A lot of people can be put off by this card because of its title and appearance due to its religious components. For those who have been brought up with an unhappy view of religion, this can be a bit of a hurdle, as well as those who simply feel at odds with such an imposing, rigid male influence arriving in their Tarot spreads.

At heart, The Hierophant is a teacher, a guru, a shaman, a person qualified literally or by the teachings in life they have followed to guide you on an issue.

This card can show someone wise, full of great insights, and whereas the High Priestess is the Spiritual Mother of the Tarot deck, The Hierophant is the Spiritual Father, so he shows the outer/conscious side of learning, rather than the inner/subconscious of the High Priestess.

It can help, if you're stuck with the main energy implied by this card's title, to view it, as mentioned above, as a teacher. In this capacity, he will be someone who will teach things in their true context, literally, from A-Z. He will teach you the rules and the way it has been done and should be done. He is not about using your intuition but learning the building blocks of what is at hand, and truly grasping the mechanics of an issue, which is handy if you're learning how to drive, or training to become an accountant, or a doctor, or anything that needs a defined understanding of 'how to'.

He can represent counsellors or advice-givers where you find yourself consciously looking at an issue.

He can also be a random piece of advice from someone experienced and very much "in the no".

Of course, this card, with its firm attachment to tradition and conventional ways of doing things, can show unions and relationships of all kinds based on traditional roles or values.

If you find that his name or image gets in your way of understanding what he means, change the title you give him so that you can see past your own preconceptions.

More: The Hierophant

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