Reading In The Flow - Cards in Combination: Hierophant, High Priestess, 2 of Cups

This is the second edition of what I hope to be a regular feature on this site - Reading In The Flow: Cards in Combination. If you missed the first post, “Reading In The Flow” is a term I use to describe taking a bird’s eye view of a spread to observe all the ways in which the cards interact.

Earlier in the week, I shared the first post in this series which looked at The Tower, the 8 of Swords, and the 10 of Pentacles in combination. Today, with the help of my partner Tim, we will be breaking down another 3 cards in combination. I’m pulling Tim into this because a) we love to look at this stuff together and b) he brings a depth of knowledge that will allow for some advanced exploration and another layer of understanding.

The three cards we’ll be using for today’s exercise came by way of a suggestion on Instagram. They are The Hierophant, The High Priestess, and the 2 of Cups. I have arranged them in triangle formation like last time and have not ascribed a question or positional meanings. This is a general reading where the cards are meant to be read in tandem.

Similar to the last time, I am asking readers to take a step back and observe the landscape at large. Consider what is similar about the cards, what is different, how they interact, what the figures are posturing, the colours, repeated imagery or anything else notable that stands out! There are no right or wrongs about this approach. Bring in any elements you personally work with (numbers, astrology etc.) whether I’ve mentioned them or not. This isn’t about guessing what I’m going to see, it’s about expanding your own unique vision. So, take a look at the image below, and using the prompts above, note what you observe!

Here are our notes:

Majors Vs. Minors:
2 Majors, 1 Minor

This could indicate that there is more emphasis on higher life issues (spirituality, personal development, complex patterns etc.) than the day-to-day.

Elemental Distribution:
High Priestess = Water
Hierophant = Earth
2 of Cups = Water
What is missing? Fire & Air

The landscape here is most heavily influenced by water - the realm of emotions, feelings, relationships, and the subconscious. The added Earth component could indicate that an aspect of this also shows up in more practical ways in the seeker’s life.

Basic Numerical Breakdown:
2 cards (High Priestess & 2 of Cups) which are a number 2, could indicate an emphasis on partnership, duality, polarities, balance etc.

The total number is 9 (2+2+5=9) which could indicate the cards are pointing to a fairly developed matter that is nearing completion.

Repeated or Notable Imagery:
-Duality and balance are central themes. Imagery that supports this is as follows: The two pillars in both the High Priestess and The Hierophant. The 2 figures coming together in the 2 of Cups. Our central figures in all 3 cards are placed in the middle.

-A blending of forces especially with male/female energy is at play across the landscape. In the 2 of Cups, we have two figures meeting on even ground, facing each other in a gesture that implies reciprocity. In The Hierophant, we have 2 keys (silver-moon and gold-sun) as well as the symbol of red roses (sun) and white lilies (moon), representing a blending of masculinity and femininity. Not to mention, The Hierophant is representative of a masculine force of intuitive awareness while The High Priestess is a feminine counterpart.

-There are visual similarities between the figures as well. Might the High Priestess be a higher representation of the figure on the left in the 2 of Cups? Could the Hierophant represent a higher version of the other figure? The High Priestess is wearing similar garb to the figure above - white & blue. In the High Priestess and The Hierophant, two figures sit in the centre of the card looking straight on. In the 2 of Cups, they meet to face each other. All figures hold something in their hands and have adornments on their heads. This may show where their power lies - their arms being an extension of will and their head being connected to the crown or place of divinity.

-The 2 of Cups has an interesting visual which emphasizes the elemental distribution of Water and Earth. While the figures are on solid ground (Earth), the hills in the background roll as if mimicking waves (Water). This could indicate stability no matter what else may be going on.

-Receptivity is another theme that weaves through the landscape. The Hierophant is receptive to inner hearing, the High Priestess is receptive to the subconscious realm and the figures in the 2 of Cups carry a vessel in their hands, another symbol of being open to receiving.

Qabalistic Elements:
If we break down the cards to their Hebrew letter equivalents, we get Vav, Gimel and Beth, which then add together to make the number 11. 11 is significant in this landscape as it represents the two pillars, balance and also reduces down to 2, which has already proven an important number. The number 11 also links the landscape to Justice which is interesting since balance is an overarching theme and it brings in the third card of the Majors to feature pillars.

In addition, the last two letters of the tetragrammaton have a combined value of 11 and represent the Son and the Bride, another example of forces coming together or the masculine and feminine energy at play.

Since the Hierophant and the High Priestess are Majors, we could look at them as representing the Mother and Father (Yod Heh), and the figures in the 2 of Cups as representing the Son and Bride (Vav Heh).

(For those who are not familiar, in Qabalah, one looks for numerical links, and words of a similar value are considered to be related in some spiritually significant way)

Possible Message:
Okay, that was a lot of dissecting, analyzing, and preamble - but what might it all mean? I see this combination of cards as indicative of a powerful coming together of forces. This may be in the form of a relationship or venture that is well aligned, balanced, and in harmony with itself. I see the people involved as being highly engaged in the exchange and interested in what is happening; not just from a practical perspective, but a spiritual and emotional perspective as well. There is a lot of give and take here, and some importance in taking a middle or moderate approach. I would also assume that growth and development may be central to the message, as well as trusting one’s inner knowing, intuition, or gut instincts. If it is a relationship that is in question, I would see this as a sign of deep commitment; a spiritual marriage of sorts. If it’s more to do with personal development, then I would assume the seeker in coming into their power - activating and integrating the polar forces within them. Either way, these cards speak loudly when read in tandem and indicate a harmonious blending of elements - whatever those elements may be.

So, what did you think? What did you see? What popped out!? While this is a fairly objective and rational approach, also consider that your intuition will have a way of bringing forward the aspects that are key! In this way, you may consider a “missed” connection to be irrelevant to the seeker involved. And also consider, what you noticed today, may not be what you notice tomorrow - context and situation mean a lot! Ultimately, I love this approach because of its versatility and I hope you too can see the value in the bird’s eye view. I’d love to hear your thoughts or if you have card combination suggestions for future posts, leave them in the comments!

You can also find my collection of card meanings here, which you may find helpful if you’re new to tarot!

Julia