Introducing Hierophant V
We see a mature man seated on a stone throne. The colors red, orange, gold, and grey dominate this card. He sits with an air of authority, his right hand held high in a specific gesture, and holding a golden staff in his left hand. Behind him are two grey pillars, and nothing beyond. At his feet are two keys. Below this man are two people to whom The Hierophant imparts knowledge and wisdom.
The Hierophant is the archetype of education, organized religion, and institutions and is also known as The High Priest or The Pope; as well as the guide between the world of humans and the spiritual world. While this card’s energy can appear very masculine, fact its teachings go beyond gender.
Symbols & Systems
body posture
The Hierophant sits with a straight back in a confident stance, his hands showing the symbols of his essence. His entire body posture reminds us that this is a person with authority.
facial expression
The expression is not warm; his face appears slightly stern – akin to a stern teacher perhaps, someone who is concerned with imparting knowledge and the rules therearound – and he does not look at the two seekers/supplicants below him.
garb
The Hierophant wears a red/orange robe representing the astrological sign Taurus. The garment of blue underneath indicates the integration of The High Priestess and her inner wisdom, yet it is mostly hidden from sight. The white undergarment indicates purity. The white ornamentation/pattern on the robe indicates the authority of religious institutions.
stone throne
Indicates authority. On the throne’s back, on each side of The Hierophant’s head is a small circle, also representing Taurus. The color of the throne is grey, signifying wisdom.
crown
The crown signifies authority. Its shape has a specific meaning, most of which is explained in the Kabbalah section below. It is golden, signifying illumination and a connection to the divine, as well as signifying wisdom and energy.
right hand gesture
The Hierophant holds up his right arm, his index and middle fingers extended. This gesture is an ancient esoteric symbol of The Horned God, bringer of wisdom. It also signifies that above (heaven) and below (earth) are connected.
golden staff
The golden staff is a strong symbol with multiple meanings. It is comprised of three tiers – lower, middle, and upper – a reflection of the three worlds that we inhabit: the unconscious, conscious, and superconscious. When we acquire knowledge, we integrate all three worlds.
The Hierophant holds the golden staff in his left hand, the hand of receiving. He receives knowledge and wisdom from the spiritual/religious world, then imparts it to others in his own voice. He is the conduit between the human and the divine.
two pillars
The two pillars indicate that The Hierophant is inside a temple, a place of sanctity and spirituality. However, compared to the High Priestess, who invites us to go beyond the pillars, behind the curtain to a mysterious inner world, The Hierophant’s pillars are grey, indicating wisdom, but nothing beyond. The Hierophant does not offer secret mysteries to the novice; while perhaps later on, mysteries will be revealed, at this moment, all teachings must come via The Hierophant versus from self-exploration.
red / orange
The red and orange of the Hierophant’s outer robe are associated with Taurus, the astrological sign associated with this card.
grey
As grey is traditionally associated with wisdom and knowledge, it is apt that The Hierophant is surrounded by grey: grey pillars and a temple structure.
two supplicants
As grey is traditionally associated with wisdom and knowledge, it is apt that The Hierophant is surrounded by grey: grey pillars and a temple structure.
dais
The Hierophant sits on a throne on a raised platform, signifying authority, as well as being above others. The Hierophant tells us that he is the spiritual king, and to understand the mysteries of life, we must go through him or learn from him. Here we can see how this card can represent clerics of all faiths, who are the intermediaries for the layfolk.
On the platform are two golden keys, signifying that education is the key to wisdom. They also represent the key to Heaven and the opposites of male and female, who are physical manifestations of the divine. The keys lie on a checkered carpet, signifying the dark and light aspects of wisdom and knowledge.
The four circles with an x inside them on the carpet represent God in His four spheres: אצילות atzilut [“spirit”]; בריאה briyah [“creation”]; יצירה yetzirah [“formation”]; and עשייה asiyah [“action”].
gods / goddesses
The Hierophant is related to all the gods and goddesses of wisdom and learning – Thoth, Horus, Isis, Seshat, Minerva, Athene, Apollo, Hermes, Mithras, Jupiter, Odin, Ogma, Brighid, Saraswati, Ganesha, etc., who help us learn and integrate both everyday and sacred teachings.
number
The number of The Hierophant is 5, which is also the number of the pentagram, an ancient esoteric symbol of mystery. The pentagram depicts a human (head, two arms, two legs), as well as representing the four elements and spirit, which together are the elements that make up the world. The pentagram is also an important symbol in many variations of paganism.
Astrology
The astrological sign Taurus is linked to The Hierophant. Taurus rules the neck, which is the link between head and body. The neck is where the voice comes from, and The Hierophant embodies the voice. Taurus has latent powers and a great reserve of energy. Tauruses are stubborn, and if they believe in a vision, they will see it through to the end and not give up.
Kabbalah
The creators of the Rider Waite Tarot deck were members of the Golden Dawn, a group that followed teachings based on the Kabbalah. Kabbalists are mystics who believe that God is neither male nor female, and has many aspects. Kabbalah is all about learning why we’re here, the mystery of the universe, and what the big plan is.
Being the 6th card in the tarot deck, The Hierophant corresponds to the Hebrew letter vav ו, which depicts a hook. Vav hooks two Hebrew words together, being the prefix for “and”, as shown below in red:
books ספרים
AND books וספרים
Thus The Hierophant is a ‘hook’ between the world of humans and the greater spiritual force.
In addition, The Hierophant’s golden crown contains Kabbalistic meanings. The crown has 3 rows of trefoils: The top row contains 3 trefoils (subconscious, conscious, and super conscious); the middle row contains 7 trefoils (7 planets, 7 alchemical metals, 7 aspects of God); and the bottom row contains 5 trefoils (the 4 elements + spirit), or 15 trefoils in total.
If we multiply 15 trefoils by 3 (the number of points on each trefoil), we get 45, which is the gematriya equivalent of “man made in the image of God”.The black symbol atop the crown is the letter W, representing the Hebrew letter vav, and reminding us of the horns of a bull (Taurus).
The Hierophant on The Tree of Life takes the path from the second sephirah, wisdom, which leads to the fourth sephirah, mercy, i.e., wisdom leads to compassion.
Hearing is the main sense associated with The Hierophant – hearing the voice of internal and external wisdom. The Hierophant is the teacher who issues verbal information and instructions. The name of The Hierophant is ‘Triumphant and Eternal Intelligence’.
The message from Hierophant V
The Hierophant wants you to know that sometimes in life we need an external guide or mentor, or a lesson. We can seek these out via study, learning, or joining a group with beliefs similar to ours. Ask yourself these questions:
- Do I feel right now I need external guidance?
- Do I need advice in an area of my life?
- Do I need to seek out a mentor?
- Do I need legal advice?
- Do I want to learn something new right now?
- Is it time to start studying for a qualification?
- Am I looking for spiritual guidance in the form of a teacher, religion, or mentor?
- Do I strongly feel right now that I need to proceed according to a tradition?
Allow yourself to focus on what you want and who you need to help you get there. Ask the universe to send this person / lesson / teaching your way. The Hierophant is part of the path leading to integration of your spiritual self. The previous card, The Emperor, is about material security, while The Hierophant is about spiritual security and authority.
Hierophant V reversed
When I see a reversed card, I simply see the energy blocked or inhibited in some way. How would The Hierophant be inhibited? I surmise that someone who draws The Hierophant reversed either feels lost OR they are being too rigid in their thinking.
Feeling lost: Feeling directionless. Not knowing what your spiritual place in the world is. Not knowing what your purpose is in life. Not knowing what to study or who to become.
Rigidity: Perhaps the spiritual or religious teachings you grew up with hinder a greater point of view. Perhaps what you learned in childhood is limiting your ability to understand other points of view.
If you get The Hierophant reversed for yourself or someone else, some questions to ask might be…
• Do I feel stuck right now in my vision for the future?
• Am I frustrated with my studies?
• Do I have issues with religion in general, or with the religion I was brought up with?
• Do I have an inflexible belief system?
• Am I feeling oppressed by a teacher, mentor, belief, or guru? Are there rules that you are you afraid of breaking? If so, which rules?
If you get The Hierophant reversed, it is alerting you that you alone do not always have the answers. Sometimes we need to ask another person / group for guidance and wisdom, BUT be cautious about where and with whom you seek answers.
To sum it all up
The Hierophant invites you to look outside of yourself and seek out wisdom and knowledge that will help you on your path. The wisdom may come via teachings, courses, workshops, philosophies, or a religion. It may be a path of solitude where you seek out wisdom on your own, or it may be wisdom from other people or institutions.
