V. Hierophant
Guidance, teaching, traditions, rituals
“I open myself to wisdom, tradition
and higher understanding.”
As a figure of old institutions and rules, he looks old and rigid. But when you look closer, there’s something much deeper going on. He isn’t about blind obedience. He is about finding meaning, about inherited wisdom, a connection to something greater than yourself. He is here to help you make sense of what lies beyond the visible.
On his head he wears a three-tiered crown. A symbol for the mind, body, and soul. Although depicted as a crown, it does not represent control over these elements, but the integration of them.
The Hierophant holds the keys to connect what you can touch and what you can actually feel. Two crossed keys representing heaven and earth, outer and inner wisdom or maybe what is known and what stays hidden.
But he doesn’t keep them to himself. His keys are visible to everyone: he offers them to the reader. The Hierophant is a mentor, a spiritual teacher if you like. He’s the one who hands you a map when you feel lost. Not to lead you down his own path, but to help you discover yours.
This card can be about the role of a mentor, but also the student. We all have moments in life when the answers don't seem to come from within ourselves. You start looking around for texts, teachings, traditions. Things we once overlooked suddenly begin to offer the answers we need (even if they’re not the ones we wanted). The Hierophant doesn’t want you to receive that wisdom. He also wants you to take responsibility for it and perhaps pass it on. Wisdom moves in both directions.
Remember that you don't need to know all the answers. What matters is that you’re asking the right questions. So take a moment. Look at the keys. Feel their weight of their legacy and tradition.
The Hierophant reminds you: you are part of something older and wiser than you might realize.
And when the time comes, be the one who holds the keys for someone else.
Reflections
- What traditions, beliefs or systems have shaped me ? Do they still feel right today?
- How can I stay true to myself while being part of a group or community?
- How can I share what I know or be a guide for others?