The High Priestess
The High Priestess🦋
I drew the High Priestess to model for Ashton Hall Oil Pastel Artist‘s collaborative art show on Tarot and Mysticism. Go check out her website for information and to learn more about this future show!
https://ashtonhallartist.com/mysticismandtarot/
The facebook event
https://www.facebook.com/events/2905669259490605/
This is my creative approach and take on The High Priestess, I curated my costume with a lot of intention and thought. I do this with a lot of my art because I love depth and symbolism. I feel it is important to give things meaning and to explain those meanings. It challenges our perspectives, and can provide a lot of insight.
I made my crown too. Self Portrait art is one of my favorite things to do because I love costume design and character play.
I’ve been working hard on designing my tarot deck, and am really excited on the progress for it.
I put a lot of work into my depiction. I hope you enjoy~
The High Priestess
She is the second card in the Major Arcana
The meaning of number Two is also a numerical representation of Karma. Contrary to popular belief, Karma does not refer exclusively to destiny. Karma, simply put, refers to cause and effect. Thus the number two represents The Universal 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 recognised’ There are many planes of causation, but nothing escapes the law.
The High Priestess is a card of mystery, stillness and passivity.
She is the element water.
She is ruled by the Moon.
She wears blue robes.
She stands between two pillars. She is also the second card in the Major Arcana.
The black and white colors of the pillars symbolize duality
~ masculine and feminine ~
~ darkness and light ~
The perfect symbol for number two is found in the Yin and Yang symbolism. The perfect balance of dualities, living harmoniously while each still maintains intact identities. Mirrored by imagery of two contrasting pillars depicted on The High Priestess.
These pillars are a statement that knowledge and acceptance of duality are required to enter this sacred space. The High Priestess's location between the two suggests that it is her responsibility to serve as a mediator between the depths of the reality. She is the third pillar - the path between.
She believes that both pillars are equal and there is knowledge to be learned in both worlds.
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.
She is associated with Spiritual insight, Hidden talents, Intuition, Duality, Masculine and Feminine, the Subconscious Mind, Things yet to be revealed, Mystery...
The Colors
In thee classical depiction she wears solid blue robes. I am going to explain why I mixed it up and chose the colors that I did.
In my depictions I chose blues, pinks, and purples. There is some coral and periwinkle thrown in there
Purple
I find that purple is a royal color, and a color of mystery.
I associate purple with intuition.
It is the color of the Crown Chakra which is associated with the universe, connection with spirituality, consciousness and higher awareness.
She is connected to source, and she represents mystery.
She has higher awareness, and is very knowledgeable of the “all there is”
Blue
I used a more turquoise shade of blue. That is my favorite shade of blue.
The color turquoise is associated with meanings of refreshing, feminine, calming, sophisticated, energy, wisdom, serenity, wholeness, creativity, emotional balance, good luck, spiritual grounding, friendship, love, joy, tranquility, patience, intuition, and loyalty.
Blue is for the water, stillness, passivity, calm.
Blue reminds me of the ocean. The ocean has a mysterious depth to it. It can be calm, but it can also be the raging storm. The ocean has strong currents. In the ocean all the shades of water ever possible can be seen.
The High Priestess is a card ruled by the moon and She is a water card.
Blue is the color of the Throat Chakra, it symbolizes self expression, truth, creative expression, communication, and forms/patterns.
She is the card of stillness, and passivity. Telling you to trust your inner truth, and instincts.
Indigo
I used indigo on my eyes, not purposely but it worked out perfectly. Maybe it was my intuition?
Indigo is the Third Eye Chakra which evokes intuition, extrasensory perception, inner wisdom, open-mindedness and charisma.
She is a card of spiritual insight and intuition. She tells you to trust your intuition. She is the card of sacred knowledge, and the bridge between the conscious and subconscious mind.
Pink
I also used many shades of pink. Pink has a sort of innocence about it. For it me stands for gentleness, gracefulness, softness, embracing, and that’s maybe why it’s associated with feminine energy, at least for me it can be. Which in many Tarot depictions she is featured with pomegranates for fertility, abundance to symbolize the divine sacred feminine energy.
The Props
I replaced some of the props. I wanted to put my twist on if I was the High Priestess. Give her a makeover.
I did that with the colors, here are some explanations for the items you see. We will start from the top.
The Crown.
I made this crown, it took me a solid six hours to make.
It is made with giant pearls, two gold plated crescent moons on each side of the blooming flower center piece. The center flower is symbolizing the moon (in this case the flower reminds me of a Clematis). Clematises represent mental beauty, and taking the higher road.
High Priestess is affiliated with Isis. The Egyptian Goddess of Magic The threefold moon crown upon the head of The High Priestess not only portrays the three visible phases of the moon but also speaks of ‘illumination’. The moon symbolism all cultures and relation systems is associated with feminine energy, mystery and psychic abilities.
The moon crown renders imagery of the waxing, full, and waning moon. In turn symbolizing the never-ending cycle of birth, life and death (and rebirth) and well as feminine archetypes of; the Maiden, Mother, and Crone.
The Cup
Usually The High Priestess is seen holding a book that contains the divine law. I decided to replace that with a cup. Why on earth would I do that?
She is a water card.
What holds water?
Cups, Cups hold water.
In a deck of playing cards, Cups corresponds to Hearts
In the Tarot, Cup cards deal with the emotional level of consciousness and are associated with love, feelings, relationships and connections
.
I love, and collect vintage tea cups.
I LOVE emotions.
There are so many
Saddness, Anger, Fear, Happiness, Bliss, Joy, Excited, Energetic, Funny, Irritated, Melancholy.
And each of those emotions have layers and different degrees to them.
I believe that emotions are very much water. They come in waves like the ocean. They are meant to flow. They are meant to be acknowledged, felt and then released. There is no such thing as a bad emotions, maybe just some docking longer than others at the harbor.
She is a Water card.
Cups are associated with the element of water. Water is fluid, agile and ‘in flow' but it's also very powerful and formative. It can be soft and gentle, like waves lapping against the sandy shore, or it can be powerful and even forceful, like a raging river. The currents of the ocean.
The element of water is symbolic of fluidity, feelings and emotions, intuition, relationships, healing, and cleansing. It is a feminine element and reflects the subtle power that often resides within women. It is receptive, adaptable, purifying and flowing.
The cup is representative in many avenues within the occult. It is seen in the tarot's cards as well as in spiritual rituals. The cup is often known as a chalice which represents both war and peace. It can also represent the masculine and female principles.
For me, I do much of my spiritual insight in a passive action such as drinking and preparing tea.
I love tea, hence why I love tea cups.
Tea ceremonies have been known to represent purity, tranquility, respect and harmony. It is a time for insight, to be passive, and at peace.
She is already the embodiment of stillness, Intuition, passivity,
She is signifying that this sacred knowledge is both explicit and implicit, it will only be revealed when the student is ready to look beyond the material realm. Metaphorically the book is "Hidden"
Why?
One does not need to see or read a book to learn.
We are students of life, and everything we encounter is a moment to learn.
Life is but a mirror, if we choose to look inward.
My Hands
Hands are historically seen as points of transmission, meaning we give and receive from hands (energetically and physically)
The Robe
I already explained the colors, but this robe is a robe of importance and sentimental value to me.
It is the robe my mother wore when I was a baby. I always admired it more than anything growing up. It was the most beautiful thing my mom owned in my eyes.
My mother has been one of the most (if not the most) influential people in my life. I am blessed to have a beautiful connection with her. Not everyone is so lucky, but I am and for that I am eternally grateful.
She has been one of my biggest teachers (again if not the most) and very much has preached to me about dualities in life. She is also an artist, a lover of psychology, a lover of symbolism, a lover of balance and a lover of the "all there is"
She is the feminine energy that I wanted to incorporate into this shoot. She is the one who wore the blue robes for me my whole life.
The Crescent Moon (Necklace)
The so called Luna, half moon, or sickle of the moon, also waning and waxing moon, is a sign of fertility.
It is related to life and death, and thus a popular symbol in many religions. It pinpoints changing seasons, ebb and tide (and related inundations as harbingers of fertility), and the feminine menstrual cycle.
The Corset
The corset expresses contradictory messages: constriction and freedom, dominance and submission, femininity and power.
For a simple item of clothing, corsets have stirred many opinions as to their function and the role they play in the female wardrobe. In eras past, as a required fashion staple, corsets were sometimes considered to be the epitome of conservative male oppression of women with their restrictive binding. In current times however, fashion designers are less likely to consider corsets as a figment of male domination and instead covet them as a timeless fascination with shaping the female body and today's wearers can surely be considered to be clearly exhibiting the ultimate form of confidence and feminine expression.
The Stones
I am wearing a variety of stones. I love crystals.
Amethyst is a natural tranquilizer, it relieves stress and strain, soothes irritability, balances mood swings, dispels anger, rage, fear and anxiety. Alleviates sadness and grief, and dissolves negativity. Amethyst activates spiritual awareness, opens intuition and enhances psychic abilities.
Abalone Shell is said to enhance feelings of peace, compassion and love. It has a lovely warm, gentle vibration. Abalone Shell is an excellent companion when needing guidance in relationships as it enhances and supports communication, cooperation, commitment and compromise, which in turn lead to harmony and balance.
Citrine is a premier stone of manifestation, imagination, and personal will. Carrying the power of the sun, it is warm and comforting, energizing and life giving. It stimulates the chakras like the sunlight of spring, clearing the mind and stirring the soul to action.
Rose Quartz is the stone of universal love. It restores trust and harmony in relationships, encouraging unconditional love.Rose Quartz purifies and opens the heart at all levels to promote love, self-love, friendship, deep inner healing and feelings of peace.
Pearl signifies faith, charity and innocence. It enhances personal integrity and helps to provide a focus to ones attention. Pearl symbolizes purity and is known as a “stone of sincerity”. It brings truth to situations and loyalty to a “cause”.
Diamond imparts fearlessness, invincibility and fortitude. It clears emotional and mental pain, reducing fear and bringing about new beginnings. It enhances emotions, to the third power almost, making it a perfect stone for partnerships. It stimulates creativity, inventiveness, imagination and ingenuity. It brings clarity of mind and aids enlightenment. It is indicative of the loving and open nature with which one came into the physical realm, and encourages the aspect of truth and trust
Amazonite Called the Stone of Courage and the Stone of Truth, Amazonite empowers one to search the self and discover one’s own truths and integrity, and to move beyond fear of judgment or confrontation with others to live in alignment with those beliefs and values. It provides the freedom to express one’s thoughts and feelings, and to set strong and clear boundaries, both internally as self-discipline, and externally on what one is willing to experience or in defining personal space.
As a metaphysical healer, Amazonite soothes the chakras and aligns the physical body to the etheric. It is particularly rejuvenating to the Heart and Throat Chakras, enhancing loving communication on all levels. It balances one’s masculine/feminine energies as well as many aspects of the personality. It awakens compassion for others by allowing one to perceive both sides of a problem and accepting differing points of view.
I hope you enjoyed! I hope to see you all at this show after the craziness settles down :)