This card was tremendously reassuring to me the first time I saw it. In most decks the Hierophant is a slightly forbidding looking man. Occasionally I have seen examples that have put me right off the very idea of the Hierophant. This ran counter to my personal experience and was confusing for me. I came to tarot from a background of GD ceremonial magic. The living, breathing hierophants I met there were without exception warm, well meaning leaders who in addition to their other responsibilities undertook instruction of the lower grades. I admired, looked up to and liked these people (male and female). Then I came across the more or less standard tarot hierophant whose images were so very different to my experience.
Thus I was relieved and delighted to meet Ironwing’s Tradition. As I see the card it starts with the vast Cloud of Unknowing that is the night sky with all its stars. There is a doorway and a figure standing, tentatively peering through. Oddly, if you go through the doorway, the darkness clears and becomes light so that one walks into the Light. Above the doorway is a fascinating figure. Here is the
Sheela-na-nig of Irish and English medieval churches. But more than that, the Sheela-na-nig actually has a smaller, more precisely formed Sheela set in as her head. I thought about that for quite some time.
The Sheela na nig herself has had many interpretations down the centuries. In connection with this card I see her as Tradition pointing out that if you do go through her doorway and thus into the Light, be aware that every single facet of yourself will and must come under scrutiny. After all, if you are being invited to learn, the first thing to establish is not what you know but in which areas you are lacking. Given the journey we are on in life it seems reasonable to suppose that Tradition wishes us to learn about ourselves, how we relate to others and to Spirit and also to realise that when it comes to ourselves, we all wear blinkers, and it is time to take them off and expose ourselves.
The Sheela na nig exposes her genitalia – her deepest, most inner self, and she stands above the doorway that leads to the Light. One suggested meaning for the Sheela is that she is the doorway between this world and the next – that is one of my favourite explanations and makes a great deal of sense.
I daresay the rings arching around the doorway are not intended to be seen as I see them but this is my interpretation of the card…… and I see them as elevator indicators. Or something very like that. It’s quite simple – you can learn a subject at many different levels – this set of indicators is for me to choose from. I stand in the doorway and I am scared, very scared. The Sheela-na-gig (who feels like an expression of the Goddess in my heart) opens her arms in loving welcome and explains that there are many levels of knowledge – of any subject (including myself) – and it is up to me how far/deep I wish to go. I choose. Nothing will be forced on me. This is not school where I must sit tests. Here, I am in charge and whether I progress or not is entirely up to me. Help will be provided if requested, although it may come from unlikely sources.
In the far night sky a single sun burns with intense heat. It is the beacon to which I will try and aim – as deep and far as I can possibly go. But, as I said, I am frightened. Part of me is downright terrified and looks back to the security and safety provided by Anvil and Forge. Anvil gave me shape and form, rules regulations and a code to live by. But – I was a child then and now it’s time to start growing up. Tradition teaches me that the best rules are those I make for myself. The best choices are those where I understand the options, and the best lessons those that I learn with most difficulty. That fearful part of me can be seen quite plainly – staring back down the path, looking backwards to the safety, security and perpetual childhood of life with Forge and Anvil.
Running alongside the path that leads to the doorway are other highways. They look exciting – they are multicoloured and bank smoothly round curves. They are very inviting; they seem to be going in the right direction but they look like a whole lot more fun (and are a darn sight less scary) than the Sheela-na-nig. There is a drawback with them though…… they don’t actually go anywhere at all. At the end of those roads thee are hands held up as if to say “Stop!! No further!!” If you’re very determined you can keep going to the next hand, and the next but eventually you reach the one you simply can’t push past. At that point you’ll either say “Oh shit” and give up, or you have to slog all the way back, climb off the side road (and for heaven’s sakes don’t get onto the other side road) and finally reach the doorway.
One other thought about the side roads is that the hands themselves could be seen as doorways of a kind. But you will see that they diminish in size as you go further along the road. This means that to fit through and “progress” still further, you’d have to get smaller. I tend to think of this as becoming more and more small minded. It fits very well with the negative aspects of Tradition as becoming hidebound, small-minded and gradually losing the open mindedness that is the hallmark of a brilliant teacher.
The wonderful thing about having been on the sideroads and finally reaching the doorway is that there are no penalties for latecomers! Everyone is made welcome and everyone has a right to be there. No-one will be turned away. How far you progress once you are working your way up/down/through the levels is entirely up to you. No-one will kick you out. But you must try and you must do your share or you simply won’t get anywhere, and then you may well walk away of your own accord. And this paragraph of course, applies to most things in life
I find the figures between the “elevator indicators” interesting. Part of me sees them as clothes-pins, and part as rams looking straight at me. Either way they are of interest. As pins I see that each one would have to be loosened at the same time to set the elevator to the desired level. The concept of working together is one I hadn’t thought of before in connection with this card but it is true. A simple example is this study group – it is without doubt easier to work in a group than alone. Seeing the little figures as rams – well, rams can be stubborn, very determined – and are extremely sure footed. Think of goats, mountain goats leaping from crag to crag. Would they make good pathfinders? I could see that a pathfinder would work with you at your chosen level as a guide. Nice idea.
As I say, this whole card is one of welcome, teaching, initiation, learning, leading and all the previously negative thoughts I had about this card have been dispelled, and for that I am immensely grateful to Ironwing.
