Seven Signs You're A Modern Day Priestess

When I was growing up and heard the word "priestess," I thought of boring sermons at church, wearing clothes I didn't feel comfortable in and being forced to sit quietly when I wanted to play outside. I didn't know much about what it meant to be one other than it was probably the female version of a "priest." As a playful young girl, the thought of becoming a female priest sounded pretty mundane.

Then one day, a friend wrote out my numerology. It was the number eleven, which also breaks down to two. In tarot, the eleven (or two) corresponds to the archetype of the High Priestess. She told me in ancient times, they were known for having a heightened contact to other realms through intuition and dreams. The community would seek counsel from them to know what actions to take in their lives.

I thought about my life and how I had always had a heightened sense of intuition; of being able to feel into a situation in order to make a decision. I thought of how friends were naturally drawn to me for guidance and consolation during difficult times.

Maybe I was a priestess after all.

Over a few months, I felt more and more connected to this archetype and dove into books and articles on the topic. I began to see: this modern day mystic lives anything but a mundane life. Her life is rich in dreams, intuition, ritual, feminine leadership and a connection to the divine.

Here are seven signs there is a modern day priestess awakening within you:

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Your  Calling is to be of Service

To be a leader, you must first learn to serve. —Jennie Mira

The priestess is not a teacher or leader on a pedestal, but rather, she is of the highest service.  She is in service to her community and to her calling.  Being of service is not about placing anyone above or below, but rather creating a mutual relationship of respect between the initiate and the women she serves.

Her work is to become a channel, a vessel to serve the highest good of the divine.  She must maintain a practice of self-care to be the most present and abundant in her ability to serve and become this channel.

Many women fantasize about goddesses wearing flowing robes, crowns and using magical tools, but in reality to stand in this role, one must be prepared "to be the last one in the rented hall, scraping candle wax droppings with a razor blade."  ~ Ruth Barrett

You are Highly Intuitive

She uses practices such as writing, dancing, movement, meditation, self-care and alone time to hone her ability to listen to her intuition. Our intuition is like a muscle that heightens when we pay attention to it. The more we can quiet the busyness of the mind, the more access we will have to the guidance of the divine and be able to step into this role and be a channel for those in need.

You Seek Out Ritual in Your Daily Life

Rituals infuse magic, intention and sacredness into our daily lives. A ritual can turn a mundane act done without awareness into a sacred act with clarity and purpose. Slowing down to say a blessing before a meal changes the experience. Meditation, singing, or lighting a candle imbues a moment of peace and serenity into a busy day.

Ritual can also be a healing space where women come together to honor a specific purpose. These rituals may honor transitions, letting go, grieving, the lunar cycle or the change of seasons. Participating in ritual has been one of the most healing ways to mark a big transition in my life. Ritual has provided a space for me to be fully seen, acknowledged and supported by my sisters. After participating in ritual, I feel more confident and courageous to share myself with the world.

Your Internal Clock is Synced with the Moon

In ancient times, women slept in tribes, often under the stars and the moon. Their menstrual cycles were in sync with each other and with the lunar cycles: bleeding at the new moon and ovulating at the full moon.

You may begin to be more in tune to the natural world and notice energy levels rise and fall. Going out to socialize will make more sense with the heightened energy of the full moon and slowing down to nest will feel perfect at the new moon. For a modern day priestess, creativity, energy levels and social needs begin to flow in tandem with the moon and tides.

You Are Highly Sensitive

You may notice how you can feel the energies of a room and have a heightened ability to feel other people's emotions. This can be difficult for highly sensitive women because the world may sometimes feel like "too much."

In my last program, one of the women "came out" as a HSP (highly sensitive person) and nearly all the others spoke up to share how much they related to and supported her. As a highly sensitive person, you may feel alone in a world of extroverted and gregarious people, however we often forget that heightened sensitivity is a gift.  You can fuel your feelings and emotions into writing, singing, and listening with a deeper level of compassion for others.

You Have Prophetic Dreams

Have you ever dreamt something and realized it became your reality a week later? A feminine mystic often turns to her dreams for guidance. Dreams are a powerful place to explore questions in your life and to connect to the desires of your subconscious self.

One practice I use often is re-entering dreams. When you are unsure of how to decipher the symbols or occurrences of a dream, close your eyes and imagine yourself back in the space. Then go to characters and objects one at a time and ask, "What do you have to show me?" You will probably be surprised with the answers your subconscious comes up with.

You Are Naturally Drawn to Holding Space

The twenty-first century priestess becomes the container who helps create sacred space wherein women can connect with the Goddess within. —Ruth Barrett

An initiate can also be a space-holder. She creates the space for others to show up as they are. Have you noticed that people turn to you to guide them through an experience? Holding space is not about planning or knowing what to do or say. It is about becoming present to the moment. All that is needed is to tune into the energy of the person or the group; to listen and ask for guidance within.

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In the comments, I'd love to hear what a "priestess" means to you and how can you embody this role in your daily life?

Frequently Asked Questions:

• How do I become a Priestess?

  If you are feeling an inner calling, chances are you have walked this path in many lifetimes. Becoming this archetype is about remembering your inherent sacredness and showing up as a vessel for the divine, to be of service to Creator, Great Spirit, God, Goddess energy and one’s community.

• Priestess Defined

  In modern times the noun “Priestess” is the title of a woman who has studied and trained, and has gained experience as a spiritual leader, spreading the knowledge of the spiritual teachings she has learned and embodied.

  She teaches from her direct experience and the journey itself of becoming has shaped her and prepared her for this role. 

  It helps to have community and guidance on the path of remembrance, to have a container with other sisters to claim your role and share your vows on the path, but one can also self-initiate. There is no one way for one to become this archetype, however reading books, and joining a program with a guide you resonate with can be very helpful on the path

• What's a High Priestess?

  This is one who has walked the path long enough to have gained deep experience and knowledge in service, ritual facilitation and leadership skills.

  In ancient times these wise women were often born into royal families in places such as Crete, Egypt and Anatolia. The rituals they performed ensured fertility and prosperity for the villages. They were prepared for their role since childhood and were educated for religious roles and duties. 

  In modern times the noun “Priestess” is the title of a woman who has studied and trained within a lineage, and has gained experience as a spiritual leader, teacher or facilitator to create ritual and spread the knowledge of the spiritual teachings she has embodied through direct experience.

• How to Cultivate the Energy of a High Priestess

  In order to cultivate the energy of a priestess, one must first find a state of empty presence. Emptying the busy-ness of the mind by listening to the breath allows one to develop the sensitivity needed to listen</a> to the quiet whispers of the heart and soul. Underneath the surface of our thoughts, there is a deeper knowing, an intuition that exists.

  The body is the vessel, the chalice, to receive higher wisdom and to bring that wisdom to those around her. For some people this will look like emanating a spiritual frequency, while for others it may look like having a spiritual business, being a healer and a guide for others. 

  We often brings women together to facilitate women’s circles and rituals, especially for the High Holy Days of the Year: The Winter Solstice, Imbolc, Spring Equinox, Beltane, Summer Solstice, Lammas, Autumn Equinox and Samhain. 

  You may feel highly intuitive, deeply connected to nature and tuned into the cycles of the moon. One can cultivate the energy of this role by spending more time in nature, emptying thoughts, and participating in ritual alone or with others

• Definition: Signs You Are Called

  She is here first and foremost to serve. She brings the formless into form through deep listening and communion with the divine.
  
  She is here to raise the collective consciousness and to contribute in her own unique way, becoming a frequency of divine love.
  
  She is here to anchor the frequency of the divine feminine, to restore balance on our planet and support ascension with an energetic shift.

  There are so many ways you can serve during this time of great evolution and awakening, read this article to learn six pillars of this sacred path.

  But it also can be very lonely to walk this path. Do you ever struggle with the fear of being seen? The fear of being judged? Of being isolated and alone? Or being too highly sensitive? If so, read this article to learn how to heal these wounds.

• Where to Find One in Modern Day Life

  You may be surprised to discover these mystics exist even in your community. More and more women are awakening to their truth and long to come together as we did in ancient times.

  While you can travel to a place like Bali to meet someone in an ancient lineage like Ida Resi Alit, you can also look in your community for women’s moon circles and gatherings honoring the High Holy Days to find other women feeling called to this Path. (Sometimes even just a facebook events search or google search can lead you to connect with more women on the path). Women who are walking the path of the Initiate are often offering these types of circles publicly or online. 

  You can also join a virtual community like the Rising Women Leaders Initiation program and book a free call to see if our community could be a good fit for the next steps on your path.

• What is the Initiation Path?

  This path includes the initiations one walks through in their everyday life to be shaped into a spiritual leader. In ancient times we were brought to mystery schools to learn the sacred arts, including skills such as temple dance, ritual facilitation, energy healing, tarot, developing psychic abilities, dream interpretation, sacred touch, medicine making, herbalism, nature communication, astrology, meditation, astral travel, moon wisdom, leadership skills, yoga and spiritual study, immaculate conception, essential oil making, the art of anointing, midwifery, etc. 

  However today, we don’t have these ancient mystery schools set up in the same way. When we feel the call, we have to look for the signs in our life to lead us on the path, because often there is not someone telling us where to go or how to hone our skills. Although one can feel lonely or lost at times, we can also see everything in life as our mystery school to learn, grow and ascend. One can also join a program, or apprentice with a teacher to learn these sacred arts.

• How to Answer the Call if You Feel It

  The path to becoming begins with a calling. You begin to hear a quiet inner voice speaking to your spirit, awakening you to the knowledge that your life has a purpose. Chances are you have walked this path for a very long time, and your soul begins to remember.

  When you hear the word, “Priestess,” there is a familiarity, a curiosity that is awakened. Becoming is a deep and devotional process of learning how to serve in connection with Source, the Divine, the Goddess, all that is.  Sometimes this includes becoming familiar with the Dark Goddess energy, which is another facet of the divine feminine.

  Spiritual service is about opening our heart, mind and hands and letting the energy of the divine work through us.
  
  For some people, the path is about becoming a frequency, and allowing it to emanate in all that we do. For others, it will look more like a counselor, a guide and a facilitator of ritual and women’s circles.
  
  In any case, walking this path can feel very lonely, and it helps to have guidance, community and mentorship when you feel the call. To answer, it is so helpful to look for others who are walking this path, whether you find them online or in person in your community.

• What is Ritual?

  Rituals infuse magic, intention and sacredness into our daily lives.  Ritual could be simple such as a womb clearing with a yoni steam, or a blessing way for a mother to be. Ritual could be a time to honor a new phase of the year, or a way to release the old and welcome the new.

  Are Goddess Rituals Safe? What Goes on During Ceremony?

  While the safety of a ritual depends on the safety of a container and the skill of the facilitator, rituals are generally not only safe but inspiring and transformational.

  Ritual often marks what is formally beginning or ending and the purpose of a ritual or ceremony is transformation. People may come together to honor a specific purpose. These rituals may honor transitions, letting go, grieving, the lunar cycle or the change of seasons. 

  Ritual can be a healing and powerful way to mark a big transition in life. Rituals and ceremonies provide a space for one to be fully seen, acknowledged and supported. It can initiate a life change or attitude, facilitate a change already in process or name and claim a change or transformation that has already occurred.

  Sisterhood Ritual calls upon our intuition, and our ability to improvise and be present in the moment. Symbols are often used to represent the transition - they are a vehicle for human awareness, for us to access this shift or change in the psyche. 

  Witnessing or being witnessed is also a powerful part of a group ritual. It is the opportunity to create a supportive space for each other to mark the transition. 

  Ritual may also be done on one's own, calling in the witness of spirit and the unseen realms. To become more familiar with the art of ritual, consider joining us in our program 

• How Do I Know if I Am On the Path?

  In ancient times theses healers were often born into royal families and trained in religious duties to be of service in the temples and churches. In modern terms, this woman is one who has walked the path long enough to have gained deep experience and knowledge in service, ritual facilitation and leadership skills.

• What Are the Signs of Awakening?

  The first sign of an awakening within you is the feeling of a calling of a higher purpose. Certain activities in life may not have the same level of fulfillment, for example working at a job that does not have a deeper meaning. This is a sign your soul is being called to a higher purpose, to serve, to love and to devote one’s life to the divine. The next sign may be that when you hear the word, “priestess,” there is a familiarity, a recognition and inner knowing, born with love. You may feel drawn to the card in the tarot deck, be deeply connected to nature and the moon, or you may be highly intuitive, sensitive, and/or have vivid dreams. 

• What Does it Even Mean?

  We are here first and foremost to serve. To bring the formless into form through deep listening and communion with the divine.  She is here to raise the collective consciousness and to contribute in her own unique way, becoming a frequency of divine love.  She is here to anchor the frequency of the divine feminine, to restore balance on our planet and support ascension through with an energetic shift.  For some people this may look like facilitating ritual and circles in her community, offering healing sessions, or simply embodying a divine frequency of love. 

• Is This a Religious Path?

  Many people feeling the call consider themselves spiritual rather than religious. However there are traditions that date back to ancient forms of Christianity, Egyptian, Wiccan and Hebrew religions. Modern roles include the ancient lineage of the rose, dating back to Mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Egyptian goddesses like Isis and Hathor. These goddesses of the ancient past relate to stories of a new earth.

• Ancient Egypt

  When the royal families ruled ancient Egypt, the female Priests had high roles in the temples. The Pharaoh would seek counsel with the High Priests and would connect to the divine realms and perform ritual on behalf of the villages and royal family. These roles were honored and revered, especially in times of war or famine. Some believe Egyptian goddesses include Isis, Hathor, Sekhmet. Honored female High Priests were depicted on the walls of the temples, and some temples were made in their honor.

• Am I One? How to Know

  If you feel you were one in a past life, and have a mystical awakening in you now, you may be naturally drawn to the healing arts, ritual and holding space for others. You may be considered “highly sensitive” and may have heightened intuitive or psychic skills. You may have a gift working with essential oils or herbs, have a healing touch in your hands, and/or carry a healing quality that others are drawn to.

• What is the Training?

  Training is when one begins a program or apprenticeship with an opportunity to develop one’s skills and gifts. Training may include meditation practices, education about ascended masters and goddess guides, participating and leading ritual, learning about the high holy days, creating ritual, holding space, developing intuition, understanding astrology, healing past life imprints and/or sharing one’s vows. Training as a practitioner is an opportunity to learn from someone who has walked the path and can offer guidance along the way.  

• What Religions Have Them?

  The term Priest is used more often in modern Christianity and religions that carry on a ministry. Many modern day female mystics consider themselves “spiritual” rather than “religious” and practice their skills outside of dogma. Before the official establishment of the Christian religion, some of the holy women in ancient times were female priests, like Anna, the grandmother of Jesus, Mother Mary, and Mary Magdalene. They provided an important service to the overall awakening of the mission of Christ. 

• Can One Tell the Future?

  If you identify with this role, you may have heightened intuitive or psychic gifts, but this is not a necessary skill to be called to the path. In the times of Avalon and ancient Egypt, the rulers would often seek counsel from the priestesses on what to do during times of possible war or famine. We are deeply connected to the dream world and unseen realms and would be able to offer a higher perspective to the events to come.

• Can One Get Married?

  The question of marriage depends on the lineage and/or religion one enters into. While there were beings who lived a life of celibacy devoted to God, there were also temple practitioners who used sensual energy as a form of healing for men coming back from war. The feminine essence was so soothing to the nervous system it was revered as a healing act in some ancient temples. Today, many modern day female priests choose to marry and have a family while others choose to walk a path married to the divine.

• Is it Masculine or Feminine?

  While we all have feminine and masculine energy within, the archetype is inherently feminine. Some believe the role is to restore the balance of sacred feminine on our planet; for humanity to channel and live in devotion to Mother Earth, to live connected to Source, to slow down, practice forgiveness, listen, feel and heal our pain rather than be in a constant state of achievement, action and doing. Many believe the essence of the feminine is what the world needs most now to enter into the Golden Age. 

• What it Means To Be One in Everyday Life

  To be a feminine mystic in everyday life is to live a life connected to the divine in each moment. It is to do our daily actions (caring for the body, cooking, cleaning, walking, writing, praying, meditating, talking) in devotion to God/Goddess/all that is. It is to live in a state connected to breath and intuition, honoring the essence of the sacred feminine within. It is to allow what is, to forgive ourselves and others, and to see everyone around us as a soul, a higher consciousness living in a body. 

  It is to see life as happening for us not to us. It is becoming the vessel, emptying out in order to receive. It is communing with nature and the divine as one. It is becoming quiet enough inside to listen to the voice of intuition. It is to listen to others with compassion and hold space for letting go and new beginnings. It is to gaze at the stars, to write down our dreams, and honor the cycles of our body and the seasons of the year. It is to leave this world more beautiful than we found it. It is to midwife a shift in consciousness, to welcome a new Golden Age, and emanate a frequency of love to all those around us on our path. 

• What It Means to Be One Out in the World

  We facilitate ritual, embody the spiritual lessons we have learned, and share knowledge through leadership and teaching. One may lead circles and ritual in devotion to the new and full moon and high holy days, lead circle for rites of passage such as a woman’s first menstrual cycle, menopause, birth, death, welcoming a baby into a family, going through a divorce, getting married, leaving home for the first time, and the list goes on. Any big life transition can be honored with ritual, as a way of releasing what was and welcoming what is to come.

• High Priestess Tarot

  The card is roman numeral II in the major arcana of the tarot deck. (A two or eleven in numerology). It is the card of mystery and psychic wisdom. In Kim Krans, The Wild Unknown Tarot she describes, “She sits in stillness. From there she’s able to access realms others pass by without noticing, the vast world of intuition, dreams and mystery. She uses silence and non-action to harness this power. Sometimes this card appears to remind you to listen more closely to the voice within. Other times it’s a sign to look past the obvious, to find what’s being kept secret or hidden within a given situation. Acknowledge the shadows.” 

  When one often pulls this card in the tarot deck, it could be a sign that the path is calling to you. It could also be a sign that a great teacher and leader lives inside of you and is ready to be honored.
  
  The card in Doreen Virtue’s Goddess Guidance Oracle cards reads, “Your wisdom extends back into the far reaches of ancient times. You’ve brought this knowledge forward into your present incarnation, to be a way-shower so that others may benefit from your experiences. Don’t delay in expressing this wisdom. I will assist you in manifesting platforms for your spiritual teaching, whether it’s through teaching by example, or through writing or speaking. All forms of teaching are equally valuable, no matter how many lives you touch.”
  
  Pulling the card of the way-shower may be beckoning you to share your voice, write books or articles, lead workshops, be a role model, look for opportunities to teach, honor your divinity and know that you are a leader.

• Use of Divinity Tools and Crystals

  She often has a set of tools and crystals she goes to for energetic clearing of a space and amplifying a ritual. Lighting sage, palo santo, or diffusing essential oils can help clear a space before a ritual. Holding quartz crystals can also be very cleansing and purifying. One can wash crystals under the light of the full moon to cleanse and charge them up. One may use feather wands to clear energy, or have sacred stones or talking sticks to use in a ceremony. Divinity tools can be made or found in nature and are also not necessary to facilitate a powerful ritual.

• If I Am Called, Can I Become One in the Near Future?

  One becomes a way shower through the remembrance and recognition of the essence she holds within. Some people may want more guidance and support on the path, and it can help to join a program like the Rising Women Leaders Initiation program, or find a mentor to apprentice with. To become a wise woman is a lifelong path of devotion and dedication to the divine and the skill of spiritual leadership, ritual and facilitation. If you are just starting on your path, continue reading articles, books, and look for communities where you can learn and practice your inherent gifts. I send all my love on your path of remembrance, and invite you to meet mentors and listen to over 100 episodes about Women’s leadership on the Rising Women Leaders podcast.