, no matter how rotten I am feeling, in the pit of my gut, and regardless of what has happened. The High Priestess is the card I can connect with on this deep spiritual level, and I don't think there is another in the deck that does this for me.

I am assured, that what is hidden will be revealed. I don't need to feel stressed,  anxiety or the necessity to rush in trying to force a solution. I need to be patient, trust my intuition, as all will come out of the darkness, into the light.

I am feeling better, as much as my lizard brain isn't impressed! But as my old A.A. sponsor once said to me...

The Secret Unconscious - The High Priestess

I have been thinking about this card a lot this week. After reading the cards for some time, you start to develop a relationship with them, appreciation for them deepens, and the connections you make between the cards, with life, and with living every day increases.

 I have always found the High Priestess a card I very much identify with, and relate to. This past week, having done a reading where this card came up, it has been at the forefront at my mind. At the same time while I was in Halifax at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, I got to see a wonderful exhibit and collection that spanned a life time of the great Canadian artist Mary Pratt, whom I admire greatly.  Looking back on these events I see this is where I really made the connection to The High Priestess, and Persephone.

Her painting entitled, Threads of Scarlet, Pieces of Pomegranate,  had a room all of it's own in the gallery, as if it was something almost sacred. Mary Pratt's painting of two pomegranates, one whole, and the other split open, revealed it's seeds and juice, as it spilled onto the table they were placed on.

I had a visceral response to the subject matter, and to the way it was rendered, as it was both beautiful, and disturbing on a level I couldn't pin point, until I read Mary Pratt's explanation of her painting, and under what circumstances she created it. Then I began understand.

Threads of Scarlet, Pieces of Pomegranate - Mary Pratt, 2005

She stated this was one of her favourite paintings, and had been done unconsciously, at at time of great emotional upset, after having divorced her husband Christopher Pratt. Upon seeing this painting, of course my thoughts went directly to the High Priestess ( Persephone), who holds a pomegranate in her hand, which is symbolic of both the fruit of the dead, and conjugal love, because of it's many seeds.

In Greek mythology lies Persephone's hidden, mysterious inner world, of the unconscious. Her's is the intuitive world of dreams, fantasy, and visions. Persephone is fertile and full of undeveloped creative potential and does not speak of her secrets.

The inner workings of the unconscious requires patience and the passage of time to reveal the seeds of change and new potential. Not surprisingly, today's card, I drew the High Priestess again.

I found this picture a few hours ago, and it immediately made me think about the High Priestess and Persephone, because she is the intuitive spiritual mother of the underworld, the womb of the unconscious and of the depths of the soul.

Five of Wands - Awakened

I haven't been able to get to my blog the past few days. I've been busy battling the dragon like Jason. It felt like the dragon was winning. This card describes exactly what I have being experiencing. But the dragon-fight is with myself. Fighting ourselves can be the worst kind of battle when " the powers of the earth resist change "

I have been experiencing  'regressive inertia'. It has been more than a rut, but a combination of things that have resulted in me avoiding, procrastinating, and resisting reality. All this has collided with my creative energy, but now it's come to an apex and I am ready to accommodate reality and my imagination.

The Feminine energy of the High Priestess helped Jason and I must trust my intuition and my instincts and allow them to help me do the right thing, so I can grow and achieve my goals.

I have heard it said, and have experienced myself, in various situations, using the metaphor, of how the last mile of the race is the hardest, because you are exhausted, feeling overwhelmed, and want to give up. This is were faith, courage, trust, persistence and prayer come in for me. No one said a good life would be easy, but it is worth fighting for. 

' The Feminine Face of God '

La Loba /Wolf Woman - Catherine Meyers

Yesterday I posted the about the Empress, which was the card I drew from my Mythic Tarot deck.
The Empress (Demeter) is the Earth Mother. Her daughter is The High Priestess (Persephone) queen of the underworld, link to the inner world or ' the unconscious ', and guardian of the secrets of the dead.

I am posting today about these two particular cards because they directly relate to the amazing book I am reading that I have mentioned in my posts a number of times, The Heroine's Journey, by Maureen Murdock. There is so much more I would love to share about this book and why I think it is a very important book to read, but suffice to say I highly recommend it to anyone, but especially to those who are tarot readers. It is a book that enables a deep understanding of our feminine and masculine identity and how there needs to be a balance between the two within ourselves for wholeness.

The High Priestess is our guide to all that is mysterious and mystical. I have read that this card, more than any other in the tarot deck, embodies and symbolizes the tarot reader, which I agree with, because the High Priestess represents the knowledge of intuition, supernatural, instinct, secret and self knowledge, and I believe it is the reason why individuals become tarot readers, male or female.

Here are some excerpts from The Heroine's  Journey that I hope will provide for you  food for thought, that I think clarifies ideas about the feminine, masculine, and about mother and daughter.

 " The nature of the mother/daughter split is also determined by how a woman integrates the archetypal Mother into her psyche, which includes Mother Earth and the cultural view of the feminine.

Our collective psyche fears the power of Mother and does everything it can to destroy it. We take her nurturance for granted; we use, abuse, and dominate matter (mater) every time we get a chance. Every barrel of oil that pours into Prince William Sound, every ton of nuclear waste that is stored in the New Mexican desert, every tree that is suffocated by acid rain shows our enormous arrogance and disregard for her.

Our churches have pushed the feminine face of God underground for centuries, destroying her image and usurping her power for the male gods. How can we feel connected to the feminine when culture around us does everything in its power to make us forget? We bow before the gods of greed, domination, and ignorance and scoff at the feminine images of nurturance, balance, and generousity. We rape, plunder, and destroy the earth and expect her to give to us endlessly. This mother/daughter wound runs deep; it will take much to heal it. "

" Your inner man and woman
   have been at war
   they are both wounded
   tired
   and in need of care it is time
   to put down the sword
   that divides them in two "

" The Masculine is an archetypal force; it is not a gender. Like the feminine, it is a creative force that lives within all women and men. When it becomes unbalanced and unrelated to life it becomes combative, critical, and destructive. This unrelated archetypal masculine can be cold and inhuman; it does not take into account out human limitations. Its machismo tells us to forge ahead no matter what the cost. It demands perfection, control, and domination; nothing is ever enough. Our masculine nature is wounded. "

" It is the job of the heroine to enlighten the world by loving it-starting with herself. "

I have to say I was initially not clear about what is meant by the masculine not being a gender. Upon more reflection. I believe what is meant, is that masculine and feminine are archetypal forces, not gender. That makes sense to me. I found more information from this site.

 http://www.gestaltreality.com/2013/02/03/archetypal-masculine-feminine-forces-the-key-to-creation/

Five of Wands - Intuition

When I was a child, I always sensed the presence of the Creator, the God of my understanding, even though it wasn't developed in the way it is now, the presence was there. An innocent trust was what defined my faith, and the way it was manifested, was through my intuition. My intuition was greatly affected by outside factors, and forces beyond my control, and diminished greatly for a time, and I lost my way in my adolescence and early adult life.

Like Jason, it seemed I constantly was fighting that dragon.  Fortunately I never completely lost my faith, and perhaps I was too stubborn to let people, places, and things to overpower me, and I held on, regardless of what was happening. Fortunately I have had many rallying helpers like Medea, akin to the High Priestess, who embodies the feminine power of intuition and instinct, to assist me in my dragon fights.

 We can have a creative vision, but the realities of life, in the form of the dragon represent the powers of the earth  resisting change. These can be found in the many material limitations, be it money, physical restrictions due to illness, or fatigue, and can coincide with fear of failure, inertia or apathy, that often are the cause of trouble, and struggle within the inner or outer self. These obstacles that arise, cannot be avoided in life, and accommodations or compromise must be made, while still maintaining the integrity of our creative visions, and lost treasure, like the Golden Fleece.

The High Priestess - Wisdom and Discernment

I decided to draw a random card this morning from my Mythic Tarot Deck. I want to spend some time thinking and relating to the Queen of Pentacles, the card I drew, to see what I can decipher. At the end of the day, I'll journal what it has revealed to me intuitively, for myself alone. I've learned this is a great way to become engaged with each card's meaning.

I chose the second card of the Major Arcana to study and write about, for today's post, The High Priestess, the intuitive guide, known as Persephone, Isis, The Corn Maiden and Artemis, and is ruled by the Moon. This image is a link with the inner world, commonly referred to as 'the unconscious' in psychology, the hidden world only revealed in dreams, fantasies, visions, symbols, etc.

 The High Priestess bares the mark of  Isis on her forehead, or wears a crown, symbolizing the Triple Goddess. Isis, was worshiped as the ideal mother and wife, as well as the patroness of nature and magic. The High Priestess also wears the solar crucifix around her neck, symbols of spirituality, balance between male and female. She sits between the two pillars of peace and severity, darkness and light. She embodies the feminine influence and indicates, divine knowledge, perception, creative ability, and self-motivation.
The High Priestess is the Goddess of the Underworld, representing spiritual wisdom and enlightenment, discernment, serenity, mystery, the unknown, the keeper of secrets, and has dominion over intuition. She uses this knowledge to teach rather than to try to control others.

" Discernment is the ability to grasp, comprehend, and evaluate clearly. It means we can see the true nature of things; it allows us to distinguish between what is real and what is imitation.

Discernment may begin with intuitive hunches and perceptiveness. With intuition as a starting point, the quality of discernment is built over time on honest observation, careful reasoning, and balanced application of our knowledge and principles. In a person who is highly discerning, intuition, emotion, and reason inform each other. As we grow in experience, our ability to discern usually grows stronger, providing us with insight that propels us toward greater wisdom" -   http://www.wisdomcommons.org/