Myth of the High Priestess

Myth of the High Priestess is a creative blending of mythology, tarot and inner work with the goal to expand our perspective of the psyche and its symbols. Inspired by the principles of depth psychology, this class will weave archetypal stories with the images of the Tarot via lecture, group discussion, and exercises.

The story of Inanna and Ereshkigal is the oldest known descent myth, a motif that symbolically reflects our ability to enter deep into the unconscious, interact with personal and primal forces, and return with renewed life energy. In this class we will focus on Ninshubur, Inanna’s faithful servant who is tasked with saving the goddess when she does not return from the underworld. We will discover how the High Priestess of the Tarot plays a similar archetypal role in our inner journey — standing at the veil of the conscious and unconscious world as we venture into the shadows.

We’ll explore:

• The story of Inanna and Ereshkigal.
• The archetypal themes of descent myths.
• An overview of the High Priestess and the psychopomp archetype.
• How to re-imagine the High Priestess via Ninshubur’s role.
• How to apply these mythological themes to your own life.