GoddessArtemis
I've been getting the Hierophant in my own relationship spreads as the outcome card quite a few times, and I've been struggling with what it may mean.
For some time, I've felt it meant that we need to go to a counselor--couple's counseling. Hierophant does mean counselor, advisor...at times. But lately, that didn't fit. After reading all your posts here and working with the Fey deck, I suddenly had a thought....
Healing. In the Fey deck (my current fave), The Wisest (RWS Hierophant) is sitting on an hourglass. That obviously represents time, and it's slow time..sands of time can take a while. A red dragon is wrapped around the hourglass, and in my particular relationship...the dragon might represents the inner fires--inner turmoil--in the relationship. In this card (The Wisest), the dragon is calm...laying low, and old man Fey is carefully and methodically (as I see him) taking notes, studying the situation, in a "wise" fashion..not rushing. So there is a sense of time here..and taking a long time, nothing too speedy. Add that to the concept of Hierophant (in RWS) as the wise counselor..with the following conclusion:
In a relationship outcome situation where, as WhiteRaven has depicted, the couple are separated but still in love...the card may mean, "Take time to heal". Heal yourselves...and then, the Hierophant (or the Fey, Wisest) might lead to a re-joining of the couple, after they've healed...to either lead to the next level...marriage...or to be wiser as people, perhaps separately. I think the Hierophant can't necessarily give you the full outcome picture because unless you take time to heal...well, you can't know where things will go next. You can always clarify the card, but the interpretation will be mostly 'iffy'....IF you take time to heal and no other element is changed or introduced into the scenario, THEN...whatever clarification card. However, since the tarot is only a snapshot of time, and any number of things could be introduced into the scenario, and since time is of essence with the Hierophant...you can't really say how something might turn out with this card as an outcome. But take the advice..take time to heal, and then see where things go.
I know it helped ME out to figure this out. Otherwise, seeing the Hierophant as strictly a marriage card--as some literature suggests--wouldn't make sense for me. For instance, if me and my ex are separated but still in love, we can't get married...we're separated! But we both do need to take time to heal and calm the "inner dragon," then see where things go. So, that's what The Wisest (Hierophant) means to me, in that particular case.
Hope that helps!
GA
For some time, I've felt it meant that we need to go to a counselor--couple's counseling. Hierophant does mean counselor, advisor...at times. But lately, that didn't fit. After reading all your posts here and working with the Fey deck, I suddenly had a thought....
Healing. In the Fey deck (my current fave), The Wisest (RWS Hierophant) is sitting on an hourglass. That obviously represents time, and it's slow time..sands of time can take a while. A red dragon is wrapped around the hourglass, and in my particular relationship...the dragon might represents the inner fires--inner turmoil--in the relationship. In this card (The Wisest), the dragon is calm...laying low, and old man Fey is carefully and methodically (as I see him) taking notes, studying the situation, in a "wise" fashion..not rushing. So there is a sense of time here..and taking a long time, nothing too speedy. Add that to the concept of Hierophant (in RWS) as the wise counselor..with the following conclusion:
In a relationship outcome situation where, as WhiteRaven has depicted, the couple are separated but still in love...the card may mean, "Take time to heal". Heal yourselves...and then, the Hierophant (or the Fey, Wisest) might lead to a re-joining of the couple, after they've healed...to either lead to the next level...marriage...or to be wiser as people, perhaps separately. I think the Hierophant can't necessarily give you the full outcome picture because unless you take time to heal...well, you can't know where things will go next. You can always clarify the card, but the interpretation will be mostly 'iffy'....IF you take time to heal and no other element is changed or introduced into the scenario, THEN...whatever clarification card. However, since the tarot is only a snapshot of time, and any number of things could be introduced into the scenario, and since time is of essence with the Hierophant...you can't really say how something might turn out with this card as an outcome. But take the advice..take time to heal, and then see where things go.
I know it helped ME out to figure this out. Otherwise, seeing the Hierophant as strictly a marriage card--as some literature suggests--wouldn't make sense for me. For instance, if me and my ex are separated but still in love, we can't get married...we're separated! But we both do need to take time to heal and calm the "inner dragon," then see where things go. So, that's what The Wisest (Hierophant) means to me, in that particular case.
Hope that helps!
GA