Definition for the Priestess of the Silver Star
The title "Priestess of the Silver Star" can be found in several of the written works of British occultist Aleister Crowley. Each time Crowley uses the phrase, he reveals a slightly different understanding of the term. Only by considering all the instances of "Priestess of the Silver Star" together can we appreciate the full scope of Crowley's definition.
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Liber Israfel
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The phrase "Priestess of the Silver Star" appears in "Liber Israfel," an invocation of the Egyptian god Thoth. Line 15 of the ritual states, "I invoke the priestess of the Silver Star, Asi the Curved One, by the ritual of Silence." According to the "Lexicon of Egyptology," volume 3, Asi is one of many variant spellings for the Egyptian goddess Isis. Using the phrase "the Curved One," Crowley draws attention to the lunar aspects of Isis or Asi.
Tarot and Cabalistic Attributions
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In "Liber 58," Crowley writes "Gimel, the Priestess of the Silver Star, is the Female Hierophant, the Moon." Crowley extends his symbolic connections to include not only Isis and the moon, but also the letter gimel in the Hebrew Cabala and the High Priestess card in the Tarot. This triad of Cabalistic, Tarot and planetary attributions is restated in "Liber 78," which is Crowley's brief overview of the Tarot. In "Liber 777," Crowley's extensive cross-reference of symbolism, he reinforces the connection to Isis with this description of the High Priestess Tarot card: "a crowned priestess sits before the veil of Isis between the pillars of Seth."
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The Holy Guardian Angel
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In another section of Liber 777, while listing suggestive correspondences for the Hebrew letter gimel, Crowley writes "The Holy Guardian Angel is attained by Self-sacrifice and Equilibrium." This passage indicates a deeper level of symbolism as Crowley begins to associate the Priestess of the Silver Star with the process of spiritual growth. Crowley explores this deeper meaning in "The Book of Thoth," his most detailed explanation of the symbolism of the High Priestess Tarot card. Crowley writes that the High Priestess is "the purest and most exalted conception of the moon" and "the most spiritual form of Isis the Eternal Virgin." She is "the possibility of form" and "the idea behind all form." As such, "this virginal goddess is then potentially the goddess of fertility." Crowley further states that "this card, in one system entitled the Priestess of the Silver Star, is symbolic of the thought (or rather the intelligible radiance) of that [Holy Guardian] Angel. It is, in short, a symbol of the highest initiation." Crowley reiterates that "this card is wholly feminine, wholly virginal, for it represents the influence and the means of manifestation (or, from below, of attainment) in itself." In this context, the Priestess of the Silver Star becomes more than a symbol for Isis or the moon. She becomes an embodiment of purity, infinite potential and initiation.
The Vision and the Voice
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Crowley's essay "The Vision and the Voice" is a record of visions he received during a series of magical rituals conducted with Victor Neuberg in Algeria in 1909. In Crowley's vision, the Queen of Heaven is "exalted unto the throne of the High Priestess, the Priestess of the Silver Star." In a footnote to this passage, Crowley reinforces the initiatory power of the Priestess of the Silver Star by equating her with the logos, or word of creation, and with the Holy Guardian Angel.
Summary
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Throughout Aleister Crowley's writings, the Priestess of the Silver Star is revealed as a complex symbol with multiple levels of meaning. At its simplest, this title refers to the High Priestess Tarot card. On a deeper level of interpretation, we find references to the Egyptian goddess Isis, with her lunar attributions. In this context, she represents purity, fertility and creative potential. At the most esoteric level, the Priestess of the Silver Star becomes an embodiment of the process of spiritual growth and initiation.
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