Secret of the High Priestess Spread

 

 

Difficulty: Average

This spread makes a nice alternative to the Celtic Cross, which covers basically the same ground. It is useful when a question doesn't quite call for the Ankh spread. This tarot spread is helpful for looking into a current trend. The High Priestess may or may not present a mysterious secret to be analysed after the rest of the spread.

1. & 2. Main impulses representing the topic at hand. They may compliment or oppose one another.

3. This is the current influence at this time.

5. The Waning Moon is the influence that is moving into the past.

4. The Waxing Moon indicates what is on the horizon, or the approaching influence. This is the immediate future.

7. The Light is what is clearly recognized, consciously.

6. The Dark indicates what is there but not fully perceived, though noticed on a deeper level of consciousness.

8. The Next Step is the near future, where this journey leads.

9. The final tarot card, only if it happens to be of the Major Arcana, reveals the Secret of the High Priestess. This is a special message that should be given added weight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your Secret of the High Priestess Reading

The Waxing Moon The Emperor	The Full Moon The Star		The Waning Moon Death
	Significator #1 The Slave The Secret of the High Priestess	Significator #2 The Hanged Man
The Dark The Norn	The Swamp		The Light The Hermit
	The Next Step The Theocrat

 

 

 

Significator #1 

 

The Slave

7:00 – Card 3

AKA The Chariot in traditional Tarot. Female, Water, Aquarius.

To be used, controlled, or even simply employed. It's hard to work for the will of another, especially when the other is undeserving of their power over you. At the same time, the effort makes one strong.

 

 

Significator #2 

 

The Hanged Man

5:00 – Card 2

Male, Water, Cancer.

A victim, weakness, prey. To try and then to fail in the worst way hurts, but it's better than standing still or letting those around you dictate your actions. There are great ambitious lives throughout history now deemed failures, even some angels have failed. But failure nonetheless.

 

 

The Waning Moon is the influence that you are putting behind you, as it moves into the past. 

 

Death

 

 

 

The Full Moon is the current influence at this time. 

 

The Star

AKA The Star in traditional Tarot.

In this case it's Perseus slaying Medusa, a homage to Marqueste's sculpture.

Crowley explained every man and woman is a star. Astrologically, we all effect the fates with our rises and falls. We also congregate into bodies which are no mere illusion, but powerful forces in time. Other people have power over you, but you too have power over them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Waxing Moon indicates what is on the horizon; the approaching influence. 

 

The Emperor

In this case King Sargon of Akkad. A great ruler in his own time rarely even makes the history books in ours.

 

 

The Light is what is clearly recognized. 

 

The Hermit

4:00 – Card 5

Male, Air, Virgo.

A card of loneliness, disconnection and solitude. Also, a card of hope – If you have half of something it means the other half is out there somewhere. It may be far away, you may have to wade through the nastiest slums to find it, but when you do it's brilliant.

 

 

 

The Dark shows what is there but not fully perceived, though it has been noticed on a deeper level of consciousness. 

 

The Norn

2:00 – Card 10

AKA The Wheel of Fortune in traditional Tarot. Female, Air, Gemini.

Symbolic of fate, and what is fate but change? Everything changes in time; change is the only constant. What one cannot control one must predict, and act in accordance with. Opposition to the inevitable yields only pain.

 

 

 

The Next Step is the near future, where this journey will take you. 

 

The Theocrat

1:00 – Card 8

AKA The Hierophant in traditional Tarot. Male, Fire, Taurus.

The master, the controller, the employer. To force one's will upon others and make them work for your own benefits. Not always a cruel thing if it's done right. But it's so rarely done right.

 

 

 

The Secret of the High Priestess - if, and only if, this card a Major Arcana, it reveals the Secret of the High Priestess. This is a special spiritual message that you should pay extra special attention to. If it is not a trump, the Priestess has revealed no secret. 

 

The Swamp

8:00 – Card 1

AKA Temperance in the traditional Tarot. Male, Earth, Scorpio.

Stagnation, nothing moves, nothing changes. Barriers block every effort to improve or change, not that rock has anywhere to go. The elements and life move around it, grow from it, decay upon it, but it goes nowhere.