The Hierophant
5
Rules: Taurus
Exaltation: Moon
Planet: Venus
Color: Red-Orange
As a Yes or No question: Unsure, no definite answer
Upright: Community, Organization, Mentoring, Teaching, Learning, Disciple, Doing the “right” thing, Church, Dogma, Doctrine, Loss of the Individual, Formality, Tradition, Ritual, Initiation, Clairaudience, University, Ancient Knowledge, Student, Oral histories, Scribe, Scripture
Reversed: Personal beliefs, freedom, challenging the status quo, questioning, fighting the “man”, inner voice blockages, being on the outside, left out in the cold
The Hierophant Symbolism
The Hierophant wears a red robe, which symbolizes passion and domination. He is passionate about what he teaches his two disciples, but he also dominates them. Red is also the color with the smallest wavelength and the lowest chakra. It suggests he is in touch with the earthly domain. This color red in tarot usually expresses cultivated desire. Underneath the gown, he has a white shirt. This suggests purity and wisdom. He is pure in his beliefs and sometimes to a fault.
His one hand points up to the sky, which receives God and the other holds a golden staff with three crosses on it. The golden staff mimics the gigantic crown that the Hierophant wears. There are 15 trefoils on his crown in rows of three. Underneath his crown, he wears yokes that cover his ears. This suggests the element of hearing in the hierophant, but it is not a regular voice that he hears, but the divine voice of the One supreme.
The crosses on the feet of the hierophant and on either side of his feet represent the union of male and female energies. The two keys are also crosses which represent male consciousness and female subconsciousness.
The disciples cannot get into the place where the Hierophant sits without going through all the rituals and teachings. This is a place where only people who study hard are allowed to enter. It is a guarded place, but through hard work, ritual, and listening to him without question, the monks can enter.
There are two monks who kneel in front of the Hierophant. One is wearing a gown made of red roses and the other wearing a gown of blue lilies. Roses and lilies are symbolic of the physical and mental/astral world. We bring both of them together when we see the combination in tarot. The two monks also represent their subservience to the teacher. Combined with the duality of the roses and lilies, they can also represent two paths that a person can follow: religious vs. spiritual, academic vs. athletic, etc. The yellow yokes that the monks wear represent a yoke that ties them to a higher level of understanding.
The Hebrew letter of Vau relates back to the knights in the lesser arcana. Think of the monks as the Vau, or as the knights setting out on a quest for the truth.
He is ruled by Taurus, who is well-grounded and rooted in tradition. If you look closely you can see the symbol of Taurus in his stone chair. These are the pillars and roots that do not change. They stay constant. He rules over tradition and conventional beliefs. He brings discipline to social order.
The Hierophant Upright Summary
The Hierophant in the upright position, speaks of social order, dogma, and community. The Hierophant represents the deep importance of spirituality and religion in regards to the aspects of your life. It may be best at this time, to follow the established rules at this time. Don’t rock the boat- go with tradition and the crowd. Feeling confused about a situation? A visit to a wise counselor or teacher can help you sort that stuff out. Sometimes a spiritual perspective is what you need to get back on track. Been really bad? Get your arse to confession and stop that nonsense. Often The Hierophant can indicate a religious ceremony like a wedding or baptism – so if your partner is acting reluctant, be patient. You may get to that altar in due time. He is all about doing the “right thing.” The right thing is the thing that is the most common. This will feel natural for many people because it’s a program that has been given to the majority of people through mass media, religious institutes and parents and teachers.
Past
The Hierophant in the past position could represent a past allegiance or membership of a group, club, or even a strong ethnic bond that has molded how you think and feel. Perhaps you were brought up in a strongly religious family. It could still be affecting the way you think about certain topics. Remember that you’re an individual and you need to make your own mind up, rather than listen to dogma.
Present
The Hierophant in the present position could represent a new belief system taking hold, or a new cause to fight for. Right now, you might feel a bit lost or aimless, but don’t act irrationally. It’s not a time to jump in and act without planning. Looking at established material in the field you’re interested in will help you hone and perfect yourself. Know yourself.
Future
You don’t really need to plan. Just letting the paths of the future wind act as they want will be enough. Eventually, it will work out, but not in regards to mundane matters, something great is coming.
Reversed Summary
When reversed, the Hierophant can represent a lack of spirituality in your life. This won’t exactly reflect in lack of religion, but you may be feeling an exact lack of purpose or drive to get going. What gets you up in the morning? What do you want to achieve? Are you fully in control of your life? Look for the areas of your life that are not under your control and take the reins yourself. You cannot let others control you. The Hierophant reversed can indicate that the inner voice is blocked. Someone is a know-it-all and extremely rigid in their thinking. This is the type of person who might be a fundamentalist (of any religion). They may believe the word of god is written in only one book without any regard to another point of view. An extremist on any level. It could even be an extreme boss or teacher.
The reversed Hierophant can be a lot like the 5 of Pentacles. The reversed Hierophant is like being on the outside and not being able to get inside to the group, community, church, or school. It could be as simple as getting a rejection letter from a school or job application.
The Hierophant reversed can also indicate protesting against conventional norms. It can be about questioning any establishment, but again, because it is reversed you will not be able to hear the right answer. Once it’s upright, you can actually see the truth about this card. It is not exactly about the church. That is the exoteric meaning.
It could also indicate learning disabilities, but I might want to see another card to support this such as a Page.
A Song for the Hierophant
Cover Art by: Casimir Lee