Tarot · The Major Arcana
The Hierophant
- Tradition
- teaching
- belonging
The picture
A religious figure in a triple crown sits between two pillars and raises his hand in blessing; two monks kneel before him, and two crossed keys lie at his feet.
The meaning
The Hierophant is the teacher who passes on knowledge older than himself. The tradition reads him as inherited wisdom, ritual and shared values. He stands for institutions, for learning from a master, and for the question of which rules you follow. Sometimes he is simply good advice from someone with experience.
Reversed
Reversed, he is read as doubt about old rules, or the wish to go your own way.
In love
In love he is read as commitment, shared values and sometimes the wish for a settled frame.
At work
At work he stands for training, teachers and colleagues you learn from, and well-trodden paths.
As your card of the day
It may be worth asking someone with experience today. You do not have to work everything out alone.
The Hierophant stands for what has proved itself. A familiar ritual can give you something to hold on to today.
The Major Arcana are the 22 trump cards, from the Fool at zero to the World at twenty-one. The tradition reads them as stations on a life's journey: large themes that touch everyone at some point.
Picture: Pamela Colman Smith, Rider-Waite-Smith tarot, 1909, public domain (Wikimedia Commons).