Opinions on The Hierophant?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 19 Mar 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

The Hierophant	19 Mar 2005
Just wanted to throw in my Interpretation of the card as it is still developing and I suppose it always will be. First and foremost I am beginning to see the "Majors" as symbols of the energies and processes in the world sometimes manifested through "people." After studying various interpretations of The Hierophant, what sticks to me is this idea of "Walking the Mystical Path with Practical Feet." I am seeing the Hierophant as the embodiment of "Teacher" in the highest form. Teaching the hard lessons of intense and consistent practice as the means of transforming Matter into Spirit. For instance we do not remember the music of Mozart for how he progressed from one chord to another, but we remember him for the "Spirit" of the Music. The manipulation of the "materials" was only a means to "enlightenment." So this I see as the role of the Hierophant. Providing the guidance and the means to "touch "the Spititual. Ill dignified it could mean empty dogma or laying a bunch of rules on people to control their experience(for personal or institutional power) both of these having the effect of closing peoples minds--like being shut out of the "Universe", false prophet, and if just slightly ill dinified--- just a plain old lousy teacher(I've had a lot of them LOL) Just wanted some feedback from some of you super knowledgable Tarot folks. Thanks!

peridot	19 Mar 2005
Wow, very well put! That’s a really great interpretation. I like what you say about him “walking the mystical path with practical feet”. I think I’m probably saying the same thing as you when I say that to me The Hierophant is the interpreter for the source of all here on the material plane. He is the one who can pass on the divine knowledge in ways we can comprehend. He also represents our response to the need as human beings to truly understand and connect to the universe. This of course has positive and negative results and I totally agree with you about dogma. I think you picked a perfect name because you have quite a profound understanding of the card. Thanks for sharing. :)

rainwolf	19 Mar 2005
Yes that is a good interpretation. I have a lot of trouble with this card (says something about me?) and if i ever narrow it down to being religious it throws me way off, so for a theme i would have it as conformity and people as a whole. Then i would work down to religion adn teaching, but nonetheless that interpretation is very good. I always thought of the card is bad until a while ago, maybe it was there stoic look of every one and the two people serving him-not my style, i dont like "serving", especially religion but dont get me started there!:) Here are two quick interpretations that i work down from, so i guess you could call this my main theme and the broad picture: 1-upright: conformity 2-reversed: eccentric I think both have their good and bad side, so it encircles the card well IMHO. yea, my 400 post!

The Hierophant	19 Mar 2005
Thanks for the feedback. I like how you put it aso and will add it to my repetoire. In terms of calling myself The Hierophant, it's my lifetime soul card and I do relate to it but only as i define it. I have corresponded with several people one of which referred to The Hierophant as "a Popish old fart!" I've discovered through the Forum that there is sometimes a negative response to this card. So I have been looking further into the card to see what all the fuss is about. I think maybe the negative reactions may be a response to feeling controlled by authority figures(the ultimate being those claiming to represent "God"), which I would see as the "ill dignity" of the card. I'm just trying to find some meaning that makes sense to me.

The Hierophant	19 Mar 2005
Thanks for the feedback. Read my response to Peridot. I have read the interpretation that you mention:conformity/eccentricity---had trouble relating to it. Maybe because I was brought up in a sort of "non-conformist" household---the word conformity makes me want to bolt. But i also realize that conformity is a positive---without it we would not even have a common language. It's hard sometimes to seperate your emotional reactions to things from what the thing itself really is. Anyway I feel that I will need to incorporate the "conformity" aspect into my interpretation just not sure how---I do now remember reading somewhere about The Hierophant as"The Teacher of The Common Tongue." As I said my interpretation of The Hierophant is developing and probably will keep on keepin' on.

ros	19 Mar 2005
The Hierophant can be a person who helps us take our situations to the next level. This person does not have to be in the professional field, a person or friend that helps us move from "one level to the next" with our life experiences. If we are pregnant - next level - birth - (Dr. or Nurse) ... engaged - next level - marriage - ( minister) ... daycare- next level- school - (school teacher) ...separated - next level- divorce- (lawyer) ...stay at home mom - next level- employee - (boss) ...we say supper - a friend calls it dinner- next level - ( a friend has raised our volcabulary skills) As we go through life we meet up with many teachers that have their own structure, to help us learn as we move to our next level of learning. Friends we share our lives with, were teachers, when we look back. We pass on the knowledge of our Hierophants (teachers) in our lives. There are good teachers and bad teachers, we learn as we go. These people help us move to a new level of knowledge. Sometimes we also get to share our learnings and become a teacher.

rainwolf	19 Mar 2005
I like that idea of how it is an archetype of a person who develops another-way to go ros.

The Hierophant	20 Mar 2005
I like that. A general understanding that my interpretation fits into. All different levels of the Hierophant from the everyday moment to moment to the sublime. Thanks--it gives me more "scope." I'm often long on depth and short on scope.

Arnnaria	20 Mar 2005
My story of the "Fool's Journey" for the Hierophant: The Fool, searching for answers, comes across a beautiful library. As he enters the library the first thing that strikes him is that there is no one there; then, he sees the rows and rows of books. Some old, some new, some dusty, some clean. It would take eons to even categorize these books in some decent system, let alone read them. A noise is heard and all of a sudden the Fool sees a man approaching. In the distance, the man is wearing a suit and a top hat, with a belt of keys clanging as he approaches. The Fool fears scared and running, but he wants to know the secrets to this library... no, he wants to know if there is a book here that can give him advice on his journey. But, as the man gets closer and closer he sees a paradox in the appearance of the man. His suit is in tatters, dusty, an falling apart. But the man is very youthful and stoic. He is tall and lanky and, although there is not a wrinkle in his face, he appears tired and worn out. He appears as if he has been working all his life to categorize this library and no one has given him a second thought. The Fool opens his mouth to say hello or something, but the man just shakes his head no. His mouth opens and powerful words come out from his lanky frame: "I know why you're here... for this...." The man snaps his fingers and books start assembling on the shelves. All of a sudden, from the back of the library, a book comes flying to the Fool and lands at his feet. The man smiles at the awe of the Fool. And turns around, keys clanking, as he heads to the back of the library to work on more esoteric mysteries no one will appreciate. "That should help you with your journey." The Fool bends over and picks up the book. He reads the pages that were opened up when it fell and suddenly something dawns on him. He wants to ask many questions to this man, this archivist of knowledge, but only one thing can come out of his mouth... "Thank you..." The man stops in his tracks. The keys stop clanging and he's barely in the distance of the not well-lit library. Without turning around he addresses the Fool, a touch of sentimentality in his voice: "It's been centuries since someone has said that. No, thank you." The Fool takes the book and leaves the library, a tome to guide him on his quest.

ros	20 Mar 2005
Amnaria ~ Your post reminded me that somewhere on AT, someone posted about The Hierophant being our higherselves or intuition. Also The High Priestess hides (our knowing or intuition) what The Hierophant reveals or teaches. The Hierophant brings awareness to our intuition. Just some extras.

Fudugazi	20 Mar 2005
What a lovely story, Arnnaria! thank you :) And The Hierophant, you seem to be doing fine with your teacher. It seems to me that this card has a bad press because we have somewhat disconnected from what it really means. Teaching isn't about being served. Serving isn't about servitude (didn't Jesus wash his disciples' feet?). My way through to this card was Zen stories about masters - you know, all those little tales where the master quaintly shows his disciple, without showing, how he can get on in life. A true master will help you stand on your own two feet, think for yourself, get through a bad patch and emerge clean and renewed. A true master will make sure you don't need him forever, and will demand nothing from you but your attention. It is egotistical to say - I don't need anyone to teach me, I'll bloody well teach myself. I don't need a guide, thank you very much. We are born in a world full of wise people, full of masters. And some of us are called to be masters, sometimes. Not with the whip. With the cup. With the book and the kind word - which can be the stern word when we go off the path. Why let all that go to waste for the sake of an ancient fear? Conformity? Not on your life. The conformist thing to say nowadays is - "I need nobody, I don't need a master, I can figure things out for myself, I'm an eccentric". The Hierophant only shows us conformity if what we require is a blanket, a crutch, rather than a bridge. I have been reading bits of the Talmud, a little every day. My, if we think we can do without these old rabbis, these masters, these true teachers! What arrogance is ours to reject the wisdom of ages? So I come back to Arnnaria's story, and I smile. Your Hierophant looks like our Genevan chimney sweeps - they bring you luck, so I am glad you met him :)

ros	20 Mar 2005
#5 -the explorer -freedom -unconventional -resourceful -progressive -change -opportunity to learn -wanting to know by own research As all different kinds teachers come into our lives they are all apart of the one or "The Hierophant" Does this make sense???

Elektra	20 Mar 2005
Helvetica, I love your interpretation. I really like the Hierophant card - I feel a draw toward it, though I've never turned it up in a reading yet so I haven't worked with it deeply or developed my own thorough understanding of it - so I was really surprised last night while reading 78 Degrees of Wisdom to see how negative Rachel Pollack's interpretation of the card is.

The Hierophant	21 Mar 2005
I like your interpretation also. I believe that the greatest thing that a teacher can do is to show a student the path to his/her self , the self being an organic and evolving process. I always tell my music students that there are no bad students, just bad teachers. And i know this from experience.

graylensman	21 Mar 2005
it's been enjoyable reading these posts. The Hierophant is a card that elicits a totally neutral response from me, so it's harder to pull meaning from it.

The Hierophant	21 Mar 2005
Makes sense to me, The Hierophant(HeHe!)

Fudugazi	21 Mar 2005
graylensman wrote: it's been enjoyable reading these posts. The Hierophant is a card that elicits a totally neutral response from me, so it's harder to pull meaning from it. I'm particularly fond of it because I used to hate it. Really loathed it. I also read Rachel Pollack and had the same reaction as her. So you see, I've worked hard on this card to come to some loving understanding of it :) And this is not to say there are no terrible masters out there - gurus who bind their disciples, boring and conformist teachers, rigid rule-bods...yes, they do exist. The hierophant is never going to be an easy card.

Scion	21 Mar 2005
I hear you, Sophie! Donatien-Alphonse-Francois, the Marquis de Sade once said "The greatest of life's pleasures derive from overcome revulsions." Now HE was a Hierophant! :D Scion

Fudugazi	21 Mar 2005
Scion wrote: Donatien-Alphonse-Francois, the Marquis de Sade once said "The greatest of life's pleasures derive from overcome revulsions." Now HE was a Hierophant! :D And certainly no conformist. Although he could be very...severe. I have a secret. My middle name is Juliette. That carries every bit as much weight as Sophie, I think ;)

The Hierophant	21 Mar 2005
Gees! I'm starting to regret that I chose The Hierophant as my user name. That card just seems to get so much negative press and the best you can hope for is that someone has come to terms with it. When my user name appears on the screen it's staring to scare ME! I'm thinking of springing for the 5 bucks and changing my name!

Scion	21 Mar 2005
No! A Hierophant may not seem as sexy as the other forms, but that's just the lie of the current age. In defense of your name... There's a terrific poem about The Hierophant in Carol Jean Rose's Tarot Gypsy Trips... but I can't remember where I saw it. A beautiful, almost sensual meditation about climbing the steps to the temple and the rigors of spiritual discipline... and a dazzling chunk about the heat of truth shining down on tonsured heads. If anyone else has this hard to find book, please post! I have a strange relationship with the Hierophant/Pope because the context has changed. Pope now is not what Pope was in the Italian Renaissance... what would it be now? Power is less monolithic nowadays (or at least we hope it is.) I imagine him as maybe a strange religio-political combo of BIll Gates, the Dalai Lama, and the chief of the CIA. Live the name, be the name! :) Scion

The Hierophant	21 Mar 2005
The Poem sounds captivating but I think you hit the nail on the head. The Hierophant just doesn't sound sexy no matter how you slice it and truthfully my sex life has been boring for some time. Hmmm --being new to Tarot I'll have to go back to my books and see which card I need to call on! Thanks for your vote of confidence though. All kidding aside, there is absolutely sensuality in teaching. If you don't use your senses then you are not seeing the person as a whole---then WHO are you teaching and WHAT is your guide?

Goldenhair	21 Mar 2005
The H. is my soul card, also. I prefer to think of him as a high priest guiding his followers with compassion. Two recent discoveries have softened his image in my mind: 1. One of the animal based decks portray him as a crane. Gentle and wise. 2. Listening to Wald Amberstone on one of the tapes from his Tarot School, he mentions the following: The most spiritual role a high priest or priestess can possess is the ability to guide a person to the realization that, at this moment, they are right were they need to be on thier path, even if, at this moment, they are dealing with the death of a loved one or thier own cancer. In other words, acceptance that the situation they find themselves in has a higher purpose in life. The pain or the joy brings them vital knowledge of life.

Phoenix Rising	21 Mar 2005
Hi Hal Well I've been ignoring this thread, we've already talked about this card, and you know how I feel about it...But I just can't seem to get away from it. I just took the personality quiz over in Chat, and I got Heirophant a second time...forgetting I had already done it on the same thread. And it is my personality card as well, but it still doesn't make me feel any better towards it. but reading some of your guys posts and other ways of interpreting this card, I'm starting to like it a bit more...after all it is really myself in a way...So I obviously don't like or can't accept a piece of myself!!

The Hierophant	22 Mar 2005
I knew that this thread would force you to resurface! Anyway what I have noticed is that a lot of the books mention "conformity" in their interpretations of The Hierophant. And I think that people in general have a negative reaction to that word and what it "can" stand for. And maybe people who are into Tarot would be especially prone to a negative reaction to the idea of conformity since Tarot and people who are into it are hardly "mainstream." The average person would be closed to Tarot as well as just about anything that has not been "prescribed." Society does not really encourage "deep" thinking, using your intuition or really anything that might lead to a variation from the "norm." Things are not supposed to change so to speak. I feel that the idea of "conformity" as applies to the Hierophant is not the blind following sort of conformity but conformity in a literal sense. I read somewhere describing The Hierophant as "the teacher of the common tongue." Like if we didn't all agree on the letter "A" and how to pronounce it then we wouldn't be speaking to eachother right now and learning from eachother. I think that it is what we all AGREE upon to CONFORM to that makes us a society or a culture for better or worse. And it presents infinite possibilities. It may be what makes"Earth being the Throne of Spirit" possible. The more I talk the more I feel that I am missing or leaving out so I think I'll call it quits for now. nice hearing from you and have a nice day or evening which ever may be the case in New Zealand!

Fudugazi	22 Mar 2005
The Hierophant wrote: Gees! I'm starting to regret that I chose The Hierophant as my user name. That card just seems to get so much negative press and the best you can hope for is that someone has come to terms with it. When my user name appears on the screen it's staring to scare ME! I'm thinking of springing for the 5 bucks and changing my name! Ah, you misunderstand - at least on my part I didn't "come to terms" with The Hierophant. I love him now. I love him because when he turns up I know it's time for me to learn something, to pick up my little bundle and go, leave safety, and meet something strange and untried before - it could be in the street, in a book, with a person - Marcel Prousts said that the life of the mind was more exciting in many ways than the life of the body, because of the unexpected turns it takes. The Hierophant is the one who helps us take take those turns. I also love him because so few people do ... And you're wrong he has no sex life - if he is in any way related to the Renaissance (well, it's Tarot, he must be, even in his incarnation as Hierophant) - well, just think of Alexander VI, who fathered Caesar and Lucrezia Borgia! One of the interpretations for this card is - he takes you to the next level in a relationship. Phoenix - I was once like you, I know! Truly, when you let him in, he can start doing amazing things. As long as you know who you are and don't become dependent on him - but he would not have you be dependent, at least not a good Hierophant, and he can help you to find yout who you are, he's that good!- then you will learn more from him than you can imagine. Read a few of those zen short stories :)

Phoenix Rising	22 Mar 2005
Hey Hal and Helvetica, Talking about Sex life..(Actually..what sex life..just like a pope I don't have one celebate..not by choice mind you!:* And to address this card once again on my "birthday" is really saying something..and I feel as though...weird,,kind of emotional actually..feeling sorry for myself!!

Fudugazi	22 Mar 2005
Happy Birthday Phoenix :) If the Hierophant is coming on your birthday - well, think of all the interesting things you might learn today! (anyway, when it comes to birthdays, tradition is quite nice, I think). Scion wrote something interesting further up. He mentioned spiritual discipline. I think that might be a key as to why there is such rejection of the Hierophant/Pape nowadays: we are a lazy age and the word discipline frightens us. We want instant spirituality, not spiritual discipline! We pick up a tarot deck (or a pack of playing cards) and want to be able to plumb its depths in a week...And yet none of the great mystics of the past or of today reached their level without discipline. Some very rigorous, if you think of St Bernard! But in any case it is a long and sometimes lonely path. Not al of us are made for the lives of the dedicated mystic - I know I am not - but we can all learn from the Hierophant's brand of discipline.

memries	22 Mar 2005
Hi ! Am having great fun following this thread. Just wanted you to know that someone is observing at least. It is fascinating. It is revising my ideas I always thought the Hierophant would be autocratic (which repels me) but see now that there is a lot more beneath the surface.

lasdar	22 Mar 2005
I personally have not much identified with the Hierophant, a very bad religious experience in what was before a very open and welcoming church. As such I too have had trouble with this card, but in reading this thread and several others like it I've reached what may seem an odd conclusion. I should note also I've been working on making my own deck for quite some time and all I have for this card is the border. My insight today stems in part from this thread and part from reading the "Tarot Reversals" last night. What if the image of the HHierophant was that of a Tarotist doing a reading? Would the meaning still work? If he is a teacher in a multitude of ways, would he not be the embodiment of the Tarot? Just a thought.

earth en lady	22 Mar 2005
Hi everyone you have some wonderful ideas,thankyou.The Heirophant is the card I can t seem to get my head around!and guess what he is always there to teach me, maybe one day i will get it!I just can t feel it yet ,oh well live and learn and it sure is a good place to learn

rosyelf	22 Mar 2005
This is a very interesting thread. Of all the Tarot cards, the Hierophant tends to be the one for me that speaks louder in its Reversal meaning than with the Upright one. I know I'm not alone in this ! There are too many reversed Hierophants out there, and I happen to have met some of them. I can usually spot them a mile off-now, but I couldn't always-because of their attitudes about power. In other words, they WANT people to be dependent on them. An upright Hierophant teaches, encourages, empowers-and , most of all, respects. S/he can spot when someone is becoming dependant on them, and they seek to rectify that-again, with the utmost respect for the other person. I find the word "Mentor" very helpful, perhaps because none of the reversed Hierophants I've met have described themselves as such! My favourite two Hierophant cards are in the Gaian Tarot and the Garden Path Tarot . They are superb, dignified without being at all pompous, and they both radiate the sense that they too are still learning. A reversed Hierophant, on the other hand, likes to create the very strong impression that they know it all already! love and blessings, rosyelf

The Hierophant	22 Mar 2005
I'm glad to see that people are realizing that I'm not the "cardboard" authority that they once thought me to be (HeHe.) Real Authority is Knowledge and Knowledge is Compassion so I like what Goldenhair had to say. Growing up being trained to be a concert pianist from age seven, I was under the worst kind of pressure from the most insensitve and even cruel teachers that by the time I was a teenager I made a vow with myself that I would never put another human being through that kind of mental torture. So I've made it a lifetime goal of teaching others with compassion which of course is the same as being compassionate towards youself. Wouldn't have it any other way( and of course I mean "Compassion" without being stepped on!)

Arnnaria	22 Mar 2005
I think the Hierophant gets a bad rap in this day and age. That's the reason in my story I put him in tattered clothes, and why he gets so sentimental when the Fool acknowledges him with a thank you. The fact is, most tarot readers are counter-culture incarnate. We've rebelled against certain "oppressive" forces and found some spiritiual solace in our packs of cards. In fact, many of us initially dislike the Hierophant because he reminds us of our old spiritual leader we left on our path. But, remember, the TRUE Hierophant is compassionate in his quest. The TRUE Hierophant lets us leave if we need to find another mentor for the time being. The TRUE Hierophant understands that he has given us some help on our quest and that we may leave anytime we wish. The TRUE Hierophant is what we should analyze. Not the fradulent ones that are in it for any other purpose. The TRUE Hierophant is intent on eliminating suffering and does so out of pure compassion. The TRUE Hierophant is one of the most noble cards in the deck.

The Hierophant	22 Mar 2005
Brilliantly put as usual, King of Swords.

Major Tom	23 Mar 2005
There's an old thread on the Reading Exchange where people with the Heirophant as a soul card were invited to share what it means to them. You can find that thread here. ;) Thanks everyone here for a fascinating thread. :)

tarotbear	23 Mar 2005
On the CD program I now use for daily readings, there are ten different decks, and I assumed (You know what they say about that!) that the explanations pertained to the deck you are currently using. I find out now that the explanations are some kind of hybrid thingie. The Hierophant came up as the first card of my 3-card daily reading, and the explanation for it went as follows: "You may have access to a mentor or exemplary person through whom important revelations emerge. When you find them, tap this resource of wisdom." This is far different than the standard "It's the Pope or the oppressive Catholic Church" stuff that seems to float around this forum from time to time.

The Hierophant	23 Mar 2005
I'm glad that my good name is being cleared. Not that I'm any less prone to being ill-dignified than the next bloke.

Pipistrelle	25 Mar 2005
I'm not sure I have anything new to add, however, the Hierophant has appeared in two readings this week and so I've been thinking about him quite a bit. In the reading I did for myself, he appeared in the position of "Who I am becoming". I initially saw this as a warning not to lose sight of my compassionate side and "heart" (it followed the Queen of Cups in the position of "Who I used to be" and I have been studying tarot, numerology, astrology etc so obsessively lately that I seem to be "all in my head" and not so much "in my heart"). However, a couple of days later I saw a more positive side. The Hierophant isn't just about accumulating knowledge for knowledge's sake. He shares it, he is a teacher too, and one day I hope to be a teacher (it's something I've always thought I'd be quite good at). The philosophies I am learning from my studies can be passed on to others, or at least shared - even here on the AT, we are all Hierophants in a way, sharing our experiences of tarot symbology - the common tongue - with each other. So that's what I've been thinking...:) Interesting thread...I don't think the Hierophant is such a bad guy. Just misunderstood. Pip

Hazelsdottir	01 Apr 2005
(Coming in late to the thread, since I joined the Forum only two days ago...) I see the Hierophant as a mentor, yes, but also as someone who specifically teaches liberation through form. In other words: you study a fixed way of performing a discipline until it's become so much a part of your nature, you're not even conscious of performing it. At that point you've moved beyond form, because you've come to embody the principles or spiritual insights that underlie that form. Here's an example... I'm studying Chanoyu, the Japanese tea ceremony. In a sense, you learn it through rote. The particular temae (series of movements) I'm learning has over 200 components to it. The motions, the angles, the tasks are all done in a particular order and in a particular way. Much of this is learnt through earnest, sometimes grueling repetition. It's difficult, and occasionally it feels like all you're doing is rolling a rock uphill. BUT -- once you've got the form, completely absorbed its outer aspect, you're completely free to put your heart into it. By learning the way that "everyone" should do it, you actually learn to perform tea in a way that is utterly your own. It's paradoxical, but true... conformity leads to liberation from conformity. You use the raft, and then you abandon it. In a way, the Hierophant teaches you to move from being a kneeling acolyte, to becoming the Hierophant himself, to being the Hermit... who carries his own light with him, always.

Rhiannon SW	01 Apr 2005
I got the Hierophant today and just received an email about performing an Handfasting for someone. As my unexpected card in the 5 card daily. in the 2nd position was the 3 of pent. Perform the service and make a little cash also I surmise.

Fudugazi	01 Apr 2005
Hazelsdottir wrote: BUT -- once you've got the form, completely absorbed its outer aspect, you're completely free to put your heart into it. By learning the way that "everyone" should do it, you actually learn to perform tea in a way that is utterly your own. It's paradoxical, but true... conformity leads to liberation from conformity. You use the raft, and then you abandon it. In a way, the Hierophant teaches you to move from being a kneeling acolyte, to becoming the Hierophant himself, to being the Hermit... who carries his own light with him, always. And exactly the same could be said of ballet or poetry - or Tarot. Very well put, Hazelsdottir, and thank you for the Tea Ceremony description - fascinating!

The Opinions on The Hierophant? thread was originally posted on 19 Mar 2005 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.