What's The Hierophant message?

Hi everyone, in a recent reading I draw The Hierophant as how to make the most of this month (actually the reading is here http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=271254, but none has replied yet). I don't know how to interpret this card, but I thought it could mean my spirit guides are on my side and so to keep on having faith on them. However The Hierophant is also about wisdom, so it could mean I should learn as much as I can during March, but it doesn't seem to fit.

Any other idea? Thanks.

Over the years, the Hierophant has been the Major Arcanum I've struggled with most after Temperance, which took me decades to come to terms with. The wisdom of the Hierophant strikes me as "conventional" rather than "transcendent" wisdom, as in that which is accepted and ordained as good by the faithful, who as a congregation aren't capable of handling "100-proof" spiritual vision and must settle for the Hierophant's translations. Rather than "something you should learn in March," it may have more to do with "a lesson you have to learn" about acceptance (or at least acknowledgement of the relevance) of socially-entrenched values in your life. Perhaps it's saying you should start with your father.

Barleywine said:

Over the years, the Hierophant has been the Major Arcanum I've struggled with most after Temperance, which took me decades to come to terms with. The wisdom of the Hierophant strikes me as "conventional" rather than "transcendent" wisdom, as in that which is accepted and ordained as good by the faithful, who as a congregation aren't capable of handling "100-proof" spiritual vision and must settle for the Hierophant's translations. Rather than "something you should learn in March," it may have more to do with "a lesson you have to learn" about acceptance (or at least acknowledgement of the relevance) of socially-entrenched values in your life. Perhaps it's saying you should start with your father.

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Hi Barleywine, thanks for your reply. I agree this card is a bit difficult to understand, especially because one may immediately think about church and religion only. I also agree it's not talking about "just something" to learn, but rather about a big lesson concerning acceptance of social values, or at least their relevance in my life. It could be about my father, yes.

Communal rites rather than solitary rites

Barleywine said:

that which is accepted and ordained as good by the faithful, who as a congregation aren't capable of handling "100-proof" spiritual vision and must settle for the Hierophant's translations.

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^This^ Nicely said, Barleywine! What I think is key in this phrase is "the Hierophant's translations." The Hierophant is all about translating the spiritual to the earthly. In other words, creating a way that anyone can experience the divine (or understand the answers they're getting from the divine) without resorting to vision quests and spirit guides. Because such practices--more likely to be indicated by the High Priestess or Hermit or Hanged Man--are solitary journeys, not a shared experiences. And most people are social animals who want to share divine experiences.

The Hierophant's wisdom (genius if you will) is giving them a way to do that. "Family" worship so that the divine can be experienced *with* family rather than having to lock them out while you go on your private quest. Community worship so that the divine can be experienced with friends...even with strangers who become instant friends as you recite the same prayers in church. Thus, the Hierophant is rarely a spirit guide. As Taurus, a fixed earth sign, he is very much a flesh and blood guide--or an earthly "thing" like a book of prayers everyone recites, or special foods everyone eats, or items used in communal rituals (like the palms for Palm Sunday). And his way of leading you to the divine is through traditional family and community practices rather than guiding you along your own individual path.

I don't know your background or upbringing, but March celebrates the vernal equinox (if you're pagan); it is Lent leading up to Easter, and also Purim and leading up to Passover. All of which have their family/community rites. Maybe the advice here is to connect with family or friends for those more familiar celebrations, ones where you all find the divine together in a conventional way rather than each person going on their own, solitary journey.

A desire for commitment is present when this card turns up, friends, teachers, mentors, partner etc and you probably feel like establishing order in your life on many levels. You may re-organize everything and establish new routines as regularity, security and order are what you seek this month.

Teaching and learning are strongly highlighted in both college and your spiritual life and things are going well in both.

Thirteen said:

^This^ Nicely said, Barleywine! What I think is key in this phrase is "the Hierophant's translations." The Hierophant is all about translating the spiritual to the earthly. In other words, creating a way that anyone can experience the divine (or understand the answers they're getting from the divine) without resorting to vision quests and spirit guides. Because such practices--more likely to be indicated by the High Priestess or Hermit or Hanged Man--are solitary journeys, not a shared experiences. And most people are social animals who want to share divine experiences.

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Thank you Thirteen for your help! Oh I see, how little I know The Hierophant!

Thirteen said:

The Hierophant's wisdom (genius if you will) is giving them a way to do that. "Family" worship so that the divine can be experienced *with* family rather than having to lock them out while you go on your private quest. Community worship so that the divine can be experienced with friends...even with strangers who become instant friends as you recite the same prayers in church. Thus, the Hierophant is rarely a spirit guide. As Taurus, a fixed earth sign, he is very much a flesh and blood guide--or an earthly "thing" like a book of prayers everyone recites, or special foods everyone eats, or items used in communal rituals (like the palms for Palm Sunday). And his way of leading you to the divine is through traditional family and community practices rather than guiding you along your own individual path.

I don't know your background or upbringing, but March celebrates the vernal equinox (if you're pagan); it is Lent leading up to Easter, and also Purim and leading up to Passover. All of which have their family/community rites. Maybe the advice here is to connect with family or friends for those more familiar celebrations, ones where you all find the divine together in a conventional way rather than each person going on their own, solitary journey.

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Now this card is much more clear, thank you again. What you say resonates, I mean generally I go for "private quests", leaving out my family and friends, as I think they can't help me in my journey. This card instead says the opposite, I should connect with them more for what concerns these aspects, celebrate together.

headincloud said:

A desire for commitment is present when this card turns up, friends, teachers, mentors, partner etc and you probably feel like establishing order in your life on many levels. You may re-organize everything and establish new routines as regularity, security and order are what you seek this month.

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Hi headincloud, thanks for your reply! Yes, it could make sense, indeed I feel like I need to reorganize things.

headincloud said:

Teaching and learning are strongly highlighted in both college and your spiritual life and things are going well in both.

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I thought about that as well, I agree!

Hi Elena,

I would say, the Hierophant is about applying knowledge and/or wisdom to a situation at hand.

Michael Sternbach said:

Hi Elena,

I would say, the Hierophant is about applying knowledge and/or wisdom to a situation at hand.

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Hi Michael, thanks! Yes, it could fit!

The Hierophant can challenge you to find your own position. You were brought up in a certain way - either accepted the tradition of your community (religion, values, rituals, we all have the imprint of our upbringing even if our parents rejected religion - then this rejection is our imprint), or you rebelled against it.

Now you have to find your own position. Simply imitating and duplicating what you were taught is not enough, and rejecting it as act of rebellion is no better. Ask yourself how you really stand in the lines of tradition sketched by your elders, and which path you personally want to go. That's a sign of personal maturity, and it's also part of a life long journey.

I like and respect the Hierophant. In a world of doubts, he is secure in his beliefs. And he asks us to find our own spot between the doubts and the certainty. Even if this spot is not our permanent home but just a step on the way. And whether we share his belief and tradition or not, he still gives his blessing.

Do you know German? There's a verse by Goethe that I'm always reminded of with the HIerophant.

Was du ererbt von deinen Vätern,
erwirb es, um es zu besitzen.

What you inherited from your forebears,
earn it to make it yours.

For me, that's one of his lessons and challenges.