Images from the classic Rider Waite Tarot represent The High Priestess and Justice birth cards.

Tarot Birth Card Meanings: The High Priestess and Justice

Your path is all about seeking different kinds of knowledge

Your Tarot birth cards are special guides meant to help you find your way. Based on your birth date, these cards carry messages of encouragement and reminders to help you stay on track.

The High Priestess and Justice are united by the theme of exploring and embodying different kinds of knowledge, so if you have this pair in your Tarot birth card lineup, you have a special opportunity to explore this theme and make it your own.

MEET THE HIGH PRIESTESS + JUSTICE
Knowledge, Balance, Fairness
Gifts: Intuition, Objectivity, Curiosity
Challenges: Insensitivity, Shame, Either/or thinking
Advice: Seek out insight from unexpected sources. Calibrate your moral compass. Take intentional time to withdraw from the world.

Interpreting The High Priestess (#2) and Justice (#11) Birth Cards

The High Priestess is possibly the wisest figure in the entire Tarot. Many decks show her seated between black and white pillars, representing the place that both darkness and light have in our world and the need to integrate both. The moon phases on her crown symbolize different phases of life and her reliance on intuition, further emphasized by the crescent moon at her feet. She holds a scroll in her hand, but it’s partially hidden by her cape, illustrating that objective knowledge is less important than enjoying mysteries as they unfold.

At first glance, the Justice card looks strikingly similar to The High Priestess. Both cards feature a figure seated in front of a tapestry that’s hung from two pillars, one on either side of our starring character. The person we see in Justice, however, demonstrates open body language, arms outstretched to show an upright sword and a set of balanced scales. The pillars on this card, instead of stark black and white, are each a uniform gray. The crown we see atop Justice’s head is all right angles, straight lines, and perfect squares, showing a more rigid approach. Under the influence of this card, anything ambiguous or unknown is a problem that must be solved.

For all their visual echoes, The High Priestess and Justice are two sides of the same coin. The High Priestess learns through experience and instinct, and she’s content with mystery. Justice learns through research, analysis, interrogation, and adherence to law and order. Where The High Priestess is flexible, Justice is exacting. Where Justice prioritizes objective facts, The High Priestess favors spiritual truth.

Together, The High Priestess and Justice Tarot birth cards guide you to appreciate all modes of knowledge and employ them with ease.

The gifts of The High Priestess and Justice

Each set of Tarot birth cards suggests certain talents and natural abilities. Here are a few associated with The High Priestess and Justice:

1. Intuition

Have you ever known something with all your heart … but not been able to explain why or how you knew it? This is intuition at work, and it’s the greatest gift of The High Priestess. Contrary to popular belief, intuition isn’t opposed to logic – it’s actually logic functioning at a deeper level. Your gut instinct or higher self is capable of processing information so quickly that the conscious mind can’t always keep up! Go ahead and honor these moments of strange knowing – time will probably prove you right.

2. Objectivity

Justice encourages you to see things exactly as they are. It offers no excuses for illusions, hedging, ignorance, or excessive sentiment. This card’s influence can lead you to care a lot about facts and less about feelings. That energy can be off-putting at times, but in many circumstances, this insistence on accepting reality and making choices based on evidence is vital for success.

3. Curiosity

Your thirst for knowledge is legendary! You want to know as much as you possibly can, and truth is your highest value. The High Priestess and Justice balance each other beautifully, inspiring you to pursue experiential knowledge and ancient wisdom (the territory of The High Priestess) along with technical skill and even trivia factoids (ruled by Justice). This tendency enriches your life and helps you connect with other like-minded souls.

The challenges of The High Priestess and Justice

Alongside the gifts, your Tarot birth cards can indicate some particular obstacles. Here’s what to look out for as you get to know The High Priestess and Justice:

1. Insensitivity to others' feelings

Both Justice and The High Priestess prefer to focus on high-minded pursuits. As a result, they can be indifferent to anything frivolous, earthly, or temporary. There’s beauty in this perspective, but here’s the catch: most people care a lot about things that might be considered frivolous, earthly, or temporary! If these are your Tarot birth cards, you might find it hard to relate to these concerns. If a friend is worried about some minor drama at work or why his crush hasn’t texted him all day, you may be tempted to roll your eyes at such low-stakes complaints. Keep those impulses in check!

2. Shame

You may put a lot of pressure on yourself to be the smartest person in the room, to evaluate things perfectly, and even predict a guaranteed outcome. The High Priestess and Justice both love to get things right, so what happens when you (inevitably) get things wrong? Beyond just being disappointed, frustrated, or embarrassed, you might feel a deep sense of shame, like your very worth as a human being has been compromised. It’s important to find the balance between valuing wisdom and thinking you’re immune to mistakes.

3. Either/or thinking

A misaligned version of High Priestess or Justice energy can cause you to think that answers are always obvious, that things are either 100% right or 100% wrong with no room for nuance. Ironically, this approach can cut you off from the pursuit of knowledge, which is what these cards are all about in the first place. Don’t sacrifice your inherent curiosity for the comforting allure of certainty. If you find yourself moving in that direction, look for exceptions to the rule and the spectrum of possibilities between black and white.

How to work with The High Priestess and Justice

1. Seek out insight from unexpected sources.

In your quest for knowledge, remember that not everything worth knowing is found in a book or a university lecture. You can learn profound truths from people even if they’re not particularly educated. Children can surprise you with their understanding. Folk wisdom can be more valuable than peer-reviewed data in some cases. Don’t be afraid to stray from the beaten path!

2. Calibrate your moral compass.

Your passion for learning can make you the sort of person that others turn to for advice, so it’s critically important that you prepare for that responsibility! Commit to a code of ethics, then let it guide you as you help others navigate their options. Bonus: thanks to the Justice card, researching moral philosophy is right up your alley.

3. Take intentional time to withdraw from the world.

You need time to decompress. In an increasingly noisy world, The High Priestess and Justice remind you to step back from external advice every now and then so you can get back in touch with your own understanding.

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Curious about other birth cards and what wisdom they hold? Use our Tarot birth card calculator to explore the possibilities!