CARD NUMBER 1. – Chaos (Replaces The Hierophant card of the traditional tarot. This card also represents a male consultant. If it is a female consultant, it is replaced by Card number 8: “Eteilla”).

Upright. – High Spirit, moral superiority.

Reversed. – Intellectual superiority, wisdom.

“A true leader never stops being a student, always learning, improving. I don’t listen to know-it-alls.” – Lakeisha M. Williams

The Perfect Student

The goal of every dedicated student is to one day become the master. Through hard work and dedication, they hope to master their trade so as to earn their title as one of the most talented and well-respected figures in their field. However, this journey of education and training is not one that is easily completed. The Hierophant represents the dedicated student who is prepared for the hardships of their education, and makes a conscious effort to gain some form of wisdom from every step in the process. They look to their teachers for guidance, and go into each new lesson with an open mind. While they may get frustrated by the slow progress and tediousness of their training, they are always able to remind themselves that it will all be worth it in the end.

You are much like the Hierophant, and currently in the process of honing your skills in order to one day become a master yourself. You may currently be seeking higher education, specialized training, or perhaps you are even on the path of self-discovery and enlightenment. Despite the fact that you don’t always know what you are doing, you look to the masters of your trade for their wisdom and guidance. One day, your mistakes, hesitation, and doubt in your abilities will all melt away as your skills become greater and far more refined. Have faith; your hard work will eventually pay off. Right now, a lack of dedication, when paired with laziness and exhaustion, are your worst enemies. Take a moment to find coping strategies that work for you in dealing with the stresses of being a student, but continue to invest the majority of your time and attention into your current education.

One’s romantic career throughout their life is going to be a series of trial and error situations. You are most likely not going to find your perfect partner on the first try, and it is important to remember that you also aren’t always going to be the perfect partner yourself. You are going to make mistakes, and this is normal. What is important is your willingness to grow from them, even if this means drastically changing the way that you interpret and react to certain situations. Humility is key; by keeping an open mind to personal growth, you will find that it is much easier for you to ease into more long term and meaningful romantic relationships.

Your romantic life hasn’t been the greatest recently, and you have found that there is a very important lesson that you stand to learn from these hardships. Perhaps you are far too eager to throw yourself into serious relationships preemptively, resulting in some romantic partners being easily put off by your enthusiasm. Or maybe you have learned to identify certain red flags in a partner that may be an indicator of situations that could easily become abusive. Now is the time to open your mind and learn from the situation at hand, even if this means admitting that you have made a mistake. There is no shame in recognizing your faults and moving past them, but there is some shame in not learning your lesson. Use this as an opportunity to become and even better partner in the future, and one that is able to choose more healthy relationships.

FIVE. THE HIEROPHANT

He wears the triple crown and is seated between two pillars, but they are not those of the Temple which is guarded by the High Priestess. In his left hand he holds a scepter terminating in the triple cross, and with his right hand he gives the well-known ecclesiastical sign which is called that of esotericism, distinguishing between the manifest and concealed part of doctrine. It is noticeable in this connection that the High Priestess makes no sign. At his feet are the crossed keys, and two priestly ministers in albs kneel before him. He has been usually called the Pope, which is a particular application of the more general office that he symbolizes. He is the ruling power of external religion, as the High Priestess is the prevailing genius of the esoteric, withdrawn power. The proper meanings of this card have suffered woeful admixture from nearly all hands. Grand Orient says truly that the Hierophant is the power of the keys, exoteric orthodox doctrine, and the outer side of the life which leads to the doctrine; but he is certainly not the prince of occult doctrine, as another commentator has suggested.

He is rather the summa totius theologiæ, when it has passed into the utmost rigidity of expression; but he symbolizes also all things that are righteous and sacred on the manifest side. As such, he is the channel of grace belonging to the world of institution as distinct from that of Nature, and he is the leader of salvation for the human race at large. He is the order and the head of the recognized hierarchy, which is the reflection of another and greater hierarchic order; but it may so happen that the pontiff forgets the significance of this his symbolic state and acts as if he contained within his proper measures all that his sign signifies or his symbol seeks to show forth. He is not, as it has been thought, philosophy—except on the theological side; he is not inspiration; and he is not religion, although he is a mode of its expression.

Part of becoming a master in any field is to first struggle through the long and difficult process of being the student. Nobody starts something new as an expert, and it can be difficult to start something if you have no choice but to begin from step one. Every job that you ever take on is going to follow this general pattern, especially one that requires higher education as a prerequisite. You will never start a position knowing exactly what you are meant to do; otherwise, the concept of “training” would not exist. Even when you get far more comfortable in your position, there will always be a new lesson or experience on the horizon that will make you a better employee. It is a constant learning experience, but one that becomes much easier with time and effort.

Even if you are well-experienced in your current job, this may be a sign that there is still much for you to learn before you can truly call yourself a master. Take a moment to step back and carefully consider all of the responsibilities of your position. Is there something that you still stand to learn? Was there something that may have been mentioned in your training but that you haven’t yet experienced? By acknowledging the gaps in you knowledge, you will be able to move forward with the clear intention of filling these gaps in mind. Even if this does not produce any tangible results, such as a higher paycheck or a promotion, it will show your coworkers that you are truly a master of your current position. If you are actively seeking a new job, this may also be a sign that it is time for you to polish up your skills so as to show potential employers that you are a model candidate. Are all of your application documents up to date? Are there any training or certification courses that you can enroll in and add to your resume? Take the initiative to learn how you can set yourself apart from other candidates, and don’t be afraid of showing potential employers that you are willing to learn in and adapt to the position that you are applying into.

The learning experience equips you to make innovations in your field, but it is essential that you understand and master the appropriate foundational elements first. When The Hierophant appears in the reversed position, it may be a sign that you are fighting back against the first few, but arguably most vital, steps in the learning process.

Before you concern yourself with your own personal style of working, be sure that you are able to perform all of the basic functions of the role that you are working to one day fulfil. Even if these lessons feel old and outdated, remember that there is most likely a reason that they have persisted this long. Don’t be so quick to disregard tradition just because it is labelled as such; in order to successfully set oneself apart from the work that has come before them, one must first have an intimate understanding of what such traditions look like. After all, the best way to define what something is oftentimes to assert what it isn’t.

The Hierophant is your guidance card. You are seeking philosophical answers from somebody with either traditional, religious or spiritual knowledge. It is a sign that you should be using the wisdom of another to guide you. To conclude, The Hierophant is a wise YES card.

• Upright Hierophant – Yes or No?
• The Hierophant Reversed – Yes or No?
• The Hierophant Meaning for Love – Yes or No?
• The Hierophant Love Reversed – Yes or No?
• The Hierophant Meaning For Advice – Yes or No?
• The Hierophant Meaning For Advice Reversed – Yes or No?
• The Hierophant Pregnancy – Yes or No?
• The Hierophant Health – Yes or No?