The High Priestess
The High Priestess is the third Major Arcana card, numbered II. In old Italian decks she appeared as 'La Papessa' (the Popess), an unusual and controversial figure within a church hierarchy otherwise depicted as exclusively male.
Last reviewed: 2026-07-18
Historical fact
In old Italian decks such as the Visconti-Sforza, this card was called 'La Papessa' — the Popess. Tarot historians link the image's origin to two documented, unconfirmed hypotheses: the medieval legend of Pope Joan, who supposedly held the papacy disguised as a man, and the historical figure of Sister Manfreda Visconti, tied to the Milanese Umiliati (Guglielmite) sect, who allegedly proclaimed her pope in the 13th century. Both remain competing explanations discussed by Tarot scholars, not settled facts.
Interpretation — Rider-Waite-Smith / Golden Dawn
In the 1909 version, the High Priestess sits between two pillars — identified as Boaz and Jachin — before a veil decorated with pomegranates, a crescent moon at her feet, and a partly hidden scroll on her lap marked 'TORA'. She represents intuition, hidden knowledge, the unconscious, and a receptive wisdom that never fully reveals itself.
Interpretation — Thoth (Aleister Crowley)
In the Thoth deck, the card keeps the name 'The Priestess' and is tied to the Moon and the Hebrew letter Gimel. She represents the veil between conscious and unconscious, the purity of intuitive perception prior to any rational interpretation — knowledge reached through contemplation rather than analysis.
This section presents one tradition's interpretation, not a verifiable fact.
Frequently asked questions
- Was the High Priestess ever called 'the Popess'?
- Yes. In old Italian decks like the Visconti-Sforza, the card was named 'La Papessa'. Historians link the image to the legend of Pope Joan and/or Sister Manfreda Visconti, tied to a medieval Milanese sect — but neither explanation is historically certain.
- What does the High Priestess represent in a Tarot reading?
- Broadly, she represents intuition, unrevealed knowledge, and inner wisdom — something not yet brought to full conscious awareness. She's often read as an invitation to listen inward before acting.
Sources
- Michael Dummett. The Game of Tarot: From Ferrara to Salt Lake City (1980).
- Arthur Edward Waite. The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910).
- Aleister Crowley. The Book of Thoth (1944).
- Stuart R. Kaplan. The Encyclopedia of Tarot (1978).