Episode
Pillars in Tarot: The Psychology & Space Between Stimulus and Response
- Podcast
- The Tarot Diagnosis
- Published
- May 17, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1805
- Processing state
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Summary
In this episode of The Tarot Diagnosis , I explore a question that has been lingering in my mind for months: What do the pillars in tarot actually symbolize on a deeper psychological level? Using Viktor Frankl’s famous quote - “Between stimulus and response there is a space…,” I reflect on how the pillars in cards like the High Priestess, Justice, the Hierophant, and even the Moon might represent more than just duality or balance. I explore the possibility that these pillars symbolize psychological thresholds or liminal spaces where uncertainty, intuition, morality, projection, fear, and meaning live. I dive into the symbolism of the flowing/airy tapestry behind the High Priestess and contrast it with the heavy, obscuring curtain behind Justice, exploring how these archetypes reflect the tension between flexibility and rigidity. Through a Jungian, somatic, and trauma-informed lens, I discuss how the body often senses something before the mind can, and before the brain can organize it into language, as well as how our desire for certainty can sometimes become a defense mechanism against our discomfort with ambiguity. From there, I turn toward the Hierophant and explore the psychological impact of inherited systems rooted in religion, morality, culture, authority, and collective meaning-making. I reflect on what happens when external structures override internal knowing, and why the space between the pillars matters so much when it comes to identity, autonomy, and self-trust. I also explain why I believe the Moon belongs in this conversation, despite its “pillars” technically being towers. For me, The Moon represents what happens behind the pillars: the unconscious terrain we enter when certainty becomes hazy and we are forced to navigate ambiguity without reassuranc…