THE HIEROPHANT
By Cal Garrison
One of the Major Trumps, The Hierophant holds the fifth position in this lineup of twenty-two cards. The male counterpart of The High Priestess, he is the preserver of the outer mysteries and as such, directly related to the sign Taurus. Over time, as the tarot symbols came under the influence of Christian thought forms many of the later decks refer to this image as The Pope.
The Rider-Waite Deck portrays The Hierophant sitting on a stone throne. It is obvious that this man holds a high position in the church. Dressed in a crimson robe, his right hand points upward in a papal gesture. The predominance of the color red indicates that this man is both important and that his authority has something to do with First Chakra concerns. In this case, those concerns involve the survival and maintenance of orthodox belief structures. The stone throne, along with the pillars that flank it tell us that everything about The Hierophant is rock solid. From that it may be safe to assume that whatever he says is also written in stone.
In his left hand we see a golden scepter. Three horizontal bars, not of equal length decorate the top of this staff. Elsewhere in the image the number three appears several times. The Hierophants' headdress has three tiers. There are three points at its apex. The white trim of his robe is embroidered with three black crosses. If we take the card to be a papal image the number three bears repetition as a symbol for the Holy Trinity.
The blue collar that covers his neck draws attention to the Throat Chakra and the energy patterns that are associated with it. In keeping with those patterns, The Hierophant is the intermediary who translates divine wisdom and disseminates it to the masses. As God's spokesperson his word is law and everything he says is taken to be the Truth.
Two men kneel at The Hierophants' feet. Their clerical hair-do's and ceremonial attire make it clear that they are not lay-people but members of the church hierarchy. Roses and lilies decorate their vestments. Long known to be symbols for divine love and purity in both the Gnostic and Christian traditions, the flowers indicate that the two priests are followers of Christ.
Two crosses appear on The Hierophants' white slippers. They give us further proof that this man is here to ground the purest expression of Christian precepts into the mainstream. The two keys that decorate the red carpet beneath his feet are there to show us that The Hierophant has the power to unlock and disclose that wisdom — and the suggestion is that it is only through him that we are allowed to access that wisdom ourselves.
When The Hierophant shows up in a reading he is there to say that the querent needs to seek out someone who knows more than they do about their current situation and/or life in general. Many times this card will be a clear indication that the person you are reading for would do well to go back to school for more certification or acquire further training in their chosen field. It can also suggest that they would benefit from some form of therapy. When the card is upright it means that they will have to go through orthodox channels to do this.
This card is also an emblem for whatever is considered to be the culturally accepted tradition. In all things, it tells the reader that the querent needs to follow the rules instead of veering off the well-trodden path to do their own thing. Because holy matrimony is one of the church's' most hallowed institutions, if the question concerns a relationship, The Hierophant is a marriage indicator. It can mean that the querent is on their way to the altar or that they are involved with someone who wants to go there. If you are talking to a person whose question concerns whether or not their lover will divorce their mate to come and be with them, The Hierophant is a clear sign that the marriage will take precedence over the affair, no matter what.
On a spiritual level this card speaks to the idea that the querent's inner search can't be conducted without some form of guidance from someone who's further along the path. If they feel that they are equipped to seek out the answers on their own, The Hierophant is there to say that they are in need of a more formal structure or practice at this point in their development. It does not mean that they have to embrace orthodox religion, but it does say that this is a time when a reputable teacher from any spiritual tradition is essential to their growth.
In its reversed aspect The Hierophant indicates that all of the rules need to be broken. It is the hallmark of the iconoclast and thus a signal that an eclectic approach will achieve better results. No matter what the question involves, the reversed Hierophant says that the querent will not get anywhere by taking the straight route. In a sense it means that no one can tell them anything right now and their inner growth depends on their ability to trust their own wisdom.
If they are surrounded by people who keep trying to give them spiritual or any other form of advice, the only thing you can tell them is not to listen to it. I have seen this card come up many times when the person sitting across from me is getting the wrong information from a counselor, healer, or psychic. The reversed Hierophant often shows up when it's time to fire the therapist, abandon the guru, or stop heeding the counsel of well-meaning friends.
When the question concerns a relationship the reversed card says don't commit, don't get married, design this partnership according to your own rules. In matters of love this aspect of The Hierophant is a sign that the relationship will not survive if the couple tries to structure it within a legally binding contract. In a situation where the querent is already married, the reversed card is an indication that they would do well to change the rules of relating and be more flexible about how they define commitment.
About Cal Garrison
Cal is a writer with four books to her credit. ‘The Old Girls’ Book of Spells’, ‘The Old Girls’ Book of Dreams’, and her latest book, ‘Witch On the Go’ were published by RedWheel/Weiser Press and are available in bookstores or on Amazon.com. In addition to her own work, she also writes for Slim Spurling. Her first book with Slim, ‘Slim Spurling’s Universe’ is being followed up by their second book together which, with any luck, will be out in 2008—2009.
A professional astrologer with 35 years experience Cal has cast over 6000 charts and is one of the best in her field. She is also an expert on the Tarot. When she’s not running the Spirit of Ma'at office, or working on her books, Cal spends her time doing in depth astrology and tarot readings for people all over the country.
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