Is the Hierophant a Dictator?

He holds the keys because he wants to be sure you are ready to use them.

I have thought that the Hierophant is someone who asks you what you subdue yourself to, whether it be community pressures, family commitments, religion, politics, I sometimes feel he is about conforming to someone elses ideals and if you are ok with that you can be stay subdued like the monks that kneel before him or you can rise up strong in your own beliefs.

He wants you to be aware of the "rules" (social conformity) but listen your own inner thoughts about what we believe to be true.

He is a card I have trouble with too, if that wasn't blatantly obvious.

It seems we all have a little trouble with this card?

GeorgiePorgie said:

I sometimes feel he is about conforming to someone elses ideals and if you are ok with that you can be stay subdued like the monks that kneel before him or you can rise up strong in your own beliefs.

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Good, no GREAT words GeorgiePorgie.

Confirm and stay subdued like the monks (well, that certainly does not sound like me!!) or be strong in what you believe in?

Now we can all relate to that statement (not that I can speak for everyone, of course!!).

Just a note for ros: As you are in a Hierophant year the question I pose to you is just that as above

Stay subdued or be strong in your own beliefs?

Perhaps when you were younger (as we sometimes tend to be) not as strong in your own beliefs as you are now?

Sounds very empowering to me

TemperanceAngel said:

Thanks for sharing something personal, as I know that is not always easy to do. I really appreciate it.

I think the trying to fit in really makes sense, especially when we connect this card to conforming. Or not to confirm, whatever way you choose.

Tara Deck, I can relate to what you say as although I was born in Australia my parents were immigrants and I have never felt like I belong in this country. Having been back in Australia for nearly four years now, I am fitting in more, but still don't feel like I belong here.

I have never thought of The Hierophant in this situation or representing it. Great observation!!

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As you said before that both of your parents, sister and husband's Sould card is the hierophan, it make sense since they are immigrants, perhaps they have to deal or struggle with trying to fit in a different country where some people view you as different.

Tara Deck said:

As you said before that both of your parents, sister and husband's Sould card is the hierophan, it make sense since they are immigrants, perhaps they have to deal or struggle with trying to fit in a different country where some people view you as different.

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Yes absolutely, but I have never thought of that before and now it makes so much sense....
My husband's father immigrated as a child himself to Australia. I wonder what his Soul Card is. My husband feels a lot like me, the not belonging here bit as well.

Tara Deck (moddies if you don't mind this being allowed in the discussion?) would you like to share with us where you moved from and to?

TemperanceAngel said:

Yes absolutely, but I have never thought of that before and now it makes so much sense....
My husband's father immigrated as a child himself to Australia. I wonder what his Soul Card is. My husband feels a lot like me, the not belonging here bit as well.

Tara Deck (moddies if you don't mind this being allowed in the discussion?) would you like to share with us where you moved from and to?

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I move from the Dominican Republic a caribean Iland to the USA. The r4eason for moving was my husband who is from USA, the hierophant as my life card has teached me a lot ever since i moved about 12 years ago specially with my husband family whom never acepted my as part of their family.

TemperanceAngel said:

I just can't seem to get this thought out of my head.
Hierophant = dictator.
I have looked at this card for weeks now and yesterday it spoke to me as a dictator.
Now does this make sense, how could he be?
The deck I am looking at is the RWS.
And there is the Hierophant sitting there.
What is he doing?
What if you do not know what the keys are?
What if you find the traditional stifling?
Why does he sit above the two people and not at their level?
Does he think he is above them?
Could he be abusing his power?
What if he represents a boss (or another authority figure), he could be a dictator?

Dictator, it's quite a harsh word, in my eyes it seems harsh I should say.

From Merrium Webster online:

"Main Entry: dic·ta·tor
Pronunciation: 'dik-"tA-t&r, dik-'
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin, from dictare
1 a : a person granted absolute emergency power; especially : one appointed by the senate of ancient Rome b : one holding complete autocratic control c : one ruling absolutely and often oppressively."

Now I have just stumbled across this definition and one appointed by the senate of ancient Rome. Would this equate to The Pope, which could also be The Hierophant?

It gets more interesting this thought as I muse.....

Would anyone like to join in my ramblings?

I need to get to the bottom of this

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I don't know your deck personally, so bear with me. I personally never saw that in the Hierophant. I have felt more inclined to see that in the Emperor, to see the Emperor as a dictator. Anyway...

Here are some ideas though, in case they are helpful:

Looking at your card,...Well he certainly appears to be a relegious leader, thus representing spiritual ideals and teachings, and the laws of the universe these were built on.

Maybe he towers above the others just to show that some of this is beyond human understanding. We, as humans are not given to understand all the workings of the universe these relgious laws are based on. It is simply greater than we are. We can look up at sources of spiritual wisdom as the two men do here, but you can never understand it all. Maybe this advocates a certain humbleness and awe in this area. And a love for the depth, mystery and beauty of life.

The Hierophant, to me, often can be about insititions such as marriage. Maybe too here it can be about how the joining of two in a spiritual way (the two people) can form something greater than the sum of it's two parts (represented by the huge figure hovering above and between them. The "us" can be stronger than the "you" and the "I" combined.

There are two men, perhaps showing seeing all sides of a situation, duality...maybe not to just accept one tradition, but to investigate many and find which is right for you. The two pillars give me the same feeling...Each tradition can be a pillar of strength to some, but you need to find which is right for you...

The keys? Keys to wisdom...Perhaps in investigating different traditions for youself and seeing which fits the unique being that is you.

Just some ideas.

He ain’t no Dick Tater.

I think that most of the negativity about the guy is the connection with Pope/Church.

But guys – it’s 2006 and to bring in the negative dictatorial church rules the world viewpoint is to look backwards in time with modern shaded lenses.

How about thinking of him as a Guru? He’s kind, loving, helps others, recognizes needs and does what he can to provide.

Oh…and the guru has no gender.

I used to be somewhat confused whenever I pulled the Hierophant in a reading, until I stopped thinking of the Hierophant as a person, and started thinking of it as a prescence.

So, instead of man or woman, it becomes an existance.
Instead of a dominating personality it becomes spiritual.
Not a person of authority, but traditions you can learn from.
and so on...

Umbrae said:

He ain’t no Dick Tater.

I think that most of the negativity about the guy is the connection with Pope/Church.

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Hahaha..love that first line. If you look at the Hierophant in the RW it screams of Catholic/christian symbolism. This card clearly represents organized belief/ tradition etc. They keys represent the "keys" to the kingdom of heaven. I feel this card, like many others in this deck are deeply rooted in christian symbolism. In that sense I say YES he can be a dictator. Look at how the churches influence has "dictated" and shaped the consciousness and tradition of most of the western world.

Edge said:

Hahaha..love that first line. If you look at the Hierophant in the RW it screams of Catholic/christian symbolism. This card clearly represents organized belief/ tradition etc. They keys represent the "keys" to the kingdom of heaven. I feel this card, like many others in this deck are deeply rooted in christian symbolism. In that sense I say YES he can be a dictator. Look at how the churches influence has "dictated" and shaped the consciousness and tradition of most of the western world.

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But the church has a dual nature. In our parish in rural Berkshire the Church represents the community and plays an active role in nourishing it and keeping it together in more ways than one. Rising beyond the role of the dictatorship that I always saw it as, the Church has come to be a much more positive experience for me. The High Priestess and the Hierophant are two sides of the same coin: the High Priestess is the female, healing, nurturing side and the inner visions that the women who have kept the church going through a period where we didn't have a rector or vicar at all, whereas the Hierophant represents the male, rational structure and "grounding" that keeps an eye on the flock - the sheep would stray and fall prey to wolves if there was no fence to keep them in.

In another rolle the Hierophant's rationality is pessimistic and looking too much at the "realistic" world rather than the insight of the High Priestess (who gets carried away with her own meditation and forgets she needs to eat, sleep and wash regularly). But working together they complement each other and it is this balance that the church needs if it is to maintain and survive in a multi-faith culture. It is much too simplistic to say that one religion has caused all the trouble in the world. Pagan cultures are/were as violent as Christian ones (Christians being thrown to the lions in ancient Rome, for example, or even the very "western" aggression of the silversmiths of Ephesus, fearing the loss of their statuette business when Paul and his colleagues tried to halt the worship of Diana and convert them to Christianity!), but the teachings and enlightenment gained from some sort of religious belief - whether rational like the Hierophant or unrational like the High Priestess - should override the imperial assertions of the Emperor (who is of course associated with good aspects of order and protection) who has committed many political crimes in the name of religion.