Reclaiming The Hierophant

With all of his associations with ordered religion, patriarchal systems and the pressure to conform, The Hierophant is a notoriously unpopular archetype in the tarot community. Believe me, I get it - especially in today’s sociopolitical climate.

But no card is all bad, the same as no card is all good. In fact, The Hierophant is far more neutral than you might think.

Yes, he represents all of those things, but he represents so much more.

When viewed more positively, we see him as a mentor or a teacher, a representation of community and tradition. But these are just buzzwords. And when you line them up alongside the others - religion, patriarchy, conformity, teacher, community, tradition - even the positive ones look a little less so. In today’s world, these words can lead us to see him as a symbol of someone who might abuse a position of power, or who forces us to live by rules that aren’t in alignment with who we are, or who gatekeeps wisdom, spiritual connection and truth.

I know - things aren’t looking good for our buddy, The Hierophant. But bear with me, because we’re just getting to the good stuff…