Meaning of Each Tarot Card

Major Arcana, 5 The Hierophant

In ancient times, the Hierophant was a special type of priest who had the ability to understand sacred mysteries.  Man's bridge to god, they were thought to act as channels for a holy spirit at certain times.  

The Hierophant makes connections:  between man and the divine as well as interpreting holy secrets. 

The Hierophant represents the physical demonstrations of spirituality as well as the inner beliefs that influence them.  

It also assists in creating the necessary balance between the physical and spiritual worlds, to create harmony and understanding.


Upright:  The bridge that the Hierophant represents is a fairly conventional one: it refers to pursuits where the physical and spiritual worlds combine, such as education, religion or marriage.  Structure and routine can become very important to the Hierophant - familiarity can be a source of comfort in an ever-changing world. 

It also speaks of being too concerned with outward appearances and caring what others think.  The Hierophant can manifest in your life as a friend, teacher, spiritual leader or mentor and will care intently about guiding you to another level.  

Reversed:  As the Hierophant becomes reversed, you may feel as if a revolution has begun deep inside yourself.  You will march to the beat of your own drum and want to thoroughly cast away all the rules and structure that has been drilled into you.  

This may be a time where you discover that the religion you were born with no longer resonantes with you and you are searching for new answers.  It is a time where you need to be cautious in the advice you receive and realize that anything you commit to now will disappoint you later.  Use this as a time of discovery!

Meaning of Each Tarot Card Keywords:  connections between body and soul, religion, education, higher learning, routine, marriage, sound advice of a mentor, clearly defined roles, anarchy, rebellion, breaking rules, turning away from background or religion, poor advice, disappointments


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