The High Priestess Tarot Card Meaning: Upright, Reversed, Love & Yes/No
Not everything needs to be said or decided today. Listen more than you speak and pay attention to the quiet sense you keep having.
| Arcana | Major Arcana |
|---|---|
| Number | 2 (II) |
| Element | Water |
| Astrology | The Moon |
| Hebrew letter | Gimel (Golden Dawn attribution) |
| Yes or no | Maybe |
| Upright | intuition, quiet knowing, patience, inner voice |
| Reversed | ignored instincts, secrets, overthinking |
Pamela Colman Smith · Rider–Waite–Smith (1909)
The High Priestess symbolism
A seated woman in blue robes sits between two pillars, one black marked B and one white marked J, the pillars of Solomon's temple, Boaz and Jachin. A veil decorated with pomegranates hangs behind her, hiding a body of water. She holds a scroll marked TORA, partly concealed by her robe, and a crescent moon rests at her feet. Everything in the image speaks of knowledge that is present but not yet revealed.
The descriptions on this site refer to the Rider-Waite-Smith deck (1909), illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith and designed with Arthur Edward Waite, which is the reference for most modern tarot. Other decks may show different imagery with a similar meaning.
Upright meaning
- intuition
- quiet knowing
- patience
- inner voice
The High Priestess is the keeper of intuition and quiet knowledge. She appears when the answer you are looking for will not come from more research or more opinions, but from listening to what you already sense. She favours patience, observation and silence over action.
In a reading, she often means that not all the facts are visible yet. Something is still developing beneath the surface, and the wisest move is to wait, watch and pay attention to dreams, gut feelings and small signs. Her number is two, the number of receptivity and of the space between opposites.
Reversed meaning
- ignored instincts
- secrets
- overthinking
Reversed, The High Priestess shows a disconnect from your inner voice. You may be overthinking, seeking constant reassurance from others or ignoring a clear instinct because it is inconvenient. It can also point to secrets, gossip or information that is being withheld.
The reversed card asks you to reduce the noise. Step away from other people's opinions long enough to hear yourself, and be careful about sharing things that are meant to stay private.
New to reversals? Our guide to reading reversed tarot cards explains the different ways readers interpret an upside-down card.
Drew The High Priestess in a love reading? Tell Mystica about your situation in the free chat and see what it could mean for your relationship.
Ask the love chatThe High Priestess in love and relationships
Upright in love
In love, The High Priestess describes a connection with depth and mystery, often one where not everything has been said yet. Singles may feel drawn to someone they cannot quite read. In a relationship, trust what your intuition tells you about the emotional climate rather than what is said aloud.
Reversed in love
Reversed in love, the card can signal hidden feelings, secrets or a relationship where one person is not being fully transparent. It can also mean you are ignoring red flags you already sense.
The High Priestess as feelings
As feelings, The High Priestess means someone feels a deep, intuitive pull toward you but is keeping it to themselves. They may be private, reserved or unsure how to express it.
What about work? Ask the free chat what The High Priestess could be telling you about your job, an offer or your business.
Ask the career chatCareer and work
At work, the card advises discretion. Gather information, observe the politics and keep your plans to yourself until the moment is right. It favours research, counselling, psychology, healing and any role that relies on insight.
Money and finances
With money, The High Priestess recommends waiting for more information before committing. Read the fine print and do not sign anything you do not fully understand.
Is The High Priestess a yes or no card?
Maybe
The High Priestess is a maybe. The answer is not fully formed yet or depends on information you do not have. Wait, observe and ask again when more is revealed.
Want to ask your own question? Try our yes or no tarot, which uses the same yes, no and maybe values shown on this page.
Number, element and astrology
The High Priestess is card 2 (II) of the Major Arcana, the 22 trump cards that describe life's big lessons and turning points. In the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn's system, which shaped the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, it is attributed to the Hebrew letter Gimel and to The Moon, giving it the element of water.
Want to apply it to your own situation? Ask Mystica what The High Priestess says about what you are going through right now. Free, no signup.
Ask in the free chatAdvice from The High Priestess
Be still before you act. Your intuition already knows more than you have admitted, so give it the quiet it needs.
Example reading
Illustrative example
Someone asks whether they should confront a friend who has been distant. The High Priestess in the advice position suggests waiting and observing a little longer. The friend may be dealing with something private, and more will become clear without forcing the conversation.
This example is written by our editors to show how the card is read in context. It is not a real client's reading. See our tarot spreads for how positions change a card's meaning.
The High Priestess in question readings
What The High Priestess says when it lands in a specific position. These are the interpretations our free readings by question show for this card.
- As their feelings (Does my ex still love me?): This person holds their feelings behind a closed curtain. There is more going on inside them than they reveal, including quiet thoughts of you. They may not even fully understand their own heart yet, so silence does not mean absence.
- As what they are not showing (Does he like me?): They are hiding a great deal, perhaps even from themselves. Private thoughts, a hesitation rooted in their past, or feelings they are not ready to name sit beneath the surface. Their silence protects something tender.
- As the outcome in a reconciliation reading (Will he come back?): Answers will come slowly and quietly rather than through dramatic moves. Intuition will show you more than their messages will. The path leans toward understanding before action, and you may sense what is true long before anything is said aloud.
- As what is coming in love (Will I find love?): Something is forming beneath the surface. A connection may begin subtly, perhaps with someone already in your orbit whom you have not truly noticed. Dreams, hunches, and coincidences will point the way. Pay attention to them.
- As the outcome for work (Will I get the job?): The outcome is still veiled, which points to patience rather than a firm yes or no. When clarity comes, it will likely confirm what your gut already suspects. Quiet preparation now serves you better than pushing for answers.
- As advice (What should I do?): Be still and listen inward. Sleep on it, journal, notice your dreams and your body's reactions. Do not act yet if you do not have to. Your intuition already holds the answer; give it room to speak.
- Reversed in a love reading (Will we get back together?): Reversed, the High Priestess suggests hidden information surfacing, or feelings being deliberately concealed. You may be ignoring your gut to believe something comfortable. Pay attention to what your intuition keeps whispering about this person.
Pulled The High Priestess next to another card? See what they mean together with the tarot card combinations tool.
Popular combinations with The High Priestess: The High Priestess + The Moon.
The High Priestess as a birth card or year card
In the birth card system of Mary K. Greer, The High Priestess belongs to constellation 2, together with Justice and Judgement. Find out whether it is one of your cards with the tarot birth card calculator, or whether it rules your year with the tarot year card calculator.
Related cards
Dream symbols linked to this card
Cat, Door, Keys, Mirror, Moon. Our dream dictionary explains how the same symbolism appears in dreams.
Ask the cards about your situation
Draw three cards for your own question. Every card in your result links back to its meaning here.
Free tarot readingCard of the daySources and further reading
- Rider–Waite Tarot · Wikipedia
- Major Arcana · Wikipedia
- Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (astrological and elemental correspondences) · Wikipedia
- A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910), the companion book to the deck illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith
Reviewed by The Mystica Editorial Team under our editorial standards. Last reviewed: September 28, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What does The High Priestess mean in tarot?
Upright, The High Priestess means intuition, quiet knowing, patience, inner voice. The High Priestess is the keeper of intuition and quiet knowledge.
What does The High Priestess reversed mean?
Reversed, The High Priestess shows a disconnect from your inner voice. You may be overthinking, seeking constant reassurance from others or ignoring a clear instinct because it is inconvenient. It can also point to secrets, gossip or information that is being withheld.
What does The High Priestess mean in love?
In love, The High Priestess describes a connection with depth and mystery, often one where not everything has been said yet. Singles may feel drawn to someone they cannot quite read. In a relationship, trust what your intuition tells you about the emotional climate rather than what is said aloud. Reversed in love, the card can signal hidden feelings, secrets or a relationship where one person is not being fully transparent. It can also mean you are ignoring red flags you already sense.
Is The High Priestess a yes or no card?
The High Priestess is a maybe. The answer is not fully formed yet or depends on information you do not have. Wait, observe and ask again when more is revealed.
Does The High Priestess mean someone is hiding something?
It can. Upright it more often means information has not come to light yet; reversed, it more directly suggests secrets or someone withholding the truth.