The Hierophant
The Hierophant represents established tradition, institutions, and the transfer of wisdom from elders or religious leaders to initiates. It emphasizes ritual, teaching, and initiation into structured groups or belief systems. Upright, the card points to lessons, customs, traditional relationships, and the presence of wisdom even without overt power. Reversed, it warns of excessive sacrifice to tradition, empty rituals, and the potential for bribery or corruption.
Keywords
5. The Hierophant
Meaning
The Hierophant card refers to all religious leaders, including shaman, not just Catholic popes and priests. In fact, it refers to all older individuals who have wisdom to share with younger people. The Hierophant guides initiates into groups, organizations, institutions, and structured belief systems.
Upright
Lessons, rituals, teaching, marriage, traditional relationships, customs, matchmaking, having wisdom but no power.
Reversed
Sacrificing too much to follow the tradition, meaningless rituals, bribery, corruption.
Visual Description
An elderly bearded man sits on a throne wearing a tall white papal mitre marked with a small cross. He is swathed in a heavy brown robe and his hands are folded gently in his lap. Behind him a stand of slender trees forms a vertical backdrop, and a pair of large gold keys hangs to his right. The card title '5 The Hierophant' is printed at the bottom.
Dreaming Way tarot
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