The Hierophant: The Card of Tradition, Conformity, and Knowledge. (2024)

The Hierophant is card number 5 (V) in modern cartomantic tarot decks and the 6th major arcana trump card (The Fool, number 0, is the first card).Divination practices such as cartomancy can help us make decisions, offer guidance, and help us tune into our intuition when we are at a crossroads in our lives. Understanding the meanings of each tarot card can help you sharpen your interpretative skills so you can get the most out of your readings.

The Hierophant is also known as the High Priest, opposing the High Priestess, or the Pope (in the Marseille Tarot for example). For many tarotists, this card represents authority like that of the High Priestess, but an authority that comes from external sources rather than her internal wisdom. He has studied extensively and his knowledge is recognised by the institution – hence the link to a clerical figure.

The Hierophant is generally shown sitting on a throne representing his power and status. You can see two figures in front of him, representing those receiving his knowledge and guidance. He has one hand pointing to the sky, to show the link between heaven and earth, the macro and the micro – much like The Magician card. With this gesture, he is not only reminding his audience of this relationship, but also he is physically symbolising the bridge between the two, as someone who holds sacred knowledge and who passes it on.

In this article, we will explore the different meanings of the Hierophant Tarot card in various reading contexts as well as the different advice it can offer you.

1. The Hierophant is all about tradition, religion, and conformity.
2. The Hierophant can represent a need to conform to societal norms or expectations.
3. The Hierophant can also signify teaching, sharing knowledge and wisdom.
4. Finally, the Hierophant can represent a need for spiritual guidance.

In Latin, major arcana translates to “big secrets” and each of the 22 cards in this section of the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck represents an important life lesson we must all face at some point. The Hierophant, arcanum 5, is no different.

When The Hierophant appears in a reading, you are reminded that sometimes tradition is such because it works, in the sense that it provides the structure and framework necessary to the situation. It’s advising you to stick to existing rules and conventions right now, the time for innovations isn’t quite yet! It’s also heavily linked to spiritual and/or religious practices, so maybe this area of your life is coming into focus at the moment.

Drawing The Hierophant during a love and relationships spread can indicate a secure, safe, traditional love, one that doesn’t upset the status quo, one that fits in with society’s expectations and representations of what love is. This can also have to do with a relationship that centres on a form of spirituality or education, one where you will be learning together.

The Hierophant represents a figure of wisdom, so this could speak to a need to find that figure for your relationship, like a couples therapist or a podcast on that subject.

In a career tarot spread, this card can point to success in workgroups, in your education, through study groups or mentorships for example. The fact that The Hierophant is a figure of wisdom can indicate that finding someone with more experience or hierarchy than you to help you reach your goals can be a positive thing for you right now.

The focus on group effort rather than individual drive is strong with this card, this can indicate that now is a great time for collaborations. Its link to education can be a suggestion to work on a particular skill right now, through a group class or simply by finding resources online!

Moneywise, this card can indicate that you should be focused on keeping your money safe in traditional spaces and institutions. The Hierophant’s advice here is to avoid gambling or investing in new ventures or ways of managing money that has yet to prove their efficiency.

“Tried and tested” can be a good thing, “don’t fix it if it’s not broken”, etc. This card is tied to “common sense” – The Hierophant is associated with the zodiac sign Taurus, a fixed earth sign. Fixed means that it is solid and reliable in its permanence and the Earth element relates to all tangible, concrete things in life.

The Hierophant represents an older, wiser figure of a certain authority – not the kind of authority that makes you do things, like The Emperor, but one that counsels and guides you. Listen to what your sensible friend has to say about this – or maybe your nan.

The Hierophant is a great card to work with when you’re doing spell work to help boost your study capacities!

Whether you have exams coming up, a big presentation at work that you need to master, or you’d simply like some help in furthering your witchcraft studies, The Hierophant can help. Spend some time sitting with your card and meditating on what it would feel like to fully embody the stable, wise energy of The Hierophant. Either diffuse the essential oil or burn some rosemary, as the smell of it has been proven to help enhance memory.

Light a green or white candle in front of your card, concentrate on the smell of the rosemary, and take five deep belly breaths while repeating to yourself out loud or in your head: “I embody The Hierophant’s energy, I am wise and knowledgeable, I am strong and stable, I can do this”, five times, between each breath.

Leave the candlelit as you study and feel yourself flow with The Hierophant’s powerful energy!

The Hierophant represents the archetype of the Institution, the whole collection of rules and conventions that are associated with a structured field of human experience. This is why he is shown as a religious figure – for a Pope, a Priest, a Rabbi or an Imam are roles that hold in them the duality of being a human person that embodies their religious institution.

To speak to a priest is to speak to the Church, and as such, The Hierophant is more than a man, he represents the whole of spirituality and traditions.

This page is part of our comprehensive . If you enjoyed the read, then you’ll love the following articles.