The High Priestess

For the 1915 novel, see Robert Grant (novelist). For the album by Lido Pimienta, see La Papessa (album). For other uses, see High priestess (disambiguation).
The High Priestess or The Popess (II) in the Rider–Waite Tarot, depicted with the pillars of Boaz and Jachin

The High Priestess (II) is the second Major Arcana card in cartomantic Tarot decks. It is based on the 2nd trump of Tarot card packs. In the first Tarot pack with inscriptions, the 18th-century woodcut Tarot de Marseilles, this figure is crowned with the Papal tiara and labelled La Papesse, the Popess, a possible reference to the legend of Pope Joan.

In the creation of the Rider–Waite Tarot deck, the Popess of the playing card packs was changed into The High Priestess of cartomantic cards. She wears a crown similar to the one used by the goddess Hathor, and is depicted with Marian imagery. A. E. Waite, the co-creator of the Rider–Waite deck, speculated that the card was connected to the ancient cult of Astarte or Mary as a representation of the Mother goddess.[1]

  1. ^ Waite (1926).