Concept in Definition ABC

This word comes from the Greek hierophantes and means priest. In ancient pagan traditions there was a high priest who directed the rituals and who guided the population in his earthly and spiritual life. In the Greek world the hierophant was the priest who organized the Eleusinian Mysteries.

As for his symbolism, he is the arcanum number 5 (this number represents the path of wisdom). For this part, the letter of the hierophant or high priest is associated with the signs of the zodiac Aries or Taurus. From an astrological point of view, he is related to the planet Jupiter.

The discipline of tarot has an uncertain origin, but in Ancient Egypt there were already similar divinatory techniques

The tarot deck is a means of divination integrated into a discipline, fortune telling. These letters appeared in the 14th century in Europe and since then they are used to decipher all kinds of enigmas about the human condition.

There are two types of cards: the minor and major arcana. The former are a set of cards associated with specific life events. The second are trump cards and among them we can highlight the following: the Emperor, the Chariot, the Hermit, the Priestess, the Wheel of Fortune or the Hierophant.

Each one has an image with a series of symbols. When the tarot player casts the cards, the interpretation about its meaning.

The meaning in the context of tarot

In a general sense, it symbolizes the idea of ​​religiosity through the image of the pope. This implies that the religion it is presented as the link between God and men.

This letter is associated with a set of teachings:

1) the need to respect the beliefs of others,

2) human actions are the only criteria to judge others and

3) belief systems should serve as guidelines for spiritual growth.

Those who interpret the tarot cards affirm that this arcanum can refer to religion established in the whole of society or to the spiritual principles that each individual possesses in his inside.

Items that appear on the chart

The hierophant appears seated on a throne and on both sides there are two gray columns, which represent the pillars of the deepest beliefs of the human being. The human figure is presented with the right hand raised, which expresses the connection between God and man.

At the bottom of the image there are two monks and one of them wears a tunic patterned with white flowers and the other wears a tunic with red roses (the white flowers symbolize the spirituality and red roses represent material desires). This means that both the dimension Material and spiritual must be valued equally.

The hierophant wears a sky blue scarf around his neck, a color that serves to activate the larynx chakra (this part of the body is a center of Energy that governs the communication).

The high priest's crown has three levels. The lower level denotes the connection with the material, the middle level communicates the ability to understand the emotions and the higher level refers to the ability to connect with the supreme source of wisdom or with a god.

In the upper level of the crown there are three nails, which represent the solidity of religious beliefs. On the other hand, the hierophant wears a red cape, which symbolizes purity and wisdom.

From these symbolic elements the tarot reader interprets the appearance of this arcanum according to the context of the consultation.

If the hierophant appears in a normal position, it may indicate that the person is seeking some kind of spiritual help.

If the card is presented in an inverted position, it means that there is a false guru or spiritual guide who can negatively influence.

Photo: Fotolia - I. Ivan

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