Ludy Lescot - The Hierophant V

I find it a little puzzling that the Hierophant has crosses everywhere in his clothes and bishop´s hat (mitre?) but he is surrounded by what looks more like Pagan paraphernalia. The book he is holding has a golden sun and moon on its cover and the incense holder in front of him also looks more pagan than Christian to me. Is this Hierophant in the process of changing his religion from Pagan to Christian? Or does he want to say that both are really the same thing in the sense that there are many paths to the top of the same mountain?

well... from what I can see from this card ,what eems important to me was not the religious paraphernalia at all


he's closing his eyes and he's holding the book up high ,

the book , to me, is about the importance of the aquired knowledge , but it is also closed , he isnt reading it to them just showing it. the hierophant to me has always represented a teacher , someone who does not lead like the emperor , but someone who guides who points you in the right direction and lets you go. the wand staff , batton thingy is just resting next to him , its a symbol , not one that he holds on to , just something he has but is not really important , it just something on the side

so the image is kind of ambibalent ,to me , he seems to hold it with care and love , but doesnt spell it out for you, it is also important to note the fire in front of him , it looks dangerous , like if with enouigh wind it coyuld engulf him , so it is about how fragile the preconceptions and knowledge is and how it can , in a matter of seconds , be if not destroyed , at least , significally changed , much like how scientific knowledge changes every day.

Minotauro said:

...he's closing his eyes and he's holding the book up high ...

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A warning against 'blind faith' perhaps? ['Alas for you!' as it were]

Elendil said:

A warning against 'blind faith' perhaps? ['Alas for you!' as it were]

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DEFINETLY!

thats why that was strange to me or kind of going both ways lol
=P , about keeping x belief in a pedestal without really knowing about what it is.
but the book being closed is what really bothers me lol XD C'MON!

There's a lot of "opposites" in the cards IMO - here, the Sun and the Moon together so the revealed and the esoteric in one place.

The Hierophant is also about societal norms, mores, conventional thinking, right? How often in our lifetimes have we seen those who "push" those norms upon the people while either not following the conventions themselves or turning a 'blind eye' to some who choose to either deny or defy those things?

This 'teacher' is gray haired with a full beard indicating age and perhaps intimating wisdom (as we often like to think of those who've lived the longest possessing such a wisdom).

He's dressed rather opulently, and heavily, with robes. He's not going to move anywhere quickly in that garb, to me indicating the slowness with which religions and societies adapt to change. Perhaps the clothes also suggest the layers of meaning in belief systems.

I like the fusing of symbolism pagan and otherwise. And the fire that burns bright in his direction but does not consume the Hierophant... perhaps alluding to zealotry or a controlled resistance to it.

Also, I didn't see any previous mention of the lemniscate that forms around the sun and moon on the book.

RunningWild said:

T
He's dressed rather opulently, and heavily, with robes. He's not going to move anywhere quickly in that garb, to me indicating the slowness with which religions and societies adapt to change. Perhaps the clothes also suggest the layers of meaning in belief systems.

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This is brilliant, thanks!

RunningWild said:

TI like the fusing of symbolism pagan and otherwise. And the fire that burns bright in his direction but does not consume the Hierophant... perhaps alluding to zealotry or a controlled resistance to it.

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I´m not sure what to think about this fusing of Pagan and Christian. But it is a fact that they do fuse and sometimes rather heavily (think Christmas..). Also most (if not all) Christian churches and celebrations are built on Pagan grounds so it is interesting. The fire/incense that burns in front of him looks rather pagan as well. The oracle of Delphi must have had something like this,too..

RunningWild said:

Also, I didn't see any previous mention of the lemniscate that forms around the sun and moon on the book.

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Well spotted!

Minotauro said:

the book , to me, is about the importance of the aquired knowledge , but it is also closed , he isnt reading it to them just showing it. the hierophant to me has always represented a teacher , someone who does not lead like the emperor , but someone who guides who points you in the right direction and lets you go.

so the image is kind of ambibalent ,to me , he seems to hold it with care and love , but doesnt spell it out for you, it is also important to note the fire in front of him , it looks dangerous , like if with enouigh wind it coyuld engulf him , so it is about how fragile the preconceptions and knowledge is and how it can , in a matter of seconds , be if not destroyed , at least , significally changed , much like how scientific knowledge changes every day.

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Yes, the above seems to support the LWB quote very well. It is interesting that we can never be like our teacher, no matter how hard we may try!

The Hierophant is pretty personal for me. At first I didn't like attire looked like pope's. But still, it's meaningful - he gives us knowledge in the book. His closed eyes can mean that yes, he can be blind but in the same time, he knows the text by heart. Maybe because of his age, he's not able to change attitude but he holds the knowledge, the background for any other teaching.