The High Priest

Divinatory Meanings: A holy man. Success. Doing the right thing. Blessings. Good choices. A blessed event or a good situation. Spiritual insight. Knowing the answer from a spiritual place. Teacher. Mentor.

Yes or No: Yes.

Numerical Value: 5

I specifically didn’t choose Pope Benedict for this card because I feel that the Catholic Church has lost almost all it’s moral authority. The Dalai Lama, on the other hand, by sticking to non-violence and exile instead of violent confrontation against the Chinese managed to capture the heart of the entire western world. This moral authority is the key of the High Priest.

The High Priest is our bridge between divinity and humanity because the moral choices he makes make sense for the entire society and somehow keep us all unified and strong.

The High Priest is much more personal than that though. He is Obi Wan Kenobi and Yoda. He is Dumbeldorf, he is Gandalf. He is the guru who helps us to reach the next level in our spiritual evolution. When our father fails to answer our questions, he is our second father. Maybe even more than that, he is our Spiritual Father, the father we choose to have.

Unlike our father who gives us orders, the High Priest can only suggest ideas to us. His role is subtle. When we get married, we need his permission. He is there at our birth and our death. The Parish Priest who has, like mother Goose, so many children that he doesn’t know what to do.

Arcane lore is his greatest attribute. Teacher is one of his favorite names. He might take the role of a particularly frazzled chemistry professor, or a beefy football coach. But he might not be a teacher at all, but just a friend who really understands what we are feeling and he knows how to listen. Usually he comes as a man, but occasionally, he might come as a woman. He is interchangeable with the High Priestess, but his domain is not as earthly as hers. He is a creature of light and the sun and truth. There is nothing hidden with him. Eventually, we must also leave him behind, but his lessons are never forgotten. He is a key which we use to open our own hearts to greater truths.