February 29, 2012(Leap Day): High Priestess, Haindl Tarot
The High Priestess in this deck is a radiantly silent woman gazing from behind a lovely and luminous Full Moon at the serenity of the night-silent Earth. The Moon here appears to be Full, but the High Priestess, symbolically, is not in the moonlight, but hidden behind the Moon. She therefore signifies the Moon's silent time, the darkness of the New Moon, when you are not the Sun shining upon your "Earth" but are withdrawn into your own dark stillness. It is the season when you must be quiet, must look inward. This does not mean barricading yourself in the house and refusing to speak to anyone. Instead, it means to take life slowly, to spend time alone, to keep still and feel a returning to who you are, to re-introduce yourself to your Self. If you have been very active in your business or social life, the High Priestess says to step back and look inward for awhile. Instead of trying to conquer the world, seek peace with yourSelf. Under the influence of the High Priestess, patience and calm are more important than action.
During the season of the High Priestess, you are able to find a sense of wholeness in life, and you need not try to separate your existence into pieces. It is a time for intuition rather than analysis, for feeling rather than thought. You may experience deep feelings that you cannot put into words. That's ok. You may actually, perhaps, find that you do not want to put these feelings into words. They are yours, spoken in the silent realms of your soul, where words are not necessary and you speak to yourSelf in that hidden language known only to you. The High Priestess advises resisting any demands, the clamor of your outward-focused mind, to "explain yourself." You need time, you need distance from the world, you need silence. Yes, you have commitments, to your business or to your children or to your responsibilities. But this day is sovereign. Today is the one day in the last four years when all things are turned around. You may say, to me or to your Self, "That sounds great, but I can't right now. I'm too busy." But--is this really true? Often, for all of us, at least part of our "busy-ness" is habit. If there's work to be done, yes, we must do it: feed the baby, answer the e-mail, do the dishes, go to the meeting. But after your work is done, instead of going out or scheduling something else, today is the day when you might best choose to spend some time alone. Even in a frantic day of errands, it is possible to try to develop a distance, an inner calm. Sit down, relax, be quiet. It's just you, now, you and the High Priestess. You are alone. Be still.....
OK, OK, I hear you. You're a wee bit uneasy about that, about a whole day/afternoon/evening of only your own company. Time to the Self is so rare, that when someone suggests it, most people say, "Oh, YEAH! That sounds great!" But often, we do not really mean it. The idea of doing nothing, of letting the inner life awaken, frightens us. Being alone with my Self? Having to look at my Self, listen to my Self? No, thanks! Let's go to the bar! But the High Priestess gazes serenely from behind her Moon, and asks you, "Am I really so hard for you to talk to, Self? Please stay here with me. I miss you."
The High Priestess is a card of quiet joy and inner peace. She represents your Soul, your Inner Power. Just as the Magician is the avatar of Personal Power, the outer power to Act, so the High Priestess invites you to join with Her, with your Self, in the Inner Power of serene and silent meditation. You have family, you have a sweetheart, wife or husband, you have kids, you have a job, you have responsibilities. But most of the time, the one place you are likely to fall down on or ignore your responsibilities is in taking time for your Self. Today, one day in four years, in a "time outside of time" the High Priestess is asking you to do that, to be with your Self, to be with Her. Go on, now, get outta here, go take your Self time. I am doing that, too. See you tomorrow!
