The Hierophant

[Alla]

Hello everyone,

Recently I've been doing a few spreads with the Rider - Waite deck to see what my chances are on being accepted into an internship program I'm very interested in. I have asked the same question about three times (3 different spread/ readings) to gain clarification and each time I've gotten the Hierophant as the final outcome. I'm definitely an amateur at the tarot but I feel I can read most of the cards and their relationships quite well. However, the Hierophant leaves me stumped each time. I know it can indicate traditional thoughts or practices even the personification of these notions but I've read it can also mean an alliance or 'marriage' which seems more accurate to what I asked but I'm still not sure if I'm on the right track.Any thoughts or ideas on how it correlates to my question?

 

[Zechariah13]

Well, when i look at the Hierophant, i tend to see discipline, as in self-discipline or taking on a mentor. Personally, in this case, i would see the Hierophant most certainly as a mentor type of person, and since we are referring to an internship it might be referencing a rather beneficial apprentenceship of sorts.
Remember (or hear for the first time if you dont know), the Hierophant is not only about discipline and structure/order, he is the Trump of Taurus, the Trump of Fixed Earth, meaning that he isnt a creator or sustainer, but a perfector, bringing the material aspects of life (earth) to their fullest potential or most perfect form.

Overall i would say he bodes well here.

 

[mandy1964]

Well, when i look at the Hierophant, i tend to see discipline, as in self-discipline or taking on a mentor. Personally, in this case, i would see the Hierophant most certainly as a mentor type of person, and since we are referring to an internship it might be referencing a rather beneficial apprentenceship of sorts.
Remember (or hear for the first time if you dont know), the Hierophant is not only about discipline and structure/order, he is the Trump of Taurus, the Trump of Fixed Earth, meaning that he isnt a creator or sustainer, but a perfector, bringing the material aspects of life (earth) to their fullest potential or most perfect form.

Overall i would say he bodes well here.

zechariah
you have helped me look at the heirophant in a more positive way,as i too have trouble with this card so a big thannkyou too you

 

[caridwen]

Hierophant is institutions so schools, college, university, church, work, training etc

I'm wondering what books you're reading that doesn't mention formal institutions when mentioning the Hierophant

So yes, it does look good as an answer to your question

 

[Zechariah13]

I'm wondering what books you're reading that doesn't mention formal institutions when mentioning the Hierophant

assuming you are talking to me here. Personally, the leaning towards personal disicpline with the Hierophant is well, personal, as "this card equals school, church govt etc..." never sat well with me, actually made me nauseous once. But i learned Tarot from theTarot of Vampyres, and the book PANTASMAGORIA written by Ian Daniels. The List of Single Phrase Descriptions goes as follows

Phantasmagoria, Ian Daniels, Page 79

The Teacher. Spiritual Guide or Advisor. Our Inner Holy Guide. Initaition. A Mentor and Master. Seeking Inner Truth. Shared and Inherited Knowledge. Established Beliefs and Traditions: education, culture and spiritual Law. Religious Authority, oraganizations, Union of the Human with Greater Comsos. Patience, Nurturing

The basic Institutional basis of the Hierophant is still present, but it is closer to the end of the description, not the primary focus and NEVER resonated with me. Of course my Hierophant is an ancient hooded vampire with bull horns, seated on an ancient throne weilding a pentacle, wearing a hexagram, and opening a book of ancient knowledge, covered in the dust of centuries as he sits before his initiate on his throne of skulls, in front of the tree of Knowledge, ripe with fruit. So "The Pope" doesnt really fit in here at all.

But, if we want to continue, he proceeds to describe the heirohpant as " the intermediary between the earthly and the spiritual", "the guide and guardian of esoteric wisdom," and "a mediator between the Everlasting and humankind". These CAN be the church or an education of sorts, but not in the rigid, structure-focused manner they are typically portrayed.

Of course, these are my personal tendencies with this card. I tend to have issues whenever a card always only means one thing.

 

[Thirteen]

Of course, these are my personal tendencies with this card. I tend to have issues whenever a card always only means one thing.

So do we all No card in the deck ever means one thing--but, alas, those books we read can't tell us all that the cards can mean in any given circumstances. So you need to be a little forgiving; they sometimes seem to tell us that the card only means one thing when that's not really what they're saying at all.

 

[Thirteen]

The Way It's Always Been Done

what my chances are on being accepted into an internship program

This is not the best question for the tarot as it comes close to a yes/no question--i.e. "Will I get the internship?" The tarot is better when it comes to answering questions like, "What will give me the best chance to get the internship?" And I'm guessing that this is the question the tarot is really answering.

The Hierophant is about tradition, but not necessarily in the way we often view it, as the hidebound old man yelling: "You must do it this way! You can't do it any other way!" Too many people view the card this way, and have an instant, knee-jerk, negative reaction to it. Yet each and every one of us does respect the old and the way things are done. We may, for example, protest if an old historic building is going to be torn down, or we might point out how wonderful is that this person or that makes what they're making by hand, just like their ancestors did.

We look at the Hierophant, and we forget that saying, "that's the way it's always been done" is something we, also, tend to value now and then.

What the Hierophant is really about is respect for traditions, and maintaining them in order to maintain the community. A stranger can go into any church or mosque or temple they belong to, almost anywhere in the world, and feel not like a stranger, but a part of the community. Because the prayers are all the same, and the traditions are all the same. Or think on your own family, the morals, ethics and traditions that your parents passed down to you, and that you will pass down to your kids. The ones you respect and want to maintain--be it making something by hand or reading from a certain story book on a certain day every year. These unite the generations, and keep the family together. This is the realm of the Hierophant.

I would say, therefore, that to get this internship you should not only follow the advise that others have offered here, but also be conservative, old fashioned, and very respectful of the traditions of whatever you're trying to join. The card suggests that showing such respect and indicating that you value the "old ways" will tilt the odds in your favor.

 

[Zechariah13]

The Hierophant is about tradition, but not necessarily in the way we often view it, as the hidebound old man yelling: "You must do it this way! You can't do it any other way!" Too many people view the card this way, and have an instant, knee-jerk, negative reaction to it. Yet each and every one of us does respect the old and the way things are done. We may, for example, protest if an old historic building is going to be torn down, or we might point out how wonderful is that this person or that makes what they're making by hand, just like their ancestors did.

This.

I know that this wasnt the focus of the post, but Still. LOVE IT.
I've always viewed the Hierophant as a practical teacher. He doesnt deal with the power of the magician, or have the deep revelations/insights of the Priestess, but he has advice and lessons, and each shows its wisdom, but in the more material sense. I absolutely LOVE this card

 

[caridwen]

assuming you are talking to me here.

...nope and kind of confused how you thought I was since I didn't quote you or refer to you. I was answering the original question and hadn't read your post.

Personally, the leaning towards personal disicpline with the Hierophant is well, personal, as "this card equals school, church govt etc..." never sat well with me, actually made me nauseous once.

I'm sorry to hear you were made physically sick by an interpretation of a card. However, it is a pretty standard interpretation of the Hierophant hence why I was surprised the original poster (not you) hadn't considered it.

 

[Zechariah13]

...nope and kind of confused how you thought I was since I didn't quote you or refer to you. I was answering the original question and hadn't read your post.

sorry. Thought you were since you were questioning the non-use of Hierophant=structures/organizations and i made a rather large shpeal about that. My bad. I tend to be bad about that on chat rooms

I'm sorry to hear you were made physically sick by an interpretation of a card. However, it is a pretty standard interpretation of the Hierophant hence why I was surprised the original poster (not you) hadn't considered it.

of course, it might be MORE accurate for me to say that i am sickened by the Structure=Instutution=BAD! that i see often. But even beyond that i think it limits the Hierophant in his scope. I mean, he is the 6th Trump (including the Fool) which connects him to Tiphareth on the Tree of Life, the position where the spiritual begins its process of Materialization. He is, in essence, what helps brings spiritual wisdom to practical life. The aforementioned structures are supposed to do that, in their own ways, and people tend to stop looking when they get to the surface of this card.