Lesson 3: The Two Pillars
The Priestess sits between two pillars, one black and one white. Her placement represents equilibrium between all of the pairs of opposites that exist. She resides in the wisdom of the ‘in between’ areas of life, never getting caught up in black and white thinking, which is not subtle enough for her sensitive nature. Truth is most often found in the gray areas. She sees both sides of the matter, then finds peace in between the extremes.
A veil hangs between the two pillars. It is a unifying membrane as well as a boundary or threshold that separates us from the mysterious inner realms of the psyche. Aware that the mysteries of life reside beyond, we anticipate and crave revelation. She is the link between the seen and the unseen realms.
Upon the veil are open red pomegranates and palm leaves. The pomegranate is a symbol of feminine fertility as well as ‘the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge’ in its open and receptive fecundity. The palm leaves are a symbol of victory over death and of the active masculine principle. These two symbols together remind us that all thresholds of birth, life, death, and rebirth must be honoured if we are to access the deeper mysteries behind the veil.