High Priestess and our Otherworldly Skin

IWD SIREN SONG about our origins as Sorceress, Witch, Goddess and Fairy

The High Priestess Archetype. Where to start. Like any archetype you can write books on it and still not describe the essence, because in essence, archetypes are not not be captured fully, only pin pointed through some of their expressions, that themselves change and evolve over time. And with the High Priestess we enter a completely new realm of un-describable-ness because she is the very Essence of Mystery.

The High Priestess is Magic herself.

And still she is the one with book in hand, teaching and bridging the Unknown to those of us who long to see. Seeing as in Knowing.

Today I bring to you the aspects of the High Priestess as oracle, divinatory witch and seer, tie her etymology in with the ancient, most likely as-old-as-human, tradition of shape shifting women and folklore about Otherworldly Women in animal disguise, particularly swans and seals. Which fits in with the astrological season of Pisces that will further give us insights into this month’s archetypal exploration alongside very practical reflections to apply to your life - because as you know me, it always has to come back to “real life” and being human. Because we don’t want more of this:

The dissociation nation

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Before we dive into the High Priestess, I invite you to study the Sirens with me first to get an introduction into bird-women and the connection between seeing, knowing and rebirth:

What is a Siren?

Sirens are winged women, who through their singing convey a knowledge beyond human understanding, they see all on their flying journeys and therefore know all - past, present and future. Earthly wisdom and divine inspiration.

The men hearing their voices are said to loose their minds and so the Sirens got a bad rep. But what if the “loosing mind” is a necessary Rite of Passage and not a literal death? What if it is an initiation comparable to psychedelic journeys or Vision Quests?

Especially the fact that Sirens are female and sing to men gets distorted throughout time as dangerous, seductive and them being out for the men’s downfall. When actually even Socrates had a woman as his teacher (her name was Aspasia). And as you have learned in the Wild Woman Archetype last month this tradition can still be found within Arthurian legend and of course many other myths and fairytales where especially old women are guides and point the seeker into the right direction. Even the highly patriarchal and catholic medieval culture couldn’t erase that from our stories.

Magical shapeshifters between earth and heaven, divine women, shamanic women, healing women, wise women. All are encompassed within the High Priestess Archetype although we will specifically look at some in their own archetypal patterns like the Enchantress and Magician in June and the Healer and Water Woman later this year.

Today we focus on the High Priestess in her role as mediator between the realms, her voice and presence.

And how she initiates us into our own magical abilities.