The Hierophant
The Hierophant symbolizes spiritual wisdom and unification, serving as a bridge between the physical and spiritual realms. It invites individuals to seek enlightenment through community and morality. This card emphasizes the importance of approaching spiritual figures and experiences with curiosity rather than fear, allowing for deeper understanding and connection.
Keywords
Key Words
UNIFICATION · WISDOM · SAVIOR · MORALITY · SPIRITUAL BRIDGE · DIPLOMAT · SEEKER
Description
Surrounded by a haze of ancient incense and crushed velvet, The Hierophant sits upon a golden throne. Gilded tree branches extend from the throne, creating a visual of synapse-like structures within the surrounding environment. The Hierophant, adorned with a nimbus and scepter, welcomes your presence, and extends to you an invitation to experience spiritual wisdom. The Hierophant seeks to unify individuals with the realms beyond the physical world, either through community enlightenment, perpetual bond, or kinship.
Symbolism
The two pillars seen in The High Priestess now return as two stone urns, which diffuse incense throughout the monastery. The scepter is adorned with a compass, which allows for navigation of the conscious and subconscious worlds, and gives rise to The Holy Trinity. The nimbus, or halo that encircles The Hierophant's head, is a reference to Greek Orthodox iconography, which I was taught to revere in childhood. The nimbus appears throughout The Somnia Tarot, adorning the crowns of many spiritual entities.
Personal Connection
Various superstitions that stem my Yia-yia, upbringing in Greek Orthodoxy, and experiences with Sleep Paralysis disorder have caused me to form a complex relationship with the spiritual world. Memories arise while meditating on my spiritual past: recollections range from beautiful midnight candle masses heightened by the scent of rose incense, the traditional baking of Yia-yia's bread, and the entry of priests in my home in their attempts to rid me of my recurring Sleep Paralysis. I choose to depict The Hierophant as a visitor from my Sleep Paralysis episodes, who bridges together the physical and spirit worlds. Just as the fear of judgment or a spiritual figurehead's authority can exist, so too can this fear be expressed while confronting entities beyond the world of sleep. It is only when we view these figures through a lens of curiosity, rather than one of fear, that we may uncover the mysteries of the human experience.
Somnia Tarot
💜 Please support creators. Buy official decks.
ℹ️ Disclaimer
All card images and descriptions are taken from public sources. They are used for review purposes only. All rights to these images and descriptions belong to their creators. If you believe there is a copyright infringement, please contact us at [email protected].