The Hierophant

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (February 2009)

The Hierophant (V)

The Hierophant (V), in some decks named The Pope, is the fifth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.

Description and symbolism

Some frequent keywords associated with The Hierophant are:

• Education ----- Knowledge ----- Status quo ----- Institution
• Conservatism ----- Discipline ----- Maturity ----- Formality
• Deception ----- Power ----- Respect ----- Duality
• Social convention ----- Belief system ----- Group identification
• Experience ----- Tradition ----- Naïve

In many modern packs, the Hierophant is represented with his right hand raised in what is known esoterically as the blessing or benediction, with two fingers pointing skyward and two pointing down, thus forming a bridge between Heaven and Earth reminiscent of that formed by the body of The Hanged Man. The Hierophant is thus a true “pontiff”, in that he is the builder of the bridge between deity and humanity. The Hierophant is typically male, even in those which take a feminist view of the Tarot, such as the Motherpeace Tarot.

In most iconographic depictions, the Hierophant is seen seated on a throne between two pillars symbolizing Law and Liberty or obedience and disobedience, according to different interpretations. He wears a triple crown, and the keys to Heaven are at his feet. Sometimes he is shown with worshippers, as his alternate title is the Pope or, sometimes, Jupiter.^[1]

History

The papacy was not just a religious force, but was a political and military force as well. When the tarot was invented, the Pope controlled a large portion of central Italy. Renaissance culture did not question the abstract ideal of the Pope as God's human representative on Earth. In Tarot of Marseilles, he wears a red cape and a blue robe, in contrast to The Papess, who wears a blue cape and blue robe.

The more commonly encountered modern name "Hierophant" is due to Antoine Court de Gébelin. According to de Gebelin, "hierophant" was the title of the chief priest in the Eleusinian mysteries (an ancient Greek ritual).

Interpretation

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2006)

The card stands for religion and orthodox theology. It also represents traditional education or a “Man of high social standing”. These interpretations merely scratch the surface of the card. The Pope card also represents the Biblical story of God’s creation of man and woman. He is also strongly associated with the Deceiver and with Power over others.

Some interpretations also suggest a link between the card and the myth of Isis and Osiris, a claim made about many cards.^{[citation needed]} Some say the card corresponds to the astrological sign of Taurus; others Sagittarius or Leo.^{[citation needed]} Yet another association is with the sign Cancer. In non-Western cultures (Native American, Siberian) the Hierophant retains the role as spiritual guide, wearing here the mask of a shaman who is also the teacher of holy things.^{[citation needed]} In Native America, the mythological association is with the Coyote or Trickster God, one who is a teacher, a benefactor for the spiritual student, but who is often playful or mischievous. Cancer has an astrological connection with the Moon, night, and the occult, and as a water sign, has the associations of being emotional, empathic, and compassionate which translates to being a nurturer, good parent and teacher.

The Hierophant is the card representing organized religion — any organized religion.^{[citation needed]} Its positive and negative aspects are those associated with that religion.

“Hierophant” literally means “the one who teaches the holy things”. Ideally, the Hierophant prepares the Querant spiritually for the adventure of life. The card also represents individuation or the point where a child starts to understand the boundaries between Self and Other, family and the community.^{[citation needed]} This is the point where the individual starts constructing his or her own identity, consciously, unconsciously, or as shaped by exterior forces.

The Hierophant is usually Key 5 of the Major Arcana. Five represents the essence of things as they are, as in the word “quintessence” from the Latin words for five and for nature.^{[citation needed]} It is also the number of the senses: sight, hearing, taste, feeling, and smell. The Hierophant sits on a throne straddling the world of the senses and the world of meaning.

It is related through cross sums (the sum of the digits) with Key 14: Temperance. The Hierophant presents the lessons of heaven to earth. Temperance guides the soul from this world to the underworld.

Some authorities say that the Hierophant generally represents assistance, friendship, good advice, alliances (including marriages), and religious interests. Reversed; it often refers to bad advice, lies, and persecution.

Others say that it represents the first level of understanding. When it appears in a tarot spread, it is a warning to the Querant to reexamine his or her understanding of the meaning of things; of the structure of the world; of the powers that be. Watch out for hypocrisy.

The negative aspect of The Hierophant is well illustrated by the myth of Procrustes. Procrustes was a man (or a monster) living in the mountains of Greece. He would invite weary travelers to come into his home, wash the dust off their feet, have a meal, and allow them to lie down on his bed. If they were too big for his bed, he’d cut them to size; if they were too small; he’d stretch them to fit. At last, Theseus came through those mountains and accepted Procrustes’s seemingly kind offer. When Procrustes tried to cut him to fit, Theseus at last slew him, making the road safe.^{[citation needed]} In this way, the Hierophant is like Freud’s superego. It shapes us, sometimes brutally. This shaping is necessary for us to become who we are. Sometimes, it’s merely the replication of historic cruelties. Freud theorized at one point that the superego is an internalization of one's parents.^{[citation needed]} The Hierophant may represent the parents, living in the Querant.^{[citation needed]}

The Rider-Waite-Smith deck explicitly connects the Hierophant with the Ten of Swords. The dead man lying face down on the beach, penetrated by ten swords, has his hand in the same position of blessing as the Hierophant, perhaps hinting that the artist believed that the path of the Hierophant leads ultimately to death; a sanctified death, but death nonetheless.

Alternative decks

In the Vikings Tarot the Hierophant is Odin with his two ravens, Hugin and Munin, and his two wolves, Geri and Freki.

In the X/1999 Tarot version made by CLAMP, The Hierophant is Aoki Seiichirou.

In the Lord of the Rings Tarot Deck, Saruman the White is the Hierophant.

In the Burning Tarot, the Heirophant is Larry Harvey's face and hat, superimposed upon an image of Pope John Paul II

In Howard Rodway'sTarot Of The Old Path the Heirophant is called the high priest and sits on a golden throne accompanied by the heads of a ram and an elephant, along with a raven in the foreground.

In pop culture

• The Hierophant is the name of the second boss in The House of the Dead 2, and is depicted as an Amphibious Gill Man like creature. It should be mentioned that all of the bosses in the House of the Dead series are named for the Major Arcana.

• In the video game Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3, the characters of Bunkichi and Mitsuko (Also known as "The Old Couple"), Shinjiro Aragaki, and Metis are of the Hierophant arcana. The arcana features mythological figures related to Japanese mythos and religion, such as Kohryu and a mummified Buddhist priest known as Daisoujou.

• In Persona 4, Ryotaro Dojima, the main character's uncle, is associated with the Hierophant arcana. He is a respected police officer. He is also the father of Nanako.

• In the third series of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure one of the main Characters Noriaki Kakyoin possesses a Stand called Hierophant Green.

• American hardcore band Will Haven released an album entitled The Hierophant in 2008.

References

1. ^ Dummett, Michael and Ronald Decker. History of the Occult Tarot. Duckworth, 2002.

• A. E. Waite's 1910 Pictorial Key to the Tarot
• Hajo Banzhaf, Tarot and the Journey of the Hero (2000)
• Most works by Joseph Campbell
• G. Ronald Murphy, S.J., The Owl, The Raven, and The Dove: Religious Meaning of the Grimm’s Magic Fairy Tales (2000)
• Riane Eisler, The Chalice and the Blade (1987)
• Mary Greer, The Women of the Golden Dawn (1994)
• Merlin Stone, When God Was A Woman (1976)
• Robert Graves, Greek Mythology (1955)
• Sigmund Freud, Moses and Monotheism (1939)
• Michel Foucault, History of Sexuality, V. I (1978)
• Harold Bloom, Jesus and Yahweh: The Names Divine (2005)
• P.D. Ouspensky, The Symbolism of the tarot; Philosophy and Occultism in Pictures and Numbers (1976)

External links

• "Pope" cards from many decks and articles to "Pope" iconography
• The History of the Hierophant (Pope) Card from The Hermitage.