[Yoshitaka Amano Tarot]
Because "hierophant" is such an archaic word, we need to start with a definition. In Greek, hierophant means "he who speaks the holy." Specifically, it was the title of the High Priest of the Eleusinian Mysteries. In tarot, "hierophant" has a more general meaning of "any moral authority figure who decrees how one should act." And so the Hierophant card is all about rules for living -- what is right, what is wrong, what is good, what is bad, what is healthy, what is not, etc.
Men and women whose soul card is the Hierophant struggle with these rules. It is the defining condition of their soul journey. Sometimes, Hierophants can go to extremes -- either slavishly obeying external rules or breaking them all with abandon. They may swing from one extreme to another during their life. For example, a wild youth may be followed by a conservative adulthood. Or vice versa -- someone may "follow the rules" all their lives until they hit mid-life and then, out of the blue, kick over the traces and become a rebel. In other words, a Hierophant will either question authority or accept authority. There does not seem to be a lot of middle ground for them.
There is one other major arcana card in this constellation which influences a Hierophant's soul path: Temperance.
[Golden Thread Tarot]
The Temperance card is all about balance and transformation. It does not concern choosing one option over another but rather, counsels blending the two opposites to create a new, third option. Temperance can offset the Hierophant's tendency to go to one extreme or the other.
A Hierophant longs for a single quintessential Truth that will tie everything together in a meaningful unity. The life challenge of a Hierophant is to learn to be their own authority rather than obeying external rules. However, this can only be done by learning from experience -- learning how to blend and create the third option of Temperance. If a Hierophant successfully integrates Temperance, they will achieve a more balanced life following their own internal rules rather than external ones.
But if a Hierophant gets lost on their soul path and does not develop their own inner moral code, they can become rigid, dogmatic, judgemental and self-righteous (regardless of whether they are conformists or rebels). Temperance falls into their Shadow and its lessons are ignored.
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Next Week: the Lovers Soul Card
[NOTE: If you haven't yet determined what your Soul Card is and would like to, please go to the introductory post of this series found here, do the calculation and play along!]
25 comments:
How am I not this card? It describes me perfectly. I was a hellion in my youth and now I'm a total snooze fest. I've taken the test three times to determine what I am and it's come out the same each time....hmm....maybe because I'm adopted they didn't know my real birthday. Cue the dramatic music! Duh Duh Duh!!!!
Elsie
Make that four times. I'm still an 8. haha
I can safely say that this is in no way like me. Or I am in no way like this. I say rules were made to be broken. Once a rebel, always a rebel!
This is my best friend's soul card. She's pretty much balanced and the least judgmental person I know. However, she will put up one hell of a fight for an injustice or for something she deems unfair. So she does indeed have her rebel moments.
I do not know what I am, when you show these cards, friend D ... but it's fun to read your interpretations ... Love, cat.
Ah, I see you are pulling cards. Will have to do quite a bit of catch up here. Been gone for quite awhile.
This was me, right? But I feel some previous ones described me better than this one.
So is you saying that now that I turned big... I won't tell you how much... yesterday, that I'm gonna become a rebel, a criminal, a maniac? :) How positively refreshing and delightful.
They are each fascinating in its own way.
This is my late mother's card. Wow. Most of it is absolutely spot on. I'm happy to say that my mum embodied the higher aspects of the interpretation. She would have loved to read this!
Thanks, Debra!
Not me at all. I swing from one extreme to the other. For better and worse.
Happy Friday and weekend, Deb.
This is a fascinating series, Debra! thanks for all your work in putting this together!
I am a rule follower. Wish I could break free of it. How do I know what card is mine? You probably already answered that it another post. I will go back and check.
You always have the most interesting and sometimes, downright funny posts and I love 'em all....
I need to search to see what MY card is...
Thanking you so so much for your kind thoughts...they have helped me more than you know thru a really hard time. Love to you....
O NO....my card is HERMIT....I have to hope this is a good thing.
Trying again to comment and say hello. For some reason, Blogger keeps blocking me because I have a Yahoo email address?
I read that name of the artist and he actually draws art for the Final Fantasy series of video games, an old magazine I had called EGM had a special cover with his art on it.
I know some of those people.
I tend to question authority ;) He looks mad...or bored
I like the illustrations and their meanings. Thanks.
I checked last night and I came our as. 4. It is the opposite of me. So, what does that mean? I am however, a double Pisces and that explains me to a T.
Thank you for doing these posts Debra!!! Very grateful! Big Hugs!
Hierophant is a sort of druid in dungeons & Dragons too, if I remember correctly. Very powerful.
These are fun to read.
Hierophant sounds complicated in nature !
actually my real date of birth was written on a little diary which my younger sister has.
i know the date which is written on my all school and other documents and this is why i remember only this one which is not authentic so each time i strive to know my real dob when i read your card details
excellent job indeed my friend!
Okay, this one is me. Do you think that would be about right?
(I did the math, I promise, and this is the one that I am.)
Very interesting.
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