Depending on your background, your response to the Hierophant card will be different from another Tarot reader. Some will see it as an oppressive view of religion, others will see it as a card of spiritual guidance.

In the days of old, Hierophants were the high priests of the Eleusinian mysteries, which were initiation ceremonies for the cult of Demeter in ancient Greece. In the Rider-Waite Tarot, the Hierophant looks like an Archbishop or Pope. In the early versions of Tarot, this card was known as ‘The Pope’, but A. E. Waite called this card ‘The Hierophant’ so it had a stronger esoteric connection.

Despite its renaming, the image still retains the feeling of organised religion, rather than the mystical flow of spiritual enlightenment that Waite was trying to impart.

Although this card still looks as though a ‘message’ is being ‘preached’ to us, the essence of The Hierophant is that knowledge is being shared with the world. This is significant, as it’s a positive symbol of the spread of spirituality.

From The Hierophant, we learn about commitment, rules for living, and tradition. The Hierophant exemplifies the concept of living a righteous life and showing integrity to the world.

When integrity is embraced whole-heartedly, when it permeates every decision you make, then life becomes simpler and more rewarding. But a half-hearted attempt at living life with integrity brings confusion and chaos. The choice is simple, yet with deep and lasting consequences.

The Hierophant card suggests that we offer our knowledge to the world. What wisdom will you be sharing over the coming months?