TAROTThe Hierophant
Upright
Embracing the conventional, through time tested paths
Sticking to the orthodox and social norms via routes such as career, marriage, majority politics and the establishment. This is done in the belief that they promote order, happiness, prosperity and safety for most people.
Intuition
Notice that the Hierophant carries the same symbol as his counterpart, the High Priestess; the symbol of the Torch. This is historically accurate, as the symbol of the Eleusinian mysteries was crossed staves. Wooden four-pointed torches identical to the ones held by Hecate were also used in the mysteries.
Reversed
Feeling disconnected from your core beliefs or being pushed into a shape you do not fit into.
A time to check yourself for stubbornness, outdated beliefs and resistance to change.
Possibility of an out of control authority figure affecting your inner balance.
Astrologia
Stability and the status quo. Patience and hard work, loyalty. A natural sensuality and enjoying the finer things in life. Open to being possessive and greedy, or become stuck in the rat-race.
The Hierophant
The word Hierophant derives from the Greek hiero, meaning 'sacred' or 'holy', combined with phainein, 'to show'. Thus, a Hierophant is a displayer of sacred things. Modern words taken from this root include hierarchy, traditionally referring to the structure of clergy.
In computer science a hierarchy refers to a data structure where everything is linked by rank or relationship. The role of the Hierophant in modern Tarot leans closer to this structural meaning. The card refers to order created within society through stable structures, traditions, and organizations.
The concept of a 'displayer' is a crucial distinction. Most modern congregations are not 'shown' things, but 'told' things through teaching or oration. You are told of everlasting life and redemption, but you do not actually see or experience it.
The Eleusinian Mysteries over which the original Hierophant presided, were fundamentally different. Initiates experienced a sense of immortality by metaphorically experiencing their own death. The rites culminated in a theatrical 'showing' that involved a psychedelic-inducing shamanistic trance state or out-of-body experience.
The event was so profound that witnesses were changed for life; they no longer feared death, believing they had already experienced it.
The Hierophant and the Eleusinian mysteries
The Eleusinian Mysteries were an ancient, widespread cult dedicated to Demeter and Persephone.
Participants in the highest rites drank kykeon (a barley-based beverage) before the ceremony. Archaeological evidence suggests this barley was routinely contaminated with ergot, a fungus. Ergot contains lysergic acid, known today as a precursor for synthesizing LSD.
Description and Symbology
The purpose of the original Hierophant’s rites was to induce a vision of the death of the Ego (the conscious self), ensuring the initiate would no longer fear physical death. Above the entrance to St. Paul’s Monastery in Mount Athos, Greece, is the following inscription:
αν πεθάνεις πριν πεθάνεις, δεν θα πεθάνεις όταν πεθάνεις
If you die before you die, you won’t die when you die.
For Christians, this inscription means turning away from the material world. It demands a symbolic death of the Ego and sin, moving toward a truer spiritual path.
A second meaning is found in the Eleusinian Mysteries. Like most ancient religions, it focused on personal experience rather than written scripture. Initiates experienced death via psychoactive sacraments and a closely choreographed performance based around Demeter and Persephone (likely including Hecate and Dionysus).
As the Goddess of Spring, Persephone is associated with rebirth after the death of winter. She spends part of the year below ground with Hades, emerging into the light each spring.
This ancient ritual represents the core spiritual symbology of the Hierophant in this deck: a metaphorical death and resurrection, allowing the seeker to experience the spark of immortality in this life.
Symbol for the Hierophant
The crossed staves were the symbol for the Eleusinian mysteries
Performance
The Hierophant’s rite was not just an oration but a performance. Things were not what they seemed; he appears to have a halo, but it is actually a window. He stands on a raised stage in a building that places him at the center, suggestive of performance.
The Hierophant as a Pillar
The Hierophant has two pillars behind him, symbolizing the orthodox and the unorthodox. However, the expected third pillar is missing. The Hierophant stands in its place as the third pillar; the word and voice of the orthodoxy.
Wise and knowledgeable
The Hierophant was a wise and charismatic person, able to command the attention of literally thousands during the rites. Like the Emperor, he has a graying beard to show his years and experience.
The Torch
The hierophant holds the same Torch symbol seen in the Fool, High Priestess and Empress cards (although this version is a physical artifact rather than one held by a God). The Torch relates to both the Fool’s Call to Action, and also a deeper mission to rebirth to a higher plane. In the case of the Hierophant, this rebirth comes from personally experiencing death through the Hierophant’s rites.
The Initiates
Behind the Hierophant, we see his initiates. Each carries a light, signifying Demeter searching for her daughter, Persephone. By finding her via the Hierophant’s guidance during the rites, we gain knowledge of rebirth after death (because we have to symbolically cross Hecate’s liminal space between the living and dead to find Persephone).
The inscription
We see an inscription towards the bottom of the card. In English, it reads If you die before you die, you won’t die when you die. The concept of death/nullification/loss of ego as a step to higher consciousness is common to many teachings including Kabbalah, Christianity, ancient mystery cults and shamanistic rites all the way back to the first religions.
Tips for Readings
The following table shows the upright and reverse meanings for general questions. The last row ('Yes/No') is useful when you are picking a single card to decide a yes or no decision.
Upright
Reversed
A concentration on traditional values and conventions will lead to a more dependable and secure outcome.
A shared set of beliefs within the relationship will be the best foundation; without it, the relationship may falter. There may need to be some give and take to achieve this, and the death of parts of your old-beliefs/old-self may be necessary.
You may be allowing the expectations of society leading you, with an over-emphasis on fitting in.
Avoid inflexibility and rules come before emotions.
You will see a supportive management, with opportunities to grow through education and training, or working within a group.
The career will be most successful if you believe in the direction and aims of the organization. Be wary when it is not the case; it may lead to a lack of happiness.
Even though things may be going well, be always aware that change is the only certainty, and we all change. What fits now may not fit in 5 years, so be mindful of how your own inner beliefs alter over time, rather than always striving to ‘fit in’ and never grow!
The possibility of a lack of progression through an inflexible or closed structure.
You may find yourself being cut out because you don’t fit the hierarchy; a square peg in a round hole, a clique that excludes you, or political beliefs that don’t chime well with yours.
In all cases, it may be better to bide your time and move when the opportunity presents itself. You cannot change the existing structures and rules you are facing, and any attempt to do so will result in the system pushing back at you, and perhaps even ostracizing you!
Health will come through a happiness with your direction in life and a well maintained and ordered lifestyle.
A holistic approach where you take care of all facets of your life with a sensibility on health will work well; believing in your family, your career, and maintaining ethical decisions in your dealings with money and others will all promote your health.
You may be sticking with bad habits through resistance to change and ‘it worked before’, especially when ‘before’ relates to a far younger you! Things always change, and you may be hiding from this.
You may also be relying on tradition vs. healthy options and educated health decisions. The old ways relate to older times with lower life expectancy, for example, and may not translate well to today.
Expect to find faith through mainstream religions or tried and tested methods.
If you are going through a bad spot, you may find solace in things you never previously considered from the mainstream. They are often specifically designed to help you with such life situations.
The beliefs you have inherited from your wider social groups may be overriding your own inner beliefs, resulting in stunted self-growth. You may need to reflect on this by taking time out of the daily routines that promote the beliefs of your social group.
More importantly, some death of the self has to occur before you can be reborn with a new direction or better yourself. The you making the decisions may actually be an old you that is slowing you down.
This makes the reversed Hierophant a powerful card in this deck; it denotes a time to inspect your inner self and its beliefs, and cause a death-rebirth if it is found wanting.
This card suggests investment in well-established institutions or those with a good historical track record.
Careful and prudent over big gains and risky investments!
You may be attracted to traditional ‘names’ rather than actual value, resulting in dependable but low interest rates or returns. Sometimes it is better to invest at least a little on the unorthodox!
Missing new opportunities through inflexibility and staid decision-making.
Yes, through wisdom and guidance.
No, through stubbornness, outdated understanding and relying on the orthodox.
Reading the card
The use of the Hierophant in divination centers less on religion and more on the concept of 'orthodox versus non-orthodox' approaches to living. But, knowing the root religious symbology will help link your questions to this card.
The Upright Card
The traditional, well-worn path is the one that will work. This is a strong card for all institutional structures: marriage, standard career paths, and corporate business. If your question concerns any of these, expect them to work in your favor. If you are already within one of these structures, expect a period of stability.
The upright Hierophant card does not suggest stasis. It suggests taking routes to wisdom and learning to better yourself. If in doubt, ask someone with experience, or spend time in becoming that experienced person. If you have groups of people (friends, family, and colleagues) around you, it is a time to trust in those groups rather than go it alone.
Finally, the Hierophant says 'flights of fancy will not get you far.' Stay grounded in what you know, not what you wish for or suspect. Trust the system over looking for hidden agendas and secrets.
The Reversal
The Reversed Hierophant suggests that your beliefs conflict with the current situation. It can indicate feeling like a fish out of water in a new group, being pushed down by bureaucracy rather than helped by the system, or experiencing an uncreative role. The issue may also reside within yourself. You could be creating your own obstacles by:
- Staying on the road well-traveled, even though you know it is not the right path for you.
- Being stubborn, holding on to outdated beliefs, and resisting change.
- Simply avoiding rocking the boat, thereby stifling your true direction.
Depending on surrounding cards, a Reversed Hierophant signifies intuition and sense of tradition are out of alignment. The question to ask yourself is: 'What do I really want?'
Finally, there may be a person in a position of power forcing you to act in ways that are unnatural to you, draining your inner energy.
Card Design Process
There were three major aims for this card's design:
First, it made sense to include the actual historical Hierophant and his story rather than later clergy. It is unclear why most modern Hierophant cards do not show a real Hierophant, especially since we know much more about the role today than we did a century ago.
Second, sketches and photographs from cathedrals suggested that a round stained-glass window behind a standing character could mimic a halo or crown. This allows the image to resemble medieval depictions of religious halos without actually drawing one.
Third, a very low angle makes a standing character look like a pillar, seeming to hold up the temple. Additionally, the architectural aim of many religious buildings is to draw the eye upward, making an upward-looking point of view desirable.
All these ideas merged into the final image. The Hierophant appears to have a saintly halo and crown, but it is simply the window behind him. He stands with two pillars holding up a dome. A third expected pillar is missing, but the Hierophant stands in its place, becoming the 'missing' pillar. The low-to-high perspective completes the impression of standing inside a grand religious space.
Final Words
This card represents the accepted wisdom, growth, happiness, and protection that come from groups, institutions, and tradition. Most people engage in these structures daily through family, marriage, a career within a wider organization, and broad social or political concerns.
