The Hierophant | Tarot Card Meanings & Interpretations
The Taurus card of spiritual leadership, wisdom, and development. The Hierophant teaches us about tradition, marriage, and spiritual growth. It is a card connected with God, spirit, and the divine, and is one of the most religious cards in the tarot. The Hierophant can also represent churches, schools, and institutions where you would find a wise teacher.
KEYWORDS
Upright: Spirituality, religion, organizations, institutions, tradition, mentorship, education, conformity.
Reversed: Challenge, freedom, unconformity, difference, personal beliefs, outdated beliefs.
Numerology: 5
Astrology: Venus (planet), Taurus (zodiac sign), Earth (element), Fixed (mode).
Timings: April 21st - May 20th.
YES/NO: Neutral.
SYMBOLISM
Red, Blue, and White Robe: Signifies the three worlds which he reigns over, the conscious, subconscious, and super-conscious.
Two Pillars: Symbolizes law and liberty, as well as obedience and disobedience.
Papal Cross: Symbolizes religious authority.
Raised Right Hand: Two fingers point upwards, and two fingers point down, forming the bridge between heaven and earth.
Two Kneeling Followers: The Hierophant passes on his spiritual wisdom to his two disciples.
Crossed Keys: Symbolizes the keys to heaven and hell.
THE HIEROPHANT MEANINGS
GENERAL
It is time to seek a spiritual teacher. Read books and do courses to gain spiritual wisdom. Solutions may come through your guides or universal messages and signs. When this card appears, it is time to assess your traditional values and where you may be receiving your spiritual wisdom from. There may also be some form of the institution involved, such as political, social, educational, and medical, in which you may take part. The Hierophant can also indicate a situation to which you conform.
REVERSE: The Hierophant can signify looking at your more personal beliefs and is a reminder that you are your own teacher. The answers you seek come from within, and not from any external source. The Hierophant typically indicates a rejection of conformity and challenging tradition. You may also be living an unconventional lifestyle, and gaining your independence to learn to live your own way and by your own values and beliefs.
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
Relationships that bring spiritual wisdom. It is possible to meet someone through spiritual development. The Hierophant is also symbolic of possible marriages and commitments to partners. There are likely major milestones in play when the Hierophant card appears for relationships, and it is highly likely that you and your partner share the same beliefs, values, and common goals.
REVERSE: The Hierophant can indicate reversed traditional roles in a relationship, or relationships that are unconventional to tradition. This could be a rejection of the traditional idea of marriage or being open-minded to different types of relationships. Sometimes, the Hierophant in reverse can also signify a relationship in which your and your partner's beliefs, goals, and values are different from each other, and this can cause conflict and tension. In this situation, it is important for both partners to be open-minded.
CAREER, JOB & BUSINESS
Seeking spiritual teachers to educate you on business or your particular career path. Colleagues who are mentors and respected. The Hierophant can also suggest that it is a good time to join an institutional group, whether educational or social, to advance your career and business.
REVERSE: The Hierophant can signify that you are able to be independent and do things alone. You don't need anyone's approval to do things your own way and trust in your beliefs and power to achieve this. On the other hand, the Hierophant can indicate a job in which you feel forced to conform to the workplace's values when they go against your beliefs, or there could be an individual abusing their authority and power to enforce or control the rules.
FINANCE
This is a good time to make small investments, and use traditional ways when it comes to saving and investing your money. For any financial advice, it is best to go to a well-respected, established traditional institution.
REVERSE: The Hierophant can mean seeking financial advice from an unconventional source or institution. These are typically not well-established or respective, or possibly have little detail about how they give financial advice.
HEALTH
The Hierophant can suggest that you need to go to a well-established traditional institution for any medical advice. Conventional medicine is best in this situation, such as visiting your local hospital or doctors, and you may be asked to take some common traditional medicines. In a more spiritual health context, the Hierophant can be an indication of some form of mind-body-spirit healing sanctuary.
REVERSE: The Hierophant can indicate going for alternative or holistic therapies that are unconventional and non-traditional.
PERSONALITY & ARCHETYPES
The Hierophant represents counselors, mentors, or teachers who are able to provide you with wisdom, guidance, and spiritual insight. These can be spiritual or religious figures, or teachers and doctors. This individual is likely traditional and conforms to the majority, and goes along with traditional and conventional methods and actions.
REVERSE: The Hierophant can represent individuals who reject conformity and are seen as rebellious or 'rule-breakers'. These individuals are more spontaneous and carefree in their nature and believe in their own values and ideas.
POSITIVES & ADVANTAGES
The Hierophant is a great card of enlightenment and new paradigms. He teaches traditional lessons whilst being in service of spirit, and represents formal education and training.
NEGATIVES & DISADVANTAGES
A breaking of traditions and beliefs or going against societal norms and expectations is one of the traits of the Hierophant (this can sometimes be positive). The Hierophant can also represent outdated systems, abuse of power, ego-based leadership, and dogma.
