I Am the High Priestess
dive
dive into the moon-splattered waters
plunge your awareness
and enter the darkness of the depths
of the waters
and feel the creatures swimming
nibbling
and tasting your naked body

Do not be afraid
go deeper
and invite the sea monsters to appear
to be your guides
your steeds
listen to what they say
hear their songs
touch their scales

Then ascend
out of those depths
onto the moonbeams
into the night sky
gaze down upon the earth
see the path your life wends

Behold where you have come from
and to the lands your road now takes you
by standing between the two pillars
of dichotomies
I will bring to you secret knowledge
of the worlds to move in

— Janaka Stagnaro

Thank you for reading. And a big thanks to Samantha Lazar for her continued Tarot prompts. The High Priestess I see as an embodiment of what the Tarot is as a book of arcane knowledge, so difficult to penetrate with Her, who is the bestower of secrets, whose Third Eye peers beyond the facade of the senses. She demands the querent to gain not book knowledge but intuitive knowing. To better understand the Tarot, visualize the High Priestess sitting before you. Then imagine yourself becoming Her, sitting between the two pillars of duality, listening to the whispers of Silence.

Here is the prompt.

Watching the River

Other works on the Tarot.

• The Magician: The Master of Manifesting in Matter
• The Fool
• Tarot: A Guide in Your Pocket

She Who Stands Between the Pillars was originally published in Sky Collection on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.