The Tarot: 5 The Hierophant
Longevity
Honor
Spiritual Justice
You sit down and glance around at the others feasting at the Emperor’s table. As you turn back to your plate, there is a disturbance at the door. In walks a man in modest clothing holding a book in one hand and an apple in the other. He is surrounded by both children and adults. They ask him questions and listens to the answers. He is a teacher and shaman. He is the Hierophant.
The Hierophant represents spirituality and the everyday manifestations of faith. He is the teacher that helps you breach the spiritual world with his knowledge and understanding of the divine. He isn’t just a teacher. He is also a spiritual leader, a shaman. He conduct the sacred rituals and magickal spells that allow those who prefer leadership in spiritual matters to focus on the mundane while he focuses on the mystical.
White Crane
The animal representation of the Hierophant is the white crane. The white crane represents the bridge between worlds, time and realms. It shows the need to focus on the spiritual and how it interacts with the mundane. Because it is the bridge between realms and worlds, having the white crane in your spread could mean that you will find a spiritual path that includes teachers outside of what is thought to be normal. The white crane also represents the bridge between times. This would allow you to learn of past lives and things that happened before.
Upright Position
In the upright position, the Hierophant symbolizes the need to seek out teachers and shamans to show you the way to incorporate your spiritual life into your everyday life. Those teachers might not be the traditional preacher or priest. It could be a spirit guide, a mystical creature or a visit to the Akashic Records. Don’t dismiss a teacher just because he or she isn’t a part of the “normal” world.
The Hierophant could be showing you that you already have the knowledge but that you are not incorporating it into your everyday life. Take a step back and see if what you believe is shown in what you do, say and think. If not, take the time to see why.
Reverse Position
In the reverse, the Hierophant can show you that you need to spend more time with family and friends as nurturing your loved ones is a spiritual blessing. It could also mean that you are not spending enough time in protecting your creative projects and endeavors. If the Hierophant is surrounded by other cards representing learning, it may signify a need for formal training like college or technical school. If the Hierophant is surrounded by negative cards, it may signify that spiritual power is being abused by you or someone around you, usually someone that is a teacher or spiritual guide. Look to the motivations of yourself and those around you.
Questions To Ask
What can you learn from the past, yours in a past life or the history of the world? Are you repeating the mistakes of others? Do you need a teacher, guide or other means of learning new information, especially spiritual teachings? Are you looking at the world around you as the mundane world and not the mystical teacher it can be? What can you learn?
When the Hierophant wants to teach, you should listen to his words and take them to heart. Find the right person, spirit, creature or power that can guide you down the path of your spirituality and show you have to incorporate it into your everyday life. The Hierophant wants to share his knowledge. You only have to listen.
Who in your life is your teacher, your Hierophant? Let me know by replying below!
