Twinn Swan

Why don’t you trust yourself? Learning to trust oneself is one of those attributes that only comes after one has had a few encounters with the ‘dark side’ or what we would categorise as the darker aspects of life.

We’ve all had those moments when we have met someone or gone someplace and gotten the creeps. We know that something is off. We know that something is not right. But for some reason, we just cannot put our finger on what that is. For some unfathomable reason, we chose to push it aside. We chose not to listen to our own inner voice. We chose to make a decision that was simply not right for us. If something feels off, it usually, but not always is.

Have there been moments in your life when you felt that your gut was cautioning you? Did you brush it aside or did you exercise caution in your decision-making? Perhaps, you have a pattern of allowing other people’s opinions to weigh in too heavily on your decision-making process.

Perhaps, the voice of our fear has gotten so strong that we’re unable to hear our inner voice. Be mindful. Not every voice that urges us to exercise caution comes from our higher self. Sometimes, it does, indeed, come from a conditioned fear-based response that has its roots in a subconscious trauma that we’re not aware of. If so, try to differentiate the two voices. If there is, indeed, a trauma lodged within you, taking time to confront the source of the trauma may be the first step in actually releasing it for good.

When the High Priestess appears, it is time to breakaway from allowing the voices of others to cloud or drown out your own. Sometimes, it is not even the voice of our own inner fear that we’re hearing. Rather, we are hearing an external voice that is not even ours. You definitely don’t need to carry that around with you.

Silence it once and for all and move on.

CAUTION

When the High Priestess appears, she asks that we trust our gut instincts about people and situations. Don’t be afraid to move forward, but exercise caution when doing so. When you are able to access the deepest core of your being, you will find the answers that you have been searching for.

In times of uncertainty, the High Priestess serves as a guide. She comes to reassure us that answers lie within us. We cannot look to the external world to guide us at this stage. The answers lay within the depths of your unwritten future. Currently, these are all potential realities that have not yet been born.

The High Priestess appears when we are being urged to take the unborn and begin the process of birthing it. Let her wisdom inspire you to discover the hidden mysteries of life. I’ve found that the Hermit and the High Priestess archetype tend to become strong when we’re feeling unsatisfied. Something that once satisfied us has ceased to satisfy us. We know that the time has come to move on, but we do not know what ‘the next thing’ is. Not yet, anyway. But if we tap into the archetype of the High Priestess, we will see the clues that she leaves in our path.

The archetype of the High Priestess tends to appear when a longer than usual period of introspection is required. She is the counterpart to the Hermit. You could say that she is the feminine equivalent, but the truth is, they represent different stages of the same energy.

ADVISOR

With the predominance of the element of water, the High Priestess can symbolise that you might be grappling with a lack of intimacy in your life. If you desire closeness in your relationships, you must be willing to take the risk. If your fear is stronger than your faith, you will never get anywhere in life. Sometimes, however, the High Priestess cautions us not to take the risk. What is she asking us to do or not do this time? Follow her voice and you cannot fail. Instead of taking a big leap, take small steps. Each small step will snowball into a big movement.

There’s a story I once read about a young boy who tried to help a butterfly emerge from its cocoon. The boy just didn’t know that the butterfly can do it on its own and doesn’t need anyone’s help. All that was needed was time and patience. Since the boy meddled and interfered, he inadvertently ended up damaging the butterfly’s wings. Due to this, the poor butterfly never learnt to fly. This is not the sort of karma any of us would like to have on our hands.

We shouldn’t interfere with someone else’s destiny, no matter how well-meaning we think ourselves to be. Do not be the Good Samaritan that ends up doing more harm than good. We may think we mean well and are only trying to be helpful, but the truth is, we have accidentally coerced another person into making a decision they may not have wanted to make. If someone is not ready to make a commitment, it is best to let that person go.

Sometimes, we are better off being patient and letting things develop at their own pace. When someone says ‘Not yet’, it is not a ‘No’. We never know why or when a person may have a change of heart. At the end of the day, we should always remember that ‘No’ is not ‘Never’. And most importantly, that if we can just hold out and wait a little longer, we can go from making a good decision to making a great decision.

Sometimes, it really does boil down to the right timing.

ROMANCE

When it comes to romantic relationships, the High Priestess can represent an infatuation that is due to hit us out of the blue. We have unexpectedly started to like someone and we may be curious to see where the relationship is headed. I have found that the High Priestess can show up when there is more than one option present. For instance, you may have to make a choice between three prospective candidates. Despite the options in front of you, you may feel that none of them are able to meet all of your criteria.

In the end, however, due to your patience, a fourth option does show up that meets all of your criteria. Boy, will you be glad that you waited! Do not rush into choosing your romantic partner when the High Priestess appears. Take your time in making the decision for you do undoubtedly deserve an ideal relationship.

Unlike the Hermit, celibacy is not always indicated with the High Priestess. It does, however, indicate someone looking for a marriage as opposed to someone looking for a non-serious relationship. This, in turn, can foretell that a serious relationship is about to come into your life. An age gap may be present between the parties involved, but the relationship itself will be a serious one. The High Priestess energy does not bode well for people who want to play around or are still immature.

Passionate feelings, intense lovemaking and so on are possible with the High Priestess archetype, but it must be a committed relationship where both people are willing to create a future together. The High Priestess is not a superficial character so superficial relationships should be avoided at all costs. Do not, under any circumstances, choose to fool around with this individual. The karmic consequences will be too grave to bear later on.

OBSTACLES

The High Priestess can reveal the presence of someone in your life who has secrets, self-doubts, is emotionally unbalanced and does not make correct judgments about people. She may have lost touch with her innermost being and attempts to help such an individual may prove to be futile.

We, ourselves, must take steps to uncover the negative things about ourselves that are hard to face. We often push away difficult feelings or thoughts but the best remedy is actually to face them head-on and work through them. If you leave them there, they will, in time, grow into something that is even harder to manage. We cannot expect other people to meet our needs if we do not even know what our needs are.

If, there is, indeed, an underlying emotional or mental blockage that needs attending to, the High Priestess ensures that you will dig deep and face issues that you have avoided facing thus far. If someone around you has a hidden agenda, the High Priestess asks that you tap into your intuition for it will lead you to your answer.

The High Priestess usually represents a woman who is spiritual and perhaps even religious. She may represent a younger version of ourselves or a woman who chooses never to marry. She may be a librarian, a nun or someone in the family who knows many secrets that others are not privy to. Her instincts and insights will be uncanny. While she is not a traditional mother-figure like the Empress, she is very much a mother, just not in the conventional sense.

TIMING

The High Priestess usually appears when one will soon make an important decision that will be with them for the rest of their lives. This decision is not to be taken lightly and yet you will know that this decision is the right one. While you may have doubts and so on, eventually, you will decide to go through with it because the decision definitely feels like it is the right one.

The High Priestess can reveal to us the hidden dangers that are present if we continue on a particular path. She may ask us to make decisions that seem contrary to conventional wisdom for she knows that the status quo can only take us so far.

While the High Priestess may protect us from harm a few times, she will not continue to protect us if we do not heed her warnings. While she will never fully give up on us, she may begin avoiding us if we do not heed her intuition and her insight. She is not the sort of person to say ‘I told you so’, but she will be disappointed that you chose not to listen.

The High Priestess is soft-hearted and if you hurt her feelings, your relationship with her may not survive. In either case, the High Priestess will move on with her life and find someone or something better.

BREAKTHROUGH

The High Priestess can appear when we are about to make a big breakthrough in our life. This is a good time to pay close attention to synchronicities that come into our life seemingly out of the blue. The gut feelings that move you in a new direction is holding the seed and the latent potential for your future.

Do not ignore the guidance that you receive. Ignoring or choosing to ignore her voice and her guidance will only delay an event that does not need to be delayed any further. It is in our willingness to listen that we will finally hear the truth for ourselves.

She is the keeper of the secrets of the Universe. If you heed her call, all will, indeed, be revealed.