Tarot of the Spirit - The Hierophant

	® Marvel Characters, Inc.	Go to...	*Site Owners:* Liz & Gary Oppenhuis
\| Strange News \| Appearances \| Forums\| Friends & Foes \| Museum \| Sanctum \| Search \| Updates \|

Tarot of the Spirit

Return to TOS Index

V - The Hierophant

Description:

The Hierophant in the Tarot of the Spirit is a relaxed gently smiling man sitting on a throne, his head cocked slightly to the right. On his head is a crown with fifteen circles arranged in 5 groups of 3. A moon shaped crescent wraps from the crown to his collar. Framing the head of the Hierophant is a pentagram, and just above the throne is a green pyramid within a gold pyramid.

The Hierophant wears a red vest with the Hebrew letter Vav on the right breast. He wears a loose-fitting white robe. At the mid section of the robe are three red circles within which are red X’s. The index and middle fingers on his left hand point toward the ground, while his right hand is resting relaxed.

The back of the throne is dark blue, with the symbol for Taurus on both right and left sides. The right arm of the throne is a black pillar, while the left is a white pillar. At the base of the black pillar is a kneeling person facing the Hierophant, wearing a black hood, white yoke vest with a crescent moon, and a black and violet shirt with red roses. At the base of the white pillar is another kneeling person wearing a yellow hood, green yoke vest with a yellow sun, and a white and yellow shirt with white flowers. The feet of the Hierophant rests on a black and white diamond floor.

Symbology:

The Hierophant is both the guide, the teacher *and* the student of the mysteries of the higher self. His head is cocked as if to listen (or silently imploring you to listen) to the message of the inner self. The crescent moon going from his throat to his crown symbolizes the path through the subconscious that one must travel in order to reach the superconscious.

The white robe of the Hierophant indicates the purity of thought, while the red vest symbolizes love and the desire for connection. The 3 X’s on his robe represent the crossing of the material and spiritual. The Hebrew letter associated with the Hierophant is Vav, which means “nail”; the Hierophant represents the binding force of the universe which nails spirit to matter, so that it may manifest and know itself.

The fingers of the Hireophant’s left hand point downward, representing the channeling of the divine energy towards Earth. His right hand is relaxed, demonstrating the confidence of the teacher.

At the base of the throne kneel the 2 Lovers, the man wearing the yoke of the Sun and the woman the yoke of the Moon. Here they are separated, kneeling in prayer and contemplating the higher One. Soon they will be joined as One in the next phase/card (VI – The Lovers). The black and white diamond checked floor represents the dynamism of the opposites. Where the checkered design in the floor of the High Priestess card is squared off, here the angled diamond shape demonstrates the movement of awakening.

Divinatory Meaning:
(from "Tarot of the Spirit" companion book, by Pamela Eakins)

Connect with your higher self
Listen for messages surfacing within
Become both student and teacher
Seek both student and teacher
Make all moves in the light of your own truth and sense of justice
Let your conscience be your guide
The most important thing at this time is to attune yourself spiritually
To find the answers, seek out your god or goddess
You will find that the inner guides are waiting to serve you
Quiet yourself internally and you will be able to hear the answers

Personal Reflections:

The Hierophant is a card that both repels and attracts me. In many decks the Hierophant appears as a figure of religious or secular authority (e.g. the Pope), and I have always felt uncomfortable in submitting to such “authority”, feeling strongly that the truth is revealed within oneself.

The Hierophant is the teacher, the student, and the guide to the inner mysteries. I am inspired by and aspire to all of these roles.