V The Hierophant - 'Blind Faith'
As he leaves The Emperor's palace, The Fool encounters 'The Hierophant'. Numbered 'V' in the Major Arcana, this solemn figure's appearance marks The Fool's readiness to learn about man's interpretation of Divine law and its reverent observance on Earth. The Emperor is aware that secular laws alone aren't enough to meet society's needs, so he allies himself with The Hierophant and together they form two sides of the same coin. The former regulates society's behavior, while the latter aims to control morality. They work hand in hand, mutually granting power and legitimacy to one another.
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| 'The Hierophant' from the Mystic Masters Tarot by Dani Mystic |
THE HIEROPHANT - Blind Faith
KEYWORDS
Faith. Blind faith. Organized religion. Scripture. Religious texts. Theology. Dogma. Morality. Moral values. Religious leaders. Religious study. Mainstream spirituality. Tradition. Sacred rituals. Orthodoxy. Religious devotion. Holy being. Mentor. Teacher. Spiritual advisor.
Fundamentalism. Intolerance. Cults. Close minded. Prejudice. Self-righteousness. Judgement. Obscurantism. Radicalism. Indoctrination. Atheism. Agnosticism. Alternative belief systems. Spiritual upheaval. Loss of faith. Reevaluating beliefs. Freedom of conscience. Freethinker. Open minded. Independent thought. Nonconformity
THE LIGHT
The Hierophant is the link between the faithful and their God. He interprets scripture and transmits traditional moral teachings to the congregation. As the highest religious authority, he holds tremendous influence over his followers. While there are underlying similarities, he differs significantly from The High Priestess in the manner in which he approaches spirituality. She's more akin to an ascetic mystic, intuitively linked to the Divine, while The Hierophant channels that energy into concrete moral concepts, writings, holy commandments and teachings. He's basically a strict religious version of the equally rigid, but secular Emperor.
He's the creator of organized religion; the keeper of the faith that moves mountains; the writer of dogma; the arbiter of mainstream spirituality and morality. This card is a reminder of mankind's need to belong, to be part of a like-minded community. Organized religion appeals to humanity's innate tribalism. This can have many social advantages as it promotes solidarity, charity and sanctuary in the community, but it can also be a source of anxiety, exclusion, judgement, peer-pressure and cultish behavior.
In a reading The Hierophant will refer to matters of faith, religious devotion, morality, rituals and traditional values. An invitation to reconnect with our religious cultural heritage, to seek advice from a holy person or to go deeper into the study of our faith or belief system. The Hierophant encourages soul-searching, humility, compassion, forgiveness and service to the community. This card can also signal a readiness to take on the role of religious or spiritual mentor.
For the non-religious, agnostic or atheist, the Hierophant signifies strong moral values, traditional ethics and a need for structure and social acceptance. It points to an individual seeking to learn about spirituality and esoteric wisdom. It can represent a counselor, mentor or professor. It can also point to rigidity of thought, social conservatism and a reluctance to embrace the changes in an increasingly progressive and open-minded society.
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| 'Hierophant' variations, from top and left to right: The Victorian Romantic Tarot, the Sasuraibito Tarot, the Revival Art Tarot and the This Might Hurt Tarot |
THE SHADOW
The shadow aspects of The Hierophant underscore the dark side of organized religion: Fundamentalism, indoctrination, extremism and absolute submission to religious law and morality. This can be observed in the more obscure sects of all the major religions around the world. It can promote intolerance, discrimination, prejudice and even violence against non-believers, members of other faiths, minorities and alternative lifestyles. In the most extreme cases it can lead to religious terrorism.
The Hierophant at his worst is obtuse, closed off, judgmental, holier than thou and extremely conservative. He uses scripture to separate humanity rather than unite it. He's oppressive, sectarian, a bigot and an all-round insufferable know-it-all.
In a more positive light, the shadow Hierophant can also be a freethinker searching for alternative belief systems. He might be an atheist, agnostic or an adherent to any non-deity based philosophy. He signals the need to question our beliefs, to re-examine established religious dogma and to open our minds to a larger, more inclusive spiritual understanding of the old laws.
LITERALLY
When the Tarot turns literal the traditional Hierophant represents a Priest, Bishop or Pope. It can also represent the Bible, a church or cathedral. If the pictorial symbology in your deck is not Christian in nature for this card, follow your intuition to figure out what the card is plainly and literally trying to tell you.
TAROT ACADEMIA
As an atheist, defining my relationship with The Hierophant as 'complicated' is an understatement. It's antagonistic, filled with ambiguity and very much in keeping with my lifelong skepticism towards organized religion as a whole. While I have tremendous respect and even fascination for the various spiritual beliefs held by people the world over, I have an equally strong sense of suspicion and distrust towards their religious leaders.
In early Italian Tarocchi cards The Hierophant was originally labeled 'Il Papa' and was a representation of the Catholic Pope. Believed to be chosen by God himself, the Pope is seen as the embodiment of the Divine on Earth. His likeness in the Tarot is an emblematic symbol of the Church's lasting power and influence in all aspects of society, including the governing class. The imagery and symbolism used in those old decks perpetuates this narrative.
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| 'Le Pape' from Le Tarot Noir by Justine Ternel & Mathieu Hackière |
Esoteric knowledge used to be jealously guarded by the Church and only a fraction of it was shared with the, at the time, illiterate masses. Convenient parts were amplified, while the more controversial, ambiguous or contradictory passages were kept hidden or erased altogether. Anyone who dared question the teachings of the Church or who spread a different, more easily accessible gospel was swiftly silenced, often violently. That included people whom the Church considered to be 'witches' or 'demonic' souls, who practiced a kind of spirituality that had enormous popular appeal and threatened the Church's hegemony.
To this very day, Catholic scholars vilify occultists, spiritualists and other New Age practitioners, which of course includes Tarot enthusiasts. It appears that a pack of cards filled with archetypes, symbology and arcane esoteric concepts is perceived as a huge existential threat to their institution. Could it be because the only representative of the Church in the Tarot, The Hierophant, is just one more archetype among many? He's a teacher, yes, but he's not the only teacher and certainly not the most significant. That's bound to be unnerving, intent as they are to convince the world that the Church alone holds the ultimate esoteric 'Truth'.
Their concern and resentment at the growing popularity of alternative spiritual paths is so great that some have gone as far as to want to claim the Tarot as a Catholic artefact. See the writings of Catholic scholar Thomas L. McDonald for more details on this particular nugget. The general convoluted idea contends that since the Tarot originated in 15th century Italy and was created as a mirror of contemporaneous Italian society, and given that said society happened to be exclusively Catholic, then obviously the Tarot is a Catholic creation. If you're rolling your eyes at this point, welcome to the club.
After getting over my irritation at the sheer arrogance of that proposition, a sense of amusement and almost pity took over. The poor man is clearly grasping at some pretty big metaphorical straws. Then a realization came over me. What that scholar proposes is something the Church has been doing since its inception. Rewriting history, appropriating local traditions and cunningly incorporating them into their own lore. He wants to demystify the allure of the Tarot in the same manner that the early Church diminished the influence of the old Pagan traditions by replacing them with its own cloned versions.
It shouldn't need to be said, but just because the original game of Tarocchi originated in medieval Catholic Italy does not automatically mean that it belongs to the Catholic Church. Especially since it was not created specifically for the Church to begin with. But that is apparently how far they're willing to twist this particular pretzel in order to de-legitimize Tarot scholars and our history.
This is one of the reasons The Hierophant used to be one of my least favorite cards in the Tarot. It's the embodiment of the kind of overly controlling religious mentality that is so alien to my personal philosophy, the two can't possibly ever be reconciled. The other card that used to have a similar effect on me is 'Judgement', but we'll get to that later in the year.
Fortunately, many modern Tarot decks are reinventing The Hierophant and embracing a wider view of spirituality to symbolically convey its core meaning. The original Italian Catholic Pope that later morphed into the Greek Hierophant is now featuring a host of symbolic archetypes that celebrate the variety of world religions. The artwork is often gender inclusive and open to all sexual orientations. One of my all-time favorites, and the card that finally started to ease my animosity towards The Hierophant about 15 years ago, is the one renamed 'Faith' by Ciro Marchetti from his Tarot of Dreams, pictured below. Ciro gave this archetype a fresh perspective, while still preserving its reverent solemnity, that completely altered my understanding of a card that used to utterly repel me.
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| 'Faith' from the Tarot of Dreams by Ciro Marchetti |
AN EXERCISE
Explore your spiritual side with The Hierophant. Meditate on the card and ask yourself where your personal philosophy lies and how your beliefs have evolved over time. Are you comfortable within the parameters of organized religion or are you more individualistic, independent or eclectic with your faith? If you're a non-believer how does this card affect you and how do you intuitively interpret it when it shows up?