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.

Other variants that came after Rider–Waite are the Virgin Mary, Isis, the metaphorical Bride of Christ or Holy Mother Church. In Swiss Troccas decks, she is called Junon ("Juno"), the Roman Queen of the Gods. The "Flemish Deck" by Vandenborre (c. 1750-1760) refers to this card as Le Espagnol Capitano Eracasse ("The Spanish Captain Fracasse"), after a version of Il Capitano, a character from Commedia dell'Arte.

All published appearances of High Priestess from before January 1, )-(95)}} are public domain in the US.

* The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910)

* Rider–Waite Tarot Deck (1910)

* In "Stardust Crusaders", the third part of Hirohiko Araki's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series, every character's "stand" is based on a different tarot card.

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_High_Priestess Wikipedia]
*[https://myths-in-media.fandom.com/wiki/The_High_priestess Myths in Media Wiki]
*[https://jojo.fandom.com/wiki/High_Priestess JoJo's Bizarre Wiki]

Category:Game Themed Characters
Category:Unknown Creator
Category:Unknown Debuts
Category:European Characters
Category:Movie Characters
Category:Video Game Characters
Category:Blood Brothers Characters
Category:Literary Characters
Category:Occult Characters
Category:Horror Characters
Category:Female Characters
Category:Numerically Themed Characters
Category:JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Characters
Category:Balatro Characters
Category:E.T.E Chronicle Characters