Tarot of the Elves: the High Priestess
When Lo Scarabeo published the Tarot of the Elves four years ago, the High Priestess card rapidly became the source of much heated debate, controversy and outright uproar. In a radical departure from the card's standard depiction, the creators of this deck show the High Priestess lying in a pool of blood, a forgotten scroll close to her inert hand. Next to her kneels the distraught figure of her son. Both he and the High Priestess are framed between the traditional black and white pillars of negation and beginning. It goes without saying that many people were shocked to see this startling depiction of the HIgh Priestess, and indeed I read several posts on another site from some readers who were offended by the implied violence to the feminine principle, or couldn't stomach what appears at first glance to be a disturbing spin on a well-known and much-beloved Major Arcana archetype.
I think I must be in the minority because this deck's High Priestess is probably my favourite HP card of any Tarot deck so far. I understand why it has caused so much controversy, what with the blood and implied murder, but the explanation for the image is made clear in light of the storyline provided in the accompanying book. The Tarot of the Elves is not a cookie-cutter Rider-Waite clone; the cards depict important moments in the Elven stories and myths told by the author. And although about three-quarters of the cards do have RW-esque imagery and can be interpreted as such, the other cards don't lend themselves to standard RW interpretation.
Personally, I think the visuals of this High Priestess fit the card's traditional meaning. I interpret the blood as the equivalent of the traditional pomegranate veil hanging behind the High Priestess, i.e. the barrier between the conscious and the unconscious, between life and death. The card's conventional feeling of passivity and quiet intuitive receptivity is aptly conveyed by the fact that she lays prone on the ground, which, in essence, is no different from her standard seated pose. Both are essentially passive, receptive, non-active positions. The distraught figure of the man at her side conveys to me the card's other traditional meaning of "why?" - of mystery, of deep, hidden questions, issues or insights that have not yet seen the light of day and need to be addressed or explored.
Possible interpretations for the High Priestess include:
· listen to your inner voice, pay attention to your gut feelings, follow your instincts, even if, and maybe especially if, they go against logic.
· May indicate an interest in the esoteric
· Now is the time to sit back and wait, to take in the situation. It is not the time to act.